My System....Should I upgrade?

[ComradeBadger]

Well this is what I have at the mo:

Athelon XP 1800+
256MB DDR RAM
JetWay Motherboard
GeForce 4 MX 420 64mb
OnBoard Sound (I'm getting an Audigy soon)

I'm definatly thinking of upping the RAM to 1Gb but I'm not sure whether it is worth investing in a 256mb 3d card now, or later.
thanks for reading

[simmo]

I'm no wiz at graphics cards, but dont people say GF 4 MX's are shit ?, if thats the case upgrade you card :),

Not that i'm saying your card is crap, i'm just saying what other people are saying...dont hurt me!

[ComradeBadger]

The MX cost me only 50 quid and that was a year ago...so it was a very good deal....it's served me very well actually...it's just crap now ;).....thats not really the question tho Simmo the question is:
is it worth waiting for a bit, until 256mb cards are better realised, or jump aboard now.....

[Axyon]

Definitely get a replacement for that GeForce 4 MX, depending on your cash limit. Whacking in another 256mb of RAM minimum would make a big difference, too.

[ComradeBadger]

There is no cash limit :) just depends how much I work.... and Im planning on getting 1Gb RAM neway

[Murray_H]

I've got a geforce 4 mx 440 cos it was a) cheap b) pointless getting anything better cos of the rest of my system

Defiantely upgrade the card, the processor could be a bit faster, around an XP 2400

[Axyon]

Originally posted by mrBadger
There is no cash limit :) just depends how much I work.... and Im planning on getting 1Gb RAM neway

If cash is no problem, then upgrade the processor to what Murray said, maybe even faster if you like, and invest in a Radeon 9800 Pro.

[ComradeBadger]

Yeah, thanks! If you have daul processors, do they both have to be the same speed?

[EVIL]

indeed.. just get a DX9 card and you are settled (advice: radeon 9800 pro)

[ComradeBadger]

I think I might wait for the next nVidia card, see if they improve on the oh so awful FX

[SpuD]

If you go dual, they have to be the exact same CPU

[SidewinderX]

actually the 5900FX isnt so awful.... it beast the 9800 Pro in almost every test, and its the same price.

[LoneDeranger]

Hmm, I read a number of reviews for the new 5900FX 256MB and it looks to be the best 3D card out there right now. Unfortunatelly it's $500 and takes up two slots :(

[Shad0hawK]

a good upgrade would be the video card(for now) HL2 will not be out til september, and cpu prices will drop alot from then til now. in fact i would even wait til then on the vid card. since the 5900 will come in 3 flavors and all should be readily available by then, buy the 128 meg 5900 instead of the 256 ultra, it should retail for around $250. then overclock the snot out of it!

i have heard that the e3 demo was on a ti4600, i do not know if this is true. if it is, TI4600's should be dirt cheap and should run HL2 great, but i think dx9 cards visuals will perhaps be even better. i also hear that the 5600 will also be made on the nv35 core, if so they may be a good budget card.

[SidewinderX]

they'll proberly make a 5300fx, which is equivilent to the 5200/ Mx series
a 5700 which is equivelent to 5600/ti420(4)0
as well at the 5900.

[ComradeBadger]

The FX is supposedly really really noisy.....and sounds like....and I quote:

Like and elephant in a tumble dryer

but in all likelyhood I will wait and save until nearer the time.....:) thanks for your help everyone

[Axyon]

Originally posted by Shad0hawK
a good upgrade would be the video card(for now) HL2 will not be out til september, and cpu prices will drop alot from then til now. in fact i would even wait til then on the vid card. since the 5900 will come in 3 flavors and all should be readily available by then, buy the 128 meg 5900 instead of the 256 ultra, it should retail for around $250. then overclock the snot out of it!

i have heard that the e3 demo was on a ti4600, i do not know if this is true. if it is, TI4600's should be dirt cheap and should run HL2 great, but i think dx9 cards visuals will perhaps be even better. i also hear that the 5600 will also be made on the nv35 core, if so they may be a good budget card.

E3 demo was run on a Radeon 9800 Pro 256mb.

[EVIL]

w00t..

/me has ordered Sapphire Ati radeon 9800 pro 256mb

Anyway.. DX9 card would be your best bet and ATI for image quality, and nVidia for Speed (however the ATI can kick the crap out of nVidia's FX 5900 ultra with some good overclocking (watercooled GPU))

[ComradeBadger]

I'm not really bent on overclocking......too dangerous ill probably wait until the 3d card market has stabalised

[Quixoticism]

wait until the fastest chip your motherbaord can support gets to a bottom price