Upgrade Recommendations?

[jgbishop]

It's time for a computer upgrade, and I'm not quite sure what to get. The three components I want to upgrade are my motherboard, CPU, and memory (I currently have an ASUS P4P800, Intel Pentium 4 2.8 GHz, and 1GB of PC3200 DDR RAM).

Can anyone provide suggestions based on the following requirements?

* Motherboard must support up to 2GB of RAM (I want to double the amount I have)
* Motherboard must support SATA hard drives
* CPU must be something faster than what I have now (either Intel or AMD is fine)
* Not interested in SLI graphics
* Price is not a major concern (but I don't want to spend $3,000 on just three components).

Thanks!

 

[imported_fx]

Motherboard- ASRock 939Dual-SATA2
CPU- Single Core [AMD Athlon 64 3700+] or Dual Core [AMD Athlon 64 X2 3800+]
RAM- Sale or giveaway that RAM you current have and buy Corsair XMS 2x1GB RAM

Must be about $650

 

[jgbishop]

Thanks for the suggestion. Does anyone agree / disagree / have other suggestions?

 

[Bobthelost]

Dual core is better if you can get it, best chips are either Opteron 165, 3800X2 or 4400X2 it depends on what you do and if you're happy overclocking which CPU you should get.

RAM = Budget untill you get to the point where you're buying a 4800X2 or using a watercooling setup untill then it's not worth the money.

 

[HiME]

fully agree with ASRock 939Dual-SATA2 and 3700
well, if u need multitasking go with dual core

939Dual-SATA2 has an upgrade path for m2..

 

[Bobthelost]

ASRock 939Dual-SATA2 is a nice budget option, but i'd go with something else unless you want to hang onto that old AGP card.

HiMe: What upgrade path, are you merely talking bollocks or do you have a link for that?

Review of board:http://www.anandtech.com/mb/showdoc.aspx?i=2524&p=10

 

[jgbishop]

Yes, I would like to keep my AGP card (GeForce 6800 GT). So something that works with an existing AGP card would be great.

 

[Bobthelost]

ASRock wins then.

Almost any CPU will be faster than that one, how high is your budget for it and what do you need to do? There is no point in putting a 4800X2 in a media PC for example

 

[jgbishop]

I'd use it for gaming (action games like Half-Life 2), and my budget is *fairly* unlimited.

 

[alimoalem]

the ASRock mobo

opteron 165 (if you're willing to OC) or the x2 3800 if you're not

Corsair value ram, ocz value ram or g.skill value ram if not OCing, otherwise, get the $200 2x1gig kits for either company

 

[jgbishop]

Where do these CPUs fall in the Mother of All CPU Charts? I'd like to get an idea of how these perform against my 2.8GHz Pentium 4 (it looks like anything is better). I just don't see them on the chart...