System bottle-necking woes

[garetjax]

I am currently looking to upgrade my system with a new videocard. The problem is I don't know how good of a video card I can get without my system bottle-necking it.

The spec's are:

2.4ghz Pentium 4 (non-OC)
1024gb RDRAM (PC800) (4x256)
Intel (Lexington 2) Pentium 4 mobo
Sound Blaster Audigy w/ IEEE 1394 sound card
Western Digital 80gb & 120gb 7200 RPM hard drives
Visiontek nVidia GeForce4 Ti 4600 128mb video card (non-OC)
Lite-On 40x 12x 48x CD-RW
Lite-On 16X DVD-ROM
CD-ROM 52x
Windows XP Home Edition

Please keep in mind that my mobo only supports up to AGP 4x and that my power supply can provide enough juice for any videocard out there. The link for the mobo can be found here:

http://support.gateway.com/s/M...516016/2516016fp.shtml

Please don't poke fun at me for the evils of buying OEM computers. I am already well aware that it was probably the single most biggest mistake I could have ever made when buying a new computer. Next time, I plan to build my next rig. The video card that I buy now will most likely be used in future builds. As such, I would like to get the very best video card that my current system can handle (and maybe even a bit over it) so that it can be adopted into a new system and still be potent enough to drive the games of the day. Price is no object for the video card, and at this point do not care if it is ATI or nVidia, however I am more partial to the latter than the former.

Anyhow, if you guys can help, I would appreciate it! =)

 

[Fern]

Why worry about a bottleneck? You could always use the new gfx card when you update cpu/mobo/ram.

Anyway, I don't think AGP x 4 is any less fast than AGP x 8. It's marketing FUD.

If you do want to be "balanced" (no bottleneck) an 9800 pro w/b about right I suppose.

But if I had the $ I'd get a 6800GT.

Fern

 

[RussianSensation]

Honestly, the recommendation varies depending on the resolution you like to play.

Unless you'll play at 1280x1024 4AA/8AF I wouldn't get 6800GT.
If you play at 1600x1200 without AA/AF, i'd get 6800 NU for $250 from Outpost.
Otherwise just wait a bit like 2 weeks until 6600GT AGP dips below $200.

Try to overclock that CPU to 3.0ghz and then 6800GT is good to go (but again depends on what settings you play at). I assume you dont use AA/AF since 4600 suffered greatly with those enabled.

If I was you, i'd just get 6800 or 6600GT AGP and then in 1.5 years get a new cpu and new videocard.

 

[garetjax]

Thanks for the replies. I like to play at 1280x1024 resolution, with all eye candy, but obviously my current video card couldnt handle it. I just went out and bought a BFG 6800 GT from Best Buy, so hopefully that will add some eye candy to my current games like HL2 and D3.

 

[Sentinel]

you can get a 6600 for almost same amt as a 9800 pro.