I would like some help with an upgrade decision. i would like to max out my current computer, or just get a new one. It is an amd 2600+ with 512 mb DDR 2700 ram upgradeable ot 2 gig, 128 mb ati radeon 9600 SE, and 250w PSU. I know I will need to go to the full 2 gigs ram, which will be about $100-$150. I would like the best graphics card I can get for $100-$150 and possibly more $200 if it would help, how big of a card can I go with this system? and a beefy PSU $50-$75 how big should I go? I guess i am looking at between $250-$425. What do you guys think I should do. I would like any help that I can get. What is my potential for a gaming computer for the future, and how long can I expect to get out of it? I know there are a lot of questions here, but I know very little. thank you guys alot in advance for all your help
There is an article from back in januay in the Graphic & Display secton called "AGP Platform Analysis, Part 1: New Cards, Old System" you should find helpful. http://www.tomshardware.com/2007/0 [...] -analysis/
Unless your upgrading items that would be transferable to a new build later (like a sound card or Serial-ATA hard drives), I would try to keep the budget of the upgrade closer to the 250 mark.
thank you for the reply. Yes i do have an AGP slot. I read the article and got a lot of info from it. a few questions for you guys. can i overclock my system, it is untouched now at 2.13 ghz,(is this closer to part 2 of the review?) and get an X1950 PRO and get a couple of years out of it? how high should i upgrade my RAM to. i would like to have some suggestions for what you guys would do for the upgrade, like which graphics card to get and the PSU and amount of RAM. is there a difference in PC2700 vs. PC3200? i think both will run in my system.
That Walmart comment is the reason people looking for help do not come back here. I am very sorry for the comment Hemi. Hope your upgrade comes out fine.
Don't waste your time with such a low performance PC. Winter is coming, earn money by shoveling snow and ask for hardware for Christmas. If you have a mid size tower you can go with a BTX motherboard. A really cheap Core 2 Duo. EVGA 8800 GT graphics card is less than $300.00 The 8800 GT has excellent firepower for the little amount of money that is paid. About a 500W power supply. Forget about AGP. All it does is bypass the memory and goes straight to the CPU. I/O modes and DMA is too slow. All new motherboards now don't have AGP. Bus mastering is used. As far as your new PC lasting, you can keep it for as long as you want. No rules stating a PC must be upgraded whenever new hardware arrives. Even reputable brand name companies have hardware that simply stops working. Playing current games will require a fairly powerful graphics card, unless you prefer to play them with all the settings low or off. If you open your budget more you can get more bang for your buck. I have used ATI and nVidia graphics cards and have great success with them both.
so if i upgrage the ram to 2 ghz and get a 450W power supply. will the X1950 pro be overkill, or will i get what it can dish out? and Xunicronx, i can spend $300 for the total upgrade, you are proposing i spend 300 on a card alone on top of all new components! that is a pretty obvious upgrade path that i am considering, but if this will hold me over for a year or so then i'll wait to spend the big money for a killer system.
Well, no, you don't have spend that much for a graphics card. Also, if you are having trouble choosing a medium priced CPU and medium priced graphics card, go for the graphics card.
Go the motherboard manufacturers website to determine exactly how much RAM your motherboard can handle and at what speed. If your board can handle 2 GB at 333MHz, then go for that. Only install the amount and speed of RAM your board can handle. Any more and any faster can lead to a dead board and or RAM, or issues with your operating system.
Power Supply: After you figure out everything your going to install in your new build, then you can determine the amount of power you need. A high power CPU can use up to 130W, harddrives and optical drives about 30W each, RAM uses about 15W per 256MB, floppies I think use about 10W. These are just estimates.
