Hardware upgrades

GWC Community GWC Hive Mind
#1

Alright guys, my computer is now 4 years old. I am running into more & more sluggishness when running multiple things than I have before. Mainly because I am doing more streaming online & more & more using Skype. Both of these things are pulling more resources than my processor apparently has to give. I would also like to get better frame rate in my gaming. I believe my bottleneck at this point really is my processor.

Current Specs:
Motherboard
Processor
RAM 2 gigs
Video Card
Power Supply

Now I have looked, I can upgrade to a dual core processor for this motherboard. However, I am thinking based on pricing, I am better off in the long run spending a little more & upgrading the motherboard, processor and RAM. I don’t believe I need a power supply upgrade because the vid card required 450watts & it’s 700.

I am thinking the following replacements:

Motherboard
Processor
RAM 4 gigs

I currently run Windows XP the upgrades are keeping in mind an upgrade to Windows 7 eventually. ( I am aware XP won’t be able to use the 4 gigs of RAM I am pondering) I am looking for opinions and/or recommendations of better/more economical alternatives from the hive mind.

Thanks for your help!

#2

Please help :frowning:

#3

Wish I could, haven’t even worked on my own system for so long I wouldn’t know diddly about newer components. And I haven’t built my own and done an upgrade since…ooooooh say 1996.

I’m also moving this to the Hive Mind forum. :slight_smile:

#4

Are you in school or have a relative or friend in school? You can get MS software (mostly the OS since you can get Open Office for free) cheaply if so. And, you’d want a 64 bit OS.

As, I said on skype, I do not believe 4gigs of ram is enough any more. Also, you may want to get a video card two or three generations newer. There are several $50-$150 cards that can guard against obsolescence. I’m mostly an ATI fan, because they seem to give better bang for the buck. I’d suggest the 4850 ($100 ish) or 4870 ($150 ish). Someone can chime in for the comparable Nbivia solution.

Or, I can link you to a recent graphic card matrix.
http://www.ffxivcore.com/wiki/Graphics_Card_Matrix

Unfortunately, I’m also an Intel fan, so I dunno much about the AMD chipset.

#5

Get the RAM first. It’s the cheap option, and it really does make the most difference in system responsiveness.

I’m surprised you’re not contemplating a HD upgrade.

#6

If I go with the RAM linked I have to upgrade the MB/processor anyway…my current is first gen DDR :wink:

I had not considered the video card for upgrade for a couple of reasons. When I got that card, I saw better video but the frame rate was not as good as I thought it would be. Yes it’s not bleeding edge right now but with that processor I am not getting the full potential of the card as it stands. I believe I will get more bang for my buck with a new mobo, cpu &RAM. I’m thinking 4 gigs right now because I can always get more later…looking really for the most change for the most economical option.

Pike, why do you say that about the HD?

Also, I am not opposed to Intel,. I’ve never worked with it tbh. I’ve always used AMD.