Torn between a few upgrade options

[Davroz]

Hi,

I have a few questions regarding upgrading my now aging computer, and would be very greatful for any help on any of the aspects I mention - however much or as little you can provide.

Ok, I'll go on:

Firstly, heres my current spec:

Foxconn (/WinFast) NF4K8AC RS-1.0 Motherboard
AMD 64 3000+ CPU (overclocked a lil bit)
2 x 512MB Generic sticks of DDR400 RAM in dual channel mode
HIS ATi Radeon X800GTO (also overclocked a lil bit)

And now my questions:

1.) I have a limited amount of money, and want to upgrade bit by bit. Firstly, Foxconn's customer support is awful - and I havnt been able to find out whether my mobo supports AMD's 939 X2 Dual core processors or not. Anybody know? My whole upgrade rests upon this piece of information.

2.) What would be the most sensible part to upgrade first? Bearing in mind that I use the computer for gaming - and often have multiple game windows open simultaneously? Multi-Tasking is essential. As I said - I want to upgrade bit by bit - so which would minimise other bottlenecks, and provide the best short term performance increase until I can carry out the next upgrade?

I.) If upgrading the processor - I would like to get an AMD X2 4200+ (939) or greater. However, I see that the 4400+ has double the cache - so would getting the 4200+ be foolish?

II.) If upgrading the RAM I have a tricky choice. My current 2 x 512 sticks - allow me to put 2 more 512 sticks in to make 2GB total, but will using all four slots sarifice the dual channel performance increase? Is the substantial extra price to get two brand new 1GB sticks worth it considering my tight budget?

5.) Would my graphics card act as a bottleneck even after these upgrades have been carried out?

Thanks in advance for any help you might be able to give.

 

[imported_stev]

I'm not convinced that double the cache is much of a gain. Check out http://www23.tomshardware.com/cpu.html for some useful benchmarks.

As for mobo compatibility, looks like you're good to go for X2.

Oh, and welcome to the forums!

 

[CurseTheSky]

Originally posted by: Davroz
Hi,

I have a few questions regarding upgrading my now aging computer, and would be very greatful for any help on any of the aspects I mention - however much or as little you can provide.

Ok, I'll go on:

Firstly, heres my current spec:

Foxconn (/WinFast) NF4K8AC RS-1.0 Motherboard
AMD 64 3000+ CPU (overclocked a lil bit)
2 x 512MB Generic sticks of DDR400 RAM in dual channel mode
HIS ATi Radeon X800GTO (also overclocked a lil bit)

And now my questions:

Originally posted by: Davroz
1.) I have a limited amount of money, and want to upgrade bit by bit. Firstly, Foxconn's customer support is awful - and I havnt been able to find out whether my mobo supports AMD's 939 X2 Dual core processors or not. Anybody know? My whole upgrade rests upon this piece of information.

I really have no idea, but I can say this for sure - if you're otherwise not satisfied with the Foxconn board, try the motherboard I have listed in my signature. It was a solid performer back in the day.

Originally posted by: Davroz
2.) What would be the most sensible part to upgrade first? Bearing in mind that I use the computer for gaming - and often have multiple game windows open simultaneously? Multi-Tasking is essential. As I said - I want to upgrade bit by bit - so which would minimise other bottlenecks, and provide the best short term performance increase until I can carry out the next upgrade?

Dual Core is great when multi-tasking. The X2 line also offers decent gaming performance, so it's a win-win situation. From the sound of it, you're probably running a few instances of an older game at once - I.E. Asheron's Call, Dark Age of Camelot, etc. If this is the case, then a beefy graphics card is not the answer - a dual core processor and plenty of memory is.

Originally posted by: Davroz
I.) If upgrading the processor - I would like to get an AMD X2 4200+ (939) or greater. However, I see that the 4400+ has double the cache - so would getting the 4200+ be foolish?

If you can get the 4400+ for a reasonable amount, go for it. As far as I have heard, none of the socket 939 X2 processors were awesome overclockers, but the extra cache can never hurt. Most people find a 2.6-2.7GHz cut-off point for the 4200/4400+, with the 4400+ more likely to hit that mark.

Originally posted by: Davroz
II.) If upgrading the RAM I have a tricky choice. My current 2 x 512 sticks - allow me to put 2 more 512 sticks in to make 2GB total, but will using all four slots sarifice the dual channel performance increase? Is the substantial extra price to get two brand new 1GB sticks worth it considering my tight budget?

I have heard that some of those boards had problems when all four memory slots were occupied. Going with 2x1GB sticks would be the better option, however, I do not suggest this. Unless you're planning on running Vista, or some of the latest-and-greatest games, 1GB of memory should be fine. I wouldn't throw any more money into DDR memory personally... save the cash for a future system when you upgrade to AM2 or Core 2 Duo and DDR2.

Originally posted by: Davroz
5.) Would my graphics card act as a bottleneck even after these upgrades have been carried out?

Multi-tasking wise, no. It will be the biggest bottleneck, however, if you're trying to play the newest games at high resolution. Right now, my computer will play most of what I throw at it at moderate or high settings, all in my monitor's 1600x1200 resolution. If you're running 1280x1024 or less, I wouldn't worry about the card. If you're looking into higher resolutions and more demanding games (Oblivion for example), then yes, the card will need to be upgraded. Unlike memory and old-socket processors, you can buy a brand new graphics card for this system, then rip it out six months later and throw it into a new system. PCI-E should be around for quite a while.


What's your budget? Assuming that your graphics card is PCI-E, you could probably get a huge performance jump by spending ~$400 and upgrading to a Core 2 Duo system. An E6300, ASUS P5B, and some decent DDR2 memory will give you greater performance than your current system, and also point you in the right direction for future upgrades. Buying a new processor and more memory will certainly hold you over for the time being, but the money will be wasted by the time you're ready to upgrade again.

If you can afford it, this is my suggestion:
E6300 - $184
ASUS P5B - $135
Crucial 2x1GB DDR2 667 - $230

You can downgrade to 1GB of memory and save yourself $100 or so, or find an even cheaper (though worse overclocking) motherboard, and save another $20-50. Core 2 Duos are naturally good overclockers. Paired with a decent motherboard and some performance memory, you'll definately get your money's worth out of even the entry-level processor.

 

[Davroz]

Ok, firstly, thanks an awful lot for the help, its really great.

I am pretty happy with the Foxconn, and if its compatible with X2's then I am very reluctant to change it (although I have been told now on two occasions to switch to a Core Duo system...)

The games I intend to multitask on are MMORPG's such as Lineage 2, and WoW. Not too intensive, but intensive enough to require a nice card.

I checked the TomsHardware page about CPU comparisons - and I see what you mean, the performance increase maybe isnt worth the high rise in price between the 4200+ and the 4400+, although this will be a tricky decision to make.

I have now found out that Foxconn are adamant that their board will handle 4 sticks of ram, in dual channel mode - perfectly well. I want to avoid buying 2 1GB sticks at all costs, just because they cost so much - and my budget is a tight one.

I do like to play newer games too, and am getting more and more tempted by a new gfx card. The resonably well priced X1950 PRO has been recommended to me, would this be a good choice - or is there something better within the same price range I should go for?

My budget for now, is just over £200, but I will be spending more - just not all in one chunk. I should have enough for 2 x 512mb ram sticks - and one other item now (CPU or GFX card)... So you think the GFX is more important - even considering how old the 64 3000+ is now?

Sorry about asking lots of questions again :S But you helped so well the first time, you opened up lots of new thought processes .

 

[CurseTheSky]

The card should be able to run WoW with no problems. My 6800GT (PCI-E) never has any trouble with WoW. I don't know about Lineage 2 though.

You're in sort of a tough spot. Honestly, buying an X2 would probably give you a huge multi-tasking upgrade, as would two more 512 memory sticks. However, they certainly won't have as much use in the future. The graphics card would definately be a better future-concious purchase. If you do upgrade to a Core 2 Duo system in the future, you can simply rip the card out of this rig, and throw it into the next.

How bad is your performance now? Is it bad enough to NEED a new processor and more memory, or can you squeeze by with what you have for now? Undoubtedly, you will see some kind of performance increase with the X1950 Pro, though it will benefit a single graphics-intensive game more than multiple programs running at the same time.

My honest suggestion is to look to the future. Grab the graphics card for now, and just try to deal with multi-tasking issues the best you can. Next time you have the cash, grab a Core 2 Duo, whatever motherboard is hot, and and some decent memory.