PrimusPilus Posted March 12, 2006 Share Posted March 12, 2006 Hello all! Well, the time has come again to upgrade my PC. Let me start by saying that I do not understand all the terminologies involved in PC hardware. I think I know what i should be loking for i.e. SLI, dual core processors, dual graphics cards etc., however, the timing of the upgrade has me perplexed. My current system specs are as follows: AMD Athlon 3000xp ASUS A78NX2.0 motherboard ATI 9800pro 1 gig RAM Windows XP DVD ROM drive Some advice on the following would be appreciated (keeping in mind that even though money is not a huge obstacle, I would still like to get the most bang for my buck): 1. Should I wait for VISTA before I even think about upgrading? 2. Should I wiat for the directx10 compliant video cards before I even think about upgrading? 3. Should I just upgrade to current technologies because prices wil drop when the above two happen? 4. Are dual core processors and/or dual video cards even worth it with today's games i.e., do today's games take advantage of this hardware enough to justify the extra expenditure? 5. What about a motherboard? Any opinions on what you consider to be the most efficient and stable? 6. How large of a power supply should I be looking at in my tower in order to allow some upgrades and still not push it beyond it's limits? I have read and done some research online, but, not only do I not have the time, but I also feel overwhelmed by the "tech speak." So, I'm asking for a little assisatnce. I appreciate any help you fine folks can offer, Kinda confused, PrimusPilus Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wombat50 Posted March 12, 2006 Share Posted March 12, 2006 I'm very much like yourself, hardware illiterate. I found myself having to consider buying a new computer awhile back, but a new power supply set it right again. Personally, I think you could afford to wait on your upgrade, as I believe your current computer will run GRAW PC at an acceptable level. But if you have that undying urge to upgrade now: (1 & 2 This is speculation on my part, that Vista and DirectX10 will go hand in hand. You will not be able to have one without the other. (3 If you must buy now, shop for something one notch down from the latest and the greatest. Hardware that was new 3-6 months ago will be much cheaper and still be a major upgrade then what you have now. (4 , 5 and 6 I'm not knowledgeable enough to comment, but many on these boards are. I would go to Dell's or Alienware's websites and do some pricing and research into what components they consider makes a good gaming machine. You can configure your own choices at both. Newegg's website is a great place to shop and compare, with many reviews available on most of their components. No more then I know, something that has PCI Express architecture was what I was leaning towards. I didn't consider dual video cards myself. In my case, I thought I would be happy with something in the $1800 US price range. That was factory built, but if you can buy the components and assemble it yourself, you would realize a substantial savings. Anything you buy today, even if you were to spend $10,000, will be obsolete in 3 years or under. As a PC gamer I'm sure you know that already. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
=warcloud= Posted March 12, 2006 Share Posted March 12, 2006 Hello all! Well, the time has come again to upgrade my PC. Let me start by saying that I do not understand all the terminologies involved in PC hardware. I think I know what i should be loking for i.e. SLI, dual core processors, dual graphics cards etc., however, the timing of the upgrade has me perplexed. My current system specs are as follows: AMD Athlon 3000xp ASUS A78NX2.0 motherboard ATI 9800pro 1 gig RAM Windows XP DVD ROM drive Some advice on the following would be appreciated (keeping in mind that even though money is not a huge obstacle, I would still like to get the most bang for my buck): 1. Should I wait for VISTA before I even think about upgrading? 2. Should I wiat for the directx10 compliant video cards before I even think about upgrading? 3. Should I just upgrade to current technologies because prices wil drop when the above two happen? 4. Are dual core processors and/or dual video cards even worth it with today's games i.e., do today's games take advantage of this hardware enough to justify the extra expenditure? 5. What about a motherboard? Any opinions on what you consider to be the most efficient and stable? 6. How large of a power supply should I be looking at in my tower in order to allow some upgrades and still not push it beyond it's limits? I have read and done some research online, but, not only do I not have the time, but I also feel overwhelmed by the "tech speak." So, I'm asking for a little assisatnce. I appreciate any help you fine folks can offer, Kinda confused, PrimusPilus ← If you are into pc gaming and money is no object then go ATI crossfire or Nvidia sli for graphics. Best bet is to do some research. I often visit this website http://www.overclockers.co.uk/ to see the hardware, and visit the forum http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/ to get info from staff and user reviews. Vista and DX10 gaming, well some say it's a fair way to go yet? http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?t=17547662 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cpl Ledanek Posted March 12, 2006 Share Posted March 12, 2006 DISCLAIMER: I AM NOT the resident PC GURU. I just hold the title for the Most Computer Questions (or did I just lost that title ) My SLI-build Journey so you don't make the same mistake as I did. and the benchmarks with various links that will help allong the way. SATA questions and answers Warning about Asus A8N Deluxe mobo SLI article that is a must read A must read on performances a little satire break from all this info I'm bombarding you with different latency questions I had Omega driver: and option outside nVidia driver one of my many Christmas wishlist mixing memory question a FUBAR hope this never happens on anyone Powersupply upgrade question----just in case Newest post on regards to newer cards and links to Tom's Hardware which I strongly advice in saving in your bookmark with RSS feed---so you can have daily info about their site. A little blur on how to pay for it too btw thats pretty much all I can research about my Journey into SLI. Theres a handfull of ppl who can help you if you have problem. See the top section of the Computer Discussion, under Important Topics. Get familiar with those name. Great ppl with many great experience. If you have doubts on a particular member is BS you PM me and I'll tell you if he is full of BS or not . We usually let some members rant just for the sake of entertainment. And dammit wheres my manner: Welcome to GR.NET hope you could stay long and share your experiences with us and hope you'll become a mature member of this great community. BTW get familiar with the search button at the top, right underneath the banner. Heres the animation from our resident Graphic Guru: the ronin: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chiles4 Posted March 14, 2006 Share Posted March 14, 2006 1. I won't consider the evolution of OSes to be a valid concern for hardware upgrading. Most people upgrade based on their need to do something discrete like gaming or video editing, etc. You don't want to tie yourself to the MS wagon. 2. That could be a long wait. This is another that I don't really concern myself with when upgrading though if a decision has to be made between cards supporting later technologies, that's usually the way to go. I remember when Nvidia cards were not DX9-compliant and but ATI was with their awesome 9500,9700,9800 series. 3. I'm not sure what you're asking. Just read Wombat's answer on this one. 4. No. Today's games don't take advantage of the second core. But, it could be considering future-proofing if you do go with a dual core. I think it will be a gradual transition. In my case, my next cpu which I will buy later this year will NOT be a dual-core. At some point though it will make sense. 5. This is too open-ended a question. There are many mainboard makers that make good, stable boards. People on tech forums will undoubtedly steer you to Asus and DFI but in many cases that's because these boards are for serious overclockers. I've used boards from Epox, Shuttle, ECS, Soltek, Abit, etc. without problem. My next board will be an Asrock (whatever that is). It's already sitting on my shelf. I got it cuz it's Socket 939 but has an AGP slot for my 6800GT. My buddy always uses Asus and ends up paying twice as much as me. But I usually end up with more stable rigs regardless. 6. You can get good power supplies for as little as $60-$120 (US). Personally, I wouldn't get anything less than 550W. But with PSUs, concern yourself more with quality than quantity. You'll need to do some research here so you don't end up with a PSU with a high wattage rating that underneath is a total piece of crap. Even with the setup you have, you can put a good amount of gaming punch into it with a 6600GT AGP (for about $140) or a 6800GS AGP (for about $225). The latter would really knock the socks off of your 9800 Pro. Jumping from Socket A to Socket 939 can be a large expense. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
element11 Posted March 14, 2006 Share Posted March 14, 2006 1. Should I wait for VISTA before I even think about upgrading? Dont get vista. Its going to be another windows ME. Wait for Vienna before getting a new OS. But you dont need to get a new OS to upgrade. 2. Should I wiat for the directx10 compliant video cards before I even think about upgrading? I dont think you need to. There are some very powerful cards out right now. 3. Should I just upgrade to current technologies because prices wil drop when the above two happen? IMO I think proces are pretty good now for some nice hardware. 4. Are dual core processors and/or dual video cards even worth it with today's games i.e., do today's games take advantage of this hardware enough to justify the extra expenditure? If you are building a gaiming PC, i would go for the best sincle core AMD processor you can afford. Definately dont go Pentium D, they were a last minute chip by intel, and they run too hot. If you want Dual core though, go AMD Athalon 64. 5. What about a motherboard? Any opinions on what you consider to be the most efficient and stable? MSI and Asus are very good boards, but right now, i have a Biostar NF4ST- NForce 4 chipset. 6. How large of a power supply should I be looking at in my tower in order to allow some upgrades and still not push it beyond it's limits? 500 Watt. Anything lower, and if you want to upgrade anytime soon, you will need more power. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrimusPilus Posted March 15, 2006 Author Share Posted March 15, 2006 Hello all! I just wanted to reply and thank you all for your assistance. I'm not a tech guy and with technologies changing every six months, this crap can get confusing to a guy like me. Anyway, all your input is apprecited.....hmmmm.....one last little thing, do you folks know of any good links to some failrly priced PC hardware stores? Thanks again, PrimusPilus Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cpl Ledanek Posted March 15, 2006 Share Posted March 15, 2006 This is where I always begin with my shopping. Then my main staple are : Newegg or ZipZoomFly. Please do remember to support your local Mom and Pop Computer store (not BestBuy/CircuitCity) coz sometimes they may have a part that is sometimes not online. Plus you they are quick to help you out, sometimes for minimal fee vs Geek/Best Buy tech. And if create a good relationship with them, they often do things for free to maintain your business. Goodluck and let us know how your PC turns out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.