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Advice - Upgrade CPU or GPU first?
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03-11-2009 7:35pm#1
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I was considering a major upgrade recently, cpu,mobo,ram etc but decided against it as, i dont really have the money and i dont really need to.
Just a new gpu and case for me
In your case I would defo go for the gpu first as the 9500 gt is somewhat lacking.
what resolution do you use btw?0 -
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Well, like I said in the OP, right now it's Empire Total War and Dawn of War 2. Tbh I don't buy brand-brand new games anymore, got stung too many times! (Spore, E:TW...) I always wait a bit to see if there as good as the hype.
I won't have any major problems switching from Nvidia to ATI will I, provided I strip all the drivers etc first?0 -
Well, like I said in the OP, right now it's Empire Total War and Dawn of War 2. Tbh I don't buy brand-brand new games anymore, got stung too many times! (Spore, E:TW...) I always wait a bit to see if there as good as the hype.
I won't have any major problems switching from Nvidia to ATI will I, provided I strip all the drivers etc first?
http://www.guru3d.com/category/driversweeper/ this is supposed to be good!
You shouldn't have a problem
Well i'd still recommend the 4870 that i linked to earlier, it's just such good value at that price!0 -
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CPU is fine If that's the Q6600 you have in there you're set for a good long while, just overclock it eventually once its starting to hold you back
First, make sure the slot underneath the PCIex16 slot (which is usually the first slot) is free. Almost all modern gaming cards have a double-width cooler.
Second, check to see if the length of the cards is under 240mm. Longer cards can still be fitted in the Armor Jr. but you'd have to dump the HDD cage to fit them in. Even a card exactly that size could clash with something in the HDD cage because of the PCIe power cable sticking out the end :rolleyes:0 -
Check this:
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/175914
It's the same card as Effluo suggested, but it's the 1GB sister. She's a more experienced ride than her younger sister, and she costs only 20 bucks or so extra to take her home. It's worth the extra bucks, especially since the likes of GTA IV prefer 1GB cards, and will lock you into running medium texture detail at 512MB. Even with other games coming out in the future, the 1GB card will last you longer in respect to being able to handle them with a higher FPS, so you'll see the extra 20 bucks pay you back with interest in the next few years.
You're running a Quad Core, and pretty soon most games will utilize more cores (GTA IV makes use of four cores, if available), and the Q6600 might not be brand new, but it's still a ball breaker! Your 9500GT was never a high end card, but the 4870 was ATI's flagship card until the 4890 came out a little while ago, and until the 5xxx series spawned. This time last year, the 4870 was a gamer's delight, and not much has changed since. 0 -
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Q6600... I'm trying to figure that out.CPU is fine If that's the Q6600 you have in there you're set for a good long while, just overclock it eventually once its starting to hold you back
Right, eh, no. According to http://www.cpuid.com/cpuz.php when I ran it, the processor is a E6600.
Is this really important, tbh before I was just reading off the Control Panel -> System -> General tab entry.
Is all the above invalidated, as in, should I be upgrading the CPU now? *confused*
Thanks for the patience guys...0 -
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If there's that much of a difference from one letter, you'd think they'd mention it in System!Ah, the E6600 is only a Core 2 Duo, whereas the Q6600 is a Core 2 Quad. Still, it changes nothing. A GPU upgrade would still benefit you more right now.
Oh, and +1 for the "this is the card you want to take to bed" analogy! 0 -
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Which is why I said in a few years. For the extra 20 bucks, instead of buying a new card then, as the OP's other hardware increases, and the demand comes for more power and higher resolutions, the 1GB card is a longer lasting solution.meh
I would have to disagree
On the tougher to play games at the ops res the difference between the 512mb version and the 1gb is a matter of 1-2 frames. Granted the 1gb does seem to give a bigger(relative) boost at 1080 and above but the op doesn't need that.
http://www.firingsquad.com/hardware/ati_radeon_4870_1gb_review/page10.asp
linkage
The one mistake I've made, and several other people I know have made, is buying something that seems OK today, but needs to be replaced a year down the line to meet with newer demands. Such as, you buy a 300 euro PC from Dell so you can type a few essays for college and use Skype, etc. Around 6 months later you start to think about gaming, and buying a graphics card. You open up the case only to find that there's no PCI-E slot. Dell would have skimmed down on their low-end PC's and that's why they can be purchased quite cheaply. So, what to do? Looks like a new PC is in order, and a lot more money is spent in getting that new PC, instead of buying a €600 machine that has expansion slots at the beginning.
Now, I know it's not the same thing. And if I was suggesting that the OP go off and buy a 5870 or wait for the 300 series GPU's from Nvidia to come out, costing maybe €400-€500, that would be bad advice to give to a light PC gamer. But €20-€25 is nothing, and the 1GB card would be worth it down the line, in my opinion.
However, I think it's now time for Nevore to read our two arguments and make his own decision. 0 -
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The one mistake I've made, and several other people I know have made, is buying something that seems OK today, but needs to be replaced a year down the line to meet with newer demands. Such as, you buy a 300 euro PC from Dell so you can type a few essays for college and use Skype, etc. Around 6 months later you start to think about gaming, and buying a graphics card. You open up the case only to find that there's no PCI-E slot. Dell would have skimmed down on their low-end PC's and that's why they can be purchased quite cheaply. So, what to do? Looks like a new PC is in order, and a lot more money is spent in getting that new PC, instead of buying a €600 machine that has expansion slots at the beginning.
That's a terrible example, I can see where you're coming from, but you got it wrong. You bought a bottom of the range Dell and skype and other such was all it was ever meant to do. The reason that you had to buy a second pc was the fact that you did not anticipate the need for you to play games.
This is of no relevence to the op and is certainly nothing to do with what kind of components to put in his build.
The main thing is when buying a gpu and you don't have a stupid amount of money and nothing else to do with that money, then you buy what will serve you now.
the golden rule which we must all follow
THERE IS NO FUTUREPROOFING WHEN IT COMES TO GPU'S (unless you wanna buy two 5870's) 0 -
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I said it was an example of principle only (in so many words). Also, I would never own a Dell. Well, I owned one once, back in 1992. :PThat's a terrible example, I can see where you're coming from, but you got it wrong. You bought a bottom of the range Dell and skype and other such was all it was ever meant to do. The reason that you had to buy a second pc was the fact that you did not anticipate the need for you to play games.
This is of no relevence to the op and is certainly nothing to do with what kind of components to put in his build.
The main thing is when buying a gpu and you don't have a stupid amount of money and nothing else to do with that money, then you buy what will serve you now.
the golden rule which we must all follow
THERE IS NO FUTUREPROOFING WHEN IT COMES TO GPU'S (unless you wanna buy two 5870's)
As I said, it's down to Nevore now. He'll read both of our pitches and decide for himself. 0 -
What I mean is that benchmarks are taken in certain conditions, in a certain test machine. Real-life and user-to-user experiences will differ, as will the machine each user will use the card in. Use them as a guideline, just don't take them TOO literally. Jesus, man, you're really looking for an argument, aren't you?....
omg
"I am a free spirit", "Facts mean nothing to me"
lol
Seriously though... Where do you get your info from then?
lols 0 -
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