Hmmmmm, you might need a better psu, id advise on a 500w psu. The minimum for that card is 450w unless im mistaken. if you want a cheap processor look for a intel pentium 4 541 processor 3.2ghz. I orderd one for my girls pc, and it runs my games with ease. Massive improvement over a crappy celeron.
MasterBlaster76
ICC Chairman
Asus M2N Socket AMD AM2 Motherboard
Is this any good? I've found it for approx ?60. I'd rather stick with AMD Athlon, as I've heard in many places that they are the best for gaming. Since the GPU might be pricey, I'd rather spend less than ?100 on the Mobo. I want to go dual core, so I need a new Mobo, but I need to know if we'll really need dual core processors for games any time soon.
AMD Athlon64 Dual Core 5000+ Socket AM2 Processor Retail ?70.75 (ex. Vat) Is this a good processor?
Also, if I upgrade processor/GPU, do I really need to go to 2gb RAM?
You say the 8800 would be best to go for. Could you clear something up for me? What's the best version of a card to go for, is it GT or GS or some other suffix? Does the suffix make that much difference, or will any 8800 see me right for a while yet? How about the other two you mentioned? Will they likely be out of date in a year's time?
Sorry about the interrogation, but I really want to get good bang for my bucks this time, I've made some poor decisions in the past. I appreciate your help and everyone else who's replied.
Scrap the AMD X2, I've been told it's being phased out shortly and that Intel 2 Core Duo is the best CPU for gaming, so I'll go down that path instead. Has anyone got some advice as to mobos/CPUs to go for? I'm probably going for an 8800GTS, so I don't want to spend too much on the mobo/CPU if I can help it!
MasterBlaster76
ICC Chairman
Nope, I'm not planning on using Vista, it sounds as though it causes more problems than it's worth.
D
Deleted member 11215
Guest
Yay it arrived! , shame i ordered the wrong RAM but i can sort that. Ill be sure to post my impressions on it .
, shame i ordered the wrong RAM but i can sort that. Ill be sure to post my impressions on it .
MasterBlaster76
ICC Chairman
I don't want to spend above £300 (and even that is pushing it), so can anyone suggest an upgrade package for RAM, mobo, CPU and GPU within this budget? The main part I don't want to skimp on is the 8800GTS, so everything else needs to fit around that. If that's not possible, any suggestions as to a decent budget range Nvidia 8 range (or 7 range if suitable) would be welcome!
From PC Gamer: Core 2 Duo E4300 £77
"1.8GHz and only 2mb of onboard cache, but it's a great performer for the price and a good starting point for overclockers". (Budget choice CPU)
1.8GHz? My AMD Athlon 64 3000+ runs at more than that (single-core). Would this be a true upgrade, does Dual Core mean the overall system speed will effectively be faster than my current CPU? If not, there's no point and PC Gamer's mid range chip, Core 2 Duo E6600 £152 is a bit out of my budget.
PC Gamer: Conroe XFIRE-ESATA2 £59 Asrock "There aren't many Core 2 capable budget boards, but this cheapo mobo muddles through and supports ATI's Crossfire too."
Conroe mobo: £59
Core 2 Duo E4300 £77
8800GTS £193
RAM: approx £30 comes to around £359, which is quite a bit more than I want to spend. I'm generally happy with a mid-range system and don't mind turning off some GFX effects in order to make a newer game run smoothly. Is there any way I can squeeze a decent mid-range upgrade package into around £300?
What if I was to stick with my current processor and mobo, would that bottleneck the 8800GTS too much? If so, can anyone suggest a GPU for around £100 that will do the job for a couple of years (remember, I don't mind turning down effects or even resolution as long as the game runs smoothly.)
God, it is so annoying that I have to get a new mobo! I've only had this one for about 2 years, surely you shouldn't have to upgrade your mobo that soon? Also, when I got it, it was top of the class in PC Gamer: ASUS A8N-SLI deluxe. Surely, the way GFX are going, we'll soon reach a plateau where the upgrade speed will slow down? Obviously, photo-realistc GFX are as high as it can go, but I don't think certain types of games should ever go photo-realistic, such as GTA or wargames. Can you imagine anyone slightly unhinged playing photo-realistic GTA then goes outside and - wow - everything looks the same as it does in game!
Dangerous, if you ask me.
Anyway, I reckon £300 is quite enough to spend on an upgrade, even that's pushing it a bit, so any help would be appreciated. Thanks!
Edit: Ok, what if I keep my current mobo and get the fastest possible processor plus 8800GTS or its ATI equivalent, what is that by the way? I know stuff all about ATI cards.
From PC Gamer: Core 2 Duo E4300 £77
"1.8GHz and only 2mb of onboard cache, but it's a great performer for the price and a good starting point for overclockers". (Budget choice CPU)
1.8GHz? My AMD Athlon 64 3000+ runs at more than that (single-core). Would this be a true upgrade, does Dual Core mean the overall system speed will effectively be faster than my current CPU? If not, there's no point and PC Gamer's mid range chip, Core 2 Duo E6600 £152 is a bit out of my budget.
PC Gamer: Conroe XFIRE-ESATA2 £59 Asrock "There aren't many Core 2 capable budget boards, but this cheapo mobo muddles through and supports ATI's Crossfire too."
Conroe mobo: £59
Core 2 Duo E4300 £77
8800GTS £193
RAM: approx £30 comes to around £359, which is quite a bit more than I want to spend. I'm generally happy with a mid-range system and don't mind turning off some GFX effects in order to make a newer game run smoothly. Is there any way I can squeeze a decent mid-range upgrade package into around £300?
What if I was to stick with my current processor and mobo, would that bottleneck the 8800GTS too much? If so, can anyone suggest a GPU for around £100 that will do the job for a couple of years (remember, I don't mind turning down effects or even resolution as long as the game runs smoothly.)
God, it is so annoying that I have to get a new mobo! I've only had this one for about 2 years, surely you shouldn't have to upgrade your mobo that soon? Also, when I got it, it was top of the class in PC Gamer: ASUS A8N-SLI deluxe. Surely, the way GFX are going, we'll soon reach a plateau where the upgrade speed will slow down? Obviously, photo-realistc GFX are as high as it can go, but I don't think certain types of games should ever go photo-realistic, such as GTA or wargames. Can you imagine anyone slightly unhinged playing photo-realistic GTA then goes outside and - wow - everything looks the same as it does in game!
Dangerous, if you ask me.
Anyway, I reckon £300 is quite enough to spend on an upgrade, even that's pushing it a bit, so any help would be appreciated. Thanks!
Edit: Ok, what if I keep my current mobo and get the fastest possible processor plus 8800GTS or its ATI equivalent, what is that by the way? I know stuff all about ATI cards.
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cnbd_novice
International Coach
If you search on google, you'll find various prices for the card, ranging from anywhere from ?110-200+, sometimes it depends on the manufacturer. However, on Ebay, you can find these cards for quite cheap. For example, this Inno3d GeForce 8800 GTS 320 MB can be bought from Ebay for only about ?110. If you keep searching on Google, you may find some similar prices.
And I am just wondering, how does the following configuration stack up as a considerable, yet affordable PC with monitors and printers at the price of about ?725??
Customized at www.extreme-pc.ca
MasterBlaster76
ICC Chairman
Kingston 1.GB 240pin DDR2 PC667Mhz PC5300 for PC £26.00 (ex. Vat)
Would a stick of this do?
Ok, how does this sound?
Mobo: Conroe XFIRE-ESATA2 £59 Asrock/Gigabyte S775 Intel P35C Express ATX Audio Lan £70
CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo E4300 1.80ghz Socket 775 £78
Kingston 1.Gb 240pin DDR2 PC667Mhz PC5300 £30
GPU: Asus EN7900GS 256Mb DDR3 PCI Express £99
or
Asus EN7600GS Silent 512Mb DDR2 £57
Total: £276/£234 approx
How long would that system be likely to last for (don't mind turning down settings a lot) and what are your opinions on the value for money?
Would the 7600GS be able to match the 7900 due to its increased memory? And what do these GS/GT/GTX suffixes actually mean?
Edit: How would the X1950 XT sit with an Intel mobo?
The main reason my mobo is now outdated is the arrival of dual core, isn't it? So if I go for a good mobo now with dual core support, will that be it for a few years, or is there another processor type just around the corner?
God, upgrading PCs is so damn frustrating!!
Would a stick of this do?
Ok, how does this sound?
Mobo: Conroe XFIRE-ESATA2 £59 Asrock/Gigabyte S775 Intel P35C Express ATX Audio Lan £70
CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo E4300 1.80ghz Socket 775 £78
Kingston 1.Gb 240pin DDR2 PC667Mhz PC5300 £30
GPU: Asus EN7900GS 256Mb DDR3 PCI Express £99
or
Asus EN7600GS Silent 512Mb DDR2 £57
Total: £276/£234 approx
How long would that system be likely to last for (don't mind turning down settings a lot) and what are your opinions on the value for money?
Would the 7600GS be able to match the 7900 due to its increased memory? And what do these GS/GT/GTX suffixes actually mean?
Edit: How would the X1950 XT sit with an Intel mobo?
The main reason my mobo is now outdated is the arrival of dual core, isn't it? So if I go for a good mobo now with dual core support, will that be it for a few years, or is there another processor type just around the corner?
God, upgrading PCs is so damn frustrating!!
Last edited:
MasterBlaster76
ICC Chairman
I decided to stick to the ?300 budget and here is what my local shop quoted:
Mobo: GA-P35-S3 ?78/GA-G33-DS3R ?90
CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo E4300 1.80Ghz Socket 775 ?83
GPU: ATI X1950GT 256Mb DDR3 ?89
RAM: Kingston 1.Gb 240pin DDR2 PC667Mhz PC5300 ?30
plus ?35 to put it together/clean it/pick it up/deliver it
Total: ?315/?327 (only ?15/?27 over budget)
He said that my PSU should be ok.
I have a Audigy 4 soundcard, please tell me that will be compatible with the new mobo!!!!
Are either of those 2 mobos any good?
Also, what comes out on top, ATI X1950GT or X1950XT? I checked PC World and they're charging ?129 for the GT, so I reckon I've got a good deal there.
The plan is to go with this for now and then get a good Dx10 card in a couple of years when games start needing it (and midrange Dx10s are worth getting)!
Mobo: GA-P35-S3 ?78/GA-G33-DS3R ?90
CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo E4300 1.80Ghz Socket 775 ?83
GPU: ATI X1950GT 256Mb DDR3 ?89
RAM: Kingston 1.Gb 240pin DDR2 PC667Mhz PC5300 ?30
plus ?35 to put it together/clean it/pick it up/deliver it
Total: ?315/?327 (only ?15/?27 over budget)
He said that my PSU should be ok.
I have a Audigy 4 soundcard, please tell me that will be compatible with the new mobo!!!!
Are either of those 2 mobos any good?
Also, what comes out on top, ATI X1950GT or X1950XT? I checked PC World and they're charging ?129 for the GT, so I reckon I've got a good deal there.
The plan is to go with this for now and then get a good Dx10 card in a couple of years when games start needing it (and midrange Dx10s are worth getting)!
siddharth2002
National Board President<br /><a href="showthread.
Looks alright to me, just buy it now.
MasterBlaster76
ICC Chairman
Yeah, sorry about the barrage of questions! I think we're pretty much there now, just have to get it all arranged!
Thanks very much for all your help!
Thanks very much for all your help!
Amen.
MasterBlaster76
ICC Chairman
Ok, ok!! I'm just trying to make a more informed upgrade choice than I did last time, when I bought a mobo that was at the peak of its potential and would shortly be out of date. No-one's forcing you to answer my questions! Anyway, I've made my choice now, so thanks to everyone who's helped.
