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Upgrade system.. Help?

B

BitBotman

n00b
Joined
Mar 24, 2008
Messages
5
well im looking to upgrade.. but im not sure what i should do..

i have
xeon 3060
2 gigs of ram
gigabyte board
36 raptor
8800gts 640mb
vista 32bit..

i really just wanna game and search the net.. i mainly play FPS. looking to play crysis and COD4... i am an overclocker so keep that in mind...

first i need a monitor.. i was thinking either a 42" 1080p tv or a 30" dell...i would like a big monitor but i like the resolution on the dell.. what do you think? really after i pick a monitor i can decide what to do next... i was thinking e8800 and 3870x2..

umm.. im not rich so i would like to get the best bang for my buck.. i dont need super crazy numbers on frame per second but i would like to game smoothly.. yanno?
suggestion?
 
What's your budget on this upgrade? Also, what resolution do you plan on gaming at? An 8800GTS 640MB is still pretty decent especially if you are gaming at 1680 x 1050 or below.
 
30" is a mighty res. anything above 8800gtx will do in sli of course.
 
Could you also mention which specific brand/model of motherboard and RAM you're using?
 
hey. been busy here lately.
board is a gigabyte 965p-ds3
ram is geil. forgot the speed.
my budget for a monitor is around $1100. dont knoe if i should go 30" or 1080p tv.
my budget for my system is around $600
 
You're going to need a 9800 GX2 to run things well at native res on the Dell, and a 8800 GTS 512MB / 9800 GTX / 9800 GX2 for the 1080P screen in many titles, though the 8800 GTS 640MB may be enough for some.
 
For the HDTV, the HD3870X2 would work, but the 9800 series cards are better choices.

With the Dell LCD, you might as well be looking at the 9800GX2.

All you really need, for the most noticeable improvement, is a video card upgrade. (However, the 9800GX2 would eat up your entire budget, if not more.) If you haven't done so already, you could also try overclocking your processor, but you should invest in a good CPU cooler like the Tuniq Tower 120 or the Zerotherm Nirvana beforehand.
 
BitBotman said:
so you think all i need is a new video card? what about the 3870 x2
Click to expand...

The 3870X2 is considerably slower than the 9800GX2 and likely slower than the soon-to-arrive (next few days) 9800 GTX. There's really no reason to consider it anymore -- it had about 2-3 months where it was on top, and ATI's buried again.
 
don't forget power requirements guys...

to the OP: what PSU do you currently have? both the 3870X2 and 9800GX2 require 1 8- pin connector and 1 6-pin connector, and although you do have 1 obviously already for the 640MB GTS, you need another...

if you need a new PSU there are plenty around to choose from but i recommend the corsair HX 620 or TX750, or, if your feeling really adventurous, the HX 1000 which is coming soon.

i also say go with the dell monitor, cos the TV is likely to have a lower refresh rate...
 
soundguy said:
don't forget power requirements guys...
Click to expand...

I haven't forgoten about the PSU, but with the OP's rather limited budget (only $600 for all upgrades to his computer), I want to hear what he's planning to do before I offer any more suggestions.

I do agree with you, though, that the HX620 (or the VX650) could get the job done. The TX750, I believe, is overkill... considering that most of his PC money would be going towards the video card. Truthfully, he could get away with using the VX550.
 
wow.. good price on that tv.. how long till the price goes up? so if i get a 1080p tv and then pick a really nice video card i should be fine? i wouldnt really notice a diffrent in proc?
 
Nah, no reason to get a new CPU, just OC if you aren't already. (would require an aftermarket HSF)

You'll definitely need a new graphics card, though, and the only single 16x slot solution that won't struggle at 1920x1080+ right now is the 9800GX2, really
 
ok i think thats what im going to do.

if i can pick up a 42" 1080p for 800 should i? or stick with the 32"? how long till it come off sale?
 
Man that would be awesome if you could get a 42" 1080P for $800 bucks! I am not sure how long or if that price I got on the 32" is a sale price. That's is the cheapest I can find online for that 32" Sharp. I know Circuit City sells this online for $1099.99. Amazon sells this for $895.00
 
...remember all screens aren't created equal. Make sure you get a chance to see the screen before you purchase it, or can easily return it.
 
If you did get a 1080P 42" for only $800 it will probably be a cheap generic brand like Insignia, Magnavox etc. What you can do is go to Circuit City and look at that Sharp LC32D62U and see if it satisfies you before buying it.
 
i have the 32" sharp and let me tell you the thing looks great. unfortunately though i bought mine from best buy for like 1399. even at that price though it looks amazing.
 
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