Need some help planning an upgrade

[Umi.Ryuuzaki]

After playing BF2 since the day the demo came out, after playing numerious scrims + 7 CAL league matches (2 pre, 5 in-season), I'm convinced that I need a upgrade. But in what way, considering how BF2 is really hard to gage what I need to upgrade.

Sometime November or December is when i'm doing this. Why? I got school starting up in a few weeks and that will eat up a ton of moeny. My comp stats are in my sig and i'm doing fine, but I dont like studdering at times. I've optimized the living crap out of my system and the studdering is only when I just loaded, but I feel I'm at the limit. I need something to hold me until next year when the new AMD and intel stuff come out and practically force me to go DDR2.

Budget limit: 500 USD + extra for tax buffering (8.25% out here in cali). What i'm keeping: my ram (OCZ ram, 2-3-3-6). I cannot throw in a 3rd stick of ram, because of the way my motherboard works in AMD Athlon XP's (where I can only have 2 double sided and 1 single sided ram at most =/ ). Willing to go PCI-E and sell my card to get the same again until I get enough for a 7800-something. I'm looking at a X2 CPU, seeing that I multitask alot...

I think I have an idea, but I want to see some opinions before I start dirverting money...

[1twelve2]

Re: Need some help planning an upgrade

i gots a question... you have an AMD Athlon64bit 3000+ ? does yours run at 1.8GHz? or did you do the OC thing... b/c if you didnt, we have the same machine (2 differences -7800GT and idunno what mobo u got)

and i too am planning an upgrade.... watercooling to OC my processor? NEW processor? more memory? sooo many choices...sooo little time

[NoSoup4You]

Re: Need some help planning an upgrade

Well good luck. The x2 alone will cost you a majority of your budget. Even the x2 3800+ is like $375.

But if you decide to go that route then:

AMD 64x2 3800+
Asus AN8-SLi Deluxe (Nforce4)
7800GT(X)

[Umi.Ryuuzaki]

Re: Need some help planning an upgrade

I decided X2 isnt practical for now. What I might do is try to sell my CPU/mobo/vid card to add to the budget. I was actually thinking a 3500+, a decent mobo (non-SLI - i dont plan on using it) and a PCI-E verison of my vid card. A simple upgrade to hold me until next year.

1twelve2 - before the AMD 64's came out, I invested in what people called a Athlon XP. It was great back then and I love it. Ever had a 2500+ barton core? That sucker can overclocked mad! My AMD Athlon XP 3000 runs at 2176 mhz.

[1twelve2]

Re: Need some help planning an upgrade

...1twelve2 - before the AMD 64's came out, I invested in what people called a Athlon XP. It was great back then and I love it. Ever had a 2500+ barton core? That sucker can overclocked mad! My AMD Athlon XP 3000 runs at 2176 mhz.

i know this is off-topic BUT, how do cool your CPU? water? big HS & fan?
i would really, REALLY like to OC my 3000+, but i got to 1.9GHz and it was reading like 50*Celcius...too hot.

[NoSoup4You]

Re: Need some help planning an upgrade

i know this is off-topic BUT, how do cool your CPU? water? big HS & fan?
i would really, REALLY like to OC my 3000+, but i got to 1.9GHz and it was reading like 50*Celcius...too hot.

What core do you have? If that is an Athlon64 chip then that is definately too hot. As for after market coolers, the XP90 with ArtiClean and Aritc Silver 5. You should be set to go.


Umi.Ryuuzaki:
Why spend more on the 3500? It makes no sense. Get a 3200 for now (if you want you can OC it) plus a really big HSF combo. Then down the line you can throw the X2 in there. No sense in spending more then you need to now.

[Umi.Ryuuzaki]

Re: Need some help planning an upgrade

What core do you have? If that is an Athlon64 chip then that is definately too hot. As for after market coolers, the XP90 with ArtiClean and Aritc Silver 5. You should be set to go.


Umi.Ryuuzaki:
Why spend more on the 3500? It makes no sense. Get a 3200 for now (if you want you can OC it) plus a really big HSF combo. Then down the line you can throw the X2 in there. No sense in spending more then you need to now.

I haven't OCed a CPU since I had a Celeron 700 (OCed to 945mhz). I heard OCing a AMD 64 is a little different, because of the memory controller. But...doesn't AMD 64, at least in OCing, still follow FSB OCing? If so, then I don't really want to OC, since my ram is only DDR400 (I can overclock, but I dont like damaging the ram at all...).

I've decide to scrap the upgrade idea entirely, try to throw in a 3rd stick of ram and i'm set til next year when M2's come out. (Why I can't throw in a 3rd stick? My system gave me a ****y fit *aka failure to boot* when I threw in a 3rd stick of DDR400 ram, good quality too. There is a way...but I forgot how XD )