Hardware overhaul! Skyrim on the horizon...

[Bloodrayne]

Okay, I'm not sure if this is allowed on Overclockers as I realise that they will sell a lot of the stuff and so may not want me to ask and then be recommended to other sites - but if the thread is okay, I'd be happy with just the names of the bits of kit!

Basically, my PC has been neglected in favour of the 360 of late, which has been great fun to play with and has lasted longer than any console I've owned previously - however, Skyrim is coming, RPGs are made to be played on PCs (and the mods are always better) so I'm in need of some serious upgrading advice if I'm going to get anywhere close to what the screenshots promise.

I currently have:

• Windows XP
• Intel(R) Core(TM)2 CPU - 6600 @ 2.40GHz (2 CPUs)
• 3GB RAM
• Radeon X1950 Pro
• SoundMAX HD Audio
• P5B Deluxe
• Both IDE and SATA HDD with plenty of space (although I hear that SDD is something I should consider now too)

I'm not keen on overclocking anything (it would end in tears) but would welcome recommendations of improvements that I could make; since I was basically considering replacing my PC entirely - let's say a budget of around £800?

Cheers!

EDIT: Just spotted the hardware forum; could some kind mod relocate my thread?

 

[Bloodrayne]

Thanks - if a mod wants to move this that would be great; I somehow missed all of the Hardware forums this morning...

My RAM is only PC2 - will this make a big difference? I do have an old Lian Li case that I've had for seven or so years, and it's not as shiny as it was but it's certainly still in a good state of repair - so I would keep that and my LG Monitor for now; plus I have a good 650w PSU so that should be some more money I don't need to spend.

I will need a new OS though as I think 32-bit XP may finally need replacing; which is a shame as it's done a very good job for me and saved me from the horrors of Vista.

Will take a look at the other parts you recommend though; as I say, not very keen on overclocking, although the automatically adjusted version sounds ideal for me - not very tech savvy these days.

Does your set up allow you to run everything at max settings then? As mentioned, my main drive is Skyrim and making everything look as beautiful as possible to get me through a cold and dark winter...