Need everyone's opinions

[hughyhunter]

I just came upon $150. So that's what I have to work with. I currently have an older nforce4 mobo (not SLI), 8800gt 512, AMD 3500+ socket am2 and 1 gig of ddr 400 ram. My initial inclination was to just get a ddr 400 2x1 gig set of ram but now realize that I could possibly get a new mobo/ram/cpu for around the same price.

Here are some choices that i've come upon

Mobo: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813186104 current price is $99 with $50 MIR. Total is $49.99

Ram: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820220144 Here is the memory. It's 78.99 with $40 MIR making it $38.99

CPU: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103751 This is 84.50. No mir.

So that's what i'm looking at. I need everyones opinion in this matter. I'll wait two weeks to purchase.

The total on all that is $173.48 This is 23.48 over budget, I am really adimit about sticking to budget.

Thanks for all your help!

 

[akhilles]

Are you going to upgrade to tri/quad cores?

What are you trying to get out of this upgrade? Gaming performance boost?

 

[aadamszc]

I agree with Akhilles(even though he didn't exactly come out an say it). This would allow you to later, when you come into more money, buy a more expensive tri or quad core CPU.

Then again, I'm not exactly sure if there would be enough of a performance boost to justify a purchase.

 

[jitpublisher]

Yep, what do you do with your PC, and why are you thinking upgrade?
More memory...yes.
New CPU....maybe.
New motherboard.....why?

 

[Rabidpeanut]

He needs a new mobo for sli.

 

[hughyhunter]

alright here is the thing... I have an 8800gt on an older foxconn nforce4 (no sli) 939 socket mobo. My CPU slows everything down especially in when doing simple tasks like trying to open multiple programs. My RAM kills me in bf2 and crysis.

I dont just want to get more ram because it's for one more than twice as much as newer/faster DDR2. DDR400 is like 99 bucks compared to some DDR2800 that I've seen for around 40 bucks.

I figured that with the extra money I came across I could finally get 2 gigs, a dual core and a more overclockable mobo than what I have. I do plan to upgrade to a completely new machine later next year but am not waiting to fix some of these performance issues like faster RAM and dual core CPU... What does everyone think? Should I just get the socket 939 chip and 2 gigs of DDR400 or get a new AM2 mobo and DDR2? Or what about Intel? It there a good solution for around 150 for intel side of the house?

 

[Evilonigiri]

Well what you need is a new cpu and more ram. Right now you have a 939 socket, which is pretty old tech. DDR ram is also old not not necessarily cheaper than DDR2 these days.

With some amazing newtech coming next year, I'd squeeze every bit of juice outta your pc. Get 2gigs of ram and a dual-core cpu, the cost should still remain under $150.

 

[torcida_kutina]

You said you have AM2 CPU and DDR 400?!? What kind of MBO you have?

 

[akhilles]

This is cheaper ram:

http://www.clubit.com/product_detail.cfm?itemno=A4394887

I think you should go with the cpu & mobo you posted. Biostar isn't bad. They ALREADY have bios for Phenom.

 

[hughyhunter]

I have a Foxconn nforce4 939 socket mobo with a 3500+ and 2x512 of ddr400 RAM.

Anyhow... I do want to definitley get a newer X2 and at least 2x1 of DDR2800 or faster. The delema now is do I upgrade to a 939 X2 and super expensive DDR400 or get a new mobo/cpu/ram.

Help me out here.

I like the clubit ram... very cheap and all I need. Thanks for the help!

 

[shadowflit]

I assume you realize this - but the mail in rebates happen a good deal after you've already bought the stuff...so you're actually quite a bit over budget - but can apparently still cover it. And that means you'll get another infusion of cash in a few months when those mir's get back. At which point you could funnel the money straight into another upgrade?

Assuming the 8800gt is the only thing you're really keeping when you do the upgrade later next year, either get some ram to tide you over (if you think that's going to make the important things run smoother and you happier) or try to do the full upgrade somewhere between now and when it was originally planned by using the current cash to speed the process along.

 

[Andrius]

Why upgrade to something that's just become obsolete ?

Adding memory would make you want to upgrade again in 6 months maybe sooner.
Upgrading to an AM2 would make you want to upgrade again in a year.

Save your money until you have enough for a proper upgrade to either
a new Intel 45nm Quad or a Phenom X4.

 

[hughyhunter]

Why upgrade to something that's just become obsolete ?

Adding memory would make you want to upgrade again in 6 months maybe sooner.
Upgrading to an AM2 would make you want to upgrade again in a year.

Save your money until you have enough for a proper upgrade to either
a new Intel 45nm Quad or a Phenom X4.

I completely agree with you all about this... however I am not going to upgrade until I get back from a very long trip overseas, that being not until late 2008. Right now though I have a new 8800GT on all that old stuff and playing Crysis is an absolute headache and I think it's mainly due to the ram but has a lot do to with the cpu also. So right now I was thinking (I just got 150 bucks not worked into my current budget) that I could upgrade my RAM or that I could get a whole new platform (But yes the I would have to come up with more upfront because of the MIRs)

Here is another thought to reduce the cost right now to get a little bit of a performance increase. Once again I need all of your opinions. I currently am running 2x512 DDR400. Would I get much of a performance increase if I went 4x512? That would only run me $59 right now instead of 2x1 DDR400 which is near $100 after MIR.

I understand older tech stuff sucks but i'm desperate here to be able to play some of my games at a little bit better of performance.

 

[akhilles]

A bit boost, but don't expect the same combo performs near or the same as an AM2/ddr2 combo.

 

[jitpublisher]

Just get yourself an X2 CPU, at least a 4800+, or one you can overclock to that level, (you can do that easily with the 4600 you had picked out). add the 2-512meg sticks of memory, and be content until you can go for a whole new system. Crysis is multithreaded, so the dual core will help. But remember, Cyrsis is quite a load for even a very high end PC, so don't expect miracles.

 

[hughyhunter]

Alright I think I may upgrade mobo/ram/cpu... does anyone have any recommendations besides what I have already said. I want a good SLI mobo/X2 cpu/ and 2x1 DDR2800 for under $150 after rebates

 

[torcida_kutina]

think again, i don't thin that upgrade from 939 to am2 will give you some boost in performance. Maybe if you want to wait for some two or three months, go to am2+ and phenoms. If you want am2, go for ABIT AN9 SLI 32X, and X2 5000 BE. Memory -> A-Data. Best price/value.

 

[hughyhunter]

Trust me if I had the money right now I would be building a spyder platform. Unfortunatley I dont and just want to a smaller X2 and two gigs of RAM right now. My budget is 150 and I'm wondering what to do here.

 

[hughyhunter]

I built all brand new... Never upgrade old system! I'm glad I did this... 18600 3dmark06 score with vista.