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Need better gaming performance--what should I upgrade?

H

Hyun

Member
My current setup:

Athlon XP 2500+ Barton
Asus A7N8X Deluxe mobo
Corsair 1GB PC3200
Radeon 9600 128MB (regular 9600, not XT, Pro, or SE)
Maxtor SATA150 boot drive + 2 ATA133 HDDs

I'd like to get a little bit better performance while playing games like Dawn of War and Codename: Panzers at 1280x1024. The obvious solution, to me, would seem to replace the video card with something like ATI Radeon 9800 Pro. I guess my question is, would the CPU/mobo combo lessen whatever performance gains I might get from the faster video card? In other words, would it be worthwhile to upgrade just the video card?

Thanks in advance for any help.
 
9800pro or 6600gt would help. The 9800 pro is on sale at newegg for $116, not a bad deal at all. You could also bump your fsb up to 400mhz, that would make your 2500 Barton into a 3200 Barton. Won't work if you're using stock cooling though. So you'd have to buy an XP90 or something like that, another $60 bucks with a fan.
 
Upgrade from a 9600 plain to a pro? No way man, waste of money for almost no benefit. Like greenman said, get a 9800 somewhere. They run great and are really getting cheap.
 
Aaargh, sorry, that was a typo, I meant "replace the video card with something like ATI Radeon 9800 Pro". I've edited it.
 
Originally posted by: Hyun
My current setup:

Athlon XP 2500+ Barton
Asus A7N8X Deluxe mobo
Corsair 1GB PC3200
Radeon 9600 128MB (regular 9600, not XT, Pro, or SE)
Maxtor SATA150 boot drive + 2 ATA133 HDDs

I'd like to get a little bit better performance while playing games like Dawn of War and Codename: Panzers at 1280x1024. The obvious solution, to me, would seem to replace the video card with something like ATI Radeon 9600 Pro. I guess my question is, would the CPU/mobo combo lessen whatever performance gains I might get from the faster video card? In other words, would it be worthwhile to upgrade just the video card?

Thanks in advance for any help.
Click to expand...

I've run a similar set-up with a 6800GT and haven't seen any valid evidence of a CPU bottleneck.

I think you should at least move to a 9800p for meaningful improvement.

Fern
 
1280x1024 might not run well on just a 9800pro instead of a 6600gt/6800, but I'm basing that on other games since I haven't seen benchmarks for the 2 you mention.
 
Originally posted by: Fern
Originally posted by: Hyun
My current setup:

Athlon XP 2500+ Barton
Asus A7N8X Deluxe mobo
Corsair 1GB PC3200
Radeon 9600 128MB (regular 9600, not XT, Pro, or SE)
Maxtor SATA150 boot drive + 2 ATA133 HDDs

I'd like to get a little bit better performance while playing games like Dawn of War and Codename: Panzers at 1280x1024. The obvious solution, to me, would seem to replace the video card with something like ATI Radeon 9600 Pro. I guess my question is, would the CPU/mobo combo lessen whatever performance gains I might get from the faster video card? In other words, would it be worthwhile to upgrade just the video card?

Thanks in advance for any help.
Click to expand...

I've run a similar set-up with a 6800GT and haven't seen any valid evidence of a CPU bottleneck.

I think you should at least move to a 9800p for meaningful improvement.

Fern
Click to expand...

I saw a pretty large improvement when going from an AXP to A64, but I wouldn't say the AXP was a bottleneck.
 
For the games that you mentioned at that resolution, 9800 pro (256-bit memory version) would definitely deliver marked improvement and also at a very nice low price.
 
Definently to a better vid card, 9800 pro is a top choice in price/ performance or if u can afford more a x800xl. I know that a 9800pro would run perfectly with a xp 2500+ but not sure if that cpu would slightly bottleneck a x800xl
 
Originally posted by: Greenman
Won't work if you're using stock cooling though. So you'd have to buy an XP90 or something like that, another $60 bucks with a fan.
Click to expand...

BS. it'll work fine. the xp2500+ and the xp3200+ are the exact same cpu's with the exact same hsf's. they are just set at dif speeds to be considered stock. i've built at least 6 rigs with the xp2500+ and oc'ed to 3200+ perfectly fine with stock hsf and even wtih pc2100 ram. as long as the temps are fine, hsf's wont keep an oc from working or being stable.
 
Originally posted by: Mik3y
Originally posted by: Greenman
Won't work if you're using stock cooling though. So you'd have to buy an XP90 or something like that, another $60 bucks with a fan.
Click to expand...

BS. it'll work fine. the xp2500+ and the xp3200+ are the exact same cpu's with the exact same hsf's. they are just set at dif speeds to be considered stock. i've built at least 6 rigs with the xp2500+ and oc'ed to 3200+ perfectly fine with stock hsf and even wtih pc2100 ram. as long as the temps are fine, hsf's wont keep an oc from working or being stable.
Click to expand...

Won't work on mine, and thats all I have to go by. Running a 400mhz buss with the stock cooler mine overheats. I don't know hot it would get, because I shut it down when it hits 75C.
Could be I just have a dud overclocker, but it sure ain't bs. (Side note, not all cpu's in a given class are the same, thats why some are 2500's and some are 3200's, the 3200's will go faster).
 
Originally posted by: Greenman
Originally posted by: Mik3y
Originally posted by: Greenman
Won't work if you're using stock cooling though. So you'd have to buy an XP90 or something like that, another $60 bucks with a fan.
Click to expand...

BS. it'll work fine. the xp2500+ and the xp3200+ are the exact same cpu's with the exact same hsf's. they are just set at dif speeds to be considered stock. i've built at least 6 rigs with the xp2500+ and oc'ed to 3200+ perfectly fine with stock hsf and even wtih pc2100 ram. as long as the temps are fine, hsf's wont keep an oc from working or being stable.
Click to expand...

Won't work on mine, and thats all I have to go by. Running a 400mhz buss with the stock cooler mine overheats. I don't know hot it would get, because I shut it down when it hits 75C.
Could be I just have a dud overclocker, but it sure ain't bs. (Side note, not all cpu's in a given class are the same, thats why some are 2500's and some are 3200's, the 3200's will go faster).
Click to expand...

they're the exact same cpus, except that they are set at dif clock speeds. what is your cpu temp on just 2500+? i also know that not all cpu's in a given class are the same, but i know the bartons from the bottom up. and its obvious that the 3200+ will run faster than the 2500+. the 3200+ is clocked at 2.2ghz vs the 2500+ at 1850mhz or so. its all about the 333mhz fsb vs the 400. and if your barton at 2.2ghz runs at 75C, then there's something wrong there. its either ur ambient temps or ur thermal paste/pad sucks.
 
I've been running water for the last year or so, pump died over the weekend so I stuck the stock HSF on it with artic silver. Turned it on and temps hit 75C within 10 mins. Nedless to say, I went and found a new pump...
I might be over stock voltage, it's at 1.65 right now, but I don't remember what stock is and I don't remember changing it. (It's been a year after all).
Right now, with the worst waterblock ever made, it's at 43c. New block should be here this evening and I expect that to drop to low 30's idle. (Computer is in a very warm room)
 
Im running an A64 3000 with a 6600gt and 512 mb ballistix and I run dawn of war flawlessly at max settings

I say go with a 6600gt and overclock the Barton 2500 after installing the 6600gt.
then you could clock it accordingly
 
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