Upgrade, wait, or build a new system?

S

strebor

Weaksauce
Joined
Jun 29, 2004
Messages
113
My computer is getting a bit old, I haven't upgraded any hardware at all performance-wise in the last 1.5 years. I don't play too many PC games anymore, but I'd still like to be able to play the new and upcoming games with relative ease (doesn't have to be perfect). It doesn't have to be great, but I want a system that will last me awhile (at least 2-3 years) with minimal upgrades. My only issue is that I don't have PCIe, it either wasn't out or it was out of my budget when I built this system (both the original mobo and video card have been switched out, but this level of system was build around summer of 03). I've been sort of out of the loop recently though.

Abit NF7-S
Athlon XP 2600+ (not a Barton...the other common one) w/ Thermaltake SilentBoost
GeForceFX 5600 Ultra (bleh)
512MB PC2700 RAM (Corsair's cheap value RAM)
Asus CD-RW and 52x CD-ROM
Soundblaster 5.1 card (I have a 5.1 speaker system)

So I was thinking...upgrade to 1GB RAM for $50 or whatever, then maybe a $150 or so video card (6600gt?) and a DVD-RW. How long would that system be viable for? This is my preferred option because I don't think I need a whole new system just yet.

My only other option is build new system on an extreme budget, because I also need a new monitor soon. Also, I was interested in a Shuttle SFF system, are those generally more expensive? I also need to have a tv tuner card (I already have one) and I like to run my video input to the TV a lot to play games and watch videos on, and I need to have support for a 5.1 sound system.

So should I upgrade this system with more RAM, video card, and DVD-RW, should I just wait awhile (I'm not in a hurry) and build a new Shuttle or other new system next summer?

Thanks for any input.
 
with those upgrades, depending on if you dont mind going from high to mediums or mediums to low details, 1-1.5 years is my best guess.
 
A 6600GT won't last you 2-3 years. Maybe one, but I wouldn't count on it. It isdefinately a huge improvement from the FX 5600 though. For that price range, you should look at what ATi has to offer. You may bet better bang for the buck with them. But yeah if you want to play the latest games etc, you should just save up a bit and get a new budget system with PCIE. If you are playing games like CoD2 or BF2, you will definately need more RAM, but you will get a much bigger performance boost if you invest that RAM money into a new video card or processor.
 
I actually do not play shooters on PC, I usually download demos and get bored of it by the time the demo is over. On the PC I mostly play RTS and RPG games, so as I said I don't need a kick ass system since I'm mostly a console gamer.

What ATI cards would be good for sub $200?
Also, if you don't mind, how much would a budget system cost nowadays? I could probably reuse some pieces (soundcard, tv tuner, PSU (Thermaltake 450W)) and use my current case (CM Centurion 5). So all I would really need is a mobo, RAM, CPU, and video card.
 
you are going to want to upgrade to s939 and go PCI-E.

I was in your same position about two monthes ago, and since then I've bought 4 agp cards, 3 sticks of ram, 2 cpu's, and finally, after maxing out my NF7 motherboard, I said screw it, sold it, and bought what you see in my sig. HUGE improvement in gaming (though granted I only play CS:S). I'd say save your pennies, and upgrade your CPU/MOBO/Video. As for video, I love my Connect3D X800 gto, unlocks and clocks to full X800XT PE, and almost to X850XT PE speeds.
 
wait until march, upgrade to socket m2, and buy 1 of the 7800gs cards that will be available any day now. no point going to s939 now.
 
I'd recommend upgrading to a full gig of ram, assuming you have a 512 stick currently and can make the upgrade for relativly cheap 50$. Keep your current video card if you just want to make a minor improvement. With a full gig, your computer should be able to play the games you enjoy (stratagy and RPG's) with much less slowdown for many units on the screen at once. After 6 months to a year from now, you can make the jump to a strong 7--- (8---?) series card and a new computer, netting yourself a nice "wow!" factor in the process rather than spending money on incremental upgrades.
 
FPS games plays graphic, RTS games plays RAM, need more ram if you dont want to be a lagger
 
exe163 said:
FPS games plays graphic, RTS games plays RAM, need more ram if you dont want to be a lagger
Click to expand...
Fortunetly I only play single player, otherwise I would have upgraded awhile ago.

Thanks for all the helpful input, I think I will wait just a bit and do an overhaul in the next year. If I upgrade anything now, it might be to 1GB of RAM.
 
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