Slight Upgrade

PROX

So I need to give my computer a lil upgrade. Here are the stats:

p4 2.8 ghz
1gb ddr ram
geforce fx 5200 128mb agp
80gb hdd

Im going to get an additional 2gb of corsair ram
-i don't know what kind of video card i should get
-want to spend under $100 for the card
-maybe I need a new HDD.

Macro9

I would suggest that you save your money. You would be throwing it at dead tech. A cheaply built computer nowadays would walk all over the one you have.

Daedalus

Do you have an AGP slot for graphics, or a PCI-e slot?

AGP: save your money, because you basically need a whole new computer

PCIe: a low-midrange graphics card update might be a good idea.

Macro9

It's most likely a Dell with AGP and DDR. 2gigs of DDR400 and a decent AGP card would be expensive.

Macro9

Here is a budget build I through together. It would give good performance in cames and do well in regular computing.

http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/PublicWishDetail.aspx?WishListNumber=10574548&WishListTitle=Low

edit:

GPU:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102762

HDD :

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136161

OremLK

Daedalus wrote: »

Do you have an AGP slot for graphics, or a PCI-e slot?

AGP: save your money, because you basically need a whole new computer

PCIe: a low-midrange graphics card update might be a good idea.

Also depends on his PSU. If it's a name brand PSU with plenty of amperage, and you have a PCIe slot, I agree with this advice.

As for the RAM, I wouldn't throw away the money for a whole 2gb. If you have another DIMM slot open just add one gig to what you have, otherwise, leave it as-is.

In any case, I'd definitely start saving. You could build an okay entry-level gaming PC (without OS, monitor, input devices) for as low as $400-450 or so.

PROX

Yeah my mobo doesnt have PCI-E only agp.

I bought a gig of ram to help with photoshop but will save money for a brand new self built one.

Elimination

Yeah i wouldnt bother upgrading something that old. It would just be expensive and ultimately futile.

1ddqd

+2 for saving your monies.

Daedalus

I'm going to go against the grain here and recommend you get a cheap AGP card, like a 7600 or something, just so you can play some games, and then save your money for a new rig.

just because the FX5200 is probably the worst graphics card that nVidia ever made.


edit:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=2010380048+1069609639+106790717+1068109604&Configurator=&Subcategory=48&description=&Ntk=&SpeTabStoreType=&Order=PRICE&srchInDesc=


One of those two. Get that, don't get any other upgrades, and start saving your money for a whole new system, but at least then you'd have a computer that could do some games.

.kbf?

If money is an issue save for a couple months and build something around a cheap c2d

E2 series such as this

and a new ATI 4 series card can be built for in the 500 range and will be a ton better then what you have.

Rook

Daedalus wrote: »

I'm going to go against the grain here and recommend you get a cheap AGP card, like a 7600 or something, just so you can play some games, and then save your money for a new rig.

just because the FX5200 is probably the worst graphics card that nVidia ever made.


edit:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=2010380048+1069609639+106790717+1068109604&Configurator=&Subcategory=48&description=&Ntk=&SpeTabStoreType=&Order=PRICE&srchInDesc=


One of those two. Get that, don't get any other upgrades, and start saving your money for a whole new system, but at least then you'd have a computer that could do some games.

I would sort of agree with this. $100 on a new graphics card will give you a significant bump and put most games into the playable section at least, I'm sure a lot of them will even look good too . And might put back un upgrade by a year or so whilst you ride out the release of the new intel socket/cpu (or buy a 360/PS3). I'd probably look at something like the 2600XT though as I'm fairly sure it has a bit more grunt than the 7600.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814161208

Daedalus

The 2600 may well be better; I haven't been keeping up on AGP benchmarks. But with a half-decent low-midrange AGP card, that system could run stuff like The Orange Box fairly well. I mean, it won't be playing Crysis, but it'll do a lot better than its doing now.

Dratatoo

I have to agree here. I bought a 7600 GT (1 year ago it cost around 100 EUR) for my old Athlon XP 3.0 GHz shuttle system and it increased its lifetime for another 1 year (until I gave the PC away to my friend, which he still uses for a multimedia machine). ATI also offers some nice cards for older AGP systems. But honestly, I wouldn't spend more than 100 bucks for an upgrade.

DDR ram can be get fairly cheap, at least in the region I am living in - because vendors are currently trying to get rid of it. After this phase - I think - DDR ram and decent AGP cards will be a bitch to get - like every old tech.

Stormwatcher

I had an AGP Geforce 7800GS that kicked some ass. Could run Crysis on medium (I blame the cpu for not being able to do more).

Dratatoo

Yes, first I had a Geforce 7800GS in there as well. I moved this card in my Powermac G5 after modifying the firmware of course. The good thing about the 7600 GT is, that it is nearly as fast as the Geforce 7800GS in most areas and its based of the newer 7900 core (whatever it is named).

The limiting factor is the CPU of course.

Q_Prime

http://www.maximumpc.com/article/features/handson_with_deep_viewer_intels_killerapp_nehalem

if you're going to upgrade get a nehalem intel proc, it'll be amazing... i wish i hadn't bought my c2q 6600 now. oh well it's still very fast... i suppose

Daedalus

Q_Prime wrote: »

http://www.maximumpc.com/article/features/handson_with_deep_viewer_intels_killerapp_nehalem

if you're going to upgrade get a nehalem intel proc, it'll be amazing... i wish i hadn't bought my c2q 6600 now. oh well it's still very fast... i suppose

he can barely budget $100 for a new graphics card. How the hell is he supposed to pay $300 for a Core i7 processor and $200 for some first-gen motherboard (not to mention the crazy prices on DDR3).

Q_Prime

Daedalus wrote: »

Q_Prime wrote: »

http://www.maximumpc.com/article/features/handson_with_deep_viewer_intels_killerapp_nehalem

if you're going to upgrade get a nehalem intel proc, it'll be amazing... i wish i hadn't bought my c2q 6600 now. oh well it's still very fast... i suppose

he can barely budget $100 for a new graphics card. How the hell is he supposed to pay $300 for a Core i7 processor and $200 for some first-gen motherboard (not to mention the crazy prices on DDR3).

ah, very true.. but if he waits until nehalem comes out then all the old lga775 stuff will go down in price, and ddr2 is already damn cheap.

also, to the original poster. if you live in canada. futureshop carries good video cards and they constantly go on sale. you could probably pick up a midrange that normally goes for 200-250 for very close to 100.

PeregrineFalcon

Q_Prime wrote: »

Daedalus wrote: »

Q_Prime wrote: »

http://www.maximumpc.com/article/features/handson_with_deep_viewer_intels_killerapp_nehalem

if you're going to upgrade get a nehalem intel proc, it'll be amazing... i wish i hadn't bought my c2q 6600 now. oh well it's still very fast... i suppose

he can barely budget $100 for a new graphics card. How the hell is he supposed to pay $300 for a Core i7 processor and $200 for some first-gen motherboard (not to mention the crazy prices on DDR3).

ah, very true.. but if he waits until nehalem comes out then all the old lga775 stuff will go down in price, and ddr2 is already damn cheap.

also, to the original poster. if you live in canada. futureshop carries good video cards and they constantly go on sale. you could probably pick up a midrange that normally goes for 200-250 for very close to 100.

Please note that the above poster does not speak for all Canadians, and needs to stop making us look bad.

OP - if you want to extend the life of your machine, look for a cheap AGP card upgrade on eBay - a 7600GT or possibly a 7800/7900 series card should put a lot more life into your rig. Heck, even a 6600GT would be a major step above what you've got. I wouldn't spend more than ~$80 on it though, as it's old technology.

Q_Prime

PeregrineFalcon wrote: »

Q_Prime wrote: »

Daedalus wrote: »

Q_Prime wrote: »

http://www.maximumpc.com/article/features/handson_with_deep_viewer_intels_killerapp_nehalem

if you're going to upgrade get a nehalem intel proc, it'll be amazing... i wish i hadn't bought my c2q 6600 now. oh well it's still very fast... i suppose

he can barely budget $100 for a new graphics card. How the hell is he supposed to pay $300 for a Core i7 processor and $200 for some first-gen motherboard (not to mention the crazy prices on DDR3).

ah, very true.. but if he waits until nehalem comes out then all the old lga775 stuff will go down in price, and ddr2 is already damn cheap.

also, to the original poster. if you live in canada. futureshop carries good video cards and they constantly go on sale. you could probably pick up a midrange that normally goes for 200-250 for very close to 100.

Please note that the above poster does not speak for all Canadians, and needs to stop making us look bad.

OP - if you want to extend the life of your machine, look for a cheap AGP card upgrade on eBay - a 7600GT or possibly a 7800/7900 series card should put a lot more life into your rig. Heck, even a 6600GT would be a major step above what you've got. I wouldn't spend more than ~$80 on it though, as it's old technology.

okay first of all, i got my 1950pro on sale for $100 off, so yes futureshop does have good deals. so that can't possibly be what your problem with my comment is. secondly, his machine won't last very long. every program now is being optimized for dualcore+ machines, a quadcore for example will run vista faster than it will run xp (i'm not making this up go find some benchmarks and you'll see i'm right), his is a single core, he's much better off saving his money and upgrading to a mid range dual core machine.

he needs 1) a new hdd, 2) new ram, 3) a new video card. at this point he's better off saving up the little extra and getting a new system. he's only missing a cpu and a motherboard. (maybe a psu but those can be had for 30ish dollars for a brand name 350-400 watt unit)

PeregrineFalcon

Q_Prime wrote: »

PeregrineFalcon wrote: »

Q_Prime wrote: »

Daedalus wrote: »

Q_Prime wrote: »

http://www.maximumpc.com/article/features/handson_with_deep_viewer_intels_killerapp_nehalem

if you're going to upgrade get a nehalem intel proc, it'll be amazing... i wish i hadn't bought my c2q 6600 now. oh well it's still very fast... i suppose

he can barely budget $100 for a new graphics card. How the hell is he supposed to pay $300 for a Core i7 processor and $200 for some first-gen motherboard (not to mention the crazy prices on DDR3).

ah, very true.. but if he waits until nehalem comes out then all the old lga775 stuff will go down in price, and ddr2 is already damn cheap.

also, to the original poster. if you live in canada. futureshop carries good video cards and they constantly go on sale. you could probably pick up a midrange that normally goes for 200-250 for very close to 100.

Please note that the above poster does not speak for all Canadians, and needs to stop making us look bad.

OP - if you want to extend the life of your machine, look for a cheap AGP card upgrade on eBay - a 7600GT or possibly a 7800/7900 series card should put a lot more life into your rig. Heck, even a 6600GT would be a major step above what you've got. I wouldn't spend more than ~$80 on it though, as it's old technology.

okay first of all, i got my 1950pro on sale for $100 off, so yes futureshop does have good deals. so that can't possibly be what your problem with my comment is. secondly, his machine won't last very long. every program now is being optimized for dualcore+ machines, a quadcore for example will run vista faster than it will run xp (i'm not making this up go find some benchmarks and you'll see i'm right), his is a single core, he's much better off saving his money and upgrading to a mid range dual core machine.

he needs 1) a new hdd, 2) new ram, 3) a new video card. at this point he's better off saving up the little extra and getting a new system. he's only missing a cpu and a motherboard. (maybe a psu but those can be had for 30ish dollars for a brand name 350-400 watt unit)

1. That was then. This is now. (This is Stouffer's.) PCIe cards are the currently available units, and when you can buy an 8800GT for $100, paying $130 for a 7600GT isn't a "good deal."
2. It will last a lot longer with a $50-60 stopgap upgrade than it will in its present fashion - probably long enough to hit the holiday sales.
3. A new CPU and motherboard, even if he gets an AMD X2, will run him another ~$160 or so. That's basically doubling his current budget.
4. And a case. And a new OS if he can't transfer his license.
5. Do you need a deal on a new keyboard? Your shift keys seem to be broken.

Q_Prime

PeregrineFalcon wrote: »

Q_Prime wrote: »

PeregrineFalcon wrote: »

Q_Prime wrote: »

Daedalus wrote: »

Q_Prime wrote: »

http://www.maximumpc.com/article/features/handson_with_deep_viewer_intels_killerapp_nehalem

if you're going to upgrade get a nehalem intel proc, it'll be amazing... i wish i hadn't bought my c2q 6600 now. oh well it's still very fast... i suppose

he can barely budget $100 for a new graphics card. How the hell is he supposed to pay $300 for a Core i7 processor and $200 for some first-gen motherboard (not to mention the crazy prices on DDR3).

ah, very true.. but if he waits until nehalem comes out then all the old lga775 stuff will go down in price, and ddr2 is already damn cheap.

also, to the original poster. if you live in canada. futureshop carries good video cards and they constantly go on sale. you could probably pick up a midrange that normally goes for 200-250 for very close to 100.

Please note that the above poster does not speak for all Canadians, and needs to stop making us look bad.

OP - if you want to extend the life of your machine, look for a cheap AGP card upgrade on eBay - a 7600GT or possibly a 7800/7900 series card should put a lot more life into your rig. Heck, even a 6600GT would be a major step above what you've got. I wouldn't spend more than ~$80 on it though, as it's old technology.

okay first of all, i got my 1950pro on sale for $100 off, so yes futureshop does have good deals. so that can't possibly be what your problem with my comment is. secondly, his machine won't last very long. every program now is being optimized for dualcore+ machines, a quadcore for example will run vista faster than it will run xp (i'm not making this up go find some benchmarks and you'll see i'm right), his is a single core, he's much better off saving his money and upgrading to a mid range dual core machine.

he needs 1) a new hdd, 2) new ram, 3) a new video card. at this point he's better off saving up the little extra and getting a new system. he's only missing a cpu and a motherboard. (maybe a psu but those can be had for 30ish dollars for a brand name 350-400 watt unit)

1. That was then. This is now. (This is Stouffer's.) PCIe cards are the currently available units, and when you can buy an 8800GT for $100, paying $130 for a 7600GT isn't a "good deal."
2. It will last a lot longer with a $50-60 stopgap upgrade than it will in its present fashion - probably long enough to hit the holiday sales.
3. A new CPU and motherboard, even if he gets an AMD X2, will run him another ~$160 or so. That's basically doubling his current budget.
4. And a case. And a new OS if he can't transfer his license.
5. Do you need a deal on a new keyboard? Your shift keys seem to be broken.

1) agp cards in most retail stores are clearance, i used to work at a retail store all the agp cards were ultra cheap.
2) i'm not saying it won't last longer, i'm just asking if the money he's spending on a few extra months is worth it, when with a little more saving he can get a new computer he can use for 2-3ish years.
3) he didn't say what his budget was http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=3948274&CatId=2621 and it's only 120 for a decent mobo and proc.
4) why does he needs a new case? no one said what brand the pc was i took apart my second store bought computer apart and replaced it with new parts and i used that case for 8ish years before i bought a new one.
5) actually yes i do need a new keyboard.. do you have any good deals on logitech keyboards with a wrist rest and standard style keys. i can't seem to find a keyboard that i can get used to typing on.