Should i upgrade or get a new one?

I don't know much about hardware, pc-building etc so here goes.

I have:

AMD Athlon(tm) 64 X2 Dual Core Processor 3800+
NVIDIA GeForce 6600 GT
A8N-SLI DELUXE
2 gb ram
no sound card
Samsung SyncMaster 913v

I want:

- New monitor
I am thinking of SAMSUNG 2253BW Any other suggestions? 200 - 240 euros sound enough
Any suggestions for a "full hd" monitor or however they are called? (ofc not for 240)

- New gfx card (!)
No idea what i should buy here. ~190 to ~250 euros on this so make 2 suggestions if there is nothing undeniably great in between. Interested in playing all the games i've missed on high detail graphics :]
(if i _should_ spent more money on this tell me)

- Sound Card
I have Logitech z5500. Difference between the onboard sound card and an actual sound card would be felt, right? Don't know how much i should spent on this but 50-60 euros sounds enough to me.

Or should I:

Buy a new PC? q:E Suggestions are welcome if that's the case.


ps: Feel free to give general thoughts on this, anything to make the best long-term decision. (edit: compatibility, price/quality, links with info, double gfx cards, _anything_ that might remotely help is most welcome)

 

I have a similar machine, except my mobo is an A8N-E. This is still upgradeable IMO, only thing that I can talk about is the sound card. Look at the Creative X-Fi Fatal!ty which should be in your price range. I have the Z5300 5.1 speakers and with that sound card, the sound is really improved over the onboard audio.

Since you can also afford a very good video card, I would check the PSU if it's adequate for what you need. Probably best would be a 2.0 12V EPS at 600W name brand power supply like Antec, Thermaltake etc. Also, once you do decide to go to a new machine, you can move the upgrades over.

BTW, I'm not a gamer but I don't see one needing a quad machine any time soon. Of course, I can be totally wrong!

 

Just to put in my ten-penneth, I completely agree with augiedoggie regarding your power supply. No point having the gear without having the power. You can just build around it.

I use the Creative X-Fi XtremeGamer with Altec Lansing 5.1, and there is a vast difference between now and my previous inboard sound card. Not only is the overall sound quality better, but Creative bundle their soundcards with nifty software that allows you to tune your listening experience accross three different modes (game, entertainment, audio creation)

http://uk.europe.creative.com/produ...product=15853&nav=artwork&ucmsid=true&listby=

The Samsung 2253BW is an excellent monitor, with 2ms response it is superb for gaming. Full HD resolution isn't so important, it's just a current buzzword which everyone likes to say. 1680x1050 resolution is perfect for a 22", any more and it makes your graphics card work harder.

For your graphics card, have a look at the 8800 GTX. It's a great card, but it's a whopper, make sure your case will let it fit with some breathing space (for sound card)

BTW what OS and RAM have you got?

 

Thanks for the suggestions.
I don't know what ram i got but i have no problems with it under xp. I might upgrade it later.

For now i'll look in for

8800 GTX
Creative X-Fi Fatal!ty (the other one looks a bit expensive)
Samsung 2253BW
I think i have 500W psu but i'll see what i have and what i need when i finalize what i'll get.

Any more thoughts, anyone? q:E