Want to Upgraded my computer have $500 to spend

[CommanderYtineres]

Hello all,

1) I would like to get a new (or Refurbished) 19" monitor.
2) Would like to get the best video card out ( Radeon 9700 comes to mind).
3) Last I would like to get 2 sticks of 512mb PC 133 ram.


My system right now is a

1) P4 1.6
2) 512mb or ram ( 1 256 PC 133, and 2 128 PC 100) MB has 4 slots I know the MB is made by Epox
3) 13" Philips Magnavox monitor( almost 10 years old )
4) Sound Blaster Live Gamer
5) Hercules Geforce 2 MX (not a 200 or 400, this was before they started those)
6) 40 gig hard drive


I would like to get this system up so that I can play DOOM 3 and Everquest 2 well. Would like to try SWG as well.

 

[CommanderYtineres]

I would like to get the 3 things I have listed for 500 bucks. I do not know of too many places to go and would like some help and ideas on where to go.

 

[FishTankX]

If you have 4 RAM slots I would just dump the PC100 sticks and get 1X512MB PC133. That way you can run at PC133.

At that CPU speed unless you plan on gaming at 1600X1200 all the time it's a little bit of a waste. But hey, it's what you want.

Look at price watch for vendors, in conjuntion with Reseller ratings to make sure they are reputable.

Just get a plain 9700. No need to go with the pro in this situation.

As for the refurbished 19'' monitor it would be best to find one in your area as the shipping can be killer. If not, just go online to pricewatch.com and check around (make sure to check if the vendor is reputable with resellerratings.com) and find one that you like. I'm sure there are plenty of monitor threads talking about monitors to help you pick one out.

Good luck on your quest.

 

[Czar]

after reading your specs, I would get one thing A MOnITOR (19"), then buy a graphics card for the cash you have left, if there is anything left that is

 

[cutty]

13" monitor!!! I can't believe how you used it for 10 years!!!
I'll recommend DELL P992 (>$300) or M992 (~$200).
I don't recommend you to buy ATI 9700 Pro, it's too expensive and other parts of your system are not so good either, so you don't need 9700 Pro. A TI 4200 is good enough.

 

[CommanderYtineres]

I went to Dell and see that they have a nice 19" NEC for $190, also walmart has some 19" KDS for $188. So it seems like I can get a new 19" monitor for about $200. Which leaves me $300 for video and ram. I have read a few posts on this site, and see I can get a 9700 Pro for about $300. Problem is I would not have the cash for memory. How can I save $100 more?

Are Oem/White box 9700 Pro's made out of cheaper memory then Retail? Are they the Same? What do I lose by getting Oem/White box vs buying Retail?

 

[Czar]

buy a Radeon 9500 Pro instead

 

[CommanderYtineres]

Will a 9500 pro or just a 9700 be able to play doom 3? I would also like to play the new command and conquer game too.

 

[bhowell]

I can get you a sweet deal on a 18.3 inch LCD I'm selling. E-mail me if interested.

 

[CommanderYtineres]

No thanks. want a CRT. Can anyone tell me about oem/white box vs retail,, is it worth it?

 

[ojai00]

OEM just means that the part comes in a white box with drivers. Retail package comes with drivers, manuals, and additional software. Retail packages usually offer a longer warranty than OEM also.

I would say get the 9500. You can also overclock that to a 9700 if you wished (as I read somewhere here...). You should be able to play your games.

 

[Ilmater]

Everyone's turning their 9500 into a 9700 these days; you might as well follow the trend. Use the search function to find that thread.

The extra bandwidth of moving from PC100 to PC133 won't help much, but if you're dying to spend the money...

DO NOT get more than 512MB of memory unless you do graphic/video editing/CAD work. It's worthless, even in the most recent games. It flat out won't help you. I find it funny that everyone wants 1GB of RAM just because it seems to be the next logical step, and yet they don't bother to do the research to find out if it's helpful or not. If you use the search function, you'll find that everyone says the same thing.

If you really want PC133 RAM, I just bought some not long ago but decided to go the route of DDR. So, I've got a fairly new stick of 512MB Micron PC133 RAM that I'd sell for like $20 and shipping, just so that I can get something out of it. Just message me if you're interested. This is the first thread in General Hardware that I've seen two people offer to sell a person something. Strange...

 

[CommanderYtineres]

The only thing about the 9500 to 9700 pro mod that gets me is, what will happen when new drivers comes out. Anyone know where I can still find a 9500 that will mod to a 9700?

On the memory thing, I play everquest now and 512mb of ram seems to just get you by.

 

[PCMarine]

Doom3 on a SDRAM powered P4...LOL

I would also recommend upgrading that 13" monitor. I can't believe you have suffered with that thing for so long =\

 

[CommanderYtineres]

Ok guys what do you think of a G4 4200 128mb? I can get one for about $150, and that would leave me with $150. Anyone know where I can find one of those 9500's that I can make into a 9700? Can't seem to find that card in stock any where.

 

[Turkey22]

omg get a new mobo and get some ddr. Ok granted monitor is a must first. Video card does need help but a 4200 would prolly be fine. Already having the proc, getting just a new mobo with ram should fit in your price range. If you are planning on playing doom3 with just a new vid card and more pc133 ram plan on getting used to 640x480 and a very clicky screen.

 

[CommanderYtineres]

I'm too lazy to a new MB, then I would have to sell my old one. I know someone is as cheap as me, that may know how I can get a 9700pro for less then $300.

 

[DrPizza]

Samsung makes a pretty decent inexpensive 19 inch monitor... 950dp or something like that... I'm at work and the monitor is on my desk at home. I've been happy with it for 2 years now. I got it back then for just over $200, and have seen it recently somewhere (Dell perhaps) for under $200 with free shipping. If you're willing to wait (and I wouldn't be if I had a tiny little monitor), you can occasionally find deals in the $150 range, or cheaper, but many of these require waiting for a rebate. Good luck!

Edit: [syncmaster 950p] or dp... I don't remember.

 

[KrownRoyal]

NEWEGG!!!!!!

 

[Lalakai]

Definitly a new 19". Take a day and visit several stores in your area and inspect the different monitors; each person has their own preferences, so choose by what's pleasing to your eyes. Plan on spending $250 - 300 for a good monitor (at 19" you can tell the difference between a bad and good picture, plus with larger monitor, flickering, dpi and refresh rates become much more noticeable).

Your v-card should jump to a 4200 at the least, or 9500 Pro at the most. If you stay with your current config for awhile, you won't see much of a difference between the two cards. But the 9500 will give you more staying power for accomidating demands from newer games. The Albatron 4200 is a very very solid card and if you opt for the 4200, this would be a good choice. A 9700 will be overkill and you can use your money better, on other components.

The ram would be the last thing i would upgrade; your current bottleneck exists at your v-card; replace that and you'll see a big difference. If you still have funds left over, you might consider a good pair of headphones, especially for gaming; the sound difference when using good cans is very noticeable.

good luck and keep us posted on what your choices are and how they work out.