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new (cheap) desktop system--most bang for the buck? cpu vs. ram

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demana

Member
I've been playing around with different configurations at ABS, Dell, Nutrend, etc. and I'm trying to decide how to balance power with cost. Usage is 60% gaming, 30% office apps, 10% misc. I have decided on an Intel 800FSB cpu and an ATI 9600 pro video card. Would I see better performance out of a 2.4/2.6 GHz with 1GB of Ram or with a 2.8/3.0 GHz with 512 MB of Ram? Looking down the road, which one (ram/cpu) is likely to be cheaper to upgrade?

suggestions appreciated, thanks.
 
I wish abs offered the 9600 pro in there 3300 series. You might also want to look into monarch computer. You can't really beat dell for the price though, for $850 you can get a p4 2.6 800, 9800 non pro, and 512mb ram.
 
I'd think it pretty unlikely to upgrade from 2.6 to 2.8. Some people do it, however! Despite my love for ram, I'd probably buy the more expensive CPU and get half a gig of ram. Then down the road you can always add another stick and not have to deal with the hassle of selling your old cpu.

Or, you could get the 2.4C, a gig of good ram, and then overclock it. 😀
 
If you want the most bang for the buck, get the 2.4 ghz with the extra ram. However, if you are are looking for the easiest upgrade in the future, get the better processor, since it's easy to add ram.
 
thanks for the suggestions--if I went with the 2.4 cpu, could I just swap in a 3.2
down the road when they are much cheaper, or would I need a different mobo?


 
Originally posted by: demana
thanks for the suggestions--if I went with the 2.4 cpu, could I just swap in a 3.2
down the road when they are much cheaper, or would I need a different mobo?
Click to expand...

depends on the motherboard..and with the places you have listed above kinda difficult to determine..as they say..what's in the box..😉 good luck and what is your current system ..it might be worth upgrading..🙂
 
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