5200+, 8800GT. Upgrade: CPU vs GPU?

[JPRacer]

I have $400 to spend to upgrade my computer. Currently I have an AMD 5200+ with 2.5 gig ram and a 8800GT. At 1st I was planning to get a core2 quad-core CPU but the amd/ati 4870 video card is really tempting me. I play my games @ 1920*1200 and like to run with AA and AF. But the 8800GT is not powerlfull enough to run recent games at that res with AA/AF at good framerate.

Suggestions?

 

[HannibalX]

There are very, very few if any games out ATM that are CPU limited. I would buy a new GPU.

 

[JPB]

If you get something like a HD4870, with your current CPU you are going to be bottlenecked quite a bit. You may need to overclock it a good bit.

Now if you get a Core 2 or quad, it would *probably* make your GT a little faster. Not a whole lot though.. But in my opinion, I would rather do that than be bottlenecked. May not be alot, but there will be some...even at that resolution I would assume.

 

[Roguestar]

Get the 4870. Cheaper than getting a new motherboard AND CPU.

 

[DSF]

Originally posted by: JPB
If you get something like a HD4870, with your current CPU you are going to be bottlenecked quite a bit. You may need to overclock it a good bit.

Now if you get a Core 2 or quad, it would *probably* make your GT a little faster. Not a whole lot though.. But in my opinion, I would rather do that than be bottlenecked. May not be alot, but there will be some...even at that resolution I would assume.

Do you have any evidence to support that? With the eye candy and resolution he's playing at I doubt the bottleneck is going to be particularly significant.

For a screen that size upgrading the GPU is going to have greater impact.

 

[MarcVenice]

I completely support DSF's post. He will see FAR greater gains if he buys a HD4870, instead of a quadcore CPU. If he OC's the 5200+ to 3.0ghz I'd even dare say he won't be bottlenecked at all. Of course, UT3 might get more FPS, or perhaps CoD4, but how many fps are we talking, 100 vs 120? Instead of 40fps the 8800gt puts out, I'd take the 100fps from the HD4870 any time of the day over a quadcore and a 8800gt that will still only put out 40fps, especially at 1920*1200.