Future Computer Upgrade / High end parts?

[ProUser]

Ok, the time has come to upgrade the computer. Probably in the next few months. In the past, I have always gone for the budget rig, squeezing every ounce of juice out of every component. Unfortunately, when it comes time to upgrade - I am stuck having to start from the ground up.

This time, I am considering buying quality/higher end products. Like a REAL nice case, a REAL nice power supply, and 2 Raptor hard drives, etc.

I guess my problem is, while I can afford all of this stuff - does it really make that much of a difference when it comes to longevity and upgradability? I figure a good case and power supply will last a long time. But will high quality $200 worth of memory really be THAT much better and last longer then say memory half the price? And is a $150 motherboard really going to be better and last longer then a $99 motherboard+processor special at Fry's?

I guess I'm second guessing my decision to actually spend a decent amount of money on my computer, because I'm worried in less than a year from now when the 64 bit proc's, new memory, etc all come out I'll be yet again having to build an entirely new machine.

 

[thorin]

It's easy spend little on what you're going to replace quickly and lots on what you'll carry between systems. For example:

I got a 2100+ (Thoroughbred) + K7S5A for $145 (CDN) and at the time when a 2600+ and nForce board woulda been about $360. Now if I had decided my 2100+ and K7S5A weren't cutting it I could now upgrade to a 2600+ and nForce (or NF2) baord for ~$145 CDN (and still be $70 ahead). IMHO my 2100+ and ECS baord are still doing their job just fine but when I decide to upgrade to a Parris (Athlon64 w/ 256k) and a NF3 (er whatever) I'll still have the $215 to spend and only likely need $150'ish when I get there. As for my HDs, case and PSU they'll be carried over to my next system(s) and I've spent a bit more on them. I don't see any point is spending 2x as much on parts that you're going to upgrade quickly. Go bang for buck on things you won't reuse between systems.

As for memory I only needed and bought PC2100 (266) until I decided I needed more for WinXP and the stuff I work on then I purchased 2700 because it was the same price as the 2100 at the time. However I didn't see any point in paying (2.5 or 3x) for 400 since by the time I upgrade Parris will be using 433 or 500 ... or 400 will be the same price as the 266 I bought originally.

Thorin

 

[DaveSimmons]

But will high quality $200 worth of memory really be THAT much better and last longer then say memory half the price? And is a $150 motherboard really going to be better and last longer then a $99 motherboard+processor special at Fry's

this is always a tough decision. If, say, an XP 2500+ is going to be fast enough to last you a year and you think you "need" to move to A64 or socket775 then, go with a cheap but decent mobo and DDR333 instead of 400.

If oyu want to buy now and wait 2 years to upgrade, go with a P4 at 2.8 - 3.0 and DDR 400. The 2.8 is the sweet spot on the (non-overclocking) power curve, and you can always upgrade to 3.2 or 3.4 GHz next year if you decide you need a (slight) speed bump, though a graphics card replacement will make more of a difference for games.

 

[ProUser]

Originally posted by: DaveSimmons

But will high quality $200 worth of memory really be THAT much better and last longer then say memory half the price? And is a $150 motherboard really going to be better and last longer then a $99 motherboard+processor special at Fry's

this is always a tough decision. If, say, an XP 2500+ is going to be fast enough to last you a year and you think you "need" to move to A64 or socket775 then, go with a cheap but decent mobo and DDR333 instead of 400.

If oyu want to buy now and wait 2 years to upgrade, go with a P4 at 2.8 - 3.0 and DDR 400. The 2.8 is the sweet spot on the (non-overclocking) power curve, and you can always upgrade to 3.2 or 3.4 GHz next year if you decide you need a (slight) speed bump, though a graphics card replacement will make more of a difference for games.

My current plan was to try and hold off until September, when hopefully the AMD64 comes out and drops prices on everything else. Then probably upgrade *hopefullY* 2 years down the line when 64 bit world has a better foothold.

I am planning on getting the Radeon 9800 Ultra (hopefully the prices will fall quite a bit next few months... please) and was thinking of getting a Barton in the 2500 - 3000 range. I'm just not sure how much longevity those chips are going to have, so shelling out $200 for memory and $150 for a quality motherboard... well I'm just a little hesitant..