upgrade AGP video card...

[Sion]

Here are my system basics:
Athlon XP 3200+ (no o/c)
GeForce 4200Ti
Gigabyte GA-7n400PRO/mcp-t
2x 512MB pc3200 corsair xms ram (dual channel).

I want to keep the motherboard, so going with PCIe is not an option (for this pc). But I would like to max out the system, given the motherboard. I've already got the fastest cpu that it will ever have (given that AMD isn't making any more AthlonXPs...) I could go to 2GB for the ram, but haven't found it necessary (yet).

I would like to upgrade the video though. Thing is... I don't want to get more video card than necessary. Basically, I want the minimum card that will make my system cpu dependent, if that makes sense. I don't want to get a card that's SO good that it'll go unutilized because I can never put a faster cpu in the system, and likewise, I don't want a card that isn't good enough, and lets the cpu take it easy.

So, what's a good card for this situation? I'm thinking Nvidia 6600GT. Or, should I go one better? Thanks for any advice...

[saphalline]

Budget?

Forcing CPU dependency is all about the level of gameplay. For instance, if you play UT 2004 at lower resolutions with tons of "smart" bots and high geometry details, then you'll be CPU dependent. Reason? Because your CPU will be spending so much time on AI and all those polygons that it will be sucked dry! Then again, if you play HL2 at high resolutions with AA and AF cranked up then you will be vid card dependent. Reason? Because your vid card will be spending all its time pumping out high-res frames that look really pretty!

An AthlonXP 3200+ is no slouch, even now. It's not the fastest on the block anymore, but it can keep up with the big boys just fine. If you want a vid card that will always force your CPU to be the bottleneck, then you're out of luck - it hasn't been released yet! And neither have the games. But if you want something that will push your system to graphical heights far beyond what it's capable of now, then lay down your cash for a GF 6800 GT or a Radeon X800 XT (or better). The GF 6600 GT will knock your current vid card out of the water, but the ones I mentioned will knock the 6600 GT out of the water.

[Sion]

Thanks for that advice. That makes sense. Next question: How long roughly, do you think I can wait for prices to drop before they go back up again? Now that the 7800 is out, prices for the 6800 and 6600gt are dropping. But once supply dries up, the prices will climb again. Any idea of this sort of timeline?

Long shot I know, but sometimes people know this stuff...

Thanks,

[saphalline]

Shelf life of a vid card is about 18 months. Roughly. It depends. The cheap ones ($150 and under) and the expensive ones ($400+) seem to last a good long while, between 18 and 24 months, before they go completely out. The mid-range ones don't seem to stick around any longer than 15-18 months. The price drop is at its lowest about a year or so after the initial release. After a year, the price can go up and/or the availability drops to nearly nothing. At that point, older vid cards live out a zombie-like existence in bargain bins, at prices that no longer reflect their performance (relative to the new vid cards). And of course the most expensive ones will never be worth the money after 9 months. Who wants a 256MB version of the GeForce FX 5900 Ultra these days?? No one who knows about vid cards...