Hey all, its my first posting in H/A, and I just wanted to know if I should think about upgrading my video card and whatnot.
My system specs:
Processor: Intel(R) Pentium(R) 4 CPU 3.40GHz
RAM: 3 GB
Video Card: RADEON 9800 PRO
Resolution: 1680x1050
Operating System: Windows XP Professional Service Pack 2
If I want to play some of the newer games that are coming out (like Bioshock or something ), what kind of video card should I get? I was thinking about the Radeon X1950 Pro and a cheaper Crossfire compatible model. I've got about $200 to spend, so any help would be appreciated.
Posts
Stay away from any SLI solutions unless you have a ton of money to burn.
edit: if you can scrape up another sixty bucks, this will still be rockin' long after the rest of your PC is obsolete. If not, you can get an 8600GTS for well under $200.
Steam ID
My slot in question: Now, there is an identical slot right below it (which is hidden by my video card) that is empty, and thats why I was thinking about the Crossfire, but I'm guessing good AGP cards aren't too common anymore.
Steam ID
In my opinion your best bet would be to buy a new PCI-e motherboard and get a decent midrange card like a 7900GT or something.
SLI or Crossfire is going to be a waste of money
If I get a new motherboard, I can still keep my processor right? Provided I pry it off and reattach it somehow (I read somewhere about some Artic Stuff)? Also, if I get a new motherboard (I have a Sony VAIO, prebuilt.....), do I need to modify my case and such?
Steam ID
I'd seriously consider waiting a few more months, saving some more money and starting fresh with processor/motherboard/memory/graphics card all in one hit.
lol Sony. I've only worked with a couple Vaio desktops, they're kinda rare due to being overpriced, so I couldn't tell you from memmory how proprietary or not they are inside, but my instinct is be really damn careful about thinking you can put any board in there. It's important to remember that in addition to any proprietary case design, most manufacturer built systems have power supplies that can only barely run the parts originally included. If you put in a a new motherboard and PCIE card in there you are probably going to need a new power supply to run them. And so begins the hardware upgrade domino effect...
If you feel confident building your own you could do that, or just buy a cheap, basic prebuilt and then transfer over your harddrives/ram/etc to the new one. Moving hard drives is probably a lot easier than trying to switch boards in a prebuilt, and it'll probably be an upgrade to pretty much the whole system as well.
My computer is about 3-4 years old now, and it doesn't really seem like a bad idea to get a cheap computer and salvage out the "good" guts out of my current one. That seems like the best option thus far. Any recommendations on cheaper prebuilt machines?
Steam ID