Well, I have a Dell Dimension 4700, and it's a few years old - 5 or 6. If I upgrade my X300, would it actually make a difference in frame rates? Or should I just go with a new computer?
With all the money you would be spending on upgrading parts, you would be well on your way to building a new on.Undetected_Killer wrote:
Well, I have a Dell Dimension 4700, and it's a few years old - 5 or 6. If I upgrade my X300, would it actually make a difference in frame rates? Or should I just go with a new computer?
I had the same problem on a Compaq computer I had a few years back. I figured I could just update parts on it and I would save money....
Nope, It turned into a money pit.
Updating only really pays off if there is a single bottleneck. If the whole computer is getting old, building a new one is the way to go.
Sydney wrote:
If the whole computer is getting old, building a new one is the way to go.
Yep. With parts that old, you'd just add another bottleneck. New one is the way to go.Sydney wrote:
Updating only really pays off if there is a single bottleneck. If the whole computer is getting old, building a new one is the way to go.
The idea of any hi-fi system is to reproduce the source material as faithfully as possible, and to deliberately add distortion to everything you hear (due to amplifier deficiencies) because it sounds 'nice' is simply not high fidelity. If that is what you want to hear then there is no problem with that, but by adding so much additional material (by way of harmonics and intermodulation) you have a tailored sound system, not a hi-fi. - Rod Elliot, ESP
I agree with what others said.
@U_K: what are the specs of this thing you call a 'dell dimension 4700'?
A Pentium 4 and a 915G chipset. It needs to die.Scorpion0x17 wrote:
@U_K: what are the specs of this thing you call a 'dell dimension 4700'?
The idea of any hi-fi system is to reproduce the source material as faithfully as possible, and to deliberately add distortion to everything you hear (due to amplifier deficiencies) because it sounds 'nice' is simply not high fidelity. If that is what you want to hear then there is no problem with that, but by adding so much additional material (by way of harmonics and intermodulation) you have a tailored sound system, not a hi-fi. - Rod Elliot, ESP
But what speed P4?Freezer7Pro wrote:
A Pentium 4 and a 915G chipset. It needs to die.Scorpion0x17 wrote:
@U_K: what are the specs of this thing you call a 'dell dimension 4700'?
(P4's are actually quite nice little processors, particularly if they're hyperthreaded)
and, 915G? is that AGP?
Uhm, one 2.8 Mhz Processor, ATI X300, 2 GB of PC2-4300 RAM (upgraded from 512mb). The RAM upgrade really, really helped my frame rate, so that's why I Was asking about the card. Anything else you need to know?Scorpion0x17 wrote:
@U_K: what are the specs of this thing you call a 'dell dimension 4700'?
AGP?Undetected_Killer wrote:
Uhm, one 2.8 Mhz Processor, ATI X300, 2 GB of PC2-4300 RAM (upgraded from 512mb). The RAM upgrade really, really helped my frame rate, so that's why I Was asking about the card. Anything else you need to know?Scorpion0x17 wrote:
@U_K: what are the specs of this thing you call a 'dell dimension 4700'?
Not when they're under 3.6GHz. I like P4s, they're fun, but they're not worth much anymore, and will most certainly bottleneck any modern graphics card.Scorpion0x17 wrote:
But what speed P4?Freezer7Pro wrote:
A Pentium 4 and a 915G chipset. It needs to die.Scorpion0x17 wrote:
@U_K: what are the specs of this thing you call a 'dell dimension 4700'?
(P4's are actually quite nice little processors, particularly if they're hyperthreaded)
and, 915G? is that AGP?
It's also PCI-E. Just use Google. A 2.8 P4 will bottleneck even a 7600. Believe me. I know first-hand.
Last edited by Freezer7Pro (2008-07-29 14:09:23)
The idea of any hi-fi system is to reproduce the source material as faithfully as possible, and to deliberately add distortion to everything you hear (due to amplifier deficiencies) because it sounds 'nice' is simply not high fidelity. If that is what you want to hear then there is no problem with that, but by adding so much additional material (by way of harmonics and intermodulation) you have a tailored sound system, not a hi-fi. - Rod Elliot, ESP
PCI-E.Scorpion0x17 wrote:
AGP?Undetected_Killer wrote:
Uhm, one 2.8 Mhz Processor, ATI X300, 2 GB of PC2-4300 RAM (upgraded from 512mb). The RAM upgrade really, really helped my frame rate, so that's why I Was asking about the card. Anything else you need to know?Scorpion0x17 wrote:
@U_K: what are the specs of this thing you call a 'dell dimension 4700'?
I'm sorry, but, if it's PCI-E, I have to disagree.Freezer7Pro wrote:
Not when they're under 3.6GHz. I like P4s, they're fun, but they're not worth much anymore, and will most certainly bottleneck any modern graphics card.Scorpion0x17 wrote:
But what speed P4?Freezer7Pro wrote:
A Pentium 4 and a 915G chipset. It needs to die.
(P4's are actually quite nice little processors, particularly if they're hyperthreaded)
and, 915G? is that AGP?
It's also PCI-E. Just use Google.
A 2.8GHz (not MHz as U_K said) P4 is not a bad processor.
And PC2-4200 is not bad ram.
OK, @U_K: you're not gonna get a huge performance leap, but you do have options - just don't expect to get the full potential out of say a GTX280...
Also, consider that, because it's PCI-E, what ever video card you buy it's gonna be usable when you come to upgrade the rest.
And, google will rot social cohesion, imo.
That rig will bottleneck an x1950 let alone anything new (don't say it wont I ran pretty much an identical rig, apart from mine had faster RAM, for 4 months before I binned it), I really wouldn't suggest bothering with an upgrade, buy a new rig.Scorpion0x17 wrote:
I'm sorry, but, if it's PCI-E, I have to disagree.Freezer7Pro wrote:
Not when they're under 3.6GHz. I like P4s, they're fun, but they're not worth much anymore, and will most certainly bottleneck any modern graphics card.Scorpion0x17 wrote:
But what speed P4?
(P4's are actually quite nice little processors, particularly if they're hyperthreaded)
and, 915G? is that AGP?
It's also PCI-E. Just use Google.
A 2.8GHz (not MHz as U_K said) P4 is not a bad processor.
And PC2-4200 is not bad ram.
OK, @U_K: you're not gonna get a huge performance leap, but you do have options - just don't expect to get the full potential out of say a GTX280...
Also, consider that, because it's PCI-E, what ever video card you buy it's gonna be usable when you come to upgrade the rest.
And, google will rot social cohesion, imo.
EDIT: What are you going to want to play on this BTW? I was assuming it'd be sometihing new, if it's just BF2 go buy a second hand x1950 or 7900 from somewhere for about £30 until you want to play a newer game.
Last edited by TheEternalPessimist (2008-07-29 14:28:54)
A 2.8 P4 will barely handle the three-year-old game that this forum revolves around; BF2. I had been using a P4 for many years, and the jump to a C2D was immense in every field. Even upgrading to an E1400 would present a huge performance jump for him.Scorpion0x17 wrote:
I'm sorry, but, if it's PCI-E, I have to disagree.Freezer7Pro wrote:
Not when they're under 3.6GHz. I like P4s, they're fun, but they're not worth much anymore, and will most certainly bottleneck any modern graphics card.Scorpion0x17 wrote:
But what speed P4?
(P4's are actually quite nice little processors, particularly if they're hyperthreaded)
and, 915G? is that AGP?
It's also PCI-E. Just use Google.
A 2.8GHz (not MHz as U_K said) P4 is not a bad processor.
And PC2-4200 is not bad ram.
OK, @U_K: you're not gonna get a huge performance leap, but you do have options - just don't expect to get the full potential out of say a GTX280...
Also, consider that, because it's PCI-E, what ever video card you buy it's gonna be usable when you come to upgrade the rest.
And, google will rot social cohesion, imo.
The idea of any hi-fi system is to reproduce the source material as faithfully as possible, and to deliberately add distortion to everything you hear (due to amplifier deficiencies) because it sounds 'nice' is simply not high fidelity. If that is what you want to hear then there is no problem with that, but by adding so much additional material (by way of harmonics and intermodulation) you have a tailored sound system, not a hi-fi. - Rod Elliot, ESP
The point is though that it's a PCI-E system, and he _will_ see an improvement with a better PCI-E video card.
He will not get the full potential out of whatever he upgrades to, but he will see an improvement.
Then, when he upgrades the rest of the system, he can just keep this newer card and use it in the newer system.
He probably only needs a newer mobo and processor, if it's a ddr2 mobo, his ram'll even work.
He will not get the full potential out of whatever he upgrades to, but he will see an improvement.
Then, when he upgrades the rest of the system, he can just keep this newer card and use it in the newer system.
He probably only needs a newer mobo and processor, if it's a ddr2 mobo, his ram'll even work.
Getting a new video card at one time, and the rest at another time, is generally a bad idea. I once got a 7900GT, but before I could really use it, I could have gotten it for half the price. Looking at the op, a new computer is an option, and it's certainly the better one in this case.Scorpion0x17 wrote:
The point is though that it's a PCI-E system, and he _will_ see an improvement with a better PCI-E video card.
He will not get the full potential out of whatever he upgrades to, but he will see an improvement.
Then, when he upgrades the rest of the system, he can just keep this newer card and use it in the newer system.
He probably only needs a newer mobo and processor, if it's a ddr2 mobo, his ram'll even work.
Last edited by Freezer7Pro (2008-07-29 14:45:07)
The idea of any hi-fi system is to reproduce the source material as faithfully as possible, and to deliberately add distortion to everything you hear (due to amplifier deficiencies) because it sounds 'nice' is simply not high fidelity. If that is what you want to hear then there is no problem with that, but by adding so much additional material (by way of harmonics and intermodulation) you have a tailored sound system, not a hi-fi. - Rod Elliot, ESP
Ram is the cheapest component atm. I say go buy (build) a brand new PC.Scorpion0x17 wrote:
The point is though that it's a PCI-E system, and he _will_ see an improvement with a better PCI-E video card.
He will not get the full potential out of whatever he upgrades to, but he will see an improvement.
Then, when he upgrades the rest of the system, he can just keep this newer card and use it in the newer system.
He probably only needs a newer mobo and processor, if it's a ddr2 mobo, his ram'll even work.
Yeah, that is the risk.Freezer7Pro wrote:
Getting a new video card at one time, and the rest at another time, is generally a bad idea. I once got a 7900GT, but before I could really use it, I could have gotten it for half the price. Looking at the op, a new computer is an option, and it's certainly the better one in this case.Scorpion0x17 wrote:
The point is though that it's a PCI-E system, and he _will_ see an improvement with a better PCI-E video card.
He will not get the full potential out of whatever he upgrades to, but he will see an improvement.
Then, when he upgrades the rest of the system, he can just keep this newer card and use it in the newer system.
He probably only needs a newer mobo and processor, if it's a ddr2 mobo, his ram'll even work.
It just annoys me when people say "Buy a new PC" as though that's the only possible option.
And it isn't.
We're not in a position to make his decision for him.
We don't know his financial situation, or anything like that.
We can only offer advice and inform him of all the available options.
I'm not that guy who goes around and says "LAWL ur pc sux u shud get a new 1 gtx280 QX9650 gogogo". I know how to use stuff for long, I used the same basic system for four years before doing a real upgrade.Scorpion0x17 wrote:
Yeah, that is the risk.Freezer7Pro wrote:
Getting a new video card at one time, and the rest at another time, is generally a bad idea. I once got a 7900GT, but before I could really use it, I could have gotten it for half the price. Looking at the op, a new computer is an option, and it's certainly the better one in this case.Scorpion0x17 wrote:
The point is though that it's a PCI-E system, and he _will_ see an improvement with a better PCI-E video card.
He will not get the full potential out of whatever he upgrades to, but he will see an improvement.
Then, when he upgrades the rest of the system, he can just keep this newer card and use it in the newer system.
He probably only needs a newer mobo and processor, if it's a ddr2 mobo, his ram'll even work.
It just annoys me when people say "Buy a new PC" as though that's the only possible option.
And it isn't.
We're not in a position to make his decision for him.
We don't know his financial situation, or anything like that.
We can only offer advice and inform him of all the available options.
The thing is, this guy asked if it would be wiser to upgrade, or to get a new computer, clearly putting "new computer" as an option, and any $400 new computer will blow this one out of the water. Buying a mediocre video card now, to support this computer isn't very smart, if his financial status can't allow him to even build a $400 new one (would probably also call for a PSU upgrade), and getting a new video card now, not utilizing it fully, only to build a computer that can actually use it later, isn't very smart either, as that card would be half as expensive then.
The idea of any hi-fi system is to reproduce the source material as faithfully as possible, and to deliberately add distortion to everything you hear (due to amplifier deficiencies) because it sounds 'nice' is simply not high fidelity. If that is what you want to hear then there is no problem with that, but by adding so much additional material (by way of harmonics and intermodulation) you have a tailored sound system, not a hi-fi. - Rod Elliot, ESP
Like I said, that's a judgement call. And only he can make it.Freezer7Pro wrote:
I'm not that guy who goes around and says "LAWL ur pc sux u shud get a new 1 gtx280 QX9650 gogogo". I know how to use stuff for long, I used the same basic system for four years before doing a real upgrade.Scorpion0x17 wrote:
Yeah, that is the risk.Freezer7Pro wrote:
Getting a new video card at one time, and the rest at another time, is generally a bad idea. I once got a 7900GT, but before I could really use it, I could have gotten it for half the price. Looking at the op, a new computer is an option, and it's certainly the better one in this case.
It just annoys me when people say "Buy a new PC" as though that's the only possible option.
And it isn't.
We're not in a position to make his decision for him.
We don't know his financial situation, or anything like that.
We can only offer advice and inform him of all the available options.
The thing is, this guy asked if it would be wiser to upgrade, or to get a new computer, clearly putting "new computer" as an option, and any $400 new computer will blow this one out of the water. Buying a mediocre video card now, to support this computer isn't very smart, if his financial status can't allow him to even build a $400 new one (would probably also call for a PSU upgrade), and getting a new video card now, not utilizing it fully, only to build a computer that can actually use it later, isn't very smart either, as that card would be half as expensive then.
I'm not sure where the OP is located but picking up say a 7600gt from the egg for $42 would improve framerates over his current x300 which is what he was asking. Yes if he has the money for a full blown upgrade all the better but if he's gaming n an x300 just about anything would help.Freezer7Pro wrote:
Getting a new video card at one time, and the rest at another time, is generally a bad idea. I once got a 7900GT, but before I could really use it, I could have gotten it for half the price. Looking at the op, a new computer is an option, and it's certainly the better one in this case.Scorpion0x17 wrote:
The point is though that it's a PCI-E system, and he _will_ see an improvement with a better PCI-E video card.
He will not get the full potential out of whatever he upgrades to, but he will see an improvement.
Then, when he upgrades the rest of the system, he can just keep this newer card and use it in the newer system.
He probably only needs a newer mobo and processor, if it's a ddr2 mobo, his ram'll even work.