Yet Another Help Me Upgrade Post

heyjoshdotnetheyjoshdotnet Lansing, MI
edited November 2009 in Hardware
supcakes!

I want to upgrade my gaming rig, but I can't justify spending more than about $300. Less is better. Current:

core2duo 1.8, OC to 2.3
2 GB DDR2 800 (PC2 6400)
geforce 8800gts w/320MB

I figure I have the budget for a RAM upgrade to 4GB, and a video card with more memory. What's good in a video card for around $200, less is better?

This is really all about one game. GTA4. The above rig gets me low res and practically Mr-Magoo range on drawing distance. Handles all other games I play fine at high res. I really just want to be able to do 1280x720 with my view distances cranked.

Comments

  • GnomeWizarddGnomeWizardd Member 4 Life Akron, PA Icrontian
    edited November 2009
    5770
    thats my next card also
  • ThraxThrax 🐌 Austin, TX Icrontian
    edited November 2009
    Radeon 5770.
  • ObsidianObsidian Michigan Icrontian
    edited November 2009
    Just gonna think outside the box and say to save up and replace the CPU, RAM, and GPU. Even though you didn't actually tell us the name of your processor it's probably going to weigh you down more than your graphics card, especially in GTA IV.

    I'm hoping your monitor supports more than 1280x720 as an HD 5770 will be complete overkill.
  • ThraxThrax 🐌 Austin, TX Icrontian
    edited November 2009
    On the contrary, CPUs produced after 2006 are more than sufficient for today's processing needs: http://alienbabeltech.com/main/?p=13454 -- The GPU is orders of magnitude more important, particularly at high resolutions where the CPU virtually has no influence.
  • ObsidianObsidian Michigan Icrontian
    edited November 2009
    Neutering a cougar does not make it a house cat. Just because he down-clocked his E6850 doesn't make it a cheap old CPU. The E6850 was quite good in its day and is still fairly decent.

    I think my <s>graph</s> link is far more relevant to OP's interests.
  • jaredjared College Station, TX Icrontian
    edited November 2009
    That's an awesome graph.
  • heyjoshdotnetheyjoshdotnet Lansing, MI
    edited November 2009
    A CPU upgrade is planned, but I can't really afford it right now. WHat's in there is an intel e6320, 1.8GHz but overclocked to 2.3GHz. The motherboard supports quad core, and I'll get one eventually. I figure something like this. I just don't have the duckets to do it all at once.

    My monitor does support more than 1280x720, but I don't game much on my monitor. I mostly game in the living room on my couch, with my PC hooked up to a ghetto homebuilt projector :D 720p 16:9, but like an eight foot screen and real speakers. Deez zombies are YUUUUGE!

    Based on y'all's advice, I'm thinkin this here:

    http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102858

    That and 2 more gig of RAM puts me at less than $250 shipped. I figure I have to add the memory either way, and buying vidcard+RAM first and CPU later is cheaper pieces at a time.
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