ideas on upgrade path?

[ironzombie99]

My current pc, home built...this was built early 2007

Case: RAIDMAX SMILODON ATX612WB Black ATX case

CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo E6400 2.13GHz LGA 775 Dual Core Processor

Mobo:BIOSTAR TForce965PT LGA 775 Intel P965 Express ATX

HDD: Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 320GB SATA HHD

RAM: OCZ Gold 512MB DDR2 800 (PC6400) * 3 = 1.5GB

VID: Sapphire Radeon X1950XT 256MB 256-bit PCI Express x16

PSU: ENERMAX Noisetaker II 485W SLI Ready, Crossfire Ready

OS: Windows 7 Ultimate 32Bit

Other: Have monitor(s), DVD-RW drive, a sound card, speakers, and I/O devices.

PC Use: Gaming, web browsing, code writing

Goals: Decent gaming performance, not looking for top of the line components as I am primarily a console gamer. I would like to either be able to handle diablo 3 and starcraft 2 when they are released or at least have a simple upgrade path at that time to allow me to play them when ever they get released. I mainly play RTS/turn based strategy games with a single player RPG or FPS thrown in here and there. I was playing sins of a solar empire over the weekend and towards the end of my game the game started to get really sluggish. At the moment my monitors only support 1280*1024 resolution (17" lcd's) which I am not looking to upgrade right now because I prefer the standard screen to widescreen monitors.

Budget: <800 and if possible I would like to be in the 600 range

[pam123]

edit : If you're sticking with Intel then this processor : http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16819115131

This motherboard : http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813131639

Get your ram from the motherboard's qvl list, your choice, though newegg is recommending this and the price for 4GBs is OK : http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820231277

but that assumes that you will over clock so you may want to dial it back to 1333

Video card : http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814102878

should handle anything you throw at it for the next 2 years.

Change to Win7 64 bit, you should have that option, unless you have some crucial programs that won't make the switch.

[ironzombie99]

That was close that what I was thinking about. The problem is my copy of Windows 7 came from an academic license when I was still in school and at the time all they had was the 32bit copy. Because of their licensing with Microsoft they gave the two discs out seperately and since they were out of the 64bit i lucked out.

It it is a must then I can grab a copy of win 7 home premium 64bit from newegg for 99 at the moment.

[ironzombie99]

I dont know if the motherboard is PCI express x16 2.0. I think I remembered reading that they ere backwards compatible but will that effect performance with a single video card system?

[pam123]

Yes the pci express is backward compatible and the motherboard, edited post, will allow you to keep the older processor and ram, if you so desire but I made the edit because you'll have fewer constraints with the new suggestions.
That means you're as future proof as possible.

64 bit will shortly be the only real option so, if you're going to buy the OEM version, you might as well make the motherboard/ram switch at the same time.

[glc]

I would keep your current motherboard and processor, and get the video card Pam recommended and get a 2x2gb kit of DDR2-800 ram for it. When you need a faster processor, then do a mobo/CPU/ram swap and reuse the new video card. I would not buy a new socket 775 motherboard.

[ironzombie99]

If I do what glc recommends, should I go for the 5830 that Pam123 listed or would it be worthwhile to move up to a 5850? There is roughly about a $60-$70 dollar price difference between the two cards depending on where you look and the manufacturer. Last time I checked tomshardware, I couldn't find a chart that had the 5830 so it made comparisons between the two difficult.

[pam123]

The 5830 is the most recent of ATI's mid-level cards so it may not be on the charts yet.
The 5850 is the more powerful and if that's an option for you then take it.