Help me trick out my PC far beyond any reasonable need.

November 14, 2006 4:23 AM

What's the next upgrade I should perform on my PC?

I've got a pretty nice WinXP desktop that I'm itching to upgrade. It's a Pentium 4 3.0 ghz with 1 gig of RAM. 160 gig hard drive.

My geek-meter has just counted down to zero, and I'm dying to do an upgrade of some sort. It's not that the thing runs slow, and it's not that I'm playing Halflife - I'm mainly using it for web browsing and Office. I've just got the itching to trick it out a little bit.

My first inclination is a better video card - I'm using the onboard video port on the motherboard, which has 96 mb. Will I see a big performance jump if I, say, add an AGP card with 512 mb? Or do those things only benefit gamers?

Better sound card? I'm about to run the line out to a component stereo system with nice speakers. Would a top-line soundcard be worthwhile, or is there a point of diminishing audio returns when you're playing mp3s?

Should I channel this urge into a larger monitor? Still using a 15-inch LCD.

Or should I channel it into improving the laptop that's networked to it? (Toshiba Satellite, no empty SIMM slots, so I'm kinda at a loss on how to improve it)

posted by jbickers to computers & internet (13 comments total)

Will I see a big performance jump if I, say, add an AGP card with 512 mb? Or do those things only benefit gamers?

Those things only benefit gamers.

Should I channel this urge into a larger monitor? Still using a 15-inch LCD.

Yes! Your computer is already fast enough to do everything you want to do. The monitor is your only window into your computer, and upgrading it is almost always helpful. I recently upgraded to the Dell 2407FPW (24" wide screen) and it's unbelievably cool, especially for watching movies on.
posted by knave at 4:38 AM on November 14, 2006

Should I channel this urge into a larger monitor?

Yes.
posted by martinrebas at 4:53 AM on November 14, 2006

If you added a new video card you'd be able to run the new version of Windows: Vista which is due to be released in January 2007. This is, at least theoretically, meant to offer significant benefits in security etc to a user such as yourself (here is CNET's write-up). In your computer's current configuration I don't think you'll be able to due to the on-board video. If you're interested in going down the Vista route, more RAM might not hurt either.
posted by Mave_80 at 4:59 AM on November 14, 2006

A new, sexy, DX9 capable video card is what you'll want if you're going to take the plunge into Vista in January. A tricked out video card will do nothing to improve your desktop/office apps/video performance of Windows XP and is, indeed, only beneficial to gamers.

More RAM is always great, but I say this to you with over 15 open applications in my taskbar, and this being a light moment, just 8 tabs in Firefox. My mind works in parallel like that.

A better sound card is always good time, but you don't describe your existing sound card. The diminishing returns pile up fast, though Creative would love you to think otherwise. Their new X-Fi sound system is engineered specifically, if you'd hear them tell it, to allow you to actually listen to lower-encoded MP3 and WMA files without losing any quality. They claim to effectively recreate the lopped off frequencies by extrapolation, and I sampled it at CES 2006, and it sounds great, sure, but it depends on how much of an Audiophile you are. It will do something to improve your playback of regular MP3s, but if that something is worth $50-$75 on eBay for you is up to you. (It's actually way cheaper than I thought, and probably not a horrible idea.) Beware of Creative's drviers and software, though, they tend to bloat a bit; though they've gotten better as of late.)

If you're using an onboard video solution, PLEASE make certain you can output at a kickass monitor like the Dell 2405FPW (24") or 2005FPW (20.1") LCDs. Don't bother with the 2407 or 2007; they're the slightly newer editions and just have a slightly higher refresh rate/response time; not worth the extra hundred. People are unloading 2005 and 2405's like crazy on eBay—a 2005FPW is going for between $200 and $350, shipped, brand new, and I'm sitting in front of two of them to tell you it's absolutely amazing and makes using the computer *so* much nicer. And the nerd quotient is MUCH higher, since you see it and smile every time you sit down.

In fact, the more I think about it, the more I encourage a kick ass display solution. Preferably dual display, and look for a Radeon X850XT or something similar, NOT-PCI-X, that can dual-output, so you can two-birds, one stone it.

Enjoy!
posted by disillusioned at 5:00 AM on November 14, 2006

Go for the big monitor (bearing dissilusioned's points in mind re the capability of your on-board graphics). For Web browsing and Office, more screen real estate means greater productivity.

Alternatively, get yourself a graphics card with two (DVI) outputs and a couple of 19-inch monitors (DVI inputs) for a dual-screen setup. I use a setup like this, and it allows me to run Excel or Word on one screen and my browser or email client on another. No more minimising or flipping between windows whilst working.
posted by monkeyforest at 5:18 AM on November 14, 2006

Sounds like the only upgrade you need is to Firefox!
posted by uncballzer at 5:37 AM on November 14, 2006

Vista requires 1 Gig of Ram. You may want to upgrade to 2 if you are considering it.
posted by JJ86 at 5:53 AM on November 14, 2006

I second the comments above, but if, after you've completed your upgrade, you're still yearning to mix things up a bit, you might aim for a second OS -- either Linux or Mac OS X.

You can pick up a Mac Mini for half a grand, and a Linux install can be accomplished on your existing system. Obvious cons abound: Linux can be a time drain, and Mac OS can seduce you into a trouble-free existence that might make you despise your XP box. Still, sometimes a new OS is the best way to scratch the upgrade itch.
posted by Gordion Knott at 8:37 AM on November 14, 2006

I agree, a new monitor is the way to go. A new video card might be necessary to get the most out of a new monitor, but you could probably get away with spending $30-70, it would give you some Vista eyecandy too, but I'd guess you'll find yourself wanting a new computer before or shortly after an upgrade to Vista anyway.

The other thing I'd do is consider 2GB of memory.
posted by Good Brain at 8:49 AM on November 14, 2006

Yes, get a bigger monitor! if you're in the US, keep your eyes open for great "Black Friday" deals.
posted by wzcx at 9:07 AM on November 14, 2006

Since it sounds like you're perfectly content with how the machine runs, maybe it's time for some tactile or aesthetic improvements. Plenty of other people have said 'monitor,' so how about some really nice input devices? Wireless laser mouse, maybe? Or, if you're into this kind of stuff, there are always case mods.
posted by box at 10:50 AM on November 14, 2006

Get a huge monitor. Nothing makes me happier (computer-wise) than dual 19-inch LCDs at work. It's like trading in those tiny desks you had in grade school for a large executive desk. You have room to spread your stuff out, work on multiple documents at the same time, etc.
posted by chrisamiller at 11:20 AM on November 14, 2006

Definitely get a huge monitor, but another good option would be to install a SATA II PCI card and configure two drives in RAID 0. The geek quotient is a little higher than just swapping out the display.
posted by sockpup at 7:58 PM on November 14, 2006