Considering C2D and need advice.

Nucleo · 28 Feb 2007 at 11:36

Hello all

Basically, this is what I have now:

AMD 3700+ SD @ 2.5ghz
AsRock Dual SATA2 939 PCI-X & AGP
2GB DDR400 RAM
250GB HD IDE
80GB HD IDE
SB Audigy 7.1
ATI Radeon X1800xt PCI-X
Hiper Type R 580W

Okay, so the games I play -
CSS
BF2
Quake Wars (when it arrives)

I've just got my Uni bursarie through, and am considering an upgrade, Reasons:
When playing CSS with <10 players in a server, its smooth, when I get to about 20-30 players, I notice slowdown, its not graphical slowdown as it makes no difference what setting I have the graphics on. Its not major slowdown, but its noticable when burst firing.

BF2 Seems ok, but My Comp performance in windows could be nicer. I do a lot of webdesign, database design, photoshop & fireworks work.

I dont mind overclocking as i've done it with this CPU. Im hoping to sell the parts I have now To fund some of the upgrade.

Also, i definately want to ditch the hiper psu... I just dont like it, too unreliable. Im thinking my X1800 will be ok for CSS for a while, I will probably go 8800 when QW's comes out or a game actually taxes my 1800.

Any suggestions will be nice, I rekon i could get... £130-£170 ish for my current PSU, RAM, CPU, MOBO. Then i could stick 2-400 more to it for a cpu, mobo, PSU, RAM upgrade.

At one point i was considering a X2 4800 with 1mb L2, as a simple upgrade, and keeping all my stuff, but what do u rekon :confused:

Cheaper the better.

Thanks all

Nucleo · 28 Feb 2007 at 12:11

I wouldn't need the C2D retail and the tunic tower would I? or is it better for overclocking the C2D. What kind of OC would i see from the C2D with and without the tunic tower?

now the questions is... can i buy this, live with a low amount of cash and wait for my current stuff to sell on the bay....

hmmm....

thanks fella's.

Nucleo · 28 Feb 2007 at 12:22

The x1800 doesn't seem to hold source back tho.

I run it at 1280x1024 with high details & 6x AA 8x AF (i think) and it chugs along at 80FPS constant (monitor sucks so FPS Capped)

As soon as more players enter the server, it boggs down in firefights. I can drop all options to low & no af... it still bogs down. Which has lead me to beleive its my cpu.

as said, im going to upgrade my graphics when i get some cash, at the moment its just cpu/mobo/ram.

Nucleo · 28 Feb 2007 at 14:45

so...

what would be better.
I can only take 1 path at the moment, will do more when funds are available

go for an 8800

go for the C2D setup...

which would offer the better gains and make css smoother

I dont 'think' my x1800 is bogging me down, but what do you guys think?

Nucleo · 28 Feb 2007 at 15:49

im going to do some tests, like dropping all graphics options and joining 20+ man servers to see if it is the 1800 bogging me down, then I'll make the decision from there I think.

C2D or 8800. Eventually, it will be both mind

I just want a quick fix for what I do, which is CSS & CSS matches.

Nucleo · 28 Feb 2007 at 20:06

its not my net connection, currently on 10meg. Its hard to explain the slowdown... imaging burst firing, and noticing each bullet being fired and hitting. Then when things fill up, a burst fire feels like 1 shot, things feel sluggish and slow :confused:

I can notice it, and its bugging me

.

today I dropped all the graphics and tried aztec on a 24man server, well it was chugging away again. Definately starting to think more towards a cpu upgrade.