When would you think is the best time? I mean with Vista comming out and DX10 cards, I see alot of people upgrading now, why now? when DX10 cards are close, im curious to know. So when is the best time to do it, I swear I can't keep up with it, everytime I have my eye on a gfx card another one comes out, its like as soon as you buy hardware its out of date in a week. So down to the question when is the best time to build a computer that won't only last for at least a fyear or 2 before upgrading but will future proof you if thats the term.
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Re: Best time to upgrade/build a new computer
whenever you can get a lot of money.
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Re: Best time to upgrade/build a new computer
I'd say about the end of this year or early nextComment
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Re: Best time to upgrade/build a new computer
There are many types of gamers/computer enthusiasts. It all depends on your own personal upgrade cycle and how often you get new parts.
DX10 is totally irrelevent to me personally because I will probably get a new video card in the next 18 months, and there will be few if any DX10 native games out that I want to play, and with the exception of Halo2, not one game that requires DX10. (all others should have DX9 fallback support)
Windows Vista is just an OS, its not going to affect most of us in some profound life changing manner. Gamers play games, they dont play an OS, and I frankly dont see why there are so many people so caught up in this hype. DX10 and Vista will be good for gaming, don't get me wrong, but more for Microsoft's bottom line, and broader support from developers, than for actually affecting us players in the near term.
MS is hyping Vista because it will bring Xbox and PC closer together, and help keep MS as the dominant OS on the desktop. Outside of gaming, there are increasingly fewer reasons for people to use MS products over OSX or Linux. Furthermore mating an alternative OS with Firefox/Web apps, a user can replace 90% of the functionality of windows, except for hardcore gaming. MS wants to keep it that way.
Vista will bring together next gen DX programming and bring the PC and Xbox onto a very very similar platform... this will keep Pc gaming alive, and help MS make money... but it does nothing for us as gamers.
If your going to keep the same exact PC for the next 5 years, and treat it like a Console... wait for DX10. If your a hardware enthusiast this is totally irrelevent.
EDIT: To answer your question, wait until september to build your computer. By then we will know if Conroe or AM2 is better, and both will be readily avaliable. As for a video card there will probably be a refresh in october/november from both ATI and nvidia. It's possibly however that both camps will wait until DX10. We dont really know, they will either jump straight to DX10 or do one last refresh of DX9.
Anyway you cut it, your next video card will be for DX9 games for the most part. Unless like I said above, you plan on keeping the same comp for 4 or 5 years... just get whatever is avaliable when you build and keep it for 2 or so years, then upgrade to a DX10 card when DX10 games are actually avaliable for purchase
For reference the 6800 Series came out a little more than 2 years ago. i would recommend doing a 6800-7900 series jump. Basically upgrade before your old card is ancient, but make it a big enough jump to actually notice a difference.Comment
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Re: Best time to upgrade/build a new computer
I wouldn't upgrade to a new video card now even if there were a bunch of good deals. Cards these days are way too inefficient and run hot as hell. Once a card comes out that loads to 60C single slot cooler, I'll upgrade. ATI and nVidia will have DX10 cards out before DX10 is available so the wait isn't that long. Upgrading now is ok, but you'll need to upgrade in a year when games take a technology leap. Building a whole new system around late 2006 is a good plan.Comment
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Re: Best time to upgrade/build a new computer
Just what I needed to hear ty.Originally posted by twsmitThere are many types of gamers/computer enthusiasts. It all depends on your own personal upgrade cycle and how often you get new parts.
DX10 is totally irrelevent to me personally because I will probably get a new video card in the next 18 months, and there will be few if any DX10 native games out that I want to play, and with the exception of Halo2, not one game that requires DX10. (all others should have DX9 fallback support)
Windows Vista is just an OS, its not going to affect most of us in some profound life changing manner. Gamers play games, they dont play an OS, and I frankly dont see why there are so many people so caught up in this hype. DX10 and Vista will be good for gaming, don't get me wrong, but more for Microsoft's bottom line, and broader support from developers, than for actually affecting us players in the near term.
MS is hyping Vista because it will bring Xbox and PC closer together, and help keep MS as the dominant OS on the desktop. Outside of gaming, there are increasingly fewer reasons for people to use MS products over OSX or Linux. Furthermore mating an alternative OS with Firefox/Web apps, a user can replace 90% of the functionality of windows, except for hardcore gaming. MS wants to keep it that way.
Vista will bring together next gen DX programming and bring the PC and Xbox onto a very very similar platform... this will keep Pc gaming alive, and help MS make money... but it does nothing for us as gamers.
If your going to keep the same exact PC for the next 5 years, and treat it like a Console... wait for DX10. If your a hardware enthusiast this is totally irrelevent.
EDIT: To answer your question, wait until september to build your computer. By then we will know if Conroe or AM2 is better, and both will be readily avaliable. As for a video card there will probably be a refresh in october/november from both ATI and nvidia. It's possibly however that both camps will wait until DX10. We dont really know, they will either jump straight to DX10 or do one last refresh of DX9.
Anyway you cut it, your next video card will be for DX9 games for the most part. Unless like I said above, you plan on keeping the same comp for 4 or 5 years... just get whatever is avaliable when you build and keep it for 2 or so years, then upgrade to a DX10 card when DX10 games are actually avaliable for purchase
For reference the 6800 Series came out a little more than 2 years ago. i would recommend doing a 6800-7900 series jump. Basically upgrade before your old card is ancient, but make it a big enough jump to actually notice a difference.Comment
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Re: Best time to upgrade/build a new computer
You can't "future proof" a system i'm sorry to say.
Nobody knows what next year will bring.
The only answer is to build a system that meets your needs and stop chasing the inovation bus.You will never catch it!Comment
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Re: Best time to upgrade/build a new computer
There are published roadmaps, so its not entirely a crapshoot in the dark. For instance spring 2007 AMD will release an updated .65nm chip called K8L... and we know that when vista launches DX10 cards will probably be just coming out, or already out.Originally posted by moltenblack
Hardware shouldnt be about chasing a bus, its more planning ahead and deciding which bus stop to jump on.Comment
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Re: Best time to upgrade/build a new computer
im upgrading my cpu very soon, and will get vista along with a DX 10 gfx card when they releaseComment
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