[Nohbody]

Ok, first off, here's my current system:

300W PSU
Athlon T-bird 1.2GHz
512MB SDRAM memory (2x256MB, PC-133)
Abit KT7A motherboard
GeForce 2 GTS
SB Live! OEM
Creative 5X DVD drive
27GB Maxtor drive (10GB open)
TM Top Gun Fox2 USB
(a few peripherals not worth mentioning)

I have a preference for nvidia graphics, and AMD processors, but otherwise no special concerns. I also have 400 bucks (roughly, have to recheck math in a bit) to spend.

What's my best bang/buck investments, in your (generic "you") opinion? I don't want "bleeding edge", but would like something a little more modern.

[fluid]

I'm in exactly the same boat. Same board, 1.1ghz, and 1gb ram, and a GeForce 3 ti200. To upgrade anything, you're going to want to upgrade your board. Upgrading the board means you're going to have to get new RAM, too, since anything worth upgrading to from a 1.2ghz will required some form of DDR. As a rough estimate from what I recall when I was researching the prices a few weeks ago, to get a newish board with around 2.3-2.5ghz processor and 512mb DDR will run you about $300, not including a new video card or PS.

Your 300w might be unstable or unusable with the newer generation CPUs and GPUs, especially if you need a newer type of ATX connector or a special power connectors for the GPU. PS quality is crucial in newer systems, so expect to pay at least $50 for one of those. I've seen a few people happy with new 400w Antecs they found via froogle.

Graphics card could be put off for a bit, but will definently hurt you until that gets upgraded, too. Skipping on a new video card will probably make your new system provide a gaming experience of about the same as your old system until you do get a new one (at least a GF3, ebay is nice I got mine for $40, and avoid GF4MX)

I wouldn't recommend trying to upgrade incrementally, cutting back on speed or features to accomodate a board that supports your SDR, because you're hardly going to notice any difference from your current system. You'll just want to upgrade again as soon as you get everything set up.

If you want my honest opinion, you should do what I'm doing, and just stick it out until you have enough money to upgrade everything at once. From my calculation it'll run about $500 when it's all said and done, but it'll be so worth it.

[fluid]

I'm not vouching for the company itself but here's something that pricewatch spit at me for a cheap mobo/cpu combo:

http://www.pcboost.com/store/viewite...idproduct=8047

[RazorsKiss]

Hrmm, tough question.

Here's the problems I see, in roughly "big to small" order.

1. Processor
2. Video Card
3. SDRAM

Ok, so HERE is your motherboard, looks like.

On a 1.2 Tbird, you're looking at an upgrade for gaming - pretty much absolutely. The problem is, do you wait to get a whole new proc/mobo combo, or buy a "temp" processor only? I would very, very VERY strongly suggest you save up your money, and get an entirely new box, myself. If you save up roughly twice what you have there, you can get an entirely new setup. Really. Not absolutely cutting edge - but you're going to be throwing away your money on a "temp fix" on an older system.

HERE is your video card, I think.

That video card just is not going to handle much more of the top end games. I can't play anything new, really, without coming close to setting my video card on fire. I have a GF4 MX440, but even it is feeling very, very taxed. So that's gonna need an upgrade, too. The problem is, your board only has AGP 4x, not AGP 8x - so a new card is out of the question. Seriously. Don't throw your money away.

Ram. If you have 133mhz SDRAM, you're already running 1/2 the speed of the absolute slowest DDR - and there's PLENTY of room to go up, in DDR. So, umm. Yeah.

ALSO wastage of moneyage.

My advice, in a nutshell? Save up a bit longer, and buy at least a new motherboard/processor - if not a whole new box. Once a computer gets behind, in the gaming world, it gets behind FAST. Yours has a bit longer left to it - so use that time wisely, to save up for the new system And remember, if you don't NEED that system for anything else... sell it.

[fluid]

He has the same board as me, which is nice because I can say from my own research that 1.2ghz tbird is pretty much the fastest processor the KT7A can handle. You might be able to squeeze an extra .2 ghz out of it, but hardly worth the $70+ price tag.

[Nohbody]

KT7A tops out at 1.4GHz, and that's only with the latest BIOS. Didn't think that I would get much of anywhere on my current board, and that the 200MHz more would be a waste of funds.

[RazorsKiss]

Well, I hope that helped a lil bit, at least.

[jelomadnes]

This thread should be called the, "Story of our lives".

I can feel for you all. I'm kind of in the same boat. Money isn't too big of an issue for me (it is for the wife tho).

I'm sitting right now with an XP 1700 and GeForce 3 card. I'm maxed on ram. I can upgrade the cpu to a 2800 and the vid card to what ever is out there right now, but should I?

From what I have read lately, Intel is messing around with some new stuff geared specifically toward gamers, and the chip set is supposed work real smoothly with the new ATI cards.

I know CPU/GPU speeds are what it's all about when it comes to gamming and thats easy enough, but I think the next time around what ever I get, I'm gonna get something that is capable of utilizing some kind of RAID configured drives to speed up the perfomance as well.