Time to upgrade?

[Miah]

Hi Folks

Thinking my system is most likely getting outdated(see sig). I haven't even looked at any of the current games because I figure I lack the HP to enjoy them. Was going to buy a 2gig ram kit, but at the current prices of DDR it might well just be easier to replace the combo rather than throw cash at an obsolete rig. Also I have a friend who could use my current setup as an upgrade for her very outdated computer, so everyone wins.

That being said, I'm very out of the loop on anything past socket 939 & am trying to play catchup. Someone mind giving me some cliffnotes? Looking for improving a mild gaming PC(HL2 games, Oblivion, etc) so when something comes along I want I'll be able to at least try it.

1. Looking to stick with AMD cpu since that's what I know.

2. Would like something passably future-proof since I don't want to be stuck with an outdated socket type the moment I get it up & running.

3. Would like something fairly feature-rich as well as reliable. My Asrock has been a real workhorse & I'm getting old enough that constant tinkering to fix problems is no longer fun.

Thanks

 

[PurdueRy]

Originally posted by: Miah
Hi Folks

Thinking my system is most likely getting outdated(see sig). I haven't even looked at any of the current games because I figure I lack the HP to enjoy them. Was going to buy a 2gig ram kit, but at the current prices of DDR it might well just be easier to replace the combo rather than throw cash at an obsolete rig. Also I have a friend who could use my current setup as an upgrade for her very outdated computer, so everyone wins.

That being said, I'm very out of the loop on anything past socket 939 & am trying to play catchup. Someone mind giving me some cliffnotes? Looking for improving a mild gaming PC(HL2 games, Oblivion, etc) so when something comes along I want I'll be able to at least try it.

1. Looking to stick with AMD cpu since that's what I know.

2. Would like something passably future-proof since I don't want to be stuck with an outdated socket type the moment I get it up & running.

3. Would like something fairly feature-rich as well as reliable. My Asrock has been a real workhorse & I'm getting old enough that constant tinkering to fix problems is no longer fun.

Thanks

How is changing to a Intel CPU going to cause you any more hardships than just sticking with AMD?

 

[Denithor]

Well future-proofing is silly.

Socket775 (current Intel chips) will be obsolete at the end of this year when Nehalem launches.

Socket AM2 already doesn't work with the new AMD quads, you need an AM2+ board for that, and the AM3 boards haven't launched yet.

Just buy what you need today and sell it off when it no longer suits you.

 

[Miah]

I was looking at the Asus M2N-SLI Deluxe since it was listed as beying phenom compatible...but I'm seeing a lot of unhappy M2N-E owners going back the past couple yrs. Still reading up to see if Asus has got their act in gear by this time.

& I just likes me some AMD, nothing wrong with that. Besides somebody's gotta buy it to keep Intel on their toes for the rest of you folk.

 

[angry hampster]

Originally posted by: Miah
I was looking at the Asus M2N-SLI Deluxe since it was listed as beying phenom compatible...but I'm seeing a lot of unhappy M2N-E owners going back the past couple yrs. Still reading up to see if Asus has got their act in gear by this time.

& I just likes me some AMD, nothing wrong with that. Besides somebody's gotta buy it to keep Intel on their toes for the rest of you folk.

I have nothing but postive to say about my M2N-SLI. However, buying an SLI board is utterly pointless if you're not, in fact, running 2 graphics cards. Look for a 780G board that's AM2+ capable.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16813128090

Future-proofing simply doesn't happen nowadays -- technology is moving too quickly. However, any new prodeuct you buy now can easily last you a few years at minimum before you start feeling crippled. AMD's triple-core processors seem to be really nice for the buck:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16819103252

For a video card, you simply can't beat the 8800GS for $100. It's an unbelievable deal. Overclocked it performs damn near as well as an 8800GT:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16814150275

 

[Blain]

You can always buy parts now use them for a few months, then sell them in the FS/T forum for 1/2 of what you paid for them.
That way, you're always on the cutting edge. :thumbsup::laugh:

 

[betasub]

Buying hardware, I discovered why they call it the cutting edge. Ouch! :Q

 

[Miah]

More like trailing edge for me. Decided to try out 3DMark06 just to see what it looks like & I got a whopping 6080 score. Now I've just got to decide if I want to upgrade my entire combo, install the Asrock AM2 card w/ 4400-4600 AM2 cpu & DDR2 on my current board, or just buy a hotter video card.

Not sure which will show the most bang for the buck at this rate.

 

[angry hampster]

Originally posted by: Miah
More like trailing edge for me. Decided to try out 3DMark06 just to see what it looks like & I got a whopping 6080 score. Now I've just got to decide if I want to upgrade my entire combo, install the Asrock AM2 card w/ 4400-4600 AM2 cpu & DDR2 on my current board, or just buy a hotter video card.

Not sure which will show the most bang for the buck at this rate.

Vid card's got plenty of power. Get a dual core AM2 Processor and some good DDR2.