It's that time again...upgrade time!

by **Agent-Commando** » Mon Jul 26, 2004 7:42 pm

Agent needs a brand new bag!

Current system specs:

Intel P4 2.6C
1024MB PC-3200 RAM (2 x 512MB)
Asus P4P8X
built by ATI Radeon 9800 Pro 128MB
Sound Blaster Audigy 1
Altec Lansing 251 (5.1s)
17" Sony CPD-200GS
1 x 60GB Seagate 7200RPM HDD (2MB cache)
1 x 80GB Maxtor 7200RPM HDD (2MB cache)
1 x Pioneer 16x DVD-ROM (can't read burnt DVDs well though

)
1 x Benq DW-822A DVD-RW Dual-layer burner (8x/4x/2x/24x/10x/40x)

1 x MS Natural Elite KB
1 x MS Wheel Mouse Optical on RatPadz GS mouse pad

No floppy drive

got my 128MB USB key for that hehe...

I'm thinking, what can I upgrade to make it better for current games? Was thinking of going to Audigy 2 and THX speakers? Or an LCD instead?

Any help is appreciated.

by **Harry Canyon** » Mon Jul 26, 2004 8:23 pm

Nothing will help you, Spanky!!!

by **RCglider** » Mon Jul 26, 2004 8:39 pm

I guess if it were mine, I'd get the biggest crt monitor I could afford. The rest looks pretty good?

by **(SEETHER)** » Mon Jul 26, 2004 8:44 pm

I just finished my upgrades on my computer.

Pentium IV 3.0ghz hyper-threading

1gig pc3200 DDR (2 x 512mb)

256mb Radeon 9800xt

19" samsung lcd monitor

74gig S-ATA WD Raptor hard drive
10000rpm, 8mb cache

Asus P4P800 Deluxe Motherboard

Antec P160 Aluminum case Look

by **shockwave203** » Mon Jul 26, 2004 8:48 pm

To be honest, your computer is still rather good. you could upgrade to an Audigy II, though I don't think it'll improve the overall system performance that much, if at all.

ram: good
storage: good
cpu: good (you could also upgrade your 2.6, but current and future games tax the video card a lot more)
video card: still good. 9800pro's are still very good cards, and will definitely last you into the next generation of gaming. You may not be able to play at 1280 X 1024 with 6XAA 16XAF, but it's nothing to complain about.

What kind of monitor do you have now? In my opinion, it's almost pointless to buy an expensive computer system with a heavy weight video card if your monitor is small and can't show you all the eye candy you're displaying. I'd say go for a nice, big flat CRT for gaming. I have a 19" CRT for gaming and an LCD for everything else (my lcd response time is rather big, so it doesn't look so hot in games) but you can purchase LCD's that have little or no visible ghosting these days

good luck

you gotta prepare for DOOMIII and HL2!

by **Agent-Commando** » Mon Jul 26, 2004 9:51 pm

The monitor is this one:

16" viewable area, perhaps a bigger monitor is in store?

by **AnimalCracka** » Mon Jul 26, 2004 9:57 pm

Yeah definitely go for a bigger CRT monitor. Atleast a 19", maybe even a 21". A good LCD in that size will cost ya double to triple the price of a CRT.

by **Agent-Commando** » Mon Jul 26, 2004 10:32 pm

Yeah... I have been looking at CRTs online from a few sources that I buy all my hardware from.

I work as a Senior Service Tech. at a corporate only computer company, and my Supervisor use to work for another company that supplies hardware to corporate offices and institutions. He tells me that most refurbished hardware like monitors are usually 1-3 years old, coming off of a lease and they'd sell them to the consumer stores.

So I'm looking at a 21" Dell flat screen monitor CRT for $199 CAD w/90 day warranty, or a 19" for $95 CAD with 30 day warranty...

Both are refurbed... unless someone's got a really horrorible story about refurbed monitors, I may seriously consider one of those two.

(I can't get my employee discount yet because this company I work for now, I'm new, less than 2 weeks actually, hehe... Here in Canada all companies require you to work 3 months on probationary period before you get "full access" to the company's assets in any given job.)

by **Chacal** » Tue Jul 27, 2004 1:42 am

I had a tech at my old job who said refurbed monitors were often better than new ones, because new ones were just casually tested. Once returned to the factory, used ones are thoroughly tested to make sure they don't come back.

by **Agent-Commando** » Tue Jul 27, 2004 6:56 am

Originally posted by Chacal
I had a tech at my old job who said refurbed monitors were often better than new ones, because new ones were just casually tested. Once returned to the factory, used ones are thoroughly tested to make sure they don't come back.

Interesting, sounds good. Impressive. Most impressive, Darth Chacal..

by **RCglider** » Tue Jul 27, 2004 7:51 am

Originally posted by Agent-Commando
Interesting, sounds good. Impressive. Most impressive, Darth Chacal..

I've yet to buy a brand new monitor (yeah, I'm cheap). Out of 5 20"-22" models, one has finally given up after 3 years.

It's that time again...upgrade time!

It's that time again...upgrade time!

Who is online