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New Build: $100 upgrade....Keep or Buy GPU

Forum Homebuilt Systems : New System Build - New Build: $100 upgrade....Keep or Buy GPU

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singingigo   10-30-2007 at 08:52:06 PM

Revised post:

I'm building a new pc. I use my computer for watching DVD, and playing Age of Empires 3 and Civilizations. I might play some BattleField 2 in the future. I don't have much of a choice on the major components (It's part of a promo kit):

1. Q6600 or 6700
2. Intel MicroATX DG33TL motherboard (1 PCIe x16, 1 PCI (to be used with Audigy sound card)
3. Windows Vista Home Premium

I'm not sure what to do about the GPU–I'm on a tight budget. I have a Geforce 6800 right now. Can I get a significant upgrade for $100? Or should I wait for another product cycle to push better cards into the $100 bracket? Oh, and any suggestions on a MicroATX case/PSU would be nice.

------------------------------ Josiah Rocke
Technology Administrator, Calvary Bible Church
Sales Specialist, Dell, Inc.
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rgeist554   10-30-2007 at 09:03:57 PM
- 0 +

I don't know that you'll find much better. The 6800 is still around 90-100 on newegg. I would just save your money up and buy something decent, like an 8800GT or something.

Reply to rgeist554
singingigo   10-30-2007 at 09:14:14 PM
- 0 +

I did see a 7900gs for $99 after a $20 rebate on Newegg...I already own the nVidia PureVideo decoder, so that would be nice...I just don't know how much bang I would get out of that. I wonder: Could I bump the performance on the 6800 with NTune?

------------------------------ Josiah Rocke
Technology Administrator, Calvary Bible Church
Sales Specialist, Dell, Inc.
 Reply to singingigo
rgeist554   10-30-2007 at 09:32:58 PM
- 0 +

Check this out: http://www23.tomshardware.com/grap [...] &chart=275

 

Just set the 6800 against the 7900GS and see what the differences are. I know for sure that you won't be bottlenecking the 7900 with your processor, so you will get a noticeable increase, but whether or not it's worth $100 is up to you.


Message edited by rgeist554 on 10-30-2007 at 09:34:39 PM
Reply to rgeist554
singingigo   10-30-2007 at 09:37:21 PM
- 0 +

Yeah, I had checked it out already. Maybe I should post more info:

1. I currently have a 2.8 Pentium D 920. (Is my 6800 bottlenecked now?)
2. I use a 24" 1900x1200 monitor.

Oh yeah, and is brand important? (eVGA, XFX, etc.)


Message edited by singingigo on 10-30-2007 at 09:39:28 PM
------------------------------ Josiah Rocke
Technology Administrator, Calvary Bible Church
Sales Specialist, Dell, Inc.
 Reply to singingigo
bcboy   10-30-2007 at 09:38:37 PM
- 0 +

If you're gonna be using any games released from this point on, you're better off getting on the DX10 bandwagon, and buying a GeForce 8-series, or it's ATI equivalent (whatever that may be). If you don't ever plan on buying any game ever made from this day forward, then stick with the 7900 you saw, because its one of the (if not THE) best pre-DX10 cards out there.

------------------------------ “Digital rights management technology will still fail to prevent widespread infringement. In a related development, pigs will still fail to fly. I predict that every year, and it turns out to be true every year” — Ed Felten.
 Reply to bcboy
bcboy   10-30-2007 at 09:39:28 PM
- 0 +

I doubt your CPU is bottlenecking your GPU in that setup...I doubt it very much.

------------------------------ “Digital rights management technology will still fail to prevent widespread infringement. In a related development, pigs will still fail to fly. I predict that every year, and it turns out to be true every year” — Ed Felten.
 Reply to bcboy
rgeist554   10-30-2007 at 09:44:43 PM
- 0 +

A Pentium D will bottleneck an 8800 series card, but probably not the 6 and 7 series cards. Each brand has an advantage to it. XFX and EVGA offer lifetime warranties on their cards, something to consider. XFX covers overclocking in their warranty, but EVGA offers the "step up" program that will allow you to upgrade to a better card and just pay the difference between the two.


Message edited by rgeist554 on 10-30-2007 at 09:45:30 PM
Reply to rgeist554
singingigo   10-30-2007 at 09:53:10 PM
- 0 +

What about Foxconn? I've had decent success with their PSU/cooling offerings, but I didn't know they even made GPUs...

------------------------------ Josiah Rocke
Technology Administrator, Calvary Bible Church
Sales Specialist, Dell, Inc.
 Reply to singingigo
rgeist554   10-30-2007 at 10:07:14 PM
- 0 +

I don't know too much about Foxconn other than sometimes they bundle games with their cards. Sorry I can't be of more help.

Reply to rgeist554
singingigo   10-30-2007 at 10:11:15 PM
- 0 +

Does anyone have experience with that motherboard? I believe it doesn't have overclocking capabilities. It's geared for HTPC. Will it work for what I want to use it for?

Reply to singingigo
rgeist554   10-30-2007 at 10:19:44 PM
- 0 +

Some of the reviews on newegg talk about upping the FSB on that board, but I don't see any outstanding results. Probably good enough if you just want a small OC to get a little more from your CPU though.

Reply to rgeist554
singingigo   10-30-2007 at 10:21:38 PM
- 0 +

What would be good memory for that? I mean, I'd be doing little if any OC, so what should I look for to get the best performance out of my RAM? I'm thinking 2x1GB

------------------------------ Josiah Rocke
Technology Administrator, Calvary Bible Church
Sales Specialist, Dell, Inc.
 Reply to singingigo
rgeist554   10-30-2007 at 10:29:09 PM
- 0 +

You can try this - Crucial Ballistix 2x 1GB Dual Channel Kit - DDR2 800 w/ 4-4-4-12 timings ($49.99 after $40.00 rebate):
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6820146565

Good stuff at a great price.

Reply to rgeist554
San Pedro   10-30-2007 at 10:46:53 PM
- 0 +

DDR2 800 will probably be more than adequate.

Reply to San Pedro
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