Upgrade or New Build?

[blindexodus]

My system is 2-3 years old now and I feel like it's time for something new. I use this PC for gaming, music production, photo editing, etc. Here are the specs:

Abit IP3-E
Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 G0 w/Zalman 9700LED
2x1gb G.Skill DDR2 800 (PC2 6400)
EVGA 8800GT Superclocked
Corsair 520HX PSU

Can I get away with only upgrading my memory and video card for current games? I feel like my Q6600 is still OK. If this is the case, will my PSU still be sufficient for the latest video cards?

Any and all help would be much appreciated!

 

[ganesh21]

OC the processor to ~3.0, upgrade the video card and add 2 gb more memory.

Depending on the video card but your PSU should be sufficient.

 

[lt_shiro]

memory and video card (5850 FTW) upgrade with as ganesh21 suggest overclock that sucker

 

[blindexodus]

Thanks guys, that's exactly what I was thinking, though I've never OC'd my processor before. I'll have to look into it!

 

[engiNURD]

Should be easy with a Core2. First, try FSB set to 300 with the default multiplier at 9x, and set the DRAM mulitplier to 2x (DDR2-600). Prime that for about 15min. If thats good, try 333 and prime for 15min. You may need a slight voltage bump for either of them if Prime crashes. If so, raise it a few notches, slowly and gradually (eg. if your default is 1.325v, raise it to 1.35v and test again, if fails, try 1.375v, etc). Make sure your CPU core temps don't go above 70° during prime testing. Use Real Temp or Core Temp to monitor core temps. While OC'ing, lock the PCI-E bus to 100mhz, disable EIST and C1, and also turn of thermal control on the fans if any are enabled (ie. Smart fans - run them full speed all the time while OC'ing).