Where to look for the right combination card-cpu?

[hellogoodbye]

I have an AMD Athlon 1600+ and a GeForce 3 Ti200. I'm thinking about upgrading some stuff because more and more new games require me to turn off nice graphic settings. Which isn't really strange, since my setup is 'already' a year and a half old... 😉 I'd also like to USE some settings for a change, like AA en antro filtering.

Now I don't know what to do: I haven't got so much money to do it all at once, so I'm thinking about buying OR a new graphics card OR a new CPU (and porbably a new mobo too...).

I think I can make the most progress right now if I buy a new gen graphics card. Am I right or not...? I cannot really find clear info on this. New cards are all tested on new cpu's and I can't see what my cpu will do with (for instance) a Radeon 9800 Pro 128 Mb...

The problem is of course I like to buy a card which gives my good results now AND good results later on with a new cpu BUT that's also good for me when I DON't get a new cpu... Yeah, I know, it's impossible... 😉

I'd really like to get the Radeon 9800 Pro 128 (who doesn't!) but I don't know if I'm waisting my money because I have an Athlon 1600+... Will the Radeon 9700 give me the same results with an 1600+?

It's so hard...

Still, to get back to my original question: anyone know where I can find info on new(er) graphic cards used with older cpu's?

P.S. This forum could really use a search button... Am I missing it..?

 

[TKS]

If you upgrade to a 9700 or 9800 pro or even the non pro....your processor will bottleneck your system. Bottom line is that you'll have to upgrade...even if only a little bit. What motherboard do you have? If you know that, you might be able to upgrade with a BIOS flash to at least an XP 2200. And with the prices low right now that would be a good idea. If you truly want to realize the potential you'll switch to pentium. But if AMD is the way you want to go (I run AMD) then you'll have to upgrade your mobo to go XP2600 or above.

<font color=blue>I don't have to be careful! I have a gun!</font color=blue>
<font color=green>Homer Simpson</font color=green>

TKS

 

[hellogoodbye]

I have an Epox 8KHA+ (KT266A chipset) and I just saw on the site that the latest BIOS upgrade will let it run an 2600+! Still, I won't have the fastest chipset (266) and so on, but it's cheaper than having to buy a new mobo as well! I didn't follow the market really, but I'm surprised I can use a 2600+ with my setup! I thought I really needed another mobo and RAM and stuff like that. Well, I guess it would be BETTER to have another mobo etc. but it's not necessary...

I'm going to look now how much a 2600+ costs. Maybe I can buy one together with the 9700 PRO for the same money as an 9800 PRO....

 

[Caimbeul]

if you have the cash then do both...what mobo do you have? a 9800pro will see you good for a long time but like my previous poster said, it will be bottlenecked by a 1600+ depending on where you are from (im UK) then check out www.ebuyer.co.uk or .com for USA - I use them in the UK all the time as very good on price and reliability (dont know how the US branch compares for price etc) Athlon XP's are dirt cheap!

<i>Mmm Dawn AND Eve at the same time...Drroooooll
-------------------------------------------------
<b>XP2100+, 1Gb RAM, ASUS A7N8X, PNY 64Mb Ti4200. 😎

 

[TKS]

I don't think you absolutely HAVE to update your mobo. Afterall, you're able to use PC2100 (up to 1.5Gigs) RAM and remember...at the time when the 2500 and 2600 came out...they only had 333Mhz bus speed for Nbridge Sbridge transfer as opposed to your 266Mhz so you're not lacking too much. I'd say that if you want to upgrad mobos...go right ahead. But I don't think you'll be bottlenecked by it so much as you would that XP 1600.

<font color=blue>I don't have to be careful! I have a gun!</font color=blue>
<font color=green>Homer Simpson</font color=green>

TKS