GPU upgrade advice needed

[ProfJohn]

Hello All,

I have a Dell Dimension 4500 P4 at 1.8 GHZ with an old Geforce 4 MX

I am thinking of upgrading the GPU to a better unit.

I bought an Gefore FX 5200 with 128 Megs and I saw some improvement.
However, I can return the FX 5200 and get a 6200 online for about the same price.

Is upgrading to the 6200 worth the effort, or am I already CPU bound.
Secondly, is it worth upgrading at all since I am planning on building/buying a new system in the resonable future and see the upgrade as a way to get a little more life out of my Dell.

I mainly use this PC for some limited older FPS (CoD 2, Farcry etc) and simulation games such as Civ 4 and Roller Coaster Tycoon 3.

Is there anything else I can do to squeze more life out of the Dell, such as upgrading the memory from 348 to 512 or more?

Thanks for any help

 

[DaveSimmons]

A 6200 is a step up from a 5200, but not a huge one. Your CPU is fast enough to max it out.

384 RAM puts you above 256 so you've already made the biggest speed jump there. More won't hurt if it's really cheap though.

It's up to you whether more upgrades make sense.

 

[ProfJohn]

What's the fastest you think I could go with a p4 at 1.8Ghz?

I picked the 6200 cause it is only around $50, which seems a decent price for a few more months worth of life.

 

[DaveSimmons]

I paid $30 for an AGP nv 6200 at newegg.com so don't pay $50.

A used nv 6600 (non-GT) from the FS/FT forum would be worth $50 if you can find one at that price.