Gaming Upgrade Advice Needed

[WaterWatcher]

Happy New Year all! I'm trying to decide on a budget upgrade path for my
computer. Basic computer was: Athlon XP2000 processor, MSI mobo, 2x256mb PC
2100 Kingston ValueRAM, Chaintech 4200ti video card, Seagate 200mb UDMA 100
hard drive, SoundBlaster Live!. For Christmas I was given an MSI 6600GT AGP
card and two sticks 512mb Kingston ValueRAM. Testing on Doom 3 (demo1
usecache) yields the following results: Before any upgrades: 26.7 FPS,
after 6600GT install: 34.2, after new autoexec.cfg recommended by Upset
Chaps Doom 3 guide: 41.4, after RAM upgrade: 43.9. Game is definitely more
playable, but settings are only lowest resolution and medium quality.

Next upgrade would be processor and mobo. This time of year cash is short
so, looking at the local Fry's specials, I see an ECS 755-A2 mobo with a
Sempron 2800+ for only $79. I realize this is the outgoing socket 754 and
AGP setup, but would this be worthwhile as an upgrade for a year or so? Or,
should I hold out for a socket 939 Athlon? Does anyone have any idea what
the FPS increase I could expect with either the Sempron 2800 or an Athlon
3200 (939 version), from my current setup?

Thank you for any advice,
Ray

 

[jaster]

Happy New Year all! I'm trying to decide on a budget upgrade path for my
computer. Basic computer was: Athlon XP2000 processor, MSI mobo, 2x256mb
PC 2100 Kingston ValueRAM, Chaintech 4200ti video card, Seagate 200mb UDMA
100 hard drive, SoundBlaster Live!. For Christmas I was given an MSI
6600GT AGP card and two sticks 512mb Kingston ValueRAM. Testing on Doom 3
(demo1 usecache) yields the following results: Before any upgrades: 26.7
FPS, after 6600GT install: 34.2, after new autoexec.cfg recommended by
Upset Chaps Doom 3 guide: 41.4, after RAM upgrade: 43.9. Game is
definitely more playable, but settings are only lowest resolution and
medium quality.

Next upgrade would be processor and mobo. This time of year cash is short
so, looking at the local Fry's specials, I see an ECS 755-A2 mobo with a
Sempron 2800+ for only $79. I realize this is the outgoing socket 754 and
AGP setup, but would this be worthwhile as an upgrade for a year or so?
Or, should I hold out for a socket 939 Athlon? Does anyone have any idea
what the FPS increase I could expect with either the Sempron 2800 or an
Athlon 3200 (939 version), from my current setup?

Thank you for any advice,
Ray

Tomshardwaregroup mother of all cpu charts

http://www.tomshardware.com/2005/11/21/the_mother_of_all_cpu_charts_2005/page24.html

Not bad THG says the 754 has trouble above 1g ram.

I recommend the Sempron 3000/3100 because those are 32/64bit
processors for $89 plus fan and the 2800 was not.

But that is not entirely true as an AMD comparison shows it depends on the
CPU stepping number

http://www.amdcompare.com/us-en/desktop/Default.aspx

939 promises bigger bang but cost is your factor, so two questions:
Is Doom3 playable for you?
Will you have another $80 in a month or two?

 

[John Doe]

For Christmas I was given an MSI 6600GT AGP card

Santa loves you.

and two sticks 512mb Kingston ValueRAM.
PC3200?


Next upgrade would be processor and mobo. This time of year cash
is short so, looking at the local Fry's specials, I see an ECS
755-A2 mobo with a Sempron 2800+ for only $79. I realize this is
the outgoing socket 754 and AGP setup, but would this be
worthwhile as an upgrade for a year or so?

I wouldn't worry about buying a Socket A mainboard, but I would want
a 400 MHz FSB, PC3200 RAM, and an Athlon XP 3000/3200.

You already have the new AGP card. So next time you might try for a
newer technology mainboard that includes an AGP slot. Fortunately,
there are some (I guess things also depend on how long that remains
true).

Good luck.

 

[John Doe]

I wouldn't worry about buying "an outgoing mainboard", but I would
want [something like] a 400 MHz FSB, PC3200 RAM, and an Athlon XP
3000/3200.

In other words, as your example prospective purchase indicates (in
the original post), mainboards are so cheap it doesn't matter unless
you are buying a slow mainboard/CPU combination. I think the stuff
is replaced with "new improved" technology so rapidly that planning
upgrade paths is pretty much based on taking components with you,
not on getting the latest/greatest mainboard at a high price. That's
the way I see it, others have other opinions.

 

[WaterWatcher]

Santa loves you.


I wouldn't worry about buying a Socket A mainboard, but I would want
a 400 MHz FSB, PC3200 RAM, and an Athlon XP 3000/3200.

You already have the new AGP card. So next time you might try for a
newer technology mainboard that includes an AGP slot. Fortunately,
there are some (I guess things also depend on how long that remains
true).

Yes, it's PC3200. Won't run at 400mhz on my MSI KT4V motherboard without
errors, though. Had to cut it back to 333. This board runs at 333mhz FSB.

 

[WaterWatcher]

Replies inline...

Tomshardwaregroup mother of all cpu charts

http://www.tomshardware.com/2005/11/21/the_mother_of_all_cpu_charts_2005/page24.html

Not bad THG says the 754 has trouble above 1g ram.

I recommend the Sempron 3000/3100 because those are 32/64bit
processors for $89 plus fan and the 2800 was not.

But that is not entirely true as an AMD comparison shows it depends on the
CPU stepping number

http://www.amdcompare.com/us-en/desktop/Default.aspx

Ahhh, now I see why it was so cheap! It's the 32 bit only version (BA)

939 promises bigger bang but cost is your factor, so two questions:
Is Doom3 playable for you?

Yes, but I also have Quake 4 that I haven't tried yet. I don't know if it
is more demanding or not.

Will you have another $80 in a month or two?

Yes, probably. I think I will pass on the Fry's deal, though. Thanks for the
excellent references, they
were really helpful.

Ray

 

[jaster]

Replies inline...



Ahhh, now I see why it was so cheap! It's the 32 bit only version (BA)

Yes, but I also have Quake 4 that I haven't tried yet. I don't know if it
is more demanding or not.


Yes, probably. I think I will pass on the Fry's deal, though. Thanks for
the excellent references, they
were really helpful.

Ray

Glad those helped.

FWIW, I bought the AMD64 3000 ECS 755-A2 combo for $130 plus another $20
for the hsf.