How much longer will I last?

[alphawolf010]

I know I need a graphics card update, still on a 6800gt and its showing its age. How much longer will the rest of my components last:

opty 165 @ 2.7ghz 1.36vcore
2g kingston pc3200 (4x512)
jetway 939gt-4-sli
6800gt pci-e (400/1100)

Also I'm considering getting either the 8800gts 640mb or the 8800gtx. My monitor is a viewsonic e90f 19'' crt (max res 1792x1344). My PSU is a tagan 480w, but I dont know if it would be strong enough. Can the PSU handle these monsters?

If I get either one of these, I plan on taking my old A64 3200+ (939) and turning it into a storage system, and have the 6800 in it just to take a load off of it. Does this sound reasonable?

 

[AdamK47]

About negative five months longer.

 

[Sniper82]

Depending on the settings you prefer in games and with a 8800 series upgrade you should be good to go into late next year IMO.

 

[imported_OrSin]

Depending on your games. If you dont play FPS you got 2 more years.
Seriourly everyone things all game takes huge resources but only FPS and a few RGP, that are now just FPS, hinden by a fansty setting, take alot of video power. A few RTS now are taking CPU.

I had my last system for 4 years and rolled along fine. My suggestion is upgrade when it necessary. But since I dont follow my own advice i doubt you will either.

The other suggestion is buy what makes you happen. Now that usully works.

 

[Mitch101]

I have a pseudo rule that when the next best video card from what you have costs $130.00 then its time to plan an upgrade.

 

[yh125d]

you'd last alot longer with a gpu upgrade. I'd go for a 1950pro instead of getting dx10 now, it might be better to wait until you're ready for a full upgrade and dx10 is matured

 

[Pugnate]

If you can afford a 8800, then why go for a 1950? I love how people argue against a 8800 by saying there are no DX10 games. I didn't buy my 8800 because of DX10. I bought it because of its performance in DX9.

I'd say alphawolf010 that you've waited this long, just wait a few weeks to see how the R600 turns out. You may have a better choice, and if not then nothing lost.

 

[slash196]

I have similar specs, and personally I'm going to wait it out one more generation and then give my rig a full facelift for vista.

 

[alphawolf010]

I've been waitin for the r600 just to see if they will either outperform the 8800 series or possibly drive the prices down on the gts/gtx. Without a doubt I will be going with the DX10 series. I've waited this long, so whats another month or 2. Outside of graphics, strong enough system to handle whats coming next, and not cripple the card?

Also, will the PSU handle a 8800 gt(x/s)?

 

[deadseasquirrel]

You've got a nice system there... all you really need is a GPU upgrade. Even then, you're on a CRT. You could always lower the resolution down to 1024x768 if you wanted and still run every game out there perfectly fine. My son's machine is an AXP @ 2.2ghz with a 6600gt and only 1gb ram. He runs everything fine. Oblivion, NWN2, etc.

With a GTS, you'd be able to just about max out the res on that CRT, crank up every level of AA/AF, and enjoy gaming for quite some time (at least until we see how Crysis, UT3, and Alan Wake scale with mid-range machines).

My advice is to only upgrade once you have an application (be it a game or productivity software) that doesn't perform as well as you would like it to. This can be difficult with new hardware coming out every couple of months. The temptation is great. But weigh it against your *needs*.

As for right now, drop a 320mb GTS in there in place of your 6800gt and you'll be amazed at how much more powerful it is.

 

[alphawolf010]

My 6800gt has done me well (at the time I got it, it was one of the top dog cards), but I'm set on a 640 or the gtx, as I would like to get another 2 years out of it. I've been thinking of going with a 20.1'' lcd for $200, but I need the card first as the native res is 1680x1050.

Here's the LCD: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824112006

 

[apoppin]

Originally posted by: yh125d
you'd last alot longer with a gpu upgrade. I'd go for a 1950pro instead of getting dx10 now, it might be better to wait until you're ready for a full upgrade and dx10 is matured

i agree ... if the pro is much cheaper

the Opty is gonna be a bottleneck for the GTX


the GTS might be a good choice ... depending on price

or you could just go for the GTX and upgrade the CPU ... later



if i could wait a month, i might wait to see what r600 brings

at any rate, it's pretty clear that Quad Core will be "mainstream" in 18 months and you will be *struggling* at 16x10 depending on your detail level

your GTX will *barely* last 2 years, imo

 

[Skunkwourk]

Originally posted by: slash196
I have similar specs, and personally I'm going to wait it out one more generation and then give my rig a full facelift for vista.

talk about similar, this is what I have

Antec P180 - A64 3700+ Scythe Ninja (but had the XP-90) - Asus K8VSE - 1.5 Gigs of Kingston - Leadtek GeForce 6800GT - Audigy 2 - Enermax 500watt - Western Digital 7200 80GB - Maxtor 7200 160 GB - Samsung SyncMaster 997DF - Logitech MX-510

Im still trying to figure out what video card to get until I go quad core...