Need advice on upgrading my current system

[NewToATI]

Hey all,

My dilemma involves what i should do for my upgrade path, there are 2 options:
1) Get a HIS Radeon x1950Pro 512 MB (AGP 8x) for 256 AUD
or...
2) Spend up on a new motherboard and new graphics card i.e. GF 8 series.

My gaming needs are quite vague at this point, i don't know what's coming out or what is needed when it does, and well my brother's new 8800GTS (640MB) is nice in supreme commander, but in SCCT Versus the Flashlight doesn't work. I'd still like to keep playing Versus. I like Sup Com, it's v nice and runs v nice on my brother's comp. In terms of DX10 who know's what's coming and well, I'm still using XP. i have no doubt that if i upgraded my graphics then sup com would run better but how much can i hope for out of a x1950Pro???

(Do not doubt the might of Versus, it may be a classic but it's still amazing, there are those times when the planets are aligned and the air is thick with genius and those game makers create such a game)

My current config:
CPU: E6420 @ stock 2.13Ghz
MoBo: AsRock 4CoreDual-VSTA (v nice motherboard comes with DDR+DDR2, AGP8x+PCIe4x (can fit a 16x card))
RAM: DDR400
Current Graphics: x850xt (AGP8x)
Rest is irrelevant to game performance, i can't be bothered to write it up.

I wouldn't mind having sup com running nicely, but seriously, there are still a lot of bugs in the new drivers (maybe even the hardware), and if a x1950Pro can keep me happy for a while then i don't want to spend money on this weird new stuff, i mean come on do i really want DX10??? but on the other hand will i get much bang for my buck going to a x1950 Pro??? will i get 256 bucks worth of gain??? I would be happy if i could run sup com at max and get no lag, cause right now my graphics card is limiting me, but from a broaded perspective i could always spend the extra money and future proof a little. I'd like HDRR and but is it gonna run at a decent frame rate on a x1950Pro???

Ultimately the question boils down to : Is it a waste of money for me to spend 256 AUD on a x1950Pro (agp8x, 512MB)?

PS. I'm not sure that the 512MB memory size would do a lot what do you think???

 

[Maziar]

i say go for option 2

 

[genored]

LOL get a REAL MOTHERBOARD LIKE Intel p35 Gigabyte DS3R

And take a big hammer and smash that thing that you have that you call a motherboard.

x1950pro 256MB PCI

It will cost you well maybe about 256AUD to get both of them

 

[rockyjohn]

LOL get a REAL MOTHERBOARD LIKE Intel p35 Gigabyte DS3R

And take a big hammer and smash that thing that you have that you call a motherboard.

x1950pro 256MB PCI

It will cost you well maybe about 256AUD to get both of them

But you forgot to tell him he will also need to get new DDR2 memory and what that will cost. Also, he did not spec his PSU. Will it handle the all the new components? Will it hand the x1950pro?

If he can afford upgrading all the items, fine. But he might get the biggest bang for the buck keeping the MB and adding the x1950PRO - and then, given todays low memory prices, adding 1 or 2 MB of DDR2 memory.

 

[NewToATI]

Thanks for the input guys, um i'm not sure about the x1950 Pro though, cause the thing is ... just browsing on the VGA charts (from www.tomshardware.com) shows me that i'll only get an approx 25-30% performance boost by getting a x1950Pro.

However they do run top of the line hardware, and considering that i might be able to get some new DDR2 for v cheap i may actually get even more performance.

However again: testing of this motherboard shows only marginal performance gains in games when switching from DDR (400Mhz) to DDR2 (667Mhz).

25-30% for 256 dollars? I don't know ...

I think graphics cards are the only computer component that have gone up in price in the history of computers, they just get more and more expensive.

However, a 320MB 8800GTS will cost about 430 AUD, that's pretty good cause it gives approx, at least 2x-3x performance boost. But the problem again is that i'll have to get a new mobo, new ram unless i want to run a 8800GTS in a PCIe 4x slot.

Also, i only got this mobo recently, i like it, it has been VV nice to me: no headaches, no problems, just plain goodness, a rare find. My previous motherboard was all sorts of hell, random crashing etc, i feel at peace with this one, i wish i could get a AGP 8x 8800GTS that would be the answer to all my problems. Damn ppl for abandoning agp, AGP is still good.

 

[NewToATI]

Also, do you guys know if PCIe 4x is equal to or better than AGP 8x???

 

[NewToATI]

PS. Yes, Power supply is also an issue, i don't think 430 W is enough.

 

[guanyu210379]

I would say....Buy a new MoBo and a new VGAcard.
AGP8x is a way down the alley of the past.
Go for Gigabyte P35 S3 (around USD 100) and a Radeon X2xxx or GeForce 8xxx series (the VGAcard choosing depends on your need and budget).
And if you have extra budget,you should go also for a new 2MB DDR2 RAM kit.

 

[guanyu210379]

And yup you should also try to find the righ PSU for your system.