The evergoing upgrade question...

Maybe I'm not in the right section but the center of the problem is the CPU so there you go.

First of all my specs:

1700+ T-bred B with ThermalRight AX7
ASUS A7V133 (goes up to 2600+ 266fsb I think...)
256mb PC133 ram
Radeon 64mb DDR Vivo
SB Live
WD 40G 7200mb
etc...

So it makes more than 2 years that I have this computer with some minor upgrades ( new RAM, burned the old one, new CPU, new PSU, new case...) and didn't wanted to get involved into major changes because I'm 15 years old and money is an issue for and because I was very anxious about Clawhammer. Since it was out I though that with the 1700+ recently bought on the forum, I could wait until PCI Express, DDRII and SATA. This would mean that I would built a new PC when my computer would become totally obsolete for my applications: light gaming (some FPS and RTS...) some html work with DreamWeaver, some Photoshop work and other basic application. But the problem is that now seeing that DDRII will be only popular in 2005 for both platform... I don't know what to do... The thing is that I don't want to do the major upgrade with an non upradble platform without DDRII and PCI-Express knowing I would have to buy new mobo/videocard/ram for futur upgrade. Then I though maybe I should buy a new motherboard, some DDR400 ram and a Radeon9600PRO with a free half-life 2 (Half-Life is my all time favorite game ). But the other factor is that I don't want to waste cash now because I don't really need to: my compter does everything I want and I'm going to buy a guitar

So afther this long read wht do you guys think ?

Thanks !

Sounds like a need vs want dilema. I'd go for the upgrade myself but then I haven't had a desire to play a guitar since I was in my teens and the only thing I learned to play was the beginning part of "Smoke on the Water".

Agreed with 1Time, if your computer serves you well enough now, then don't bother upgrading it at the moment and buy a guitar, as it sounds like you want that more.

Also, keep in mind that HL2 is coming out around March or April 2004, so there is really no need for you to buy a video card and CPU upgrade now, if you are getting it just for this.

what HL2 comes out in March April

Looks like I need to find a new Christmas gift

So lets say I upgrade only next Febuary (knowing that the Xmas technologie that have came out will drop their prices...) what technology will I be able to get ?

And about the guitar: well the thing is that I enjoy playing guitar and I always though playing a music instrument was very valorizing but I only got a crappy guitar... I'm sure if I get a nice guit I'll get a lot more pleasure to play but nice guitar are around 500$US

yes - getthe guitar - foprget the computer - buy something more useful that will not bug your eyes out!


wait until mid next year - if u dont plkay many games then that is fine, and enw one sjust got to play them at lower res.

the sys. req for HL2 and Doom III wont be as hi as many think, - i think the min specs i saw somewhere recent for doom III was a p3800 / 256 and a 64mb vid card which is not bad.



get the guitar! u wont regret it

Never ever ever buy that minimum spec BULLSHUCKS. The minumum spec should be the recommended spec.

Let me but in. I just think that when you upgrade in february, a new motherboard and more ram would do you the best. Get an nforce2 and some ddr ram, and you will be smokin. I upgraded the motherboard I had on my pally. It had two sticks of pc2100 samsung from compaq, but not in daul channel. I put the pally and video card and ram in the new motherboard and with dual channel ram o/c to pc2700 I got 2/5 increase in frame rates in ut2k3. I went from amd 761 northbridge to nforce2 ultra 400. With you from sdram to dual channel ddr ram, your frames should double, all for about the price of a new video card. Spend about $80-100 on 2 kingston value ram 256mb pieces and about $60 for the motherboard. The ram should stick with you for a long time as ddrII wont be used till mid '05. Not to mention the fact that you probaly won't be the first to buy it.