TNT2 M64 upgrades

[coinopbot]

hello,


I am currently running a P4 1.3ghz with 384 of PC800, Side100 Raid array, with a TNT2 M64.

I am looking to upgrade my system a bit. My motherboard supports up to a 2.0ghz P4 with a 423 socket.

I have about 300 bucks to spend on upgrades.


Should I upgrade my CPU and my video card? or should I just get a really nice video card. I would like to play Unreal Tourn. 2003 comfortably and even warcraft III for that matter. Right now i have to tone down all the graphics in order to get suitable frames.


well, if you could help me sort this out i would totally appreciate it.

- 25cents -

 

[GregANDTCH]

My 2 cents:
I would suggest an Nvidia GF4 4200 card.
I haven't used one, but they look like they give good bang for the dollar.
I think just the improved card would make you happy.
YMMV

 

[Brian48]

I would try to upgrade both if I could.

 

[coinopbot]

bump

 

[AnAndAustin]

Well no offence but P4 1.3ghz will barely give Duron1.2ghz perf and certainly won't benefit from a GF4TI over the GF3 or Rad8500 alternatives. You really should upgrade both, P4 1.8 or 2.0ghz are significantly better CPUs even if you are stuck with Skt423. As for the TNT2 M64 it will REALLY be holding your gaming perf back. I'd suggest a GF3 or slightly better Rad8500 unless you plan to upgrade your CPU. GF3 and Rad8500 do tend to taper out around P4 1.6ghz so a GF4TI (4200 rec) would be advisable to get the most out of a faster CPU. I'd suggest getting a P4 1.8 or 2.0ghz CPU and stick in a GF4TI4200-128MB, but do be warned that even a P4 2.5ghz with Rad9700 can't play DoomIII like most people would want to. If you don't have $1000 to spend on mobo, CPU and gfx card then $100 for a 128MB Rad8500LE or P4 1.8ghz ($160) coupled with a 128MB Rad8500LE ($100ish) or GF4TI4200-128MB ($150) are definitely your best moves. Check out this link to see how diff CPU speeds coupled with diff gfx cards effect overall perf in a whole bunch of games (bear in mind they are AthlonXP CPU speeds and P4 1.3ghz is about 1ghz while P4 1.8ghz is about 1.4/1.5ghz):

AnAndTech CPU Scaling Article

 

[coinopbot]

No offense taken dude, I am grateful for your input.


I bought a 2.0ghz P4 today and I hopefully will buy a vid card soon.

IS the 9700 overkill? I was thinking of getting the 9000 pro with 128mb....


IS the G4 4200 better? I hear gainward's are top notch....

 

[AnAndAustin]

Cool, that's one mighty fine CPU, although the TNT2 was probably bottlenecking gaming perf with the P4 1.3ghz so you are unlikely to gain much in games until you get a new gfx card.

As for the gfx card options, GF4TI4200-128MB is definitely the way to go IMHO. Rad8500 and GF3 are worth it for slower CPUs or for those with a liited budget, while Rad9700 is the other way to go if your budget is ample and you don't mind your $350+ card falling to $250 in the next few months. The Rad9000pro is slower and inferior in almost every way to the Rad8500LE, and prices are close. The Rad9000 cards are designed to be cheap to make and to compete with the inferior GF4MX cards which are inferior to GF3, Rad8500 and Rad9000. Rad8500 and GF3 cards tend to give very little extra perf once a P4 reaches 1.6ghz, as such you really do want at least a GF4TI4200 to make the most of your new CPU, GF4TI cards improve significantly all the way up to the top CPUs. For GF4TI cards manu makes little diff, look first for the features you want and then for the price, if a big brand doesn't cost much more then go for it! All GF4TI4200-128MB cards are pretty much the same in perf, o/c'ing and features the odd card may use the nastier 4.5ns rather than the usual 4.0ns RAM limiting the o/c. If you want a little more oomph and have about $200 then the GF4TI4400 and 'Special' 4200-128MB cards are very good, the 'Special' 4200 are better but 4400 will sell on better in 6-12 months time. The 'Special' 4200 cards use the longer 4400/4600 design and 3.3ns BGA RAM and they come very near 4400 speed as standard but o/c as good as or better than 4600! These cards are the 'Asus 4200-128MB Deluxe' and 'Suma 4200-128MB Special Edition'.

The Rad9700 is overkill at the mo but the price is ever dropping and should be nearing $300 soon. It is by far the most capable and fastest gfx card currently available, but by the time the features and speed are truly useful there will be faster, better and cheaper gfx cards available anyway.

EDIT: Added Rad9000pro reviews...

Tech Report
AnAndTech
Firing Squad
HardOCP

 

[bluemax]

Over an M64? ANYTHING is an upgrade! Why those PC MFR's use such crappy video is beyond me... (Well, it's not actually - they bought a million or two of those cards VERY, very cheap...) :frown:

What to do? Well, a P4 with RDRAM is nice, but your board may not take the new P4 "A" chips which are really nice. I wouldn't waste much money - a P4 1.3GHz is still pretty fast, probably as fast as you need. VIDEO needs an upgrade NOW.

Your choices? I'd highly recommend one of two choices:
Radeon 8500 with 128MB RAM, or
GeForce4 Ti4200.

Both are excellent cards for very reasonable prices! And the difference over the M64 will blow your mind! The Ti4200 is faster but a fair chunk more expensive than the Radeon 8500...
Either way - out of your $300 budget, you'll be saving at least half of it for a rainy day.
That can either go into a CPU later, or just go and get some other fun stuff now.

 

[bluemax]

Originally posted by: coinopbot
No offense taken dude, I am grateful for your input.
I bought a 2.0ghz P4 today and I hopefully will buy a vid card soon.
IS the 9700 overkill? I was thinking of getting the 9000 pro with 128mb....
IS the G4 4200 better? I hear gainward's are top notch....

NO! NONOnoNOnonooooooo.......
You didn't need a faster CPU - you need, Need, NEED, NEEEEED the video card upgrade!!!
If you're stuck with that CPU (sure hope it work in your machine, some older P4 boards don't like newer P4"A" CPU's..... Well, you're on an even tighter budget now.

I'd go with a Radeon 8500LE over the 9000Pro because it's a fair chunk faster. 9000 will soon be cheaper, though... and is better in one case especially: if you view RealVideo at all. The 9000 is the ONLY card on the market to enhance RealVideo. I think that's cool, personally.

The 9000, or 8500LE are both excellent choices and should be WELL under a hundred bucks - if you still have that much.

The GF4-Ti4200 costs more but is a fair bit faster.... You might not be able to afford it anymore after the (almost silly) CPU upgrade.

No offense, but you needed the video card way, waaaaaaay more than CPU.

 

[coinopbot]

No offense taken!


I aprpeciate everyone's opinion!


I got a great deal on the p4, plus my MB only supports a 2.0ghz 423 ocket, and they are hard to find nowadays. I got mine from Fry's OEM open box for $140.


I'm not sweating it too bad....



anyway, thatnks for the concern.


Should I get a GF4 4200 now or wait a month?



-25cents-

 

[AnAndAustin]

I'd rec getting it now, unless you are thinking of waiting more of 3-6 months, but with your P4 2.0ghz being killed by a TNT2 M64 it would advisable ASAP. Whatever card you get you should get 128MB, although a 4200 64MB is still better in most regards than a 128MB GF3 or Rad8500, but do consider cost. Anyway a 4200-128MB is definitely what I'd suggest with a 2.0ghz CPU. Buy now, the perf with a 2.0ghz with 4200 over a 1.3ghz with TNT2 M64 really will be mind blowing, try out 2xAA / QxAA and Aniso ... yummy.

 

[bluemax]

Be prepared for a mind-numbing difference.
Radeon 8500 or GF4 TI4200 - either way you're going to hurt your jaw dropping it on the floor.