Upgrade Comp or Video card

[Top_gun]

Here are my specs:
Athlon 1.2 Tm
256 S-DRAM PC 133
Geforce2 Ti

Here are my choices, upgrade the cpu, mobo and ram or buy the NV30 cuz my Geforce2 ti cant keep up with these newer games (moh, RTCW...later doom 3, UT 2003). I dont get alot of money (i have bout $400CND) so i get one, buy the other a year later. Please also note that this computer is a year old in a month.

Thanks...

PS to that saleman that sold my pC (dont worry bout a thing, your PC will still be top of the line in a year or two , 4 months later, hello DDR-RAM and Athlon XP)

 

[PreservedSwine]

Your kind of limited w/ that GF2. While your PC aint the fastest, it's still plenty powerfull. I'd vote for a Geforce3, or Geforce4Ti4200, or ATI R8500. The ATI card now sells for about $100, and is a more powerfull card and a bit more future-proof than a Geforce3. The Geforce 4Ti seems like a better performer, but is a little more expensive. When were you thinking of getting the NV30, they won't be available for months and will cost a small fortune?

Frankly, there is nothing around right now that will let you play the next DOOM3 and UT2 with all the eye candy, but the 2 that will be able to play it decently are the R8500 and Geforce 4 Ti line. Maybe it's a little early to make your choice.

 

[Top_gun]

well...lots of ppl have been telling me that I should upgrade my PC cuz it would bottleneck the video card.

 

[StormBringer]

Well, that PC133 isn't the greatest, but it isn't too bad and will serve you well for a little while longer. I'd say to go for a compromise and get a new card, and some more RAM. I can't remember what the exchange rate is between Canadian and US $, but I think you should be able to find a good card and possibly double your RAM for that.

Oh, if you want to go with a GeForce card, just go to nVidia's site and check out there system check....I don't know if it actualy works or just tells you what card it wants you to have but it is supposed to tell you the best card for your system configuration. You might use that as a guide even if you wanted to go with an ATI or other.

 

[Top_gun]

$1 USD=$0.65 CND

I'm going to wait for some more post b4 i decide.

 

[Vehementi]

C'mon guys, SDRAM isn't that bad. It's only one step down from DDR. For the future, however, you will be hurting because of it.

Originally posted by Top_gun
well...lots of ppl have been telling me that I should upgrade my PC cuz it would bottleneck the video card.

No matter the route you go one of them will bottleneck the other, the deciding point is only which one will more.

Which brings me down to this. Since you are very limited money wise, I will suggest this. Upgrade both! Impossible, you say? Simple! You see, look at this:

From the TS Price Grabber:

Leadtek Geforce3 Ti200 64MB DDR w/TV Support - $110.67
Abit KR7A-133R Via KT266A - $85.00
256MB DDR2100 (From TechSpot's sponsor, Crucial) - $76.49

This is all about 416CND, or $271, so it doesn't violate your budget that much!
This would require you to keep your current CPU, which is perfectly fine because it's just fine. Enjoy!

 

[Top_gun]

yeah but is it really worth upgrading from a Geforce2 Ti to a Geforce3 Ti 200?

 

[TS | Crazyace]

SD RAM is fine...

Upgrade to a new Geforce 4 Ti4200 which can be found for less than $200..

Yes, your system will not use this card to it's potential, but a new system will be bottlenecked by your relic video card.

I use a P3 733MHZ with a Geforce3 Ti and it runs amazingly fast..

Watch out for my review of Visiontek Ti4200 (g4) coming soon to a Techspot server near you (real soon!)

 

[JAV]

TS | Crazyace,

I can't wait! Run it on that P3 & another faster CPU, if you can ... Please!

Please private message me so I don't miss it! :grinthumb

This oughta be cool: actual 'new tech' card in an 'old tech' system. Now we'll know a little more about what 'actually' matters!

733 huh.

 

[TS | Crazyace]

Sorry dude, unfortunatly I did NOT run it on the old system, just a 2.2ghz p4

BUT-- I do have a Geforce TI200 Gainward card in the P3 system, I just need to reformat it. Ill post some specs here mabey tommarow..

 

[JAV]

Ace,

Bummer! I read an article/test where someone did run a certain card under various configurations/systems & the difference was minimal. I can't find it again tho'.

Possible you can run the Ti200 in the P3 & the P4 & let us/me know the difference? No rush, I'm just not so sure that these 'new' cards DO *require* 'top of the line' systems to run real good.

Thanks bud, I do appreciate your time,

 

[Vehementi]

Originally posted by JAV

733 huh.

Teehee! Check out my post count!

[size=1]p.s. -> in case you guys didn't know my post count was 733 when I wrote this, it probably won't be now.[/size]

If you're using a very high powered and new video card and a processor below 600 MHz the CPU is going to bottleneck badly. your video card really won't be running as fast as it could be.

Thus said, I don't think the performance difference from the fastest P3 (1.3 GHz or somewhere around there) and the fastest P4 (2.53 believe it or not) will be noticeable.

Note: when I say noticeable, I mean that if you can tell the difference between 130 fps and 150 fps than congratulations, you're an insectoid alien from outer space. Human visual receptors aren't sophisticated enough to notice the difference of 20 fps, if not 30 fps. But, the more the better I'd say in this situation, if not just for bragging rights...

 

[uncleel]

Originally posted by Top_gun
Athlon 1.2Ghz
256mb S-DRAM
Geforce2 Ti
[/B]

You've go enough processing power. I'd like @ a vid-card

 

[TS | Crazyace]

Actually, in the review I DID run the Geforce3 against the Geforce4 on the P4 machine.

Lots of benchmarks, should be up soon.

Paul