Need your upgrade advice,,,

[k1ckazz]

I can't currently decide on which upgrade to go for, current specs are as follows:
(this is a 3 year old rig, with the exception of the GPU which was upgraded last year)
Opteron 170 @2.8ghz
DFI SLI-D
2GB DDR400
Sapphire HD4850
20" Viewsonic LCD
500GB HDD

Which is the better upgrade option, I have a limited budget and I'm trying to boost FPS

Option A: upgrade to a GTX260 or HD4870 which costs less since I can sell my old GPU or

Option B: upgrade to a C2 E5200/Gigabyte P45 Mobo/3GB memory
Option C: upgrade to a P2 X550/Gigabyte 790 Mobo/3GB memory
(options B and C cost a bit more and selling the old parts seems a bit tough)

Your opinions would be highly appreciated

 

[Stiffex]

I dont think you need to upgrade your graphics card; the GTX 260 and the 4870 are very similar in performance and since the 4850 and the 4870 are the same GPU running at different clock speeds why not keep yours and overclock it instead ?

I personally would go with option B and keep my 4850 and maybe even get a mobo with 2 x pci-e slots and probably buy another 4850 at a later date, at least give myself that option.

I think option C would be attractive if your budget allowed for one of the higher end Phenom II`s and the same M.O with the GFX card/s.

P.S you will only need 2 GB of DDR2

 

[Proximon]

There ya go. 790X maybe?

I don't usually recommend MSI, but if the budget is that tight:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130172

PII X3 is really the ideal choice if you can
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103649&Tpk=X3%20720

 

[k1ckazz]

Thanks for the advice, by the way, I have about 300$ for upgrades...
And about my 4850, its pretty old so its the reference design with a single slot cooler, not the best heatsink to overclock with since it idles at 62C on my CM690 with a custom made cooler sitting below it.

Although one thing I just discovered is that I might be able to get more than one option. A friend wants my 4850 for 90$ and I can get a 4870 for ~150$, which means I can still go for option B.

But thanks again for your opinion guys, it made deciding easier...

 

[Proximon]

Then this combo
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.200066

And this RAM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231166

And you are all set. Throw an aftermarket heatsink and another 4850 in along with a good PSU when you can.

 

[buzznut]

I like proximons suggestyions. The biostar board is a good budget overclocker, I have my X4 PII 940 @ 3.7 ghz on this mobo.

I'm kinda partial to this ram;
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227289

but the other you wont need to wait for MIR

 

[Proximon]

I like proximons suggestyions. The biostar board is a good budget overclocker, I have my X4 PII 940 @ 3.7 ghz on this mobo.

I'm kinda partial to this ram;
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227289

but the other you wont need to wait for MIR

Some after market CPU coolers prefer the lower profile RAM, so I recommend that out of habit. Prevents problems down the line with AMD boards.

 

[k1ckazz]

Might run into some problems with those rams, I got a xigmatek dark knight cooler...

 

[Proximon]

You'll probably end up with the RAm in the outside slots regardless

 

[k1ckazz]

Thanks a lot for all your input guys, it helped a lot on finalizing my purchase plan for this monday ^^