Should I upgrade my aging 2006 computer?

[rayzhou]

I've got a computer I built in 2006 and I don't predict having the money to build a completely new one for at least a year.

This is my current system:

AMD Athlon 64 X2 4200+ Windsor 2.2GHz 2 x 512KB L2 Cache Socket AM2 89W
BFG GeForce 7900GT 256MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16
Patriot Extreme Performance Gaming Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800
Windows 7 Pro 64-bit

So I was wondering if it was worth it to purchase this:

AMD Athlon 64 X2 5400+ Brisbane 2.8GHz 2 x 512KB L2 Cache Socket AM2 65W ($52.99)

I play games (I want to play recent ones at highest settings but no that's impossible due to my CPU, RAM, AM2 mobo and video card) and use the Adobe CS4 programs (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, etc) and Maya 2011 64-bit.

Is it worthwhile to upgrade my processor or should I save that $50 for something else?

 

[saaiello]

That looks like a pointless upgrade to me you will see little to no difference in performance. Your best bet would be to upgrade the GPU and then maybe look at getting a nice AM2+ motherboard which will reuse your DDR2 RAM, and look at an AThlon II or Phenom II whatever fits your budget best.

 

[calinkula]

You can even find some AM3 mobos that still support DDR2. If your other components are decent you could probably do a worth while upgrade easily for $300.

5770 1GB ~$150
Athlon II x3 ~$75
Decent Mobo ~$75
Reuse the 4GB RAM

 

[saaiello]

You can even find some AM3 mobos that still support DDR2. If your other components are decent you could probably do a worth while upgrade easily for $300.

5770 1GB ~$150
Athlon II x3 ~$75
Decent Mobo ~$75
Reuse the 4GB RAM

The boards that say AM3 that support DDR2 are AM2+ boards with AM3 CPU compatibility.