System upgrade advice wanted !

[Touche36]

I will shortly be upgrading my PC (from an XP 3200+, 1.5GB DDR-333) and need some advice on what components to get. I mainly use my system for games at a low resolution of 1024*768 (on a projector). I currently have an XT1950GT AGP card that I would like to keep. I am thinking of getting a mobo that has both AGP and PCI-X so that I can upgrade my card in a couple of years or so. My question is should I get an AMD 6000+ (seeing as the prices have just come down) or get a core 2 duo 6400/6600 and overclock (I understand the 6400's overclock better). I also need to decide if I should keep my existing memory (DDR-333) or upgrade that too (to DDR2-800 ?). I want to keep costs down where possible, but also want good performance. Would a 6400 overclocked with my existing memory be the best option, or would the memory bandwidth throttle the CPU too much ?

 

[GSTe]

Your memory would be unable to OC an E6400, in fact, it would struggle to run it at normal speed. It has a 266MHz FSB, but your RAM has an actual speed of 166MHz.

Not sure which CPU I'd recommend now.... I have an E6600 and have it OC'd at 3.4 GHz stable with air cooling so if you want to OC to this level then that's the one to go for, but the 6000+ is very cheap now so.....? If you get an E6600 though go for DDR667/800 RAM.

 

[Mondoman]

I will shortly be upgrading my PC (from an XP 3200+, 1.5GB DDR-333) and need some advice on what components to get. I mainly use my system for games at a low resolution of 1024*768 (on a projector). I currently have an XT1950GT AGP card that I would like to keep. I am thinking of getting a mobo that has both AGP and PCI-X so that I can upgrade my card in a couple of years or so....

What MB do you have right now -- is just upgrading the CPU an option? Another option would be to sell your current graphics card and other items.

The few "Frankenstein" MBs with both DDR and DDR2 RAM slots and/or both PCI-E and at least a pseudo-AGP slot are not very good quality and certainly not good foundations for a gaming system. Thus, I'd plan on having to buy a new PCI-Ex graphics card. If you upgraded by buying a used good quality socket 939 MB w/PCI-Ex, you could still use your current RAM and save some money; otherwise with AM2 or socket 775, you'll need to buy DDR2.

 

[Touche36]

Thanks for the comments guys.

I've seen mobos by Asrock that have both AGP and PCI-E and DDR/DDR-2 support. I was thinking of getting the board and using my existing AGP card and memory for now, and upgrading later (memory first, then graphics in a year or so). I have found out Intel are due to drop their prices in a week or so (22nd) when they release their new chips, so I am going to wait for now and see if I can afford a 6700 then. I really don't want to sell the AGP card as I've just bought it, and it is a reasonable fast card (high midrange).