Expert Advice Appreciated!- New Processor vs New Ram vs New Graphics Card

[Diaa]

Hey guys, I visit this forum all the time, and I love the community that has been set up. This will be my first post. Thanks in advance!


I run a small graphics design business, so I am always doing high-resolution Photoshop and coding work. Also, I am an avid gamer and would like to keep up with some of the new games that are coming out (like UT3 and Crysis).

My current build does me well, though it chugs every now and then (especially during graphics work). I have been debating whether an upgrade to one or more of my components is due.

I currently have a PC with this setup:

Running Windows XP X64 edition
(1) Radeon X850 XT
(2) Gigs Corsair DDR ram
Asus 8AN-Sli Deluxe Mobo
10,000 rpm 80 gig Raptor Drive (Windows and games on this Drive)
7,000 rpm 250 gig Drive (For file storage)
1.81Ghz AMD Athalon Processor *
Logitec Z-5300e 5.1 THX 5.1 Surround System

My question is:

Will I see significant results if I upgrade to this Processor: AMD Athlon 64 2.6GHz (is it worth the price considering my current set up), or should I wait to see what is coming out next?
(Here is a link to the sale)

Or, would I be better off getting 2 more gigs of ram or another Radeon X850 XT graphics card instead?

In case this is relevant:
I have been considering getting a new hard drive (I am almost maxed out) and a new monitor (my current 19'' to a 20'' or 21'').


Thank again!

 

[Ronnie]

well the 5200+ is and AM2 skt, so you wont be able to use it without a complete new system

 

[Blitersety]

You should definitely upgrade the processor. I don't think you'll need to double your RAM unless you're really running a lot of programs at once. The 939-pin processors are obsolete but you can likely still find one at newegg.com. If you can afford it and your motherboard supports it, adding a second graphics card always improves performance, but if you've got a slow processor that will hold you back.

 

[Diaa]

Ok I see that the mobo only supports Socket 939.

Do you guys think I should wait to upgrade my motherboard and processor at once, or should I go for an upgraded Socket 939 processor now?


What do you think of these, or do you recommend another?


AMD Opteron 185 Denmark 2.6GHz 2 x 1MB L2 Cache Socket 939 Dual Core Processor

AMD Athlon 64 FX-57 San Diego 2.8GHz 1MB L2 Cache Socket 939 Processor

AMD Athlon 64 X2 4600+ Toledo 2.4GHz 2 x 512KB L2 Cache Socket 939 Processor


Thanks for all of the help, and the quick responses!