Good time to consider upgrading?

mikeny

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I've been away from the forums for a few months and I see a lot has changed. For a gaming system, are there any energy efficient gaming builds that wouldn't sacrifice framerates, display, and overall eye candy?


Is it a good time to upgrade to DX10? Is NVidia still the leader?

Im considering an upgrade either in the winter or next summer. Price isn't the issue but I will not buy a $1k processor and/or a $600 video card.

I presently have a DS3 Gigabyte Mobo, E6300 C2D, Soundblaster X-Fi XM edition sound card, and Saphire x1900xtx video card, 4GB Corsair XMS2 ddr-675, DVD-ROM (R-RW), 2 WD SATA 250GB drives), XP Service Pack 3, 2.1 Klipsch speaker system (8 years old and the sound cuts out at times because the wires are terrible), and a Aerocool Mid-Tower (bores me and see some nice towers with displays).
 
LOL, ask again next summer if that's when you're planning to upgrade. We don't even know if nVidia and ATI will still exist at that time.

Next spring, both ATI and nVidia should have new video cards based on 40nm technology. That means lots of fps with low power consumption.

Until then, you could do a $160 upgrade with a HD 4850.

X1900XTX gets 18.7 fps in Oblivion at 1600x1200, no AA, 8AF
http://www.tomshardware.com/charts/...,1621,1565,1605,1557,1618,1564,1584,1617,1563

HD 4850 gets 34.8 fps, at 1920x1200, with 4xAA and 16x AF
http://www.anandtech.com/video/showdoc.aspx?i=3338&p=10

That is, the HD 4850 gets twice the fps of your current card, with more eye candy, and at a higher resolution too.

 

atrain

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You'd be good to go until Nehalem comes down in price and those new video cards are out if you just upgrade your current video card like aevm suggests. If your CPU isn't overclocked, you could do that too and get some more FPS out of your system. Everything else will last you for a bit more, so you're really only looking at upgrading your video card.

If you're planning on upgrading next spring though, you're asking this question waaaaay to early. :)
 

mikeny

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Sorry I wrote a vague post. I have a DS3 mobo and Windows XP and Flight Simulator X. I can't go to HD4850 since it's DX10. I would have to upgrade everything else.

This what I was wondering: SHould I wait for Nehalem, or go now with a E8500, or QX9300 or 9450?

I have the itch to upgrade now (my system has been acting quirky lately also; Someone tried to remote access my internet browser and it said something like this IP address tried to access this IP address and my firewall stopped it). I don't think I am going to last until next spring or summer though lol. I have the itch to upgrade now or within the next few months.

I see prices have fallen on the E8500. Are there mobos or mobos coming out that will support both E8500 and Nehalem? I was thinking of going DX10 now by getting a E8500 or Yorkfield (with new mobo and of course Vista) and then going to Nehalem when it becomes available.

NVidia and ATI not going to exist by next summer? What have I missed?
 
HD 4850 supports DX9 too, you don't have to upgrade anything. OK, maybe you have to upgrade the PSU, if your current one is not powerful enough.

Since you play FSX I strongly recommend you get a quad CPU. Forget E8500. Your choice should be between Q6600, Q6700, Q9450 or Nehalem.

That IP thing you mentioned doesn't mean your hardware is obsolete or defect. It just means your firewall detected some (probably nasty) software that tried to access your PC and stopped it. That's its job after all.

No mobos out there support both E8500 and Nehalem. E8500 and Q9450 and Q6600 are all LGA 775, while Nehalem will have a different socket - wider and with more pins.

nVidia and ATI - well, AMD shares are worth $4 these days (52-week high $15) and nVidia $11 (52-week high $40). It doesn't look too good IMO.

 

mikeny

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Watch AMD and NVidia merge. Look what happened to XM and Sirrius.

I was looking at the 9550 as it has a higher L2 cache and the price dropped. With the 4870x2 and the upcoming 4850x2 as well as the Q9450 and 9550 dropping in price, would any of these be the correct way to go? I really like the articles on the 4870x2 but was bummed when of course the party crasher also known as FSX didn't perform well. Also my eyes bugged out at the MSRP for the 4870x2 but saw the 4850x2 as a good price (cheaper than getting 2 4870's and crossfiring them). I was going to replace my PSU anyway as I was going to replace my tower and go to full tower. I was also looking at the Soundblaster Fatality series/titanium series and Logitech 5500 or 2300 speakers.