looking to make an upgrade for my system

[stringcheeseincident]

i built this system for myself at the end of last summer...so it's a little outdated, but it suits me fine. however, i still want to upgrate it to get more performance. here are the current specs:

-amd athlon xp 2500+ barton cpu
-512mb crucial pc3200 ddr ram
-shuttle mn31n mATX motherboard
-80gb western digital SE harddrive
-lite on 16x52x24x52 dvd-rom/cd-rw combo drive
-sapphire radeon 9600 nonpro 128mb video card
-turtle beach santa cruz sound card
-generic floppy drive
-logitecg z640 5.1 speaker set

i'm looking to upgrade the motherboard, case, RAM, harddrive, and (maybe) the video card. at newegg i was looking at the following:

-Epox 8RDA3+ motherboard, full atx
-another 80gb western digital SE harddrive
-another 512mb of crucial pc3200 ram
-Dynapower D58-SL case (looks generic but fits my needs)

i don't game a lot...i play BF1942/DC/EOD and Vice City, but my video card can handle those games fine. should i look at upgrading that, too? i don't do a lot of intensive computer work but i like my programs to load fast. and i might be doing some light video editing in the future - this upgrade will make it possible. any suggestions for products i should consider? comments are appreciated.

 

[moonsite]

I would go with the Abit NF7-S motherboard instead, and possibly 120-250 Gb hd. You can get the hard drive at hot deal from local stores such as compusa instead of Newegg.

 

[Shooters]

I was going to say the same thing regarding the motherboard. I've heard that the 8RDA3+ isn't all that. Just make sure you get a Rev 2 board.

You've actually got a pretty well balanced system there. In addition to the motherboard, I would say that another 512MB of RAM would be a worthwhile upgrage. Only get another hard drive if you think you'll need the space, which may be the case if you decide to do video editing. You would see a nice boost from something like a Radeon 9800 Pro, but if you don't game much, then I say spend your money on something else, maybe a DVD-RW.

Edit:
I just looked at that Dynapower case. $24 for a case and 430W PSU is pretty cheap. I don't know how must I would trust that.

 

[stringcheeseincident]

ah, i knew someone was going to suggest a dvd burner. i forgot to say i barely use my cd burner and i don't think i'd put a dvd burner to good use. i'm only looking to spend around $300...everything i listed above comes to around $275, so i don't think a video card can fit in with this upgrade.

 

[Shooters]

Yeah, I just thought you might want the DVD burner since you mentioned video editing.

I think the motherboard, RAM, and hard drive (if you need it) would be a good idea. Also see the edit in my above post regarding that case. What kind of case and PSU do you have now?

 

[stringcheeseincident]

i have a generic microatx case with a solid 230w PS (micro atx) that runs all my stuff now. i do have a spare 300w (atx) supply i'd probably use. can you use micro atx supplies in atx cases?

 

[stringcheeseincident]

i messed up trying to cut a window in the side of my case so now i have to let it sit under my desk with the side panel off, tons of dust has been getting into it and i hate having to deal with that. i want to make an upgrade now with the most vital parts, and then in a month or two buy some more. i'm currently looking at just buying:

-abit nf7-s motherboard
-generic atx case to fit the motherboard
-80gb western digital se harddrive OR the 512mb of crucial ram

i still have around 20gb of free space on my current harddrive and i can't decide what to upgrade. i think i might upgrade to a 9600xt soon, too, so i can play some newer games. suggestions on what to upgrade...and what to leave alone?