Questions about upgrading

[pocketx]

I'm currently running:

AMD Athlon X2 3800
1GB PC-3200
Geforce 7600GT

I've been planning on upgrading to a penryn this summer for all the new games coming out but with the release of nehalem coming within a year, I'm having a hard time deciding whether I should. I've read lots of comments like if you want to upgrade, do it now, if you can wait, wait. Only thing is I'd like to keep the computer for at least 3 years and I don't want to regret buying something that would be outdated soon after I buy it. If I were to wait for nehalem, does anyone know how much it'd cost to get a decent gaming system, considering the new mobo's and ddr-3 ram?

Or will an upgrade now to a dual core/quad core be good enough for the next 3 years?

 

[DSF]

A good processor will probably last three years without any trouble. The video card is what might need to be upgraded along the way.

 

[Aisengard]

Don't fall into that well-known trap of waiting for the next big thing. The next big thing will always be around the corner. The stuff you buy today will always be last year's news six months from now. It's the way the computing market works.

For this specific situation, if you want to upgrade now, then upgrade now. Yes, Nehalem with the new architecture is right around the corner, but that won't be until the end of the year. Plus, there's no guarantee that it will be all that great. Personally, I think right now is a great time to buy a new system. The current architecture, while near the end of its life, is the best it's ever been, and will certainly last you 3 years, if not more. Yes, by the time the upgrade bug strikes again, you'll have to go out and get yourself a new motherboard, but honestly, how many 'normal' people actually upgrade their CPUs?

Nehalem will most likely be prohibitively expensive by the time it comes out. And by then, you'll still have your obsolete computer, and you'll probably say to yourself "well, the price will come down soon, and the architecture will be more secure by March", and so on and so on, and you'll never get around to it.

Now is the time to strike. Prices on DDR2 RAM are at an all-time low, and the current great processors are ridiculously inexpensive. They're really not likely to get any less expensive either. But yes, you'll want to upgrade your video card sometime in the future. Personally, if I were you, I'd wait just a bit more and get the GT200. Or, get an eVGA 8800GTS card in about a month and step-up to the GT200 when it comes out.

 

[pocketx]

Thanks Aisengard! It comforts me a lot knowing that it's not a bad time to upgrade now. I've been thinking about the E8400 and the Q6600 for a long time now and now the Q9300/Q9450 are out. Will the dual core last 3 years or should I go for one of the quads? If I do need to get a quad, is it worth paying more for the Q9300/Q9450? I plan to overclock, but nothing extreme.

Regarding the GT200, is it coming out soon? And what kind of prices should I be expecting to pay for one of them?