Oh what to do...

[TheDan]

My current computer setup is starting to show its age in games. It can run games like Half-Life 2, Episode 1, CSS etc... at quite high settings but in new games it starts to choke. So I'm considering upgrading! Here is my current setup:

AMD Athlon X2 4200+ (socket 939)
1Gb DDR @ 400Mhz
ATi Radeon X800 Pro 256Mb
550W PSU
Audigy 4 sound card

The main thing I'd like to upgrade is the Graphics card. But since it's an AGP card, I'd need to upgrade my motherboard to PCI-E. However, since my current motherboard is a socket 939 one which is a dying socket from what I can tell I would think that I should also upgrade to something like a Core 2 Duo. And DDR2 is the new thing now so I might as well get new memory while I'm at it.

So, here are the parts I'm considering getting:

8800GTS 320Mb (not the GTX. Too expensive)
Motherboard bundle with:
- Core 2 Duo E6420
- 2Gb DDR2 @ 667Mhz
- Heatsink & Fan
- Gigabyte motherboard, Intel P965 chipset

Motherboard Bundle: http://www.novatech.co.uk/novatech/specpage.html?mbb-c2d642&P=0

Graphics card: EITHER http://www.novatech.co.uk/novatech/specpage.html?BFG-GTS3O2 OR http://www.novatech.co.uk/novatech/specpage.html?NOV-88GTS3

Comes to around ?400-430

I'm posting here really to see what people's suggestions are as to whether or not there is something that would better suit me. My budget is a maximum of ?450

 

[DEATHMASTER]

personally, I have some similar stuff to what you have right now (see sig), and the only thing i'm considering upgrading is the graphics card to an 8800gts 640mb (trust me, go with this over the 320)

 

[Asus]

That does sorta suck you have an AGP slot. Cause all you really need is a new GFX card and 2GB of ram.

Could just get a new 939 board with PCI-Express. Would still use DDR ram. Or go all out like you have there.

 

[DEATHMASTER]

and E?171 = $344 which is $4 less than I saw an 8800gts 640mb for on newegg, don't know if they ship to UK though (if that's where you're at).

 

[TheDan]

Yeah I did look at getting a new PCI-E motherboard and buying 2x1Gb sticks (my current 1Gb memory is 4x256Mb), but strangely, there isn't that much of a difference than if I went with the motherboard bundle.

I think I'm going to do it.