When would be a good time to upgrade my system?

[EmoshBZ]

Hi all,

OK I bought this system back in May 2005 and it served me well for my needs. I have not played a computer game since summer of 2004, so like I said, it has served my needs adequately.

However, the gaming bug has bitten me again and I would like to play some of the games that hit the market in the past year of so (company of heroes comes to mind).

I have been out of the loop concerning the latest technology, and need some advice on what to get?


Here is my current setup.....

450 watt power supply

AMD 3200+ (2.2 ghz)

MSI K8T Neo (socket-754)

1GB of pc3200 ram

Geforce 5200 fx (128 megs) AGP <---old vid card

Western digital JD 80 gigs

liteon 52X cdrw

Windows XP sp2 with dir X 9.0c

19 inch AOC crt monitor



Alright, so what upgrade path would you choose? Should I sit it out for a few months or longer? Anything around the bend worth waiting for before I upgrade?

 

[Jaanpunjab]

I would wait a little longer before you build a new rig. ATI is coming out with their new video cards soon and AMD with their new Barcelona core processors. Even if you aren't interested in these it will create some competition in the market which should result in some nice price drops. Also, if you want a Vista machine waiting a little longer wouldn't be too bad since that will give some more time for Microsoft and hardware companies to iron out some of Vista's problems.

 

[EmoshBZ]

Hmmmm....so maybe around christmas I guess.

 

[happy medium]

Originally posted by: EmoshBZ
Hi all,

OK I bought this system back in May 2005 and it served me well for my needs. I have not played a computer game since summer of 2004, so like I said, it has served my needs adequately.

However, the gaming bug has bitten me again and I would like to play some of the games that hit the market in the past year of so (company of heroes comes to mind).

I have been out of the loop concerning the latest technology, and need some advice on what to get?


Here is my current setup.....

450 watt power supply

AMD 3200+ (2.2 ghz)

MSI K8T Neo (socket-754)

1GB of pc3200 ram

Geforce 5200 fx (128 megs) AGP <---old vid card

Western digital JD 80 gigs

liteon 52X cdrw

Windows XP sp2 with dir X 9.0c

19 inch AOC crt monitor



Alright, so what upgrade path would you choose? Should I sit it out for a few months or longer? Anything around the bend worth waiting for before I upgrade?

This system I put together will give you 4 times your performance for 830.00$
Read the whole thread. This system will easily upgrade to a quad core cpu and run any game for the next year just fine.

http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview.aspx?catid=27&threadid=2017397

 

[Noema]

Originally posted by: EmoshBZ
Hmmmm....so maybe around christmas I guess.

If you want to play last year's games, you'll rig will play them fine at mid-settings if you upgrade your video card. Your computer and mine (see sig) are pretty much identical specwise, except I have a 7800GS and I play Oblivion, F.E.A.R, HL2:Ep1, Medieval II and Company of Heroes with very acceptable framerates (just don't expect to hit 60+ or anything like that. By acceptable I mean between 25 and 40, depending on the game and what's going on) at 1280x1024. The X1950Pro AGP is even faster than the 7800GS, so you could get that and squeeze some more juice out of your rig while you wait for the upgrade come Chistmas.

 

[EmoshBZ]

Originally posted by: happy medium

Originally posted by: EmoshBZ
Hi all,

OK I bought this system back in May 2005 and it served me well for my needs. I have not played a computer game since summer of 2004, so like I said, it has served my needs adequately.

However, the gaming bug has bitten me again and I would like to play some of the games that hit the market in the past year of so (company of heroes comes to mind).

I have been out of the loop concerning the latest technology, and need some advice on what to get?


Here is my current setup.....

450 watt power supply

AMD 3200+ (2.2 ghz)

MSI K8T Neo (socket-754)

1GB of pc3200 ram

Geforce 5200 fx (128 megs) AGP <---old vid card

Western digital JD 80 gigs

liteon 52X cdrw

Windows XP sp2 with dir X 9.0c

19 inch AOC crt monitor



Alright, so what upgrade path would you choose? Should I sit it out for a few months or longer? Anything around the bend worth waiting for before I upgrade?

This system I put together will give you 4 times your performance for 830.00$
Read the whole thread. This system will easily upgrade to a quad core cpu and run any game for the next year just fine.

http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview.aspx?catid=27&threadid=2017397

Thanks.

 

[EmoshBZ]

Originally posted by: Noema

Originally posted by: EmoshBZ
Hmmmm....so maybe around christmas I guess.

If you want to play last year's games, you'll rig will play them fine at mid-settings if you upgrade your video card. Our computers are pretty much identical, except I have a 7800GS and I play Oblivion, F.E.A.R, HL2:Ep1, Medieval II and Company of Heroes with very acceptable framerates (just don't expect to hit 60+ or anything like that. By acceptable I mean between 25 and 40, depending on the game and what's going on) at 1280x1024. The X1950Pro AGP is even faster than the 7800GS, so you could get that and squeeze some more juice out of your rig while you wait for the upgrade come Chistmas.

You know what? You raised an interesting point indeed. I will mostly play older games 2006 and before. I will play company of heroes for sure and if I get a better video card as you suggested and add 1GB more ram then that system could last me well into next year. Might not upgrade until next summer lets say.

If I get the X1950Pro AGP would my cpu speed be a bottleneck I wonder?

 

[Jaanpunjab]

That system happymedium suggested would work nicely, but with ATI and AMD getting so close to releasing their next round of cards and processors it just seems like it would be a good idea to wait. More choices and lower prices if you wait a few months, and most likely you won't have to wait as long as Christmas, I would guess early fall at latest.

Company of Heroes is indeed an awesome game BTW, I'm addicted to it.

 

[EmoshBZ]

Originally posted by: Jaanpunjab
That system happymedium suggested would work nicely, but with ATI and AMD getting so close to releasing their next round of cards and processors it just seems like it would be a good idea to wait. More choices and lower prices if you wait a few months, and most likely you won't have to wait as long as Christmas, I would guess early fall at latest.

Company of Heroes is indeed an awesome game BTW, I'm addicted to it.

I can wait until early fall or christmas if need be considering, I waited 3 years to start playing games again

I just want to play company of heroes at the moment, even at low settings. If, my system can't handle it, then I would buy an older game that can work well with my current system and wait for my upgrade in early fall or christmas.

 

[imported_Nacelle]

If you have the money, and want to play games, don't wait. If you play the waiting game, you'll never win. There is always something new just around the corner. Pick up a x1950pro and an more memory. I have the pci-e version of that card. Any game I play, I can turn all the settings all the way up. Definatly get the extra memory. Company of Heroes does a lot better with 2gb.