New Video card vs. New PC

[rattyocaster]

Ok Christmas has come and gone, and I was hoping to be able to buy a new PC with all the money I have but that is sadly not a possibility since the spec I'm looking at is:

AMD FX57 / AMD Athlon 4800+ Dual Core (Please advise which is best if you can)
2GB of DDR3200 CAS2 Corsair XMS RAM
nVidia GeForce 7800GTX/Ultra (512MB Version - Should be called ultra!)
3x 250GB Seagate SATA hard disks (For RAID 5)
Motherboard with nForce 4 Chipset and secondary SATA RAID 5 Controller

As you can see, without peripheral devices, this is going to cost an absolute fortune! However since I can't afford this lil' lot yet, I'm tempted to buy a Radeon X800GT from my local PC shop to keep me going for a few months. However I'm not sure if this is a wise move as far as money goes. My theory is that when I can afford my new system, those components will be cheaper anyway. My current system which the Radeon (if I do go for it) will go into is:

AMD Barton 2800+
1GB PC2700 Kingston ValueRAM
nVidia GeForce FX 5700
nForce 2 Chipset.

So, is it worth my upgrading the graphics card in this system to tide me over until I have the money to buy a new PC or would it be better for me to save my money?

 

[Crowze]

I didn't think the X800GT comes in AGP flavour. I'd reccommend going for a 6600 GT to tide you over.

 

[rattyocaster]

Hmm...well I've managed to track down the AGP version, but out of the 256MB x800GT and the 128MB 6600GT, which would be the better card? or is there a 6600GT 256MB for around £150? I have to admit, finding this one x800GT card, I have become blinkered towards others so I'm open to suggestions between £130 and £150

 

[Rukee]

I`d save your money for a whole new platform upgrade. You can get by with what you have now, and the money will get you further when you do the platform as it will right now with an AGP video card, which will be junk when you do upgrade the platform, cause your going to want to go with PCI-e if you upgrade the platform, and you don`t want to spend a bunch of money and then have a high end AGP card and no-where to go with it.

 

[KJAX]

Or you can track this down:

http://www.asrockamerica.com/Products/939DSATA2.htm

A motherboard, the only mobo that supports an AGP and PCI-E.

I have the board and I love it.

 

[rattyocaster]

Well the thing is, the system I have now will act as a second gaming system, so as a result the graphics card would still be in use. Does this change anyone's perspective?

 

[[UM]theswarm]

Not really. You'll just have to use the newer system exclusively for a handful of games (Call of Duty 2 etc). Oh and go with the 4800+ X2 over the FX-57, no question there.

 

[Rukee]

the 4800 is overpriced for the extra 512mb Cache you get, unless you were doing huge amounts of music or video manipulating/editing, you prolly won`t see any performance diffrence between the 4800 and the 4600.
And I`d score these memory sticks instead of the Corsair....
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16820227210

 

[the recruit]

save for an entirly new system, thats what ive done, well, sorta... cheated and used me good mothers credit card details to order me:

asus a8n SLI Prememium motherboard
athlon 64 4000 san diego core
geforce 7800gt
new silent power supply
new dvd burner as my old one is borked

700 quid including deliverly and tax, spose i could of got it cheaper maybe, but when its on someone elses card...

definatly save and get the new platform tho, not worth laying out the cash on the agp card