Upgrade Advice

[poncherelli2]

I'll start out and say what I have now (I put this computer together 2.5 yrs ago and havent upgraded since):

p4 1.8a@2.4ghz
Gigabyte mb, 845E chipset
512 pc2700 ddr
80gb WD hd with 8mb cache
Santa Cruz
Gainward gf4 ti4200@ 4600 speed
Samsung 900NF 19" crt

I'm getting a new LCD for christmas (either a 2001FP or 2005FPW) and I'm going to need a new video card as my current one doesnt have dvi out and i'm not gonna waste a quality monitor with an analog hookup. This means I need to buy a new video card (either 6600gt or 6800, im not sure) so that I can hookup the LCD through dvi. I also want to be able to play HL2 in dx9 mode, but i dont know im my system will be able to handle it at 1600x1200.

My mobo only has 4x agp and I would kinda like to use pci-e as that seems to be the way of the future and the cards seem cheaper.

Now, my sister is a senior in hs this year and will be going off to college next fall. I have talked with my parents and we are going to work out some deal to give her a computer for graduation to take to school with her. As she really only uses aim, internet and ms office, this current system will hold up fine for her for a long time. I plan on donating almost everything thats in this computer to her and building a new one in the spring (except maybe the video card because she'll want an LCD too so i'll give her a cheap card with dvi out).

I want to know, if I put a nice video card in my system now, will it play HL2 or other games repsectably at 1600x1200, last me to the spring, when I can build a new system and donate everything to my sister, or should I spend the money now, build an almost completely new rig with PCI-e, a new amd processor and everything else and be happy. Whenever I build the new rig, that will probably be the last time I touch it for another 2.5 years, so I want to make it last.

Damn, this is a long post, sorry. I guess my questions are:
2001 or 2005? (I use my comp for about ~60% web/ms office, ~30% tv (with tuner card)/dvd/divx movies, ~10% games)
Upgrade now or later (only want to upgrade now if comp wont run reasonably at 1600x1200 in games)
What video card do I get either way, dont really want to spend much more that 250 on it.

Thanks,
Ponch

 

[JBDan]

Yes a 6600gt will play half life 2 @ 1600x1200 respectably in your system. Wait on your build in my opinion seeing as prices on pci-e and amd sli boards will come down in the future. I am not familiar with the 2001 FP or the 2005 FP monitors, but many threads about the both of them here and elsewhere. WAIT to upgrade I say. Get a Leadtek Winfast 6600GT as it won the editors GOLD choice award here at Anand. Its quiet, cool and oc's well and is under 250$ @ Newegg

 

[poncherelli2]

If i buy the 6600gt now, it will be agp and then when I build in the spring I'll be limited to an AGP board, will this be ok for a few years?

 

[JBDan]

I dont see why not. So many new gfx cores will come about in the next few years and you will always want the latest. I say YES on agp being around for the next 2 years. Games will slowly but surely start taking advantage of the new pci-e bus but i just dont see it making a huge difference till newer uses (HD tv and dx10 games) come about.

 

[poncherelli2]

i think I may order the xfx gf6800 from newegg and just deal with agp when I build in the spring. Can anyone give me advice on 2001 vs 2005?