Two possible computer upgrades - what to do?

[digitaloracle]

My options:
1.) Buy a 6600GT now and have zero disposable funds, but get an immeadiate 30-40% boost in video performance (currently have an X600) and buy a gig of ram later
2.)The opposite and have much more disposable funds
3.)The heck with it! 512MB and an X600 are fine. Wait and buy a better machine next time

I am leaning on the first option, but am wondering if video card prices tend to drop rapidly (so that wait 1.5 months would make a noticable difference in performance per dollar). The boost would likely be a lot more than the ram, but it costs nearly twice as much.

BTW, I'm looking at a Leadtek 6600GT. It took top honors at anandtech, but I have never had a leadtek and they sound like a cheapish company. Can anyone vouch for or against then?

 

[DJ-CHRIS]

yeah leadtek are one of the top

I vote for option #3, the x600Pro is OK for now

 

[aj2003]

if i were you i would just get the extra stick of ram for now, u will notice the speed increase from 512 to 1gig, i know i did.

then save ur money cos the x600 will do u for now. i mean it wont last u long but it shoild do u for the year, then buy a nice higher end card

 

[diabloII]

wait and buy a better machine

i have a leadtek

 

[Him]

You got some of the dough, throw another stick of RAM in.Or, if you're mobo supports it, get a kit and go dual channel. I wouldnt invest in a new card, as everyone before me said, an X600 will do youfor now. I have a FX5600, and it works great for me. The x600 is way better than my card too. If money is an issue, dont go for the 6600.

 

[digitaloracle]

I wouldn't consider not going dual channel. I am running it now with 2x256. My major problem with my video card, aside from it's perforamance (30FPS in UT2k4 on 1152x864??), is that id does not support two monitors. It is a dual head card, but lacks another VGA port. It can output to component, composite, or s-video tho, in adittion to DVI. But a converter would cost me almost as much as a new card...

 

[Him]

A DVI to VGA converter? Man, those things are a dime a dozen. Maybe not that cheap, but not more than $10.

 

[Raekwon]

yeah, they're not expensive at all.

30Fps at 1152x8864??!. with my setup, and an UNDERCLOCKED Ti4200 (320/400) i get about 60-70fps on 1280x1024! i mean, what cpu and ram are you running? the X600Pro is far better than the Ti4200. and i have a celeron 2.4ghz... it doesnt really make much sense. this is with highest detail by the way.

 

[digitaloracle]

I was playing the demo, highest detail it allows, and I have a 3Ghz P4, 512MB dual channel ram, and the video card. FRAPS reports 30ish FPS. My computer benchmarks fine with aquamark, so there shouldn't be much of an overall issue... I'll work on it.

And what I meant for converter was a composite/s-video/component to VGA converter, not a DVI one.

 

[Sport1031]

combine #1 and #2

That will be the best. But then the money factor comes in. Damn money.