PC Upgrades

[VERTEX]

If I want to do some upgrades to improve frame rates and graphic detail, how do I know if I should buy :

memory

new video card

new processor

Please advise.

Thanks

[Latrobe]

When I had FR problems I just got a new Video Card and it fixed the problem right away. However the first one fried up and when had to buy a new one.

[DREDIOCK]

processor

Its been well reported here that AH is more processor
 intencive then memory or graphic card.

thought improve either of tehose is never a bad idea either

[The Fugitive]

Originally posted by VERTEX
If I want to do some upgrades to improve frame rates and graphic detail, how do I know if I should buy :

memory

new video card

new processor

Please advise.

Thanks

post what you have now and let everyone tell you what they think

[Fulmar]

Originally posted by DREDIOCK
processor

Its been well reported here that AH is more processor
 intencive then memory or graphic card.

thought improve either of tehose is never a bad idea either

Depends on what his current processor is.  If he has a C2D but has a Nvidia 5200 or integrated video, the video card/chipset is the main drawback of the computer in gaming.

[VERTEX]

Thanks,
I'll get my system specs then post.

[VERTEX]

I have an AMD Athlon 64 3000+ processor

An FX5700LE AGP 8x video card

and 1 GB of PC 3200 400 RAM

What should I replace and in what order to get the most improvement for my buck?

Thanks

[VERTEX]

also, game settings are as follows:

1680x1050
1024 textures
hi res pack installed

hardware vertex - on
Optimize objects - on
optimize terrain - on
preload textures in system memory - on

Graphic detail  - halfway
Ground detail - 3 miles
Horizon - x
terrain mipmapping - x
optimize object - x
optimize terrain - x
transitions - x

Thanks in advance for any suggestions

oh, and I never get more than 59 fpm, even though it is set to unlimited,

Typically my fpm is 35-45, depending on what I'm doing.

Things are a little blurry though, and can be notchy.

Not really complaining, just feel like spending some money on pc upgrades and need advice on what to buy first.

Thanks.

[MotleyCH]

I would upgrade the video card for now, as much as you can afford.

You could get a Nvidia AGP 7600 to 7950.. anything better requires PCI-E,  I believe.

2 GB of ram would be nice

[Fulmar]

The Nvidia FX series was a pretty big bust for Nvidia back in the day.  Plus your 5700 is the LE version, which is fairly low end.  Your processor isn't that bad and I think you will see a big bang right now if you got a video card.  However, it's almost a toss up with the processor.

Adding more ram?  Well, you're running DDR, not DDR2.  DDR is older and is currently more exnoodleve than DDR2, and will probably be from now on.  2gb of DDR2 runs about what only 1gb of DDR costs.

I guess the best way to put it is your computer is getting dated.  You still running a motherboard an AGP slot and cards for this are going to become harder and harder to find.

I would sit down and maybe work out a budget.  Would spending $100 be good now to get a little better performance?  Or should hold onto that money, wait a few months and get a whole new system?  Myself, I generally tend to lean towards the latter; however, I have buddies which would rather do the former.

From my perspective, AGP has been on the way out for a while now and their cards are becoming more expensive than their PCI-E counterpart because they are not manufactured in great numbers anymore.

I'd think about what your budget is now, or what it could be in the future.

[Fulmar]

Originally posted by MotleyCH
I would upgrade the video card for now, as much as you can afford.

You could get a Nvidia AGP 7600 to 7950.. anything better requires PCI-E,  I believe.

2 GB of ram would be nice

I'd say anything higher than a 7600 may cause a CPU bottleneck in the system.  Where your processor cannot keep up with the video card and so you will not get the total performance out of that new video card you got.  Kind of like putting 87 octane in your new Porsche.

http://www.tomshardware.com/2008/02/04/best_cards_february_2008/page6.html
Best Card for the buck at sub $100:  X1650 PRO
Best Card for $115: 2600XT
Best Card for ~$150 or more:
"AGP cards are getting increasingly harder to find, and for this month's article we were unable to locate an X1950 PRO or 7900 GS in North America under $200. We're not willing to recommend either of those cards for that price, especially with the Radeon 3850 coming to AGP.

While the 3850 has been seen for sale in the UK, we can no longer find it online, and assume at this point that the manufacturers are only making very limited stock. Time will tell if more of these AGP super-cards will show up in the future, but for now, the Radeon 2600 XT is a good stopgap card for those of you still clinging to the AGP interface."

[WOZ30BAT]

Fulmar, all I want is a jamming AH system. I don't need anything that high tech. If I want a Nvidia 7900 or 7950 video card, what would be a good processor to match with it? I know the new 8800 Gt is nice, however, I'm planning to also get the VR920 headset which the 8xxx series cards don't have the supporting stereo drivers for.

[Fulmar]

I think something like a 4000+ X2 if you are going to stay with AMD would be a fine match.

Otherwise, you can't go wrong with the C2D's.

[VERTEX]

Found a 6800xe for 67.99,
a 7300GT for 134.99 and
a 7600GS video card for 170.99.

1 gb of ram will cost 59.97

and I found 2 processors, a Athlon 64 3800+ 2.4ghz for 60.99

and a athlon 64 x2 3800 2.0 ghz for 73.99.

should I get 1 of the 3 video cards and add 1 gb of memory, and keep my athlon 64 3000+ processor?

And how much better is the 7600 over the 7300 over the 6800, and how does each compare to my current 5700 LE?

Which combo of upgrades would enhance AHII performance the most for the least $$$'s.

Thanks

PS my motherboard is socket 939, and these upgrades are only to improve AHII performance. Otherwise my PC does what I need.

[MOSQ]

AMD Athlon 64 3000+ processor is a socket 754 proc. You're pretty much stuck, that socket is generations old. The best you can get is a 3700 for $300, or a 3400 for $110.

You need a new motherboard.