Processor, or video card?

[theotherguy]

In about 2 weeks Ill be coming into a bit of money, and I have a dilema, should I buy a radeon 9800pro 128MB, or a Pentium4 3.06 Ghz@ 533 MhzFSB processor?

I know that the 9800 pro will give me dx9 features, but Im talking overall, which thing would give me the higher increase in preformance in most all games?

My current specs are

-1.9 Ghz P4 @533 mhz FSB

-Geforce4Ti4600 128mb(which I bought exactley 1 week before the release of the 9700pro

-768 Mb RDRAM

-very crappy soundblaster value card

Thank you for your time!

 

[NYHoustonman]

In the future, probably the 9800 pro, but at present you could go either way. Personally I would go with the 9800 pro or a split (9800 and P4?).

 

[TrueWeltall]

9800

 

[theotherguy]

really? personally, I thought that the proccesor would give me a more noticable preformance leap, and I dont really feel all that comfortable buying a new video card one year after I just got my last one (for 300 dollars, at the time, methinks)

But I really want the dx9 features, and Ive heard that the 9800 pro is an astronomical card, so Im not quite so sure

*edit* also, does a better soundcard deliver higher FPS rates?

 

[ShinRa]

Don't go with the 3.06 w/ 533fsb, go with the 3.0ghz with 800fsb, cuz u really dont need the 60mhz, and that extra fsb will go a long way.

 

[theotherguy]

except my mobo doesnt support 800FSB, and I dont plan on buying a new mobo:cheese:

 

[ShinRa]

Then go with the video card because the processor won't do you as much an advantage as the video card would

 

[theotherguy]

thanx guys :afro:

 

[crabcakes66]

a new cpu wouldnt allow you to see dx9 in all its glory........a 9800pro would

 

[pinkerton]

a better soundcard normally results in lower fps as i understand it. I personally would get a 9800. You want to be able to run all of those dx9 features. Somtimes theres more to look at than fps.

 

[Tyrion]

Get a 9800 Non-pro.

They can sell for just under 200 dollars if you look at Pricewatch.com

 

[ankalar]

I wouldn't get either of them. Wait until nVidia's next line of cards comes out, either that or just wait a while until you really need to upgrade.

 

[Tyrion]

Originally posted by ankalar
I wouldn't get either of them. Wait until nVidia's next line of cards comes out, either that or just wait a while until you really need to upgrade.

Know when the next line is supposed to come out?

 

[nsxownzme]

I had to get both, used to have a 2000+, now I have a 2800+[running @ (2.16Ghz)3000+]. Also my old card was a R 7500 AIW upgraded to a R 9800 PRO 128.

 

[theotherguy]

Originally posted by pinkerton
a better soundcard normally results in lower fps as i understand it. I personally would get a 9800. You want to be able to run all of those dx9 features. Somtimes theres more to look at than fps.

Well, you could also argue that with a 9800 pro, I wont get increased preformance in everything that isnt a 3d game, but I see where youre going with this

These comments have been very constructive, and I will certainly take them into account when buying my system...and perhaps, if I get the 9800 non-pro, I may even have enogh money to buy both *joy*

Thank you

Oh, and BTW, a better soundcard results in low fps? Thats a bit...odd...

 

[XtAkm4p]

9800

 

[SidewinderX]

Originally posted by theotherguy

Oh, and BTW, a better soundcard results in low fps? Thats a bit...odd...

Poor sound cards aren't as optomized to run on thier own, so they dump cycles and info on the CPU to run, thus reducing frame rates.

 

[pinkerton]

well, sound cards dont use their own prosessing unit, so when you use a better sound card with more features ect to eats cpu cycles.

 

[SidewinderX]

Originally posted by pinkerton
well, sound cards dont use their own prosessing unit, so when you use a better sound card with more features ect to eats cpu cycles.

No, that's not true. A Audigy 2 uses less CPU than an SB: L, even though the SB:L has mnay less features. THe sound card processes most of it's own data, and will not affect the CPU much at all.

 

[pinkerton]

It really depends on from where to where you are upgradeing. Upgrading from onboard to sb live or cmedia or whatever normally results in lower fps. And yes, i forgot about the audigy, seeing as how somtimes i forget people dont live in my little world where everyone knows exactly what im talking about. Honestly though, if you are at a 2 ghz w/ 9500 or higher you really wont have to worry about fps dips from sound almost ever.