Need advice on upgrade

[jq1810]

I am thinking about an upgrade, and am looking for some advice.

I currently have:
Intel core 2 duo E8400 @3.0Ghz
4 x 1GB Mushkin RAM
eVGA 780i MB

looking to get
AMD X3 740 will unlock 4th core
2 x 2GB G Skill ripjaw RAM
ASUS M4A88TD-V EVO

I will be using my GTX 460 and Velociraptor drive.

this upgrade will cost $350

do you think it is worth it?

[jlreich]

I would say getting a quad like a Q9550 for your existing system would be just about as good, minus moving into DRR3 territory. But it would cost you almost the same to do this, so yes you might as well do a core upgrade and get the added benefits of the latest tech such as DDR3, SATA III, and USB3.

Anther added benefit will be with the Q9550 you will be pretty much maxed out, but with the new core you will have room to grow with support for faster quads and six core CPU's.