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Upgrades...

M

Marcus21

Weaksauce
Joined
Aug 10, 2002
Messages
96
I currently have:

AMD Athlon XP 1800+ @ 1.53Ghz
512MB DDR 2100 RAM
ATI RADEON 9600XT
120GB 7200RPM 8MB Cache HD
ASUS A7N8X Deluxe MB

I'm looking to upgrade my processor and RAM to:
AMD Athlon XP 3000+ Barton 400Mhz FSB
Corsair Value RAM 2x512MB (1024MB total) DDR400 RAM

Will this make a significant improvement in gaming and in general usage? It's exactly $300 on Newegg.

Thanks.

Also, what fan and heatsink would you recommend? Or would it be better to get the retail processor instead of the OEM?
 
This is what I'm planning on buying:

http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=19-103-394&depa=1

http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=20-145-440&depa=1

http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=35-150-023&depa=0

Also, on the Corsair ValueSelect RAM, it doesn't say if it is dual-channel or not. There is similar RAM on Newegg that is $2 cheaper and says it is dual-channel but the timings on it are 3 compared to the 2.5 on the RAM i have linked. Is dual-channel better? I don't know much about these more specific aspects of RAM.
 
Can anyone help me here? I want to know if these upgrades are worth it? I don't have a ton of funds so I can't really get top-of-the-line Athlon 64 processor with Extreme RAM and a new motherboard.

More specifically, I would like to know if, after the upgrades, I will be able to run CS:S well. Right now, I only get between 20-40 fps on medium settings and it seems like it's affecting gameplay as I shoot right at people, and they don't get hit.
 
If I were you, I would save up until you can get a decent A64 or P4 system. The system you configured is nice, but a decent A64 system will set you back about 150-200 more but will be worth it.
 
Well, I have CS:S right now, and it runs really crappy. I upgraded everything in my PC last Christmas except for the CPU/RAM. I was hoping that upgrading the CPU/RAM now would give me a good boost over what I have right now without breaking my wallet.

Any idea if that RAM I linked to is dual-channel and if that even matters?
 
Marcus21 said:
Well, I have CS:S right now, and it runs really crappy. I upgraded everything in my PC last Christmas except for the CPU/RAM. I was hoping that upgrading the CPU/RAM now would give me a good boost over what I have right now without breaking my wallet.

Any idea if that RAM I linked to is dual-channel and if that even matters?
Click to expand...

any ram that is the same speed and amount(mb) will run dual channel. it is best to buy a matched set because you are afforded much less problems. if you buy a two stick set of ram, it should run in dual channel no problem. that 2.5 is a cas timing, the lower the better.

you should get a considerable boost in performance, i am running that chip as well.

also, that 9600xt, although bottlenecked by your processor right now, is not the greatest card for newer games. its alright, but dont expect really high reso's on anything based on teh D3 or Source engines
 
I only run games at 1024x768 but, for some reason CS:Source runs horrible. I get even less FPS at lower resolutions so I don't really know what is going on with that. :confused:
 
Sounds like a good upgrade, it will give a significant boost for not too much money. You will not be satisfied with your perforfmance in new games however. If you upgrade to a 9600pro or 9800pro video card you will find the newer games very playable on lower settings.
 
^Huh. I thought 9600XT was better tahn the 9600Pro. 9800Pro isn't enough of a boost. I'm gonna wait for the newer cards to come down in price some.
 
Yea, stick with the 9600xt until the x800/6800 generation cools down and the next product cycle rolls around. I'm happy with my card.
 
I went from a 9600XT to a 9800Pro. In CS:S with my 9600XT I got from 30-70, with my 9800Pro I now get 70-120. For only 50$ more I think it was a nice upgrade. But yeah a faster cpu and more ram will definately help you and not cost too much. Good luck with the upgrades..
 
if i were you with your budget, id go with athlon 64 2800+ for $131(pricewatch.com), a Chaintech VNF3-250 socket 754 m/b for around $80. $211 right there.

then if you don't want to spend more than $300, id go with just 512 ram. i have a gig and its very nice, but being a gamer that had to pick, i would choose the beefier CPU over 1 gig of ram(and also more cpu upgradeability). and maybe get another 512 stick later.
 
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