Worthwhile upgrade?

[Link]

I'm trying to decide between upgrading my existing system now, or replacing it totally at a later date

Current specs are:
LGA755 MB with 2 gigs RAM (667mhz) and a Core 2 Duo E7200 with a Sapphire HD 4850 512MB

My thinking is to either save up, and replace the whole system with a i7 based board and gear, or to upgrade the existing one.

The upgrade I am looking at would be to a 4GB (1066Mhz) and a Quad Q8300.

I'm only interested in game performance. Currently the most demanding game I play is BFBC2, and its not BAD, but somehow the performance seems slow. Hard to describe. The frame rate seems ok, but it somehow feels like its not as responsive as it should be. Would this upgrade improve that? Additionally, I intend to get the next COD game, so I would want to be able to run that.

So, do I upgrade, only do part of this upgrade, or bite the bullet and save up for a new system? Bear in mind that saving for a new system could easily take 6 months or more (Saving for a house as well)

 

[VirusType2]

What operating system?

Maybe look for a video upgrade, increase the CPU clocks, double the RAM (alternatively, buy better RAM, for example 2x2GB sticks, and replace the current instead of adding to it - if better RAM is an option, I don't know).

Do you have a decent CPU cooler? You could try increasing the CPU clocks a little and see if it makes a difference in games. If not, then it's probably your RAM, GPU, and/or motherboard chipset bottleneck.

You could build a new system but it will be hundreds of dollars and the difference in games might be made up with some tweaking to your current setup.

 

[Link]

Vista currently, but an upgrade is an option

I'm not sure I would benefit much from a GFX card upgrade, I suspect the other components are already holding the card back as it is.

If I do upgrade the RAM, the plan is to scrap the 2 gigs of 667 I currently have and buy 4 gig kit of 1066 like you said.

Its a stock CPU cooler, but its running stock as well, so I could certainly try a bit of overclocking, see what happens.

 

[VirusType2]

I don't know much about any of that stuff, but I hear that the E8600 is an absolute killer overclocker - not sure how relevant that is for your E7200. I'm sure you know better than me or can find out. And as has been said before, most every game out there isn't really going to benefit from Quad core over Dual at this point (in fact it's occasionally detrimental - especially regarding HyperThreading). So, 2 cores at 3.4GHz is going to stomp a quad at 2.66Ghz (or whatever) in games. It's not all about clock speed, obviously - there are some architecture improvements (especially regarding ram) and new SSE instructions to be had - just saying.

Also, I'm pretty sure Windows 7 is much better when it comes to multi [core/tasking/threading], compared to Vista.

Another thing is that HDD performance can be a factor in game performance (and not just loading times). What HDD do you use for your games?

 

[DEATHMASTER]

7 is definitely worthwhile.

 

[VirusType2]

I was browsing some reviews on the new i5-760

Pros: Fast and inexpensive. Overclocked to FSB to 166mhz with default voltage. Turbo mode is still on too.

Cons: The stock fan does get a little loud when playing BFBC2 after about 10 minutes of play, but it is a stock heatsink and fan.

Other Thoughts: I upgraded with the EVGA P55 SLI Combo deal. I also bought 4 gigs G Skill Ripjaw. I had a E6600 OC'd to 3.0 GHZ with 4 gigs OCZ gold ddr2

My frames went from about 30 average to 75 average in BFBC2 with the same EVGA 8800GTS 640mb cards in SLI mode. I think I will bring the FSB down a bit to reduce fan noise, as I get about 70 frames with no overclocking. I do believe that also tells me the video cards are now my bottleneck. Hey, they are pretty old now anyway.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...115067&cm_sp=DailyDeal-_-19-115-067-_-Product

I'm only interested in game performance. Currently the most demanding game I play is BFBC2, and its not BAD, but somehow the performance seems slow. Hard to describe. The frame rate seems ok, but it somehow feels like its not as responsive as it should be. Would this upgrade improve that?

I expect so, yes. I mean, it's faster. Your video card will be the bottleneck to your performance for sure, as this processor is pretty beasty.

If all you care about is games, then this is a great choice. This and last years i5-750 (which I bought when it came out) are extremely good performers in games, at any price.

There are cheaper options from AMD that are competitive, especially if you don't plan on upgrading to a high end video card. Because, the i5-750 and 760 processor won't be a bottleneck unless you are using a 5970, and even then, it's very very slight. EDIT: To be more clear, the CPU isn't the bottleneck, but the built-in PCIe controller. The 760, for example, can clock to 4.0Ghz or someshit, which is outrageous and unnecessary unless you are a scientist.

In other words, this will be total overkill for a 4850, though it will still be beneficial to have that headroom.

EDIT: the lag you are describing may be also from your RAM access. The i5-750/760 have a very low latency RAM controller built in. They use Dual Channel DDR3. Pretty snappy, son.

 

[Dinnesch]

I'm only interested in game performance. Currently the most demanding game I play is BFBC2, and its not BAD, but somehow the performance seems slow. Hard to describe. The frame rate seems ok, but it somehow feels like its not as responsive as it should be. Would this upgrade improve that?

Go to documents>BFBC2>settings.ini and change the parameter RenderAheadLimit=2(or whatever it's set to) to 0.

That fixed the sluggish aiming for me, buying a new PC is not gonna resolve it being a laggy ass game.