Upgrade or Build?

[Stephenish]

Originally Posted by Hitman

A new graphics card won't speed up your computer. It will help your performance in graphic intensive games, and programs but that's about it.

Depending upon which card is currently in use. An older card or underpowered card can cause tearing and slow page loading among other things. Even in simply surfing the web.

I am assuming he wants to upgrade for games and or has an underpowered card.

[Hitman]

Originally Posted by Stephenish

Preferred graphics card supplier is XFX.

Around here the preferred graphics card supplier is EVGA, due to their good customer support, quality product, warranty service and their step-up program. While there is nothing wrong with XFX cards, EVGA just happens to have the best overall package.

[Stephenish]

Originally Posted by Hitman

Around here the preferred graphics card supplier is EVGA, due to their good customer support, quality product, warranty service and their step-up program. While there is nothing wrong with XFX cards, EVGA just happens to have the best overall package.

Every eVGA card I ever bought has crapped out. I found the reliability of eVGA cards to be an issue.

[Hitman]

Originally Posted by Stephenish

Every eVGA card I ever bought has crapped out. I found the reliability of eVGA cards to be an issue.

Then you should say your Preferred graphics card supplier is XFX. We all have our own preferences based on our experiences.

[Quakindude]

Originally Posted by Stephenish

Every eVGA card I ever bought has crapped out. I found the reliability of eVGA cards to be an issue.

Wow. EVGA has been in my computers for years. I've never had a problem with them except for operator induced failure. XFX is certainly a quality product, but from my experience, EVGA is better and has a progressive customer service experience second to none.

An older video card has never caused slow page loading on the Internet that I'm aware of. I'd imagine there may be some graphics a video card would slow down on, but using my old ass laptop, one based on an Intel Celeron 633 CPU with integrated Intel graphics at 8 Mb of dedicated memory, all pages I've gone to load just fine graphically. Ever since I upped the ram in that computer to 512Mb, it's an excellent web surfing computer.

Here's my opinion on it for the OP:

Newer games are becoming almost as CPU dependent as video card dependent. Higher clocked CPU's are turning in higher frame rates and a faster, smoother overall gaming experience. Couple an Intel CPU and newer video card along with a newer HDD and brother, you have a computer you can really enjoy for gaming!

Going from my AMD X2 4800 to an Intel E6600 made a lot of difference not only in games, which are requiring more and more compressed textures to be uncompressed during "level" loading, but in everything CPU intensive I do. From converting songs to MP3's to video compression and on to gaming, the newer Intel CPU's make a difference you can see and feel.

There's no way in hell I'd dump any more money into upgrading a 939 system. If you had a higher end AM2 system, the story wold be different. But not 939.

[Stephenish]

Actually, another video graphics card maker I have had good luck with is Asus. All my eVGA cards crapped out at about 1 year's worth of use. This was before the lifetime warranty. Could be the quality of eVGA has improved... No user error on my end, no overclocking or etc. The ATI X300 in my 940 D system is an example of an underpowered card. The card is on my e-mail/surfing machine. No games at all, however, I used to play some games on the system with a 7600GT.

Spending on an old 939 is somewhat questionable. You might, in fact, be better off saving up for a new build in the future. AMD is going to be better for processor upgrades in the future, however, Intel is making the best CPUs right now. A rule of thumb that I heard was: Don't upgrade your computer unless you're giving your processor at least +50% extra power, because you probably won't notice the difference otherwise.

[OCNoob]

OP: You know you can ignore every fact about upgrading your 939 system if you simply upgrade the videocard and power supply, right? If you're really squeamish about upgrading a dead socket, then by all means, purchase a new system.

However, if you simply buy a new videocard and power supply, you're not committing at all to a dead platform. Instead, you'd be using new components that will revive your system. Later on when you feel that yes, that new Core 3 Quad or Phenom processor is indeed worth a new build, you can simply re-use the videocard and PSU that you bought today (the figurative today) and combine it with the new CPU, motherboard and RAM. 'Tis the beauty of upgrading.

It all really boils down to how you use your computer. Are you a casual gamer who buys a new game every now and then and fires up CS:S with your gang, or are you a multimedia geek that rips and converts DVD's to high-quality AVI's while editing photos and a video on the side? I'm the former, so I would totally go with the route I laid out. If you're more of the latter, a new Core 2 will dramatically reduce wait times and smooth out your multitasking experience.

[screwballl]

another thing to remember.... your board is only Crossfire compatible, not SLI compatible. Not sure if you were looking at SLI or not...
For the cooler, make sure it is 775 AND 939 compatible and keep the extra parts so you can reuse it with a newer system in the future

[Carl Martin]

Well, now I've got some things to chew over when I can't sleep at night.

(Good point on the cooler, Screwball.)

I'll let you all know what I decide. Thanks to all for your input!

Carl