|
|
|
|
Thread Tools | Display Modes |
11-08-2005, 01:14 PM | #1 |
Scooby Specialist
Member#: 36369
Join Date: May 2003
Chapter/Region:
MWSOC
Location: Rochester, MN
Vehicle:2004 WRX STi Java Black |
Computer upgrade questions, new video, or new mobo/cpu
Here is the deal...
I've become horribly addicted to BF2. My system is about 2 years old, however, I was running fairly decent (most goodies turned off) with this setup: Ati 9700pro 128m (actually, its a non-pro, running the pro bios, overclocked as well) 1GB 2700 DDR ram Asus Mobo Athlon XP 2800+ "Barton" So, I impulse bought a really nice AGP video card, a BFG 6800GT 256m card. I'm able to turn on most of bells and whistles, even 2xaa/af, and I'm getting framerates around 30-75 in most cases. Obviously, my mobo/memory/CPU is the bottleneck now. So, here goes the big question: I can pickup new CPU/Memory/mobo, lets say, for about $500, but, be stuck with my old ATI AGP card, but, have a better platform for buying a 7800GT in a few months, since i'm stuck with a 6800GT AGP oddball right now, assuming it will perform with similar results to my setup now, with a better CPU/Memory. -or- Should I just be happy with the 6800GT, and be faced with an obsolete AGP card in a year, and just eat the $375. I'm starting to think I should return the 6800GT, and go with a better upgrade path...
* Registered users of the site do not see these ads.
|
11-08-2005, 01:20 PM | #2 |
*** Banned ***
Member#: 15571
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: Not where you think
Vehicle:2006 06 Forester XT Silver |
Depends on how much you want to spend. Also, if you upgrade you PC, don't forget that you can sell your existing setup on Anandtech for some money that will offset your upgrade cost.
Here is what I would do. I can't remember the brand, but there is one board (socket 939) that has both an AGP and PCIx slot. Get that board, it's under $100. Buy a new chip, and upgrade your memory for well under $500. Keep the 6800GT, it will be fine for a lot longer than you think. |
11-08-2005, 01:23 PM | #3 |
Scooby Specialist
Member#: 44292
Join Date: Sep 2003
Chapter/Region:
NESIC
Location: Universe/Cybertron
Vehicle:..: F-15 Eagle ..: |
holy cow OT is the new PC factory !!!
Heres the perfect combo ibought myself P4 530 3.2GHz. Nvidia 6600GT dual SLI or just a single. Keeps costs down and still plays top games without any lag. |
11-08-2005, 01:24 PM | #4 |
Scooby Specialist
Member#: 36369
Join Date: May 2003
Chapter/Region:
MWSOC
Location: Rochester, MN
Vehicle:2004 WRX STi Java Black |
Bah, this doesn't look possible. Its this stupid forced upgrade to PCI-X, new mobos don't even have a AGP slot, so, this isn't an option...
I'll just sell some stock, buy a whole new system, not like I don't spend alot of time on my PC anyway... |
11-08-2005, 01:24 PM | #5 |
Scooby Specialist
Member#: 30907
Join Date: Dec 2002
Chapter/Region:
SWIC
Location: Albuquerque
Vehicle:SWP GDB-G |
BF2 needs RAM, a lot of it. so dont skimp, and a 939 mobo/proc. would be a good investment.
|
11-08-2005, 01:27 PM | #6 | |
Scooby Specialist
Member#: 36369
Join Date: May 2003
Chapter/Region:
MWSOC
Location: Rochester, MN
Vehicle:2004 WRX STi Java Black |
Quote:
Hmm.. interesting. My rig is over 2 years old though, I just hate spending nearly $400 on an AGP card, when I can basically get a 7800GT PCI-X for roughly the same price. |
|
11-08-2005, 01:28 PM | #7 | |
Scooby Specialist
Member#: 39142
Join Date: Jun 2003
Chapter/Region:
MAIC
Location: Vienna, VA
Vehicle:Memb er#: 39142 Join Date: Jun 2003 |
Quote:
|
|
11-08-2005, 01:43 PM | #8 |
Scooby Specialist
Member#: 3803
Join Date: Jan 2001
Chapter/Region:
MWSOC
Location: SouthEast Michigan
Vehicle:07 Mustang GT Ford Crappy Paint White |
So how much of an upgrade are you looking for? slightly better framesrates or a big jump? If BF2 is a RAM hog as alluded to above, maybe another 512 MB, but I'd just find the fastest processor that fits on your current board.
Check out for-sale prices of the 9800 to see if it offsets a bit of the impulse buy. Not to mention prices of your current CPU. Tom |
11-08-2005, 01:43 PM | #9 | |
*** Banned ***
Member#: 15571
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: Not where you think
Vehicle:2006 06 Forester XT Silver |
Quote:
|
|
11-08-2005, 01:45 PM | #10 |
Scooby Newbie
Member#: 20315
Join Date: Jun 2002
Chapter/Region:
NESIC
Location: VT
Vehicle:1997 Impreza L hunter green |
The board referred to above is the ASRock 939 Dual SATA2 with both an AGP slot AND a PCIe slot and it supports both at native speeds. I plan to use my Radeon 9700Pro with it. The cool thing is when I someday upgrade to PCIe, I can leave my Radeon in the AGP slot (yes it'll run both at the same time) and use up to 4 montors. It also has a "future" slot to accept AMD's next generation CPU. I just ordered one of these myself from Monarch for 68 bucks. An excellent deal imho.
(yes mapplex does both pc and mac). |
11-08-2005, 01:46 PM | #11 |
Scooby Newbie
Member#: 8095
Join Date: Jul 2001
Chapter/Region:
SCIC
Location: e pluribus unamusem
Vehicle:2010 OB: Subie #3 2010 Golf TDI 6sp Manual |
This article talks about the motherboard with both AGP and PCI-X slots:
http://www.tomshardware.com/howto/20051014/ |
11-08-2005, 02:08 PM | #12 |
Scooby Specialist
Member#: 36369
Join Date: May 2003
Chapter/Region:
MWSOC
Location: Rochester, MN
Vehicle:2004 WRX STi Java Black |
Wow.. So, I could get Mobo/memory/CPU for under $300. I'd go with 1GB of memory though... Didn't know such a cheap MOBO existed.
This could very well tide me over for another year. Although, ditching the 6800GT AGP in favor of a 7800GT PCI-X, and a whole new rig is still givin' me an itch... |
11-08-2005, 02:10 PM | #13 | |
*** Banned ***
Member#: 15571
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: Not where you think
Vehicle:2006 06 Forester XT Silver |
Quote:
What exactly is wrong with your games that you want an upgrade? I think you left that part out. |
|
11-08-2005, 02:24 PM | #14 | |
Scooby Specialist
Member#: 36369
Join Date: May 2003
Chapter/Region:
MWSOC
Location: Rochester, MN
Vehicle:2004 WRX STi Java Black |
Quote:
I'm looking more at a big picture here. I "invested" $375 in a video card, on a system thats probably worth around $200. I still have a window to return it as well. Also, it is kinda deflating (althought totally understood), that I have a 6800GT and still get slowdowns on a game thats almost 6 months old. Would it just make more sense to return the card, put the $375 to a $420 7800GT, and then just bite the bullet on a new rig? Heck, I could even spend less on a 6800GT PCI-X... I fear that I'll be stuck upgrading in 1 year, due to the new titles coming out, and I'm kinda riding an oddball wave here... |
|
11-08-2005, 03:48 PM | #15 | |
*** Banned ***
Member#: 15571
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: Not where you think
Vehicle:2006 06 Forester XT Silver |
Quote:
|
|
11-08-2005, 04:32 PM | #16 | |
Scooby Specialist
Member#: 36369
Join Date: May 2003
Chapter/Region:
MWSOC
Location: Rochester, MN
Vehicle:2004 WRX STi Java Black |
Quote:
I will want to stick to AMD, whats a good value/performance Processor? Should I even consider the X2 dual cores yet? How about something like the 3500+ venice ? Like most people, I like to ride behind the price point "cutting edge" wave, but, still go pretty nice. |
|
11-08-2005, 04:39 PM | #17 |
*** Banned ***
Member#: 1200
Join Date: Apr 2000
Chapter/Region:
MWSOC
Location: -=OTSC=-
Vehicle:FREE OLMEK Bureau (-=FOB=-) |
I just ordered:
X2 3800+ Abit A8N SLI XFX 7800GT In my opinion that's the sweet perfomance/price spot. Only $800. |
11-08-2005, 04:48 PM | #18 | |
*** Banned ***
Member#: 15571
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: Not where you think
Vehicle:2006 06 Forester XT Silver |
Quote:
|
|
11-08-2005, 05:04 PM | #19 |
Scooby Specialist
Member#: 36369
Join Date: May 2003
Chapter/Region:
MWSOC
Location: Rochester, MN
Vehicle:2004 WRX STi Java Black |
Remember, I'm not running an AMD 64, I'm running the old school Althlon XP 2800 Barton 333mhz FSB, pc2700 DDR ram, in dual mode config.
Ok, lets say, my budget is $1200. I'd like to avoid any premiums on "cutting edge". I don't need a soundcard, a 80-100GB harddrive is plenty fine, I don't need any optical devices. Anyone care to put together a christmas list for me? Looks like that other rig for $800 is pretty tight though... I'm also a sucker for products that can be hacked to be their bigger brothers (like, DFI SLI mobos, non-ultra cards that can become ultra, etc...) You guys have been great though.. I usually love investigating all this stuff, but, alas, I've been super busy latey. |
11-08-2005, 05:14 PM | #20 |
Scooby Specialist
Member#: 66769
Join Date: Jul 2004
Chapter/Region:
MWSOC
Location: Kansas City
Vehicle:05 Focus "ST" '80 Honda CM400T |
When building a system from scratch never, ever go cheap on the motherboard.
|
11-08-2005, 06:06 PM | #21 |
Scooby Specialist
Member#: 10788
Join Date: Oct 2001
Chapter/Region:
RMIC
Location: Castle Rock, CO
Vehicle:2019 Tesla Model 3 Midnight Silver Metallic |
All you need for BF2 is more RAM.
My setup: Pentium 4 2.4B (533mhz fsb) 2 gigs of ram XFX 6800GT Creative Audigy 4 (non pro) I run EVERYTHING on high settings with 4X AA. Hardware rendering and EAX with sound settings on high. |
11-08-2005, 06:12 PM | #22 |
Scooby Newbie
Member#: 8645
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: IDP
|
Just get better cooling and over clock!
Or get a faster processor, more ram or motherboard wont do that much. |
11-08-2005, 06:14 PM | #23 | |
*** Banned ***
Member#: 1200
Join Date: Apr 2000
Chapter/Region:
MWSOC
Location: -=OTSC=-
Vehicle:FREE OLMEK Bureau (-=FOB=-) |
Quote:
|
|
11-08-2005, 06:17 PM | #24 |
Scooby Specialist
Member#: 10788
Join Date: Oct 2001
Chapter/Region:
RMIC
Location: Castle Rock, CO
Vehicle:2019 Tesla Model 3 Midnight Silver Metallic |
Uhhh, try again. What was your old system?
|
11-08-2005, 06:23 PM | #25 |
*** Banned ***
Member#: 1200
Join Date: Apr 2000
Chapter/Region:
MWSOC
Location: -=OTSC=-
Vehicle:FREE OLMEK Bureau (-=FOB=-) |
same card, 2 gigs of ram, 3.2 p4 with 800 bus, audigy 2...
I guess it's possible if you play at 1024x768...but no way you avg more than 30. |
Thread Tools | |
Display Modes | |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
computer upgrade question, now with less 50% less catchy title | vile | Off-Topic | 36 | 04-28-2009 04:14 PM |
WWOTD: Computer Upgrade Question | shk_1010 | Off-Topic | 38 | 04-28-2009 01:25 PM |
Computer upgrade question. | iamcgr | Off-Topic | 3 | 05-18-2008 08:09 PM |
Computer upgrade questions... | shemoves | Off-Topic | 3 | 05-23-2006 07:56 PM |
n00b computer upgrade question. | Bonzo | Off-Topic | 9 | 09-27-2004 01:59 PM |