Next Upgrade?

[GregoireChapeau]

Hey Guys,

I've listed my system underneath. I was wondering what you would recommend I go for next to beef up this gaming system. Any/all suggestions are welcome and appreciated. Thanks!

- Greg


13862 INTEL Core 2 Duo E8400 3.0GHz FSB1333MHz 6MB LGA775 Dual-Core $225.00
14756 ASUS P5QL P43/ICH10 ATX 1PCIE X16,4D.DDR2-1066MHZ 1333 /1066 FSB, SATA, HDAUDIO GBLAN $117.00
14669 OCZ XTC FATAL1TY OCZ2F8004GK 4GB DDR2 2X2GB DDR2-6400 800MHz CL 5-4-4-18 EPP Kit 2.1v $83.00
14508 EVGA 9800GT 512MB DDR3 SUPERCLOCKED 2DVI PCI-E Dual DVI TV-out (Lifetime w/ reg in 30days) $195.00
12121 WD Caviar SE-16 / SATA-II 5000AAKS 500GB 7200RPM, 16MB, SATA-II (3YR MFG - 1YR MB) $80.00
14362 LG GH22NS30 SATA BLACK DVD±RW (22X+/-) DUAL LAYER w/ SW (1YR MB) $31.00
14225 ANTEC Three Hundred Mid Tower Gaming Chassis (No 3.5" Bay) w/Front USB & Audio, No P/S $73.00
13030 Coolermaster eXTREME POWER+ 500W (RP-500-PCAR) 24/20PIN (1YR MB) $59.00
733 Built-in 6-Channel Audio $0.00
1089 Built-In 10/100 Network Card $0.00
7188 MS Windows XP Home SP2 w/ 1 user License, CD & Manual $119.00
1439 Yes Windows is being purchased with my PC (Build, Fully Test & Install O/S, drivers & updates) $0.00
1092 $10 NS Enviro Handling Fee w/ 1yr Parts & Labour Computer, PC & Servers Warranty $10.00

 

[San Pedro]

Is that everything you already have, or what you plan on buying?

If that's what you already have why do you want to upgrade?

 

[rewindlabs]

Get a quad core...

 

[Axeon]

^ +1, is it your current system or is it a new build?

 

[tecmo34]

What is your budget for upgrading? What are you having issues with that would cause you to want to upgrade?

Your current system... I would recommend two things:
- Q9650 processor ( http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115130 )
- EVGA 260 216core Video Card ( http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130433 )

Other Possible Upgrades:
- Your motherboard could be upgraded to a ASUS P5N-D LGA 775 NVIDIA nForce 750i SLI ( http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131232 ), which will allow you to added another 9800GT in SLI.
- Upgrade your memory to 1066MHz and purchase CORSAIR DOMINATOR 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500) ( http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145214 ) or another 1066MHz 4GB set of your liking.
- Upgrade your power supply to 750 watts or higher, which will allow you to utilize higher end graphics cards.
- Upgrade your case to Antec Nine Hundred Two ( http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129058 ) for better airflow and space.

 

[aevm]

The best upgrade there, by far IMO, is a new graphics card.

With that PSU you can't really add a GTX 260 (it needs a PSU with 36A combined according to eVGA, and your PSU delivers at max 30A combined on the 12V rails).
Your best bet with that PSU is a HD 4870.

Now, if you're willing to buy a new PSU too, that opens a lot of possibilities. You could get a Corsair 650TX (52A) or 750TX (60A) and then any graphics card you can afford, including GTX 275, HD 4890, GTX 285.

Consider upgrading the HDD to WD6401AALS because it's almost twice as fast as the WD5000AAKS. In games, that may avoid some stuttering. In other applications, it could make a big difference.

Your CPU is still fine for gaming. An upgrade to Q9650 or some other quad would do wonders if you play FSX or GTA4, or it would be a waste of money in any other game.

An upgrade to the case would make no sense at all to me.

Faster RAM may help if you overclock, otherwise not really. Overclocking in itself won't do much there, because your bottleneck is the graphics card, not the CPU.

More RAM would also make no sense, since your XP 32-bit is limited to 4GB anyway.

A mobo upgrade to a SLI MB + a second 9800GT would need a new PSU to support 9800GT SLI. It's cheaper to sell the 9800GT, keep the MB, and buy a recent high-end graphics card. It will probably be faster too, depending on which card you buy and which games you play. A GTX 285 will beat 9800GT SLI everywhere AFAIK.

 

[jitpublisher]

^+1, like 9 times. ^
I agree with this advice all the way through, listen to aevm if you want the best bang for your buck, and not just throw money down a hole for no apparent reason.

 

[tecmo34]

I agree with aevm's comments as well. The best bang for your buck is upgrade your PSU and graphics card. Upgrading your hard drive is a good idea too. I'm considering adding the WD64001AALS myself as a second hard drive.

I was just putting ideas out there of possible upgrades without knowing what you are looking for or budget. Some of them are not necessary but if money isn't an object than they could be considered.