Best time to upgrade?

[Varsh]

Ok, I have enough money to only buy me a new Processor, Motherboard, RAM, and maybe a new Graphics Card.
Current System :
Epox 8KA3
Corsair 2 x 256MB and 1 x 512MB of DDR PC2100 all unregistered
AMD XP1700+
Creative GeForce 4 MX 440
Creative Sound Blaster Live! 1024
I may think of getting a new sound card too seeing that they're cheap. Now what I really want to know is what's the best option to take? I'm not sure what processor speed I should get and what Graphics card to get, I'm not too sure whether I have to upgrade my RAM for the new motherboard I want or whether it'll still work fine, in anycase this is what I'm thinking of replacing the above with :
Epox 8K9A2+ (AMD)
RAM - Not sure if my RAM will work with it, if it does I can save money here. (I need 1GB RAM minimum).
AMD XP2700+ (Seems a little too expensive at the moment, maybe wait a couple months??? Any ideas for something similar would be nice).
A BRANDED Graphics Card, not sure either to wait for the cheaper version of the GF FX or to get the Radeon 9700 Pro when the 9900 hits the market, that'll drop it's price quite a lot then.
Hmmm, any ideas for an upgrade here? I'm hoping to spend NO MORE than about £400 (That's Sterling, British Pounds), I'll most probably buy myself a new case too. Sooo, any suggestions etc???

 

[Varsh]

Ummm, anybody?

 

[Davegod]

right now is a excellent time for new ram, 'cos its CHEAP atm (£66 for 512mb crucial DDR333/PC2700, 6ns), although your DDR266 is just right for your 133/266fsb cpu (unless you want to o/c the fsb), so little point replacing your ram for "faster" stuff, unless youre getting new cpu with a faster fsb (like that xp2700+).

Crucial's R9700pro at nice price of £230-ish, what i'm seriously considering but waiting for price-cuts resulting from FX or R9900. Sapphire's r9700pro can also be found nearish the crucial price, so probably worth checking after some prices come down.

If i was buying a new case - and presuming i needed new psu - I'd probably be looking at the Antec 1080AMG or Lanboy. Harder decision if you dont want new psu or looking at a more upmarket case.

xp2400+ (£108) what i view as best bang-for-buck cpu at the "higher end" right now, also should be np with your existing ram & mobo. not that much of a performance jump though. a xp2700+ more of a leap but nearly twice the price (£200) and the 333fsb i think means it needs new memory?

Your PC2100 ram WILL work with the Epox 8K9A2. What i'm not sure about is wether the ram will work ok with a xp2700+, since that cpu has a faster FSB.

Mind you could buy some stuff now, other bits later. The ONLY thing that MIGHT cause any problems is using 266 memory (PC2100) with a 333fsb cpu. Hopefully someone will post to say what happens when using slower memory than the fsb, it might be just sub-optimal ram performace.

Basically, probably only any reason to upgrade mobo is if getting a 333fsb, which is also only time theres any point buying new faster memory. Any XP up to a 2400+ can be found with a 266fsb, so maybe a 2400+ and new vid card is your cheapest quick upgrade.

 

[thorin]

Best time to upgrade?

1) When there's something out you NEED.
2) When you can sell all or part of your system for a reasonable price and still have it be useful to someone.
3) When there's actually something new out.
4) When something dies and forces you to.

Your system isn't OLD yet, what is it that you want to do that it CAN'T do? Perhaps you're ready for a Video upgrade (I'm still using a GF2MX400 but that's just me), if you decide you need btr video at least wait for GFFXs to come out and prices on 4200/4600s to drop. Is there something that a new soundcard can do that your Live can't? (I doubt it unless you get a 7.1 or something dumb like that...).

I need 1GB RAM minimum

Y? Do you run some kind of DB server or huge demanding Website?

AMD XP2700+ (Seems a little too expensive at the moment, maybe wait a couple months??? Any ideas for something similar would be nice).

I'm just curious why you'd go with a 2700+ and not a Barton of some sort? You could sell your 1700+ (which isn't that old) to someone and it'd likely be a huge upgrade for them, grab a Barton 2500+ then still upgrade to a Athlon64 (like you need one) in the fall (while the Barton is still definately useful to someone else). And still not be out very much $ (as long as you recover alot of your $ selling things while they're still useful).

Thorin

 

[Varsh]

Cheers for the info DaveGod and nice to see another UKer
Anyway Thorin, could you not answer my questions so sarcastically please.

Ok, I know someone who already wants my GF4 MX440, he's already got dibs on that, and someone's going to buy my mobo and Processor off me. Though the main reason I'm upgrading is:
1 : I do a truck load of Graphics design (Photoshop and Illustrator, hmmm, lovely RAM eaters)
2 : The extra Processor speed for games, especially Unreal Tournament 2003, Dungeon Siege, Neverwinter Nights and mostly Morrowind, and many other highly graphical dependant games like Sim City 4.
3 : I leave my PC on 24/7 AND have trillions of needed things running at once (including a web server).
I have actually been thinking of just buying the Motherboard now and use my current Processor and RAM until an XP1700 or Barton or whatever comes at an affordable price to buy, the GFX card is a 100% must though, I know that for sure, I was actually going to wait for the results between the ATI and GF to see what happens, and if the 9900 comes out, the 9700 would probably hit around the £120-150 mark, then again the GF FX bottom range could be that price too, prob £200 to start with though.
RAM ALL depends on if it'll work at 333 and with a higher rated Processor etc etc...

Just remember Thorin I'm in the UK so things are more expensive here :|

 

[thorin]

Anyway Thorin, could you not answer my questions so sarcastically please.

Dude I REALLY wasn't meaning to be sarcastic, I was just trying to save you some $. Sorry I came across that way.

Ok, I know someone who already wants my GF4 MX440, he's already got dibs on that, and someone's going to buy my mobo and Processor off me.

Excellent! I (as you likely noticed) think it's best to sell stuff when you can still recover a good part of the money you put in to the items (to buy your new stuff with).

I do a truck load of Graphics design (Photoshop and Illustrator, hmmm, lovely RAM eaters)

Ok a Gig of RAM it is, I was just thinking that alot of Enthusiasts/homeusers only need 512 90% of the time.

2 : The extra Processor speed for games, especially Unreal Tournament 2003, Dungeon Siege, Neverwinter Nights and mostly Morrowind, and many other highly graphical dependant games like Sim City 4.
3 : I leave my PC on 24/7 AND have trillions of needed things running at once (including a web server).

Again I'm sorry but I lumped you in with the majority of enthusiasts/home users.

I have actually been thinking of just buying the Motherboard now and use my current Processor and RAM until an XP1700 or Barton or whatever comes at an affordable price to buy

IMHO this is the best idea. Remember there is a Barton 2500+ that'd be close to the 2700+ you mentioned earlier.

I dunno what to tell you about the video card, I'm completely partial to nVidia because I like their drivers, ATIs are quickly catching up but IMHO aren't there yet.

Thorin

PS > Yes I recall things are more expensive for you, which I guess is even more reason to upgrade sooner and try to recover some of your cost.

 

[Varsh]

Originally posted by: thorin

Anyway Thorin, could you not answer my questions so sarcastically please.

Dude I REALLY wasn't meaning to be sarcastic, I was just trying to save you some $. Sorry I came across that way.

Hahaha, I guess that's the love of misreading text on screen lol, silly me

Anyway yeah, I guess the motherboard will just do for now, though seeing that somebody wants my Processor with it, it could set him a while to wait, hmmm, I know the Mobo works for my Proc still so that's fine, I'll e-mail them to see if my RAM will work with it at a higher FSB, then again I suppose I could look at the online manual.

And ta , I'm certainly not the usual home user like you said

 

[ChefJoe]

April, when the 800 FSB intels with hyperthreading come out (we hope) and AMD doesn't have many launches slated, they should discount heavily.

 

[Varsh]

Well when using a 333FSB I MUST use PC2700 minimum sooo, I may as well get that when I come to upgrade my processor, I'm going to get a new case though I can't afford £100 on that Antec case lol, now my Bro's gonna buy at least 512mb of my RAM so that's done and dusted, wahey, now I just need the parts ¬_¬.
However I'm still undecided on whether to get an 8k9a2+ or an 8k9a3+, I know the price of the 2+ buuut, dunno what the 3+ is like.