Here is my current Rig:

Case: LOGISYS Computer CS600BK Black Steel ATX Mid Tower
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6811148004

Motherboard: ASUS A8V DELUXE 939 VIA K8T800 Pro ATX
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6813131510

Power Supply: Antec TRUE480 ATX 480W Power Supply 115/ 230 V
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6817103909

CD Drive: LITE-ON Black 52X CD-R 32X CD-RW 52X CD-ROM 2MB Cache IDE CD Burner
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6827106942

DVD Drive: LITE-ON Black 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-ROM IDE DVD-ROM Drive
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6827131119

CPU: AMD Athlon 64 3500+ Newcastle 2.2GHz 512KB L2 Cache Socket 939 Processor
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6819103463

Graphics Card: Nvidia BFG 6800 OC 128MB AGP 4X/8X
(not the same, but close= http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 814130083R

Hard Drive: Maxtor Ultra Series Kits L01M080 80GB 7200 RPM 8MB Cache IDE Ultra ATA133 Hard Drive
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6822144350

RAM: Kingston HyperX 1GB (2 x 512MB) 184-Pin DDR SDRAM DDR 400 (PC 3200)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6820144114

OS: Win XP 32 Bit

1. I want to upgrade
2. I want to use the rig for playing current games on medium to high settings on lower resolutions
3. I do not want to spend over $300
4. I DO NOT overclock
5. I DO NOT want to overhaul my whole system, b/c I don't have the money

Please help me out with some advice on how I can make this computer better in order to be able to play newer games on medium to higher settings, keeping in mind the 4 points I listed above.

Thanks for all the help!

Yup, looks like an upgrade is doable:

AMD Athlon 64 X2 3600+ Manchester 2.0GHz Socket 939 89W Dual-Core Processor Model ADA3600DAA4BV - $49 with free shipping
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6819103222

SAPPHIRE 100219L Radeon HD 2600XT 256MB 128-bit GDDR3 AGP 8X HDCP Ready Video Card - $100 with free shipping
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6814102711

Total - $150 to your door (if you're in the US, that is)

Buying a quality PSU when you first built that system looks like it paid off in the end to allow you to upgrade without buying a new one.

Kick the RAM up to 2GB and getting a better hdd, e.g., this Seagate, I'd do the CPU and GPU first along with the RAM. 2. 1GB of RAM will run you less that $50. If you're not overclocking A DATA makes good RAM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6822148262

I would personally try to sell it on CL or fleaBay for $200+ (maybe part it out) + your $300 = build a new, much faster rig. Dumping money into an obsolete system is a waste.

But, to answer your question:

$47 - 2 x512mb RAM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6820141218
$48 - X2 3600+ (re-use your cooler since you don't overclock)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6819103222
$175 - 512mb 3850
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6814103051

If you get the cohones to overclock, buy this:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 2b64%2bPro

What effect does a hard drive have on game performance?

I have been under the assumption that games dont really rely on the hard drive...

If I got a better hard drive, what would I notice (other than me being able to hold more data)

Thanks for the input,

THIS IS AMAZING, i'm glad to hear that I can upgrade.

Just found upgrading older computers that the new hdd, especially the above Seagate, seem to boost overall performance but like I said, this would be the last upgrade. Plus you can always use the hdd in a new build

Check the links the OP posted, his rig has an AGP slot, not PCIe. It would take an awfully big hammer to get that to fit into his available slot. I thought for a second that the HD 3850 was released in the AGP interface.

Edit: I do think going to 2GB is a worthwhile investment if you do decide to upgrade over getting a new system like some suggested.

Ok, I have a couple of questions:

If someone could answer these questions I would really appreciate it:

First Question: It seems that Newegg has a very slim selection of 939 CPU's. Are there any other sites that sell hardware besides Newegg and Tigerdirect?
Second Question: How much better is the Athlon 64 X2 3600+ 2.2GHz, than my current Athlon 64 3500+ 2.2GHz? Twice as good, three times?
Third Question: Is there 939 CPU's that are better than the Athlon 64 X2 3600+? If so where can I find them?
Fourth Question: On Newegg, it looks like the Athlon 64 X2 3600+ does not come in a package. Can I use my current heatsink and fan (from my Athlon 3500+)?
Fifth Question: If I use my current heatsink and fan, will my new X2 3600+ overheat?
Sixth Question: My friend who installed my current CPU and heatsink fan, used a thermal compound. Will it be difficult to remove my current CPU and install the new X2 3600+?

Seventh Question: About the graphics card. How much better is the HD 2600XT than my current BFG 6800? Are there any charts?
Eighth Question: Are there any cards for AGP better than the HD 2600XT? If so where can I find them?
Ninth Question: Some cards have a 4 pin molex, some have a 6 pin connector. Can my PSU support both?

Tenth Question: Can I have two sticks of Kingston RAM, and another two sticks of Crucial RAM? As long as they are all 512mb? Is it ok that they are different brands of RAM?

Eleventh Question: I've been doing some research, it seems that the ATI X1950 is the fastest AGP card. Can my PSU handle a X1950, a new Athlon X2 939 socket, and 2 GB of RAM (All other stuff is listed in my first post on this thread).

Twelve Question: If I put in another 1GB of RAM, a new ATI graphics card, and a new Athlon X2, can I just leave my current XP install and hard drive the way it is? Or would I have to reformat and install XP again, and back up all my information?

Thirteenth Question: If I make the changes in question 12, would I have to mess with the BIOS? Or can I just put all the hardware in and download the drivers for the graphics card and be good to go?


Thanks guys, this really helps me out!

I know these are alot of questions (above), but I would really appreciate it if someone could answer my questions.

Also, does having a couple more LED fans draw a significant amount of power from the PSU.

Thanks alot guys this really helps me out.

1) Yes. But it's probably not worth it to go for a processor more powerful than the one I listed.
2) Double [almost] (your current processor is a single-core 2.2Ghz, the one listed above is a dual-core 2.0Ghz)
3) Yes, again, not worth the extra cost (unless you want to risk a used one on eBay). The most powerful S939 processor is the 2.4Ghz Athlon 64 X2 4800+ Toledo or the FX-60 @ 2.6Ghz
4) Yes, it does not include a heatsink or fan, your current HSF should be fine, although you can pick up cheap units like the Freezers from Arctic Cooling on Newegg as well
5) Probably not
6) Thermal compound is not difficult to remove, buy some ArctiClean to properly perform removal. You will need to apply fresh TIM when you install a heatsink each time, I would recommend Tuniq TX-2
7) Much. None that I'm aware of (as it is two generations seperated)
8) Yes, the X1950Pro and X1950XT found on eBay. IMO they're not worth it. However if you want to be able to play Crysis at 800x600 or 1024x768 it MAY be playable (depending on your definition thereof)
9) Yes. Yes.
10) Typically motherboards have no problem recognizing different ram, but you may have to manually set memory timings (to the looser of the two sets) to make them run in dual-channel mode
11) Probably. Please list the combined 12V rail rating.
12) You will not have to reinstall XP. You may have to install AMD drivers for the OS to recognize the second core, though (not sure, never gone single->dual core)
13) N/A

Kyle

Sadly, I recommend selling off parts from your old build to get a little more cash.

CPU: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6819103046

MB: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] -MA69VM-S2
(yes it's mATX)

RAM: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 0se5-2048k

VID: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] p2-n756-tr
(not much, but still better than any onboard)

HDD: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] pk=sp2004c
(200G, and SATA 3.0 cheap)

total cost $321 + S&H


Sadly the Skt 939's have gone the way of the Dodo, altho it was good while it lasted. I would recommend parting out your old system for a bit more cash. Belive me you will notice a difference between this build, and your present one.

H8 out

I completely disagree with the video card suggestion. Absolutely terrible. The 8800GS (when more are available) or the HD 3850 are much better buys (albeit a little more expensive). The 8600GT won't be that big of a step up from what he currently has, the 8800GS or 3850 will be a much more justifiable step.

I am getting the feeling (after doing research online) that the HD series is more for if you really need DirectX 10.

I don't really care if I have DirectX10 b/c I don't have vista.
With that being said, could I also look into an X1650? Or is the HD2600XT still better?

Also, KyleSTL, the GPU you linked me got deactivated. Could you, or someone else, please try to find a link to an HD2600, or X1950, or X1650 to buy (I live in the U.S).

I've been looking around alot, and here is basically all I have found (they are all on newegg, but I did look other places):

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6814102709
http://www.newegg.com/product/prod [...] C8Junction
http://www.newegg.com/product/prod [...] C8Junction

Are any of these cards even that much better than my Nvidia BFG 6800OC 128MB current card?

If they are better, which one(s) would be worth the upgrade?

Currently I cannot play "The Witcher" or "Bioshock" on upper medium, or high settings at 1024x768. Would I be able to do that with any of these cards and my current setup (see first post)?

Thanks again guys