Need advice please - Stick with AGP or go PCI-E?

Farfle

Member
Jan 10, 2006
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Current Rig:

P4 2.8c Ghz running SOLID at 3.26Ghz (233Mhz x 14). Maybe I can run it at 3.4Ghz...
MSI 865PE Neo2-P MSI MB
4x256Mb DDR500 (Running at 233Mhz, 1:1 ratio with FSB)
ATI 9800Pro AGP 128MB


Ok, i've been crunching numbers for a while now and I need some help figuring out which way I should go. I recently bought an AGP X850XT for $206 from Microcenter, but because I also want to upgrade my RAM to 2GB (I currently have 4x256MB, so a 2GB kit would have to be purchased) I'm seriously considering jumping from AGP to PCI-E. Here's what i've considered:

PCI-E Option:

$80 S939 nForce4 MB (No need for SLI)
$124 Athlon64 3000+ Venice (Newegg)
$150 2x1 GB PC3200 (Various from Newegg)
$280 7800GT PCI-E
-$75 9800Pro
-$35 P4 865PE Motherboard
-$90 P4 2.8c Ghz
=$434

AGP Option:

$195 2x1 GB OCZ Gold DDR500 (Newegg)
$206 X850XT AGP
-$75 9800Pro
=$326

I didn't include the price of selling my current 4x256MB memory because one stick of it needs to be RMAed and that could take a while. In either case, if I eventually sold it, the subtraction would be applied to both options above.

Would the A64 3000+ Venice perform as well as my P4 3.62 Ghz (233Mhz FSB). Is it work an extra $108 to get the 7800GT? I dunno...
 

Zebo

Elite Member
Jul 29, 2001
39,398
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I don't understand the need for new ram? You have a fine CPU too.


$206 X850XT AGP
-$76 9800Pro
----------------

=$130
 

Farfle

Member
Jan 10, 2006
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0
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I mainly play MMOs, which require a ton of memory. Planetside, for example, is accessing my Hard Drive quite often when I turn the texture qaulity to the highest setting, at 1680x1050. This is causing a lot of game stutter, especially in 200+ people fights.
 

Zebo

Elite Member
Jul 29, 2001
39,398
19
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I play them too never used over 700MB. I keep my box very lean though. Disabling all almost all services and not installing ATI drivers LOL.
 

Ronin

Diamond Member
Mar 3, 2001
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server.counter-strike.net
You had to bring that in, didn't you Zebo :p

IMO, I think we've finally seen the last of the AGP cards from both manufacturers (meaning nextgen is highly unlikely to provide us with them). Go PCIe to provide yourself a multitude of upgrade options when the time comes.
 

Farfle

Member
Jan 10, 2006
78
0
61
I guess the other consideration would be to not upgrade at all and wait for a newer platform. I mean, there's only one potential upgrade I seeing to the S939 system, and that would be a dual core X2. Because the MMOs I play now are all 2-3 years old, they're still quite playable on a 9800Pro. I don't play any of the latest and greatest games.