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Toaster
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Joined: 27 Jan 2003
Posts: 5475
Location: Sweden |
So, I'm going to spend some money on my PC, and this time I won't buy half-good things, I'll buy the best, or at least very near the best. The specs of my current PC:
Main Board: DFI AD77 Infinity KT400, Socket A, 266Mhz( )
CPU: AMD Athlon XP 2000+
RAM: 512MB Kingston DIMM DDR
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon 9000, 128MB
These are the thing I may upgrade, and I'm thinking of replacing the Radeon 900 0 with a 9800XT. Is that the best upgrade I can do, or should I do something different?
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Thu Jan 29, 2004 8:16 pm |
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Jung
Most Exalted Highlord
Joined: 19 Jun 2002
Posts: 411
Location: Texas |
I think that video card is the best, but I read that there will be next gen video cards out this spring.
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Thu Jan 29, 2004 8:21 pm |
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Bartacus
Il Buono
Joined: 24 May 2003
Posts: 4706
Location: Belgium Flemmish part |
Video Card -> With which screen resolution do you play? If it is 1600*1200 or higher, the 9800XT might be a bit better then the 9800 PRO. If not, buy the Pro version. -> You will be able to spend the money on RAM.
If you've got a shit load of money however, consider an upgrade of your motherboard and CPU (you have to combine it for obvious reasons.) I know however that you like to go to LAN parties, so I think the graphics card might be the most important for you.
edit: MY 1000th POST   
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Last edited by Bartacus on Sat Jan 31, 2004 11:03 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Thu Jan 29, 2004 8:42 pm |
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mkreku
Keeper of the Gates
Joined: 22 Oct 2003
Posts: 112
Location: Uppsala, Sweden |
I'd go with the following:
Processor: AMD Athlon 64 3400+ 2.2 GHz
Graphics: GeForce FX5950 ULTRA 256MB DDR or ATi Radeon 9800XT 256MB DDR (brand matters not, and Nvidia/ATi are almost equally strong)
Motherboard: K8T800-based or Nvidia nForce3 Pro 250. Abit and Epox usually get good reviews.
Memory: Two Corsair CMX512-4000 Pro. Expensive, but lightning fast.
Sound: Creative Audigy 2.
HD: Maxtor MaXLine Plus II 250GB S-ATA. No need to go for something smaller.
Of course, the above configuration implies you have lots and lots of cash. And I am also assuming you won't be upgrading your monitor. I didn't dare calculate a price for this...
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Fri Jan 30, 2004 1:52 am |
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Gorath
Mostly Harmless
Joined: 03 Sep 2001
Posts: 6327
Location: NRW, Germany |
You should visit the DFI site to find out what´s the biggest CPU you can use. If you can go for significantly more than your current one you should consider an Athlon XP ~2800+ and a medium priced graphics card, for example a Radeon 9600XT with Half Life 2 for ~150 EUR.
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Fri Jan 30, 2004 4:47 am |
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Danicek
The Old One
Joined: 15 Dec 2001
Posts: 5922
Location: Czech Republic |
I think you should buy just a new video card. |
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Fri Jan 30, 2004 6:32 am |
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Toaster
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Joined: 27 Jan 2003
Posts: 5475
Location: Sweden |
quote:
Originally posted by Gorath
You should visit the DFI site to find out what´s the biggest CPU you can use. If you can go for significantly more than your current one you should consider an Athlon XP ~2800+ and a medium priced graphics card, for example a Radeon 9600XT with Half Life 2 for ~150 EUR.
The best CPU I can use is Athlon XP 2400+ . And I plan to upgrade everything mkreku suggested, but not in one step, I just have to decide order. I have a brand new 19" monitor, a LG 901B, but I don't intend to play on higher resolution than 1600x1200. The reason I want to buy a very good video card is mecause I now have more cash than ever, and I don't want to have to upgrade soon again.
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Fri Jan 30, 2004 4:45 pm |
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Bartacus
Il Buono
Joined: 24 May 2003
Posts: 4706
Location: Belgium Flemmish part |
Suggestion: wait until the next generation graphic cards are there. (PCI-express based instead of AGP)
@Mkreku: GeForce FX5950 ULTRA 256MB DDR or ATi Radeon 9800XT 256MB DDR (brand matters not, and Nvidia/ATi are almost equally strong)
True, but both are simply not worth their price. I buy always the second last new stuff. -> Sufficient lower prices and hardly any loss of speed and quallity.
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Fri Jan 30, 2004 9:20 pm |
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mkreku
Keeper of the Gates
Joined: 22 Oct 2003
Posts: 112
Location: Uppsala, Sweden |
quote:
Originally posted by Bartacus
True, but both are simply not worth their price. I buy always the second last new stuff. -> Sufficient lower prices and hardly any loss of speed and quallity.
I am fully aware of this fact, and I know that a Radeon 9800 Pro 128Mb (for less than half the price of the 9800 XT) is almost equally fast and overclockable to an XT. I also know that you never need more than 128Mb Ram in a video card unless you plan on playing all your games in resolutions above 1600x1200 and both AA and anisotropic filtering on max values.
But if he really wants the best then those two are my suggestion. Personally I prefer Nvidia even though they're (at the moment) the slightly weaker of the two, mainly because their drivers and applications are smaller, less buggy and slightly better.
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Sat Jan 31, 2004 2:05 am |
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Toaster
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Joined: 27 Jan 2003
Posts: 5475
Location: Sweden |
OK, so a 9800XT isn't really needed, because a 9800 Pro can do the job almost as good?
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Sun Feb 01, 2004 6:24 pm |
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Iron Man
Dazed and Confused
Joined: 07 Dec 2002
Posts: 773
Location: Location Location |
If you do get a new video card can I have your old one? Pleeeeease
*begs*
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Sun Feb 01, 2004 6:29 pm |
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Toaster
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Joined: 27 Jan 2003
Posts: 5475
Location: Sweden |
I've decided to buy a Hercules 3D Prophet 9800 Pro 128MB, I'm sure it'll do fine.
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Wed Feb 04, 2004 9:21 pm |
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mkreku
Keeper of the Gates
Joined: 22 Oct 2003
Posts: 112
Location: Uppsala, Sweden |
quote:
Originally posted by Toaster
I've decided to buy a Hercules 3D Prophet 9800 Pro 128MB, I'm sure it'll do fine.
That is an excellent choice. Hercules has a good reputation among the low cost cards. It is slightly more expensive than Connect3D or Powercolor, but it usually comes with more software and better quality cooling. I have a Powercolor 9800 Pro 128Mb myself..
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Wed Feb 04, 2004 11:48 pm |
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Toaster
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Joined: 27 Jan 2003
Posts: 5475
Location: Sweden |
Last minute changes: I'll buy 512 MB more memory instead, one more exactly like the one I have, and that's becuae I just play Star Wars Galaxies right now, and I won't need a new video card before starting with another game, so I'll buy the Hercules then instead.
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Thu Feb 05, 2004 6:57 pm |
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