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Solved: Gaming Computer upgrade

2K views 20 replies 8 participants last post by  MahaGamer 
#1 ·
I am considering putting a $100 gaming upgrade on my current system.
From my perspective, there are three things that need to be upgraded: cpu ram and video card.
But with $100, it will be near impossible to get all of them, so i will have to go with just one, or a combination of two.
Right now I think best bet would to be to get a 256mb ati radeon X1600pro, but here are all the possibilities that top out at $100, I want to know which one you think is the best:

My current config is: 2.67ghz celeron, 512mb pc2100ram, geforce 2 64mb pci

- 2.8ghz pentium 4
(with geforce 2 64mb and 512mb pc2100 ram)
- 512mb pc3200 ram with radeon 9800
(with celeron 2.67ghz)
- 1gb pc 3200 ram
(with celeron 2.67ghz and geforce 2 64mb)

And last the configuration that looks to me to be the best:

-Ati Radeon 256mb X1600pro
(with 2.67ghz celeron and 512mb pc2100ram)

Let me know what you think the best bang for the buck is.

And by the way, the video cards that i am looking at are agp 8x, not pci-e, but it still should be wayy better than the pci interface i am using.
 
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#3 ·
the info you have provided, i would go with a better video card. Atleast you will get to play the newer games. Still, with the upgrade, you pc will be a low end gaming pc and you will not be able to play games pass medium setting.


And if your getting a agp 8x, make sure your pc has a agp 8x slot.
 
#4 ·
Yeah, my computer has an agp 8x slot for sure, my motherboard is a biostar mb, that supports Pentium D and agp 8x
Funny, i don't know what you are talking about because i play games on high at 800X600 with my PCI geforce 2 with 64mb of memory, shouldn't an agp8X card with 256mb gddr2 ram be way better?
 
#7 ·
evoker: Radeon 9600s are under 50, i can get a radeon X1600pro for 99
smety: The cheapest lga775 cpu that isn't a celeron is $100 so it looks like i cant go that route
and my computer would be bottlenecked be the pci gf2 anyway right?
my choices are pretty much narrowed down to this:
get a $70 graphics card and 512mb 400mhz ram
get a $40 graphics card and 1gb 400mhz ram
get a $100 graphics card

I would really like to upgrade ONE of the (cpu, vd card, ram) so that i would have a good one, and when i got more money i wouldn't have to upgrade it again.

I guess i should have worded my question differently:
Which part would get me the best GAMING performance NOW:
$100 CPU (2.8ghz Pentium 4 511)
$100 Ram (Quality 1gb ddr3200 ram)
or $100 Video card (ATi Radeon X1600 Pro 256mb)

I know none will get me alienware performance, but which one would get me the best?

Thanks
 
#10 ·
i'de say keep what you have now, and save more and wait till the end of the year, and then upgrade when all the prices go down. thats what i'm doin! :)
 
#12 ·
Yeah, i definately will put a more serious upgrade on it then.
But I will need something now to tide me over, (20fps on 800X600 is becomeing annoying)
What would your reccomendation be for a good agp8X card that will not be bottlenecked by my cpu and ram. Keep in mind that all of my major parts will be upgraded when prices drop/conroe's release.
I know that i will be able to get some decent(er..) frame rates with a better card. Keep in mind that the games i play arn't really hardcore intensive 3d games (halo 1, jedi academy, need for speed, age of empires)
Will a card such as the ati radeon 9600xt or 9800se or nvidia geforce 6600 give me decent frame rates at low-medium resolutions/details without becomeing bottlenecked by my system?

I know that my graphics card is the bottleneck because my brother has the same card on his computer with a 600mhz celeron with 256mb ram, and he gets the same framerates as me at the same settings.

Edit: I am reading reviews of the nvidia geforce 6600, and people are claiming performance boost from a 5700, and my current card is even less than that.
 
#14 ·
thanks smety,
is the x700 better than the x1300 or the x1600, because they seem to be about the same price
and how much better are those ati cards than the geforce 6600, because it's about $20 cheaper and has 8 pipelines as well
thaks again
 
#16 ·
Pentium D for $114.00

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16819116001

If your MB can handle Dual Core and you are willing to overclock, this CPU will not be a bottle neck for a long time..

Tested overclocking up to 3.8Ghz with only AIR cooling ........

Review here.....http://www.tomshardware.com/2006/05/10/dual_41_ghz_cores/

If you are gonna go with a graphics card upgrade....don't get anything less than the 6800.....For ATI the 1600 is better than both the 700 and 1300. Did you price any of the x800 or x850's?
 
#17 ·
The X700 specs are lower than the X1600's as well as having fewer pixel pipelines, but i found an open box X700 for $60, too good of a deal to pass up. (and a X1600 will be bottlenecked)
I read that article on tom's hardware and was considering buying that cpu, but i think i'll wait for the conroe's to drop prices.
Does anyone know about newegg's open box deals? I trust newegg's service, and i don't think buying an open box item will be a problem.
thanks, i think i have enough info to close the forum now.
 
#18 ·
Yeah, that is a good deal...but with the x700 by the time you are ready to upgrade your processor you will be wanting to upgrade your graphics card again :(......The x1600 will give you much better performance and last longer for you as well......as long as you are gonna stay with your current AGP motherboard. IF you are gonna go with a new PCI-E MB then deffinately go with the cheaper x700 instead of the x1600

Go here to compare cards side by side...........

http://www.gpureview.com/show_cards.php?card1=369&card2=322
 
#19 ·
if your able to spend 150, i'de go with the XFX GeFOrce 6800XT. It's at newegg and tigerdirect. i was pondering if i should get that, but decided to wait.
 
#20 ·
yeah acameron, i know that i will be wanting a better card when i go to upgrade my cpu.
But I really don't want to invest too much in an agp card because when i will get a really good video card, i will also upgrade to pci-e.
Luckily, before now and the end of the year (if i get the money) i can get a new cpu, that will be compatible with my current lga 775 and the future conroe lga 775 boards.
An x700 should do me fine until i get a pci-e board.
thanks all
 
#21 ·
no problem! :-D
 
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