buy a new motherboard or just the graphicscard

Hello,

I want to upgrade my system, from a MSI 845PE Max the middle board in this table P4 2,4GhZ, Ati Radeon 9800Pro. Is it worth the difference to upgrade to a new mainboard which supports pci-express like this ASUS board and a new processor and a new graphicscard, or would do a new AGP graphicscard and a new processor will do just fine in my old MSI motherboard?

thanks!
Tipsko

 

This question really depends on your goals for the system and money you wish to spend. I don't know enough about PCI Express to give you "true" advice. However, the new technology should usher in a new form factor. Personally, I would wait for the new form factor motherboards to come out. I wouldn't buy a hybrid system.

Currently, you are considering the following path:

ATX Form Factor > ATX/PCI Express Hybrid > New "PCI Express" Form Factor

The middle step increases the cost of your system upgrade.

 

Intel Statement within their document WhatisPCIExpress.pdf

 

PCI-e is just a faster socket to stick you video card into,at the moment agp x8 is fast enough for all the lastest video cards,if your gettin a new mobo pci-e is the way to because all the new video cards use, and the overall platform is faster,the main reason people dont all buy pci-e mobo's is because they have already invested in an agp card.

If your willing to buy a new cpu and card,you can get a pci express card,the new socket intel cpu,then all the extra you have to spend is on a mobo,say $100 and you have all top of the line stuff.Go agp and old intel and your stuck with them untill you upgrade your entire system.

 

You already have a decent VC, and what you are talking about is basically a new comp. Is the system no longer capable? I'm assuming you are running a 2.4 B, with 533 FSB. You should be able to overclock that chip to close to 3 gig with stock cooling, and no sisgnificant increase in temps. A new system will give you more, but at a big cost. Personally, I would wait, as you have a decent system, until the "next big thing", comes along.