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I like to think I have a pretty decent machine. It started out a great machine. I remember how tricked out it was when I got it, infinitely more powerful and sophisticated, with a 3.8 gigahertz dual core processor (far beyond my ambitions at the time of the choosing process) a Gigabyte of RAM, a 19'' flat screen that for a long time was the envy of many of my friends, and a 256 megabyte graphics card chosen specifically for being capable of running Battlefield 2 very well.
But obviously, times change, and my HPa1250n model PC, while exquisite, slowly began falling in standards as the digital world inevitably advanced to the illustrious quad core machines with a previously unheard of 8 Gigabyte RAM capacity that we know today.
I've done my best to keep up, ordering two more of the 512mb DDR RAM sticks of the same make that already resided in my computer, and constantly constantly updating the graphics card. At first to the 7950gt, which eventually died from heat damage (a mistake I won't make again) and then to the 8800gt which I currently own, still a monster by my standards, which can take the highest settings of Crysis with minimal client lag.
But these days, I'm realizing that I may as well update my computer at it's most basic level, since the current components are a la 2005.
My computer still feels beastly, and it ought to considering I do a lot of work in 3D graphics and it's in my best interest to keep up with the standards. But even so, recent checks on Newegg reveal that if the prices of the new stuff is to believed, my motherboard, processor and DDR RAM would fetch me about $50.
This, I believe, is a good indicator that I should upgrade. A dual core processor of the same makers (the AMD Athlon 64 X2 7750 Kuma) is almost twice the power of my current processor and only $70, with excellent reviews from the buyers to boot. I could probably fit it onto my existing rig.
I'm also interested in investing in 3 Gigabytes of DDR2 pc6400 RAM. Great reviews on the stuff and it's pretty much dirt cheap. I'd wondered exactly where people with 8 Gig rigs were getting the money for these monstrosities, but this would explain a lot.
Now of course, my motherboard uses PCI Express 1.0 and is pc3200. It's incompatible with the new RAM, and an added incentive to getting a new motherboard would be that my 8800gt doesn't quite spread it's wings because it can't utilize PCI-E 2.0. So upgrading all these things for a reasonable price is bound to give me a considerable performance boost worthy of A-Rod.
~~~
Now, you might ask why I wouldn't want to invest in things like Tri core or Quad core if I'm so interested in upgrading. Well, I'll just say simply that I'm neither prepared nor willing to switch to Vista or any other 64 bit system. I'm quite comfortable with XP and I'm not interested in potentially destroying my ability to utilize all the things I want to do with a computer by dealing with Vista's notorious compatibility ****. My understanding is that Vista is the only system capable of making use of more than two cores, and of course, I'm only getting 3 gigs of RAM because of XP's limit of 3.25 gigs.
Today I asked a Best Buy employee about motherboards to see if he could recommend anything. I got what may as well have been a sneer and told to do my research, and that I might as well buy a new computer. Well f&ck that, says I. I already have the peripherals, the system, the case, a comfortable power supply, a kickass monitor, an awesome video card and all my stuff ready and installed on my hard drive. Buying a whole new computer to upgrade your old one is being lazy, and fiscally irresponsible I say. The components are easily cheaper to replace than scrapping the whole rig for a totally new machine, a new machine that by Microsoft's iron fist will be setup for Vista and nothing else, the change-enforcing fascists...
Buying a new machine is for people too unlearned in computer handling to buy parts and replace them themselves. It seems like the moment you say you need to upgrade the motherboard is when the tech store guy advises you strongly on buying a whole new sodding machine ("how about this model, it's only 1,500 dollrs?!", says the tech boy, instructed to suggest that customers spend as much of the money they don't have as possible).
But anyway, I digress way too damned much, so here's the point: What model would one suggest that is capable of harboring a dual core CPU, which can house several gigs of DDR2 RAM, and comes equipped with slots for a PCI Express 2.0 graphics card?
But obviously, times change, and my HPa1250n model PC, while exquisite, slowly began falling in standards as the digital world inevitably advanced to the illustrious quad core machines with a previously unheard of 8 Gigabyte RAM capacity that we know today.
I've done my best to keep up, ordering two more of the 512mb DDR RAM sticks of the same make that already resided in my computer, and constantly constantly updating the graphics card. At first to the 7950gt, which eventually died from heat damage (a mistake I won't make again) and then to the 8800gt which I currently own, still a monster by my standards, which can take the highest settings of Crysis with minimal client lag.
But these days, I'm realizing that I may as well update my computer at it's most basic level, since the current components are a la 2005.
My computer still feels beastly, and it ought to considering I do a lot of work in 3D graphics and it's in my best interest to keep up with the standards. But even so, recent checks on Newegg reveal that if the prices of the new stuff is to believed, my motherboard, processor and DDR RAM would fetch me about $50.
This, I believe, is a good indicator that I should upgrade. A dual core processor of the same makers (the AMD Athlon 64 X2 7750 Kuma) is almost twice the power of my current processor and only $70, with excellent reviews from the buyers to boot. I could probably fit it onto my existing rig.
I'm also interested in investing in 3 Gigabytes of DDR2 pc6400 RAM. Great reviews on the stuff and it's pretty much dirt cheap. I'd wondered exactly where people with 8 Gig rigs were getting the money for these monstrosities, but this would explain a lot.
Now of course, my motherboard uses PCI Express 1.0 and is pc3200. It's incompatible with the new RAM, and an added incentive to getting a new motherboard would be that my 8800gt doesn't quite spread it's wings because it can't utilize PCI-E 2.0. So upgrading all these things for a reasonable price is bound to give me a considerable performance boost worthy of A-Rod.
~~~
Now, you might ask why I wouldn't want to invest in things like Tri core or Quad core if I'm so interested in upgrading. Well, I'll just say simply that I'm neither prepared nor willing to switch to Vista or any other 64 bit system. I'm quite comfortable with XP and I'm not interested in potentially destroying my ability to utilize all the things I want to do with a computer by dealing with Vista's notorious compatibility ****. My understanding is that Vista is the only system capable of making use of more than two cores, and of course, I'm only getting 3 gigs of RAM because of XP's limit of 3.25 gigs.
Today I asked a Best Buy employee about motherboards to see if he could recommend anything. I got what may as well have been a sneer and told to do my research, and that I might as well buy a new computer. Well f&ck that, says I. I already have the peripherals, the system, the case, a comfortable power supply, a kickass monitor, an awesome video card and all my stuff ready and installed on my hard drive. Buying a whole new computer to upgrade your old one is being lazy, and fiscally irresponsible I say. The components are easily cheaper to replace than scrapping the whole rig for a totally new machine, a new machine that by Microsoft's iron fist will be setup for Vista and nothing else, the change-enforcing fascists...
Buying a new machine is for people too unlearned in computer handling to buy parts and replace them themselves. It seems like the moment you say you need to upgrade the motherboard is when the tech store guy advises you strongly on buying a whole new sodding machine ("how about this model, it's only 1,500 dollrs?!", says the tech boy, instructed to suggest that customers spend as much of the money they don't have as possible).
But anyway, I digress way too damned much, so here's the point: What model would one suggest that is capable of harboring a dual core CPU, which can house several gigs of DDR2 RAM, and comes equipped with slots for a PCI Express 2.0 graphics card?
