Do I need a card upgrade?

[digitalduck]

Based on my sig card... should I be upgrading and if so, to what that is a good deal.. OR should I just get more ram or cpu?

I still play the demanding cames, bioshock, HL2, the new batman and looking for others...

Thanks!!!

 

[Denithor]

What games are you playing?

G92 8800GTS is still a capable card, pretty well matched to the rest of your setup. Might get better mileage from overclocking your e4500 (3GHz should be easy) and adding another 2GB RAM. Then count on a full system uprade (cpu/mobo/ram/gpu) when that starts feeling sluggish again.

EDIT: Obviously this is going to be the cheapest option. The problem you are going to run into is your system is very well balanced already. Adding a lot more GPU muscle is going to be limited by your e4500 pretty severely in many games. Likewise, adding a beefy new CPU isn't going to net you much if you stick with the 8800GTS.

 

[digitalduck]

Denithor... thanks for the reply.. I have OC in the past but now just have an basic rig but I could OC it a bit... 34 would be nice, but im a bit apprehensive about it...however ,if you think it will handle it with an addlt 2 gigs then ill get the ram and OC it abit...

Im also looking for some better games to take advantage of my 1920x1200

EDIT: well said Denithor

 

[digitalduck]

Should I upgrade the ram speed also or stick with what I have...I think im at ddr 2 800 what about getting 1066...im not sure what my mobo can handle since im at work..

EDIT: So like you said, adding more ram and OC to 3ghz might not be much either but buying a new GPU might not be much (unless I OC to 3 perhaps and more ram)

Thanks for the feedback

 

[AzN]

You should upgrade your ram. Another 2 gigs and move to vista 64. Vista 32 needs 3gigs to operate games comfortably.

Once that's finished you should overclock your chip some more. 2.2ghz? Try more like 3.0ghz and you will be okay for a while until an upgrade.

I agree with Denithor. G92 GTS is a decent card. I had one before I got the GTX260. Only 10-30% slower depending on the situation. Considering we get mostly console ports I don't see the reason to upgrade.

Since you are running a 24" monitor that GTS might be limiting you slightly but you are not missing much going to GT200 or 48x00 series. I would hold out long as I could until the new generation is saturated in the market and prices dip.

Your best bet is get a fast quad upgrade before you get a faster card.

 

[digitalduck]

Azn.... awesome, thanks for the reply... would I be safe with just a basic thermaltake HS that I have one it? I dont know which one it is...but should it be decent just bumping to 3hgz without worrying about heat? I like the idea and I didnt think about hat so thanks.

Cool, I also like the idea of sitting and letting the market settle with the new cards now...hmm..should I buy a copy of 64 or wait for windows 7? I tried the beta version and was like ..."egghh?" Dumb question though...should I also be runing on a 64 bit system? Thats something I never really got the hang of...

 

[sciwizam]

If you have a student .edu email address, Microsoft is selling Win 7 for $30 or you can probably get it for free at your university or college.

 

[digitalduck]

good point but my buddy would probably want that also unless i can use it twice good tip

 

[crisium]

8800GTS 512MB is still a pretty tight card. If you upgraded to say a GTX 275 you'd see a very nice increase, but for the games you listed? I'm not sure it's completely necessary. Unless you have SLI and want to make the GTS a Physx card. I would have still stuck with my Radeon 3850 if its AA wasn't an abomination (and the 4850s weren't so deliciously cheap).

 

[digitalduck]

Crisium....when u said "for the games you listed" did you mean they are older games and aren't taking advantage? What games should I be playing (no seriously)

 

[crisium]

Half-Life 2, Bioshock, these can be maxed out by your 8800GTS even at 1920x1200. Batman not so much, you'd probably not be able to run max settings + Physx + AA on your card with acceptable framerates. But with AA off it might be just fine... I can't say for sure so I'll shut up before I dig hole for myself.

If you wanted more performance out of Crysis, Far Cry 2, then upgrading is always helpful. But IMO save your money until you decide it's worth shelling out $$$ for better settings. I honestly think you can get great settings just fine right now and especially so if you overclock closer to 3GHz (more RAM might also help). Just my thoughts.

 

[digitalduck]

are there it other games that would push it even harder? Thanks for the advice

 

[digitalduck]

Question.... looking at my ram, should i buy a new 4 gigs of something else or stick with 2 extra gigs of my Corsair? Without looking I cant remember what speed it is I bought it about 32 years ago...

 

[akugami]

RAM is cheap right now and that's not always going to be the case. I'd upgrade it while it's cheap. The rest of your system doesn't seem too bad. Maybe upgrade your CPU (or overclock) because the prices for those aren't going to drop much. Wait for the new video cards to push down prices for older cards and maybe pick up a cheap second hand video card from someone who is upgrading.

 

[digitalduck]

Good point...but question is, should i get two more of same ram, or 4 new gigs of something else?

Thanks!

 

[kalrith]

Originally posted by: digitalduck
Good point...but question is, should i get two more of same ram, or 4 new gigs of something else?

Thanks!

You should be fine getting 2 GB of something else as long as it will run the same speed and timings as your current RAM and as long as you have RAM slots available on your mobo. It would be best to get 2 more GB of the exact same RAM.

Also, I don't think anyone responded to your 64-bit OS question. With a 32-bit OS, Windows will only see 3.25 GB of RAM. With a 64-bit OS, Windows will see and allow you to use all of your RAM.

I'm with the rest of the posters: OC and increase RAM now. The next step depends on how much you want to spend (full system upgrade, just upgrade video card, etc.).

I've stuck with my 2900 Pro for a couple years and am waiting until early next year (once the prices drop) to upgrade to the new-gen cards coming out. My 2yo quad-core system plus a new video card should last me for a while.

 

[digitalduck]

Kalrith..... thanks for catching that...I never considered that when Iput in my vista business edition a few years ago...dang, now do I go and buy that wait I have an employee purchase program...cool, question though and pardon my ignorance..do I need a 64 bit sytem...oh wait, that was just amd 64 that confused me,....since im on duo core now its not an issue....cool..i think

 

[Denithor]

Wow this thread went places while I was working this afternoon.

Windows - do not buy Vista 64. Pointless at the moment, Win7 will be released in one month and should cost about the same, just wait for it (unless you can get a copy early/cheap with a .edu email).

RAM - just buy two more gigs of the same speed you have now. Anything faster than DDR2-800 is pretty pointless on C2D setup, especially the e4x00 series which feature the 200mhz fsb. Trick here is just keep it cheap, save your money toward a full upgrade. And only buy additional RAM if you also plan to OC your CPU to ~3GHz - otherwise you're better off just biting the bullet and upgrading the innards now.

GPU - 8800GTS probably acceptable for now, ATI is supposed to be releasing their 5870/5850 tomorrow and it's expected to kick some serious ass. Hold out for a few months and see nVidia's response and for pricing to settle down before buying a replacement for your 8800GTS.

Overclocking your e4500 should net you a bit more performance from your 8800GTS, adding the 2GB will help smooth everything out a bit more. You could even grab a single 1GB stick since you're on a 32-bit OS to save a few bucks.

If you decide to go the major upgrade route I'd suggest an i5 750, 4GB DDR3-1333/1600 and a solid P55 motherboard - should be able to get out for around $350 or so for these parts. You would see a moderate increase in gaming from this upgrade but honestly not much more than just dropping in extra RAM and overclocking your current CPU. GPU has more impact on gaming performance as long as you have enough CPU to push it (which is where you're a bit short right now - but OC to 3GHz and you're gtg for a while). But by the same note you want more than a 3GHz C2D to push a 5870-level card - the trick is to keep things balanced.