Have a bit of cash, what should i upgrade?

drazhar

drazhar

drazhar

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Location
Ireland
I have 1000 euro coming my way. I currently have the following

Asus P5B-Deluxe WifiAP
BFG 8800GT OC2
Q6600
2 GB Ram
Del screen, wont go higher than 1280X1024

So, what should i do? Upgrade my graphics? Im looking at 4890 or GF 275, the 512 models, as i dont think there is a point in getting the 1024 models since my screen wont support huge resolutions

My other thought is to build a SFF machine with a new card in it, any thoughts?
 
as i dont think there is a point in getting the 1024 models since my screen wont support huge resolutions
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Get a nice new 24" monitor then :) It is one of the best upgrades you can make. Get a 4890 with it, 4gb of ram and if you haven't already, get a CPU cooler and overclock the Q6600. But it does depend on how much of the 1000 euros you want to spend.

drazhar said:
So, what should i do? Upgrade my graphics? Im looking at 4890 or GF 275, the 512 models
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Those cards only come with 1 gb of memory anyway, well the 4890 does, the 275 has 896mb.
 
id buy a 4890 or gtx275, a new cpu fan and overclock ur cpu, and another 2gb ram. is your current psu up to the job of a more powerful video card?
 
4gig of ram,gtx 260,cpu cooler,600-700watt psu and then a new monitor,theres nothing realy wrong with your mobo or cpu infact the q6600's overclock well
 
will13 said:
4gig of ram,gtx 260,cpu cooler,600-700watt psu and then a new monitor,theres nothing realy wrong with your mobo or cpu infact the q6600's overclock well
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For that spec there is no reason to get a 700w psu. My system only uses 960 at full load and around 700w in normal gaming.

Duran said:
a new 24" monitor is a must, a gtx 275 or 4890 gpu, 4gb of ram and a good cpu cooler.
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this - monitor size dependant on space + preference, get a minimum of a 22", or a hannsg 28" etc. but, check your pSU first.
 
Ch3m1c4L said:
For that spec there is no reason to get a 700w psu. My system only uses 960 at full load and around 700w in normal gaming.



this - monitor size dependant on space + preference, get a minimum of a 22", or a hannsg 28" etc. but, check your pSU first.
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yes but its allways handy to buy the bigger psu for when you upgrade,theres no reason to buy say a 500watt psu now and when he wants to upgrade having too buy a bigger one,he might aswell just buy the bigger one first
 
Like others have said, upgrade your monitor too. Its all very well getting a GTX275 but its wasted on such a small monitor, could get playable fram rates for half the price or so. So yea, go for at least a 22" 1680x1050 monitor, and bigger if you have the room on your desk :p
 
Im not pushed about getting a new monitor, i love my dell TBH, its the inbuilt USB hub that really sells me on it!

I have XP32 so wont be getting 4GB RAM.

I am considering a modest upgrade of the ram, to 3GB, then upgrading the GFX, and maybe a CPU Cooler upgrade. Am am ruunning grand for RAM at the moment though, no issues there

I have an older Core2 lying about, a 6400 i think, so perhaps with the current GFX and the old CPU i might be able to sort out a new SFF machine

I am a gamer, but i dont have the cash for a major upgrade really. Also, i have another half and if i had a SFF that could play Sims3 sitting behind my TV i could probably get hours of gaming in! :)

Thoughts? Lots of you saying about upgrading the screen, but i dont know if i want to to be honest, sorry about being awkward!
 
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drazhar said:
I have 1000 euro coming my way
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I'm guessing with your last post you don't have a lot of the 1000 euro's coming your way to spend here. So if you give us a budget we can advise you what would be best.

If you really don't want to a new monitor, then I can't see your 8800gt struggling at that resolution, unless it happens to be the 256mb version. In which case get a 4850 or similar. Overclock the CPU, anything above 3ghz is the sweet spot for the Q6600. I'd still put 4gb of ram in, not 3. They work better in pairs, generally 2x2gb is the better option. I know you only have XP, but will still see around 3.25gb of it, a decent improvement over 2. For gaming you really want 4gb, especially with any modern game. So overclock the CPU, keep the graphics card and get more ram, a cheap enough upgrade.
 
Don't bother getting a new graphics card unless you upgrade the monitor as well. The 8800GT should be enough to play just about anything at 1280x1024.

I'd get some more RAM first of all. If you're not buying a new monitor then I'd just spend the money on beer, as it's the monitor that's limiting your gaming experience.
 
4gig of RAm on a 32 bit XP install is still very worth while, it will give you anywhere between 1 to 1.5 extra gig (this is dependant on the installed devices). 4 gig just makes everything a little snappier, especially if you like to have a few progs open.
 
@ro55o: All of the 1k is mine to spend, i have more, but i have a budget, and "the current economic envionment" etc (i have a mortgage too!). I am intriguied by your idea of keeping the 8800GT. I love the card, but i am wondering if it will play Modern Warfare 2 (assuming that it will be on DX9!)

I dont have anywhere to physically put my old monitor, and no one is buying old equipment here in Ireland!

If i am going to upgrade the ram it will be with a match 512MB set, save speed as the 2x1GB i have currently, no need to go higher, my RAM has never bottomed out, so there is no requirement for more, but maybe faster

Just got a new Corsair PSU, 650W i think, dont have the spec to hand right now, dont think i need new PSU

Have Freezer 7 Pro on my CPU, have it set way down cos it is a bit noisy, but OC'ing the CPU might be an idea, though the CPU is rarely challenged and is running at stock speeds! I'm only really worried about my GPU!
 
Is it doing everything you want at the moment? If your upgrading for COD MW2 I would wait til closer to the time, new cards will come out and prices of current cards will be lower.
 
Since the highest resolution of your monitor is 1280X1024, I can't see the 8800gt struggling, even with new games like MODW2. Have you overclocked the CPU at all? The freezer 7 pro should be good enough to get the Q6600 to 3-3.2ghz which is a good speed for this CPU.

If i am going to upgrade the ram it will be with a match 512MB set, save speed as the 2x1GB i have currently
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You really want to match the sizes aswell, plus with the price that ram is at, an extra 2gb won't cost anymore than £20. Also you'll struggle to get 512mb sticks new, what speed is your current ram?

So basically unless you plan on getting a bigger monitor that supports a higher resolution I can't see any real need to upgrade, at the moment it's the monitor holding you back from upgrading. You already have a CPU cooler, so get the Q6600 overclocked and keep the 8800gt (It's a great little card and shouldn't struggle at that resolution). Like you've said, nothing seems to be stressing your system, so no real need to upgrade.
 
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