Advice on system

Hello guys,

This is not an urgent matter, but I'd like to know a couple of things before I waste big bucks on a stupid mistake. Anyhow, I'm not a gamer in the sense that I only play one game Splinter Cell Chaos Theory MP Versus mode. But I do play that game a lot (it's quite addicting).

Now my system is a Dell I purchased perhaps two or three years ago. The CPU is a 2.4 GHz Pentium 4, 1 GB of ram, and the video card was (it broke down recently) a 9800pro. Someone recommended getting an x1600pro 512 MB as a replacement for that but the card failed to show any improvement over the 9800pro and I was expecting some since the card cost 200 bucks.

I decided that I was going to return this card and buy a 9800pro of off newegg at 90 bucks. Only after it got shipped did I notice that it was refurbished, and I have never had any experience with refurbished items. Another thing is that a friend who plays the same game says that it runs just as good on his x1300 as it did on my 9800pro.

Either way I don't know who to believe on what, so I'm looking on your advice on this matter. I can’t upgrade anything else right now, only the video card, and I can only spend up to 200 or so. Anyway, I just want to know what will push only up to the limits of my system so I don’t waste money. My choices are either to return the 9800 back to newegg on account of it being refurbished and pay a 15% restocking while keeping the x1600pro, or I could return the x1600pro but be unsure how long the 9800pro will last seeing as I’ve never had any experience with refurbished items.

Thanks