System Longevity...

[Strikr]

You could either update the motherboard and CPU or just buy a AM2+ quad core.

 

[trekkie00]

Thanks for all your help - some good insights.

I'm very leery about buying a new motherboard - at some point, I plan on building a much higher powered computer that will probably use an i7 or its replacement chip, and would hate to spend $300 now that I could easily put towards this.

But, I graduate in a few years, and if games should probably stay playable with lower settings, I'll probably be able to hold out on this computer until I can free up more funds.

 

[CalcProgrammer1]

If you plan on buying an i7 then don't waste any money on your current build. If you're serious about upgrading your current build go for it, but if you want a completely new one just live with the current one for a year or two. You know I lived with an outdated build for 3 years, I didn't upgrade it because there was no use putting money into a PC that had no more potential and I knew it would be much better to wait until I had enough to buy a good new PC. It took a while but it definitely paid off.

Plus your current build is godly compared to my old PC, your current build should have no problems with many modern games (you know Team Fortress 2 is fun, admit it).

 

[Trotter]

AMD Athlon 64 X2 6000+
$55

AMD PHENOM QUAD CORE CPU 9500 2.2GHz AM2+
$75

Those would be your best bets for CPUs. And you could always upgrade your graphics with the only limit being your budget.