Hi all. Please forgive my ignorance but I am very new to this sort of thing and really need some help - urgently if possible because I'd like to get things ordered today/tomorrow.
My current set-up is:
P4 3.0GHz
Abit IC7 mobo
512 RAM DDR 400
GeForce Ti4200 with AGP 8x
Q-Tec 650 Triple Fan PSU
I was about to buy 2Gig of additional DDR 400 and upgrade the GPU. Based on the reviews and very useful "Best Video Cards for the Money" thread I am stuck between the 7600GT and the X1950Pro. I want to make this 3.5 yr old system more up-to-date for gaming and general home use.
But now I realise that PCI Express components are often (it seems) cheaper so I'm wondering whether to upgrade motherboard/processor entirely? But on a budget!
Thing is, I know very little about these things so what do I do? Upgrade to entry-level Core 2 with appropriate mobo, RAM and GPU...
OR...
just stick with the original plan and save up for a full upgrade in 12-18 months (in which case, which card)?
All help gratefully received!
My current set-up is:
P4 3.0GHz
Abit IC7 mobo
512 RAM DDR 400
GeForce Ti4200 with AGP 8x
Q-Tec 650 Triple Fan PSU
I was about to buy 2Gig of additional DDR 400 and upgrade the GPU. Based on the reviews and very useful "Best Video Cards for the Money" thread I am stuck between the 7600GT and the X1950Pro. I want to make this 3.5 yr old system more up-to-date for gaming and general home use.
But now I realise that PCI Express components are often (it seems) cheaper so I'm wondering whether to upgrade motherboard/processor entirely? But on a budget!
Thing is, I know very little about these things so what do I do? Upgrade to entry-level Core 2 with appropriate mobo, RAM and GPU...
OR...
just stick with the original plan and save up for a full upgrade in 12-18 months (in which case, which card)?
All help gratefully received!