will it be overkill on 4 year old system

[vochtige]

hello

first of all, i'm new here!
i've got a question that is about a mobo
msi 856PE-NEO2 I want to upgrade an old system of a friend to something where you can game with.

specs as it is now: P4 2.4 ghz HT (512bytes cache)
512 mb ddr1 ram (2x 256mb 400mhz)
agp slot 8X with an FX5200 128mb graka
ATA 80GB hdd (don't know the brand)
psu: 300WATT

we want it to be:

cpu the same
1.5 GB ram
an extra 160GB S-ata II ( i know that this mobo has 2 S-ata inputs and i know that Sata II is backwards compitable with I
and graka an agp 7600GT 256mb xfx (http://www.xfxforce.com/web/product/listConfigurationDetails.jspa?series=GeForce%26trade%3B+7600&productConfigurationId=650008)
psu a xilence 450W.

question, would the 7600GT be an overkill, will something else be a bottleneck?

My mate isn't planning to game the latest games, but source, wow, and maybe cod4 (it could work)

What do you think?

thanks for replying!

 

[ohiou_grad_06]

I think he needs to be looking at a new system. Look around newegg man, you can get an AMD Athlon x2 setup, say like a 4000+ x2, board, and ram for 150ish. Plus you add the video and all, etc... I mean by the time you buy just his memory, that's 50. There's just no point in dumping money into an old system, b/c that thing he's running now, even with those upgrades will still be obsolete before long. Then it's gonna feel like a waste.

 

[vochtige]

i know, i'm fully agreed with your anwser, but buying a new rigg is not a solution!

he only has to give 300$ for his upgrade. He has plenty off computers in his house, that's why his parents don't want that he buys a new one, so he has to upgrade an old one. i want to buy a new system myself, but i don't think it is the time to do it now.

 

[onestar]

It is already obsolete. Sell the thing, if you can... and build new.

 

[vochtige]

let me ask the question diffrent.

will this system upgrade be great? will it work?

no possibility to buy a new machine, because it isn't his pc.

 

[ohiou_grad_06]

Check it out dude...Got your hookup

AMD Athlon X2 4000+=59.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103774

Mobo MSI K8M890=44.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130542

Memory, Wintec AMPO 2gb kit = 35.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820161172

So far total is 140.97

Power Supply FSP 400 Watt, he may want bigger later though=46.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817104032

Rosewill computer case=31.43 with shipping

Then lastly, everyone will say don't do this....but I was looking at budget, and found this....

Video MSI 8500 gt=69.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127295

Before you think that's so horrible, it is factory overclocked from 450 mhz on the core to 600 mhz core speed, also it has ddr3 memory as opposed to dd2 which will offer a little bit of a boost. But that should get him by for a little while until he can afford better.

Double check your specs, but I think that board I showed you has 2 IDE channels, meaning that he should be able to reuse both his old hard drive and dvd/cd burner whether they are IDE or SATA.

If my figuring is right then....total price before shipping is 289.38

So with shipping it might go to like 305 or 310, but I think it would be a lot better than dumping money into his old system. Then turn around and sell the old one. But I would just tell him to keep the 80gb drive and his current dvd drive, and reuse those. I know you said a new rig isn't much of an option, but there's what you could do with 300. Now if you wanted, you can always have him just get a cheapo sempron chip for now so he has money for a better video card, and then upgrade the chip later.

 

[ohiou_grad_06]

Ooops, just saw your last post.....the system might do ok for a little while, but it's already dated, and will show it age in gaming fairly quickly imho.

 

[vochtige]

hehe, thanks for spending time in your big post! appriciat it much! but accually the main question is the video card question. i also know that the prizes of computers isn't what it used to be. but, he doesn't want to buy a new, low-end system for several years, believe me, he has money growing on his back, he gets 900 euro per month, by sitting on his lazy ass in class. that's live in belgium when you worked 4 years and planned to study more. so, he doesn't dare to buy a new one, so he updates that old machine (behind the backs of his parentsà

so, would there be a major bottleneck, because myself use an 8600Gt on a pentium 630 ht. and still play cod4 with no probs!

thanks for the replies!

 

[ohiou_grad_06]

I think if you HAVE to use that system, best idea might be to wait, because I think there is supposed to be an ATI radeon 3850 coming out in the AGP flavor.

Here's some parts cheap....

1 gb Wintec Memory PC3200=47.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820161627

256 mb AGP ATI Radeon 2600xt=112.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102711

Seasonic 500 watt PSU
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductReview.aspx?Item=N82E16817151040

That should hold him for a while, again, check and see if you can get a 3850 in AGP, I think they were supposed to have released one.

 

[vochtige]

thanks again man, but yeah, tis is a nice offer .
but the 2600pro is less than that 7600GT agp
and if i ask people here ont he forum if i (my pc P4630 3;0ghz)can handle a 3850 and they all say no, why should that 2.4ghz older one handle this? a computer of 4 years with a high end ati agp card, i don't think that's a good thing. don't take it personnaly on you ohiou_grad_06 because i like your search!


may i ask you a question, i've got an Asus p5ld2 mobo, and that P4 630 cpu, and 2 gigs of ram, can i handle an 3850?

because my 8600 Gt just sucks

 

[vochtige]

anyone some comment on the upgrade on that 4 years old system? and on my system?

 

[geotech]

Idiots! He can't get a new one, live with it. A 7600gt will play COD4, I did it myself. If he can throw in another 512 MB of RAM that would also help. Maybe overclock the processor?

 

[MikosNZ]

Then lastly, everyone will say don't do this....but I was looking at budget, and found this....

Video MSI 8500 gt=69.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127295

Before you think that's so horrible, it is factory overclocked from 450 mhz on the core to 600 mhz core speed, also it has ddr3 memory as opposed to dd2 which will offer a little bit of a boost. But that should get him by for a little while until he can afford better.

Terrible advice. Worthless for gaming and its still much slower than the 7600GT upgrade the original poster was looking at.

The upgrade plan stated it the first post sounds fine. Should be able to play most games fine.

 

[vochtige]

thanks, i think to he could run most of the games, orange box isn't so heavy. cod4 on a 2.4 ghz, is maybe a risk, but i played it an an amd turion 2x tl 50 with only 1.6 ghz and 512 mb cache

i only needed some advise, thanks! so the 7600gt, 1 gig extra and that new harddrive could not do any harm?

thanks for replying

 

[ohiou_grad_06]

Sorry about taking a long time to reply, and is response to the 8500 gt, ok, granted. If he would have been building and needed just a filler card, it would have gotten him by though. But that said, I don't think the HD could harm anything. Leave him something for later.

I do agree that his rig should be able to do some games with 1.5 gb of ram and the 7600, I guess my point is it will start showing it's age within a year or so. But for now, it will probably be ok. Go ahead get the new hard drive, I would venture to say a new, hi grade power supply might be a good way to go since he has the money, then when he does eventually move over to a new system, he's got a good base to build off of.

But I will say from experience, that I was gaming on an old AMD Athlon XP 2800+, with 1 gb of ram and an ATI radeon 9600, so I know those systems can still do some, especially with the ram and the video. But I also know what it is to dump money into an aging rig when you can put that money toward something lots lots faster and really see a tremendous difference. Like me, after the 2800 I had I jumped to socket 939 and a 3500+, it was nice, but now I have my Athlon 5200 dual core, and the differences are night and day. Another thought, check around ebay and see if he can pick up another P4 that is faster that will fit in his current rig, maybe get him just a little extra longetivity. Of course, this is provided it can be had cheap and if his system will take it. He could always modify the stock case to accept the aftermarket board and what not as well....lol. Parents would probably wonder what on earth was up. Lol.

 

[vochtige]

yeah, that psu is a good idea, and usefull with his next build. that guy who i'm upgrading with, is just using this for maximum a year. like i am doing with mine, it wont lest longer with that software dees days. but thanks! i ordered a new psu, 7600GT and a gig of ram ddr1. that ram and card will least a year i think. thanks, now i'm looking forward to upgrade it. i love it, i'll let you know if it worked! else it is like money trought the toilet... splassssh

 

[ohiou_grad_06]

Yeah, only bad part about ram and all now, is if you want to upgrade chips and boards, now you have to upgrade ram too, thankfully at the moment it's dirt cheap for like say ddr2. But you get caught in the trap of upgrading pretty much the whole system. Which is a lot of $$ if you don't have much to begin with. Like to reuse ddr ram, yeah, he could go for socket 939 stuff to save, but that would be worthless as socket 939 while capable, is a dying platform. But if prices stay as they are or go down, if he has 500-600 for a whole new build, if he watches, he could build a nice system for that later on.