The $500 Upgrade

  • Thread starter Thread starter Ctal
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Ctal

Buying the wife a new living room set has opened the door for me to
spend around $500 for an upgrade. I'm looking to buy CPU, video card,
and mobo. Here's where I'm currently:

XP2200+
ATI 9800Pro
Shuttle An35n ultra
1GB PC3200
120GB WD HD
LiteOn DVD Burner
Antec 450W
Audigy2

Newegg has a combo special on an AMD 64 3200+ with a Biostar N4ST-A9
for $200. I've had a Biostar before and it seemed Ok for a budget
board.

I've always liked ATI's image quality but it seems the best deal now is
a 7800GT which I can find for $300 also at Newegg.

I will bring all other components from my current system to the new
build.

Comments? I'm hoping to make a decent leap forward in performance. I
mostly play strategy and wargames, but like the occasional FPS/Sim.
COD2 is great but I have to run it in DX7 mode online with my current
rig.
 
Buying the wife a new living room set has opened the door for me to spend
around $500 for an upgrade. I'm looking to buy CPU, video card, and mobo.
Here's where I'm currently:

XP2200+
ATI 9800Pro
Shuttle An35n ultra
1GB PC3200
120GB WD HD
LiteOn DVD Burner
Antec 450W
Audigy2

Newegg has a combo special on an AMD 64 3200+ with a Biostar N4ST-A9 for
$200. I've had a Biostar before and it seemed Ok for a budget board.

I've always liked ATI's image quality but it seems the best deal now is a
7800GT which I can find for $300 also at Newegg.

I will bring all other components from my current system to the new build.

Comments? I'm hoping to make a decent leap forward in performance. I
mostly play strategy and wargames, but like the occasional FPS/Sim. COD2
is great but I have to run it in DX7 mode online with my current rig.
Click to expand...

I think :
AMD X2 3800 w/ mb $330
http://shop1.outpost.com/product/4693638?site=sr:SEARCH:MAIN_RSLT_PG
or
http://shop1.outpost.com/category/O...ter+Components/Motherboards/Socket+939+&+940/

For video

http://shop.ati.com/tradeup.asp
http://shop.ati.com/searchresults.asp?dept_id=39
 
All you got to change it the CPU, Board and VGA.
The rest you may keep. It also depends on what you want to do with your PC
but for less than 500$, it can easily be done. Prices depend on where you
can get them obviously. If you are just upgrading from that config, Ithen
presume you are not a gamer. Thus, here would be my recommendation as per
what I know.

Amd 64 3200 or 3500 : 175$ - 200$
Asus A8N type MB : 125$
6600 or X800 type vga : 175$

total : about 500$ but add taxes.

Again, without knowing what you intend on doing with your pc, kinda hard to
advise properly.
 
jaster said:
I think :
AMD X2 3800 w/ mb $330
http://shop1.outpost.com/product/4693638?site=sr:SEARCH:MAIN_RSLT_PG
or
http://shop1.outpost.com/category/O...ter+Components/Motherboards/Socket+939+&+940/

For video

http://shop.ati.com/tradeup.asp
http://shop.ati.com/searchresults.asp?dept_id=39
Click to expand...

I looked at the trade up through ATI and the card I would want is the
X850 XT. After the credit that will still cost me $300. Isn't the
7800GT a better buy for the same price?

http://www.tomshardware.com/2005/12/02/vga_charts_viii/page18.html

I like that mobo combo though, hmmm.
 
Frank said:
All you got to change it the CPU, Board and VGA.
The rest you may keep. It also depends on what you want to do with your PC
but for less than 500$, it can easily be done. Prices depend on where you
can get them obviously. If you are just upgrading from that config, Ithen
presume you are not a gamer. Thus, here would be my recommendation as per
what I know.

Amd 64 3200 or 3500 : 175$ - 200$
Asus A8N type MB : 125$
6600 or X800 type vga : 175$

total : about 500$ but add taxes.

Again, without knowing what you intend on doing with your pc, kinda hard to
advise properly.
Click to expand...

I think I poiinted out I'm a semi serious gamer. HL2, COD2, and SH3
are the current games I'm playing that are taxing my rig.

Thanks for the suggestions though
 
I looked at the trade up through ATI and the card I would want is the X850
XT. After the credit that will still cost me $300. Isn't the 7800GT a
better buy for the same price?

http://www.tomshardware.com/2005/12/02/vga_charts_viii/page18.html

I like that mobo combo though, hmmm.
Click to expand...

Ouch!! a new THG graphics card review that places the PCI-E nVidia
6800/7800 on top of the heap.

Try http://cairo.com for best buys on "geforce" 6800/7800s in your area
although adding that to the m/b mix pushes your cost above $500.
Of course you could get a lesser cpu w/mb for under $200 to keep costs
below the $500. The XP2200 is outdated if you go for a 7800 PCI-E.

I'm running AMD64 3000, ECS 755-A2 (SIS), X800 pro, 512 PC3200, played
GTA:SA, COD2, BIA:EIB w/o noticeable problems, FS2005 (with everything,
max. quality) is a little slow.
 
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