Upgrade advice

[FightingRooster]

I'm looking for something for my PC. I've got about $100-$200 to spend.

 

At first, I thought of a good set of headphones so I could use 'em on my Mac and my PC. I got some great advice in a thread from some members here but now I'm wondering...

 

I either get:

 

1. Headphones - self explanitory

2. Headset - would be great for vent considering I can now use it on my Mac & PC

3. Graphics Card

4. Ram

 

I'd love all of these but I don't have that much right now. My only problem with getting a headset is that I can't really run vent and CS at the same time on my PC because it lags quite a bit. I have my FPS showing and on maps like foxriver, I'll get 20 fps. Thats where Ram/GFX card comes in..

 

my current specs are:

 

Dual Core 2.6ghz I think

2GB RAM

256MB ATI Radeon I think

250GB HD

21" Monitor

 

I tried running CS in a lower resolution but I hate it and I can't do it.

 

Advice pleeasseee... I can buy two if its in my budget!

[Shadowex3]

mmm I'd say spend ~$150-$180 and get a gtx 260 or gtx 275 from EVGA @ newegg and save up for a get set of sennheisers. 2gb of ram is basically the most you'll ever use gaming since most games aren't 64bit or large address aware AND all ram your graphics card has will be subtracted from your system ram so even if you have 4gb you'll only ever top out at 3gb, and the 2gb->3gb difference is negligible even to Crysis. That's a fault MUCH older than even windows itself btw, stems from ancient computers of our forefathers.

 

As for headphones... save up and get a set of sennheisers sometime.

[Loganator456]

I agree, with Shadow. The 9800GT is pretty good also, that's what my new computer that is in the mail has.

[Shadowex3]

Just for the record the GTS 250 is just a new-silicon 9800gtx, the entire 9000 series was made basically before nvidia was ready to make them hence their enormous size compared even to the new ones. It's got the G92 core and everything.

[Wrathek]

as shadow already said, the biggest improvement you'll see in buying just one would be a new graphics card.

[FightingRooster]

Just for the record the GTS 250 is just a new-silicon 9800gtx, the entire 9000 series was made basically before nvidia was ready to make them hence their enormous size compared even to the new ones. It's got the G92 core and everything.

 

I'm semi-confused. Does this mean I should go for the 9800 or not?

 

I like both gfx cards but I'm a big fan of the $100 price tag on the 9800 GT...

 

Is the $100 jump justified?

[Coffee Crisp]

If you're going to go with a GTX 260 or 280, it's recommended you have no less than a 550W PSU. Think twice before you choose one.

 

Is the $100 jump justified?

 

If you want to save more power, give your case a little bit more room, and save some money so you can get some headphones/headsets then go for the 9800. Compared to a GTX 260 and 280 you're looking at minimum of a 10-20 FPS difference.

[FightingRooster]

If you're going to go with a GTX 260 or 280, it's recommended you have no less than a 550W PSU. Think twice before you choose one.

 

 

 

If you want to save more power, give your case a little bit more room, and save some money so you can get some headphones/headsets then go for the 9800. Compared to a GTX 260 and 280 you're looking at minimum of a 10-20 FPS difference.

 

The only way to guage that is if I know what FPS I'll be getting. Am I looking at 200fps or am I going to be averaging 80?

 

Right now I probably average something around 80. On some maps (mainly PB) I'll hit 15fps and then on others I'll vary from 160 to 80.

[Shadowex3]

If you're going to go with a GTX 260 or 280, it's recommended you have no less than a 550W PSU. Think twice before you choose one.

 

Never listen to the wattage, always check the amps. The GTX 260 requires about 27a on the 12v rail. The reason wattage requirements are so overblown is because almost all of the power supplies out there not from a very select few brands are literally just last year's psu with a higher number sticker pasted over the old one.

[FightingRooster]

Never listen to the wattage, always check the amps. The GTX 260 requires about 27a on the 12v rail. The reason wattage requirements are so overblown is because almost all of the power supplies out there not from a very select few brands are literally just last year's psu with a higher number sticker pasted over the old one.

 

I don't really want to change my whole power supply. What can I provide you with so you can tell me which one I should get? I don't know anything about my power supply or anything like that.

 

Thanks for the help!