Last Upgrade for an old AGP soldier.

[Steebles]

Hi everybody!

Just popping in to ask if you all think this is a viable upgrade. I will not have the money for a new PC for another year or so, and would like to extend the life of my current machine in order to play some current games. (Not expecting to get Crysis or anything of that caliber running, but would like to play Mass Effect 1 & 2, and possibly some of the newer MMOs. I can currently run mass effect on low settings, but it is just barely playable.)

My current rig is:

P4 2.6 Ghz Single Core
1.5 GB RAM
2x 80GB HDD
22x Dual Layer DVDRW
Windows 7 32MB
BFG GeForce 7800 GS OC 256MB
Abit IS7-E Mobo
430W PSU

Basically, there are some good deals running at a shop near me, and I could upgrade to 4GB of RAM total, and an HIS 1GB Radeon HD4670 AGP. The total cost of the upgrade will be about 200 dollars. My question is - will the card have a significant bottleneck at the processor? Even if - my assumption is that it is still a significant jump in terms of GPU capability, and that combined with an extra 2.5GB of RAM will at least give me enough juice to run some current games and a mid-range resolution.

Am I way off base here? I fully understand that transitioning to a new PC is best - but I will be building my next one with a long term upgrade path, and am going to spend quite a bit, which is not currently in budget.

Thoughts on the upgrade?

Thanks!

[123456]

Save up... that PC won't get much better. Besides, I think most P4 mobos were limited up to 2GB RAM. A 7800 is a great card for that system and there isn't much point to upgrade such an old system with that processor and slow (by nowaday's standards) RAM.

[rond36]

I can't see putting money into a PC that old either, but if it is something that you need to do, do it!

Your motherboard specs. (http://www.abit.com.tw/page/uk/motherboard/motherboard_detail.php?pMODEL_NAME=IS7-E&fMTYPE=Socket 478&pPRODINFO=Specifications&fSEARCHTEXT=IS7-E)

Your board will support 4GB (max) of DDR400 (PC-3200) duel channel and AGP 8X/4X (0.8V/1.5V).

It also supports Intel Pentium 4 Socket 478 processors(Prescott and Northwood) with 800/533/400 MHz FSB

Is your processor a P4 northwood "A" 400MHz FSB or a P4 northwood "C" 800MHz FSB? If it is a northwood "B" with a 533MHz FSB it would be 2.66GHz because they didn't make 2.6GHz

In addition to the memory and videocard this Intel Pentium 4 Prescott 3.0GHz 1MB L2 Cache Socket 478 84W Single-Core Desktop Processor (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819116027) may help extend the life of your PC.

If you decide to change the processor don't forget to get some Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835100007)

Intel Pentium 4 530 Prescott 3.0GHz 1MB L2 Cache Socket 478 84W Single-Core Desktop Processor - OEM
Socket 478 processors do not have a processor number!

If you are going to buy that processor contact Newegg and confirm that it is a socket 478 processor because the Pentium 4 530 is an LGA775 processor and will not fit the socket on your motherboard!
In the photo you can read that it is a SL8JZ and tell by the heat spreader that it is a socket 478 processor (http://www.newegg.com/Product/ImageGallery.aspx?CurImage=19-116-027-S01&SCList=19-116-027-S01&S7ImageFlag=2&Item=N82E16819116027&Depa=0&WaterMark=1&Description=Intel%20Pentium%204%20530%20Prescott%2 03.0GHz%20Socket%20478%2084W%20Single-Core%20Desktop%20Processor%20Model%20NE80546PG0801 M)
SL8JZ = Intel Pentium 4 (Prescott) 3.0GHz 1MB L2 Cache Socket 478 (http://processorfinder.intel.com/Details.aspx?sSpec=sl8jz)
SL7L4 is another Intel Pentium 4 (Prescott) 3.0GHz 1MB L2 Cache Socket 478
SL7J6 = Intel Pentium 4 530 (Prescott) 3.0GHz 1MB L2 Cache Socket LGA775 (http://processorfinder.intel.com/details.aspx?sSpec=SL7J6)
SL7KK is also a Pentium 4 530 (Prescott) 3.0GHz 1MB L2 Cache Socket LGA775

[hackerballs]

Your Pc will only "see" 3 gigs as it's 32 bit. But for sure go for it and buy 4 gigs RAM (2 x 2g) and that video card sucks........buy Ati 3850 AGP........for sure the best video card out there for AGP....light years ahead of the old 7800.....and yes....you could play Crysis with it also. In fact if you buy that AGP card (3850) and RAM you can paly most any game you like.....not on extreme, but good settings

[Cuc Tu]

your current rig IS my upgrade, considering my same long term plans.

pocket that money...

[Steebles]

Thanks for the input everyone.

After shopping around for possible new PC builds, it looks like I may wait till the end of the year to build a new one, when socket 1366 is a little more affordable. This makes purchasing the upgrade a little more viable now.

So, I'm headed up to my local Micro Center to pick up the card and some more RAM. Luckily, this store has a very lenient return policy, so if I get everything installed and I don't care for the upgrade, I can always return it.