Suggestions for my upgrade path?

[PingSpike]

Shuttle AN35N-Ultra 400
T-bred 1800+ dltc @ 1700mhz currently, have a xp mobile barton 2200+ that I'm going to try and run at 2.2ghz when I install it. Thats a pretty conservative overclock for these right?
Running 200FSB/Memory Bus
2x256 Buffalo CH-5s
GF4 ti4600 stock
120GB WD SE 7200/8MB
Sound Blaster Live! Value

What should be next on my agenda? With the barton mobile in there, I think CPU is going to be copacetic for awhile. The obvious choices are upping the ram to 2x512 (or maybe getting a 1x512 + 2x256...but mixing sticks is sometimes iffy) and of course the video card. I'm not a bleeding edge sort of guy, I tend to buy last years stuff to save money. Not sure what I should be looking for thats affordable in that area.

Suggestions?

 

[Somniferum]

The best bang for your buck as far a DOOM3 is concerned would likely be a video card upgrade. The 9800PRO would be a good match for that CPU and can be had for under $200. Make sure you get one with a 256-bit memory interface.

If you want to go cheaper, maybe the 9600XT? Or if you want to go with NVidia, the GeForce FX 5900XT can be had for ~$170.

 

[rbownes]

Get a nvidia 6800 vid card 128mb. If you want Doom3 that is the best upgrade u can do to improve performance.

 

[wseyller]

Originally posted by: rbownes
Get a nvidia 6800 vid card 128mb. If you want Doom3 that is the best upgrade u can do to improve performance.

What is the price on that card. I didn't know there was a version of the 6800 that had 128mb of memory.

 

[Sonic587]

Budget?

 

[Gurck]

The 6800NU is about ~$260. I've read that Doom3 won't run too much faster with a gb of ram vs 512mb, unlike some other games, Far Cry specifically.

 

[Arcanedeath]

Doom 3's average frame rate does not get much better w/ 1GB but the min framerate sure does, if I was playing any modern game I'd get at least 1GB at this point.

 

[wseyller]

yeah, bf1942, and bf vietnam definitely use more than 512MB.