Who wants 2 help me buy new Computer

Fishzn · Post by **Fishzn** » 08 Jun 2003, 18:54

Hi Guys
 
 Ne Way i´m planning to buy a new a computer in the next month or so so i need some help on what to buy of course there is a budget of R5500
 This is what i intend on getting:
 
 AMD 2500+ Xp Cpu(Barton)
 Gigabyte GA-7VAX A Motherboard
 Liquidsilver 256 DDR 333 Ram
 80 Gig Maxtor 7200rpm HDD
 Leadtek Geforce FX 5200 128 MB DDR with TV Output
 Liquidsilver ATX case (Silver/black-R369)
 BenQ or Aopen 17" Monitor (Black)
 Sony Stiffy Drive (Black)
 Sony 16X DVD-ROM (Black)
 Aopen Mouse (Optical)
 Aopen Keyboard (or anything similar priced)
 
 The monitor and DVD rom can be left out.
 Now can someone please tell me where i should be able to buy this stuff without busting the budget. I even willing to buy each component from different stores. One catch though i live in Durban, so it must be from a store which delivers at a relatively low cost. Can anybody please help or even better this system just keep in mind the budget. I´d appreciate it even more if u could reply with prices. Feel freeeeee to e-mail me at <a href="mailto:fishzn@webmail.co.za">fishzn@webmail.co.za</a>
 Thanx Guys.
 
 
 --------------------
 The F!$(-)Y One
 
 The Difference between
 DREAMS & ACCOMPLISHMENTS
 is DESIRE
 What do U Want....

Archie · Post by **Archie** » 08 Jun 2003, 20:37

AMD 2500+ Xp Cpu (Barton): R895.00 (Cyberdyne Systems)
 Gigabyte GA-7VAXA Motherboard: R1082.73 (Buy Computers)
 Liquidsilver 256 DDR 333 Ram: R310.00 (Computers Only)
 80 Gig Maxtor 7200rpm HDD: R918.02 (Buy Computers)
 Leadtek GeForce FX 5200 128 MB DDR with TV Output: R1275.52 (Buy Computers)
 Sony 16X DVD-ROM (Black): R476.00 (Buy Computers) Total......R4957.27
 
 I could not hep you with Keyboard, Mouse, Stiffy and Monitor.( i never looked for a monitor)
 
 <A HREF="http://www.cyberdyne.co.za" TARGET="_blank"> Cyberdyne Systems </A>.....<A HREF="http://www.buycomputers.co.za" TARGET="_blank"> Buy Computers </A>.....<A HREF="http://www.computersonly.co.za" TARGET="_blank"> Computers Only </A>

Fishzn · Post by **Fishzn** » 08 Jun 2003, 21:02

Yo thanx so much Archie you just tailor-made a computer to my exact needs. Only thing i need from there is a cool case which i will mod. <IMG SRC="images/forum/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif">

NinjaTic · Post by **NinjaTic** » 08 Jun 2003, 21:27

Hey Fish Boy, send SnowMonkey a private message, he´s a dealer with Rectron, maybe he give you good deal, yes-no?
 
 I see you a student in Durban! Me too! where you at? I´m at UND.

Archie · Post by **Archie** » 08 Jun 2003, 21:34

What exactly are you looking for?? You only said Liquid Silver case. There are a few at <A HREF="http://www.computersonly.co.za" TARGET="_blank"> Computers Only </A>
 
 _________________
 SPIKED!!!
 
 [ Edited by Archie On Date June 08, 2003 ] [ Edited by Archie On Date June 08, 2003 ]

Screeper · Post by **Screeper** » 08 Jun 2003, 22:16

sheesh there´s a sight to many durbanites around here, i´m one as well, and i´m at UND <IMG SRC="images/forum/smilies/icon_razz.gif">
 
 Domination <IMG SRC="images/forum/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif">
 
 oh and Fishzn nice pc ur getting
 /me = jealous
 btw if u´re gonna mod ur case don´t get a really cool one cos u won´t wanna cut holes in it, u´ll just sit there and stroke it occassionally <IMG SRC="images/forum/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif">
 also u might wanna think about another 256 of ddr333 cos if ur running XP then its gonna eat ram
 [ Edited by Screeper On Date June 08, 2003 ] [ Edited by Screeper On Date June 08, 2003 ]

NinjaTic · Post by **NinjaTic** » 08 Jun 2003, 22:19

What ya studying Screeper? Howz exams going. I´ve got 4 left!

NinjaTic · Post by **NinjaTic** » 08 Jun 2003, 22:20

When it comes to choosing a graphics card, tread lightly, it´s not an easy choice!
 
 You need to speak to SquattingDog. He´s the new fundy on graphics cards at the moment.
 
 From what he´s told me (and what I´ve read), the new Radeon full series of cards should be here any day now. The 9000 and 9200 are avaliable for about R1200 and R1500 respectively (not 100% sure on accuracy of prices). There is also the 9200 Pro, the 9500, 9500 Pro, 9700, 9700 Pro, and the flagship card; the 9800 Pro (about R4000).
 
 The nVidia range is also as confusing! There is the MX range as well as well as the Ti4200, Ti4400, and the Ti4800 (an 8X AGP version of the Ti4400). All three are very good cards ranging from about R1600 to about R2500. The new nVidia FX range is quite misleading (as was the GeForceMX cards). Although the FX5200 bears the FX name, the only real pro it has is that it´s DX9 complient. It sells for around R1300. Other than that, it´s pretty slow, and has been dubbed the MX of the FX range.
 
 Go check out Toms Hardware <A HREF="http://www6.tomshardware.com/graphic/index.html" TARGET="_blank">here</A> for more benchmarks and info on the various cards.
 
 DX9 will be important for future games, but speed may be more of an issue. I would recommend the GeForce Ti4200 (as I´m sure Snowy would as well), as it provides the best value for money at this moment in time. Or you can wait for the prices to drop!
 
 Your choice!
 Have fun deciding. <IMG SRC="images/forum/smilies/icon_cool.gif">
 
 _________________
 Member to the Sacred Realm of the PUBIC KNIGHTS! [ Edited by NinjaTic On Date June 08, 2003 ]

Screeper · Post by **Screeper** » 08 Jun 2003, 22:28

i´m post-grad, doing honours in Classics and a tad of Philosophy on the side.
 
 so anyone wanting to know the meaning of life feel free to ask <IMG SRC="images/forum/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif">
 
 And u Ninja

NinjaTic · Post by **NinjaTic** » 08 Jun 2003, 22:53

2nd year Electronic engineering.
 
 If I have some questions about why we´re here, and where we´re going and stuff, I´ll let you know! <IMG SRC="images/forum/smilies/icon_lol.gif">

SnowMonkey · Post by **SnowMonkey** » 09 Jun 2003, 12:55

<TABLE BORDER=0 ALIGN=CENTER WIDTH=85%><TR><TD>Quote:<HR></TD></TR><TR><TD><BLOCKQUOTE>
 On 2003-06-08 18:54, Fishzn wrote:
 Hi Guys
 
 Ne Way i´m planning to buy a new a computer in the next month or so so i need some help on what to buy of course there is a budget of R5500
 This is what i intend on getting:
 
 AMD 2500+ Xp Cpu(Barton)
 Gigabyte GA-7VAX A Motherboard
 Liquidsilver 256 DDR 333 Ram
 80 Gig Maxtor 7200rpm HDD
 Leadtek Geforce FX 5200 128 MB DDR with TV Output
 Liquidsilver ATX case (Silver/black-R369)
 BenQ or Aopen 17" Monitor (Black)
 Sony Stiffy Drive (Black)
 Sony 16X DVD-ROM (Black)
 Aopen Mouse (Optical)
 Aopen Keyboard (or anything similar priced)
 
 The monitor and DVD rom can be left out.
 Now can someone please tell me where i should be able to buy this stuff without busting the budget. I even willing to buy each component from different stores. One catch though i live in Durban, so it must be from a store which delivers at a relatively low cost. Can anybody please help or even better this system just keep in mind the budget. I´d appreciate it even more if u could reply with prices. Feel freeeeee to e-mail me at <a href="mailto:fishzn@webmail.co.za">fishzn@webmail.co.za</a>
 Thanx Guys.
 
 
 --------------------
 The F!$(-)Y One
 
 The Difference between
 DREAMS & ACCOMPLISHMENTS
 is DESIRE
 What do U Want....
 </BLOCKQUOTE></TD></TR><TR><TD><HR></TD></TR></TABLE>
 
 AMD 2500+ Xp Cpu(Barton) = R1072
 Gigabyte GA-7VAX A Motherboard = R1053
 Transcend 256 DDR 333 Ram = R390
 80 Gig Maxtor 7200rpm HDD 8Mb cache = R1085
 Leadtek Geforce FX 5200 128 MB DDR with TV Output = R1298
 Aopen Black Tower ATX Chassis -P4-300W -Front USB+Audio - power surge protection = R518
 Aopen 17" Monitor (Black & Silver) = R1428
 Aopen Stiffy Drive (Black) = R98
 Aopen 16X DVD-ROM (Black) = R481
 Logitech Mouse (Optical) = R175
 Aopen Keyboard (or anything similar priced) = R72
 
 Total = R7625
 Aopen 17" (white) = R1196 <IMG SRC="images/forum/smilies/icon_mad.gif">

Screeper · Post by **Screeper** » 09 Jun 2003, 15:34

ouch! as Snowmonkey illustrated with his ideas its climbing above the 5k mark pretty easily
 
 I still think u need 512 of ddr333 for win xp but then again what would u remove from ur list of items.
 
 ooo the trials and tribulations of building a pc. Unlimited wants with limited resources *sigh*
 [ Edited by Screeper On Date June 09, 2003 ]

SnowMonkey · Post by **SnowMonkey** » 09 Jun 2003, 15:44

Yep its rather expensive but don´t forget he wants a fancy 17" moniter DVD drive. If your budget is realy tight then you don´t buy fancy Black and silver moniters. If you take the system with a White coloured moniter I can drop the price buy R500.
 Interrested drop me a line <a href="mailto:snowmonkey@absamail.co.za">snowmonkey@absamail.co.za</a>
 
 Cheers. <IMG SRC="images/forum/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif">

SquattingDog · Post by **SquattingDog** » 09 Jun 2003, 15:45

Currently I would not buy any of the new ATI cards, not even the 9800PRO, it runs a tad hot,..if you know what i mean.
 
 The only ATI cards I would prefer 2 you is the 9500PRO and 9700PRO, they are a bit out of your price range by the look of things. But, there´s a silver lining in the dark cloud.
 
 The Ti4200 is a great card 2 buy at this moment, the only problem is that it doesn´t support DirectX9. Now you have 2 ask yourself, do I spend less now, or do I spend more now for the future. <IMG SRC="images/forum/smilies/icon_confused.gif">
 
 I´m going 2 buy myself an ATI9700PRO by the end of the month, the reason i´m not buying the 9800PRo is very simple, I don´t like new stuff. It´s like cars,... the new models always have something that´s either a factory problem or a production problem, and the 9700PRO has been on the market for quit a while.
 
 I think you should go for the 5200FX or the 9200PRO or non PRO. Go 2 <A HREF="http://www.tomshardware.com" TARGET="_blank">THG</A> and see for yourself, ask more and you´ll receive more.Aaight <IMG SRC="images/forum/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif">

SnowMonkey · Post by **SnowMonkey** » 09 Jun 2003, 15:56

Some more options.
 
 GIGABYTEÂ® nForce2 IGP(GeForce 4Mx) Athlon M/B - AC97-6CH,LAN, ATA133, 1xAGP(8x),5xPCI,4xDDR,ATX,USB 2.0 = R1689
 
 LeadtekÂ® nVidia GeForce 4 Titanium 4200-8x (NV28) GPU AGP 8X Graphics 128MB DDR (3.6ns) - DirectX 8 = R1300
 
 Swop and change as you please.

LordRage · Post by **LordRage** » 09 Jun 2003, 19:18

I am at UND too... COMP SCI 1st Year!!

Fishzn · Post by **Fishzn** » 09 Jun 2003, 20:23

Whazzup Ppl
 Da help i´ve received is great and now i´ve seen the error of my <a href="mailto:ways@snowmonkey.">ways@snowmonkey.</a> I guess i was blinded by all the cool systems i´ve seen in the past couple of months. Anyway i have taken into consideration all this help given to me and will inform yoll on my decision soon. No offense at Snowy but certain prices of ur´s are a tad expensive but that mayB due to the quality hopefully. And guyz yoll mizundastood when i said i´m a student, i´m one still at school but hopefully one at UND next year when i study Comp Science. <IMG SRC="images/forum/smilies/icon_smile.gif">
 Will keep in Touch
 Peace Out 4 Now
 FISHY <IMG SRC="images/forum/smilies/icon_cool.gif">

SnowMonkey · Post by **SnowMonkey** » 09 Jun 2003, 20:30

Its cool, I probably could have gotten stuff cheaper but then I´ll have to shop around and I´m lazy too so it up to you. <IMG SRC="images/forum/smilies/icon_cool.gif">

Fishzn · Post by **Fishzn** » 09 Jun 2003, 20:44

<TABLE BORDER=0 ALIGN=CENTER WIDTH=85%><TR><TD>Quote:<HR></TD></TR><TR><TD><BLOCKQUOTE>
 On 2003-06-09 20:30, SnowMonkey wrote:
 Its cool, I probably could have gotten stuff cheaper but then I´ll have to shop around and I´m lazy too so it up to you. <IMG SRC="images/forum/smilies/icon_cool.gif">
 
 </BLOCKQUOTE></TD></TR><TR><TD><HR></TD></TR></TABLE>
 
 Hey man i said i meant no offense so don´t be lazy help a brother out. Thanx for that Quote but it bust my budget quite badly, pleez don´t think i´m just getting yoll guyz to do the dirty work for me cos i´ve been doing a fair amount of looking myself and i have been able to come up with a good system. I just needed the advice of people with my interests in mind(hopefully) since yoll share similar interests. <IMG SRC="images/forum/smilies/icon_rolleyes.gif">

naughty · Post by **naughty** » 11 Jun 2003, 01:10

<TABLE BORDER=0 ALIGN=CENTER WIDTH=85%><TR><TD>Quote:<HR></TD></TR><TR><TD><BLOCKQUOTE>I´m going 2 buy myself an ATI9700PRO by the end of the month, the reason i´m not buying the 9800PRo is very simple, I don´t like new stuff. It´s like cars,... the new models always have something that´s either a factory problem or a production problem, and the 9700PRO has been on the market for quit a while. </BLOCKQUOTE></TD></TR><TR><TD><HR></TD></TR></TABLE>
 
 well dude - its your loss - cos the 9700pro chip has just gone out of production (in taiwan)and is regarded as obsolete overseas and the only ones that you will get now is basically "old stock" that ATI will still give to the manufacturers to sell out their current inventories - while the 9700pro chip has been replaced by the 9800pro - its an identical chip with one change made to it with slightly higher clocked memory with no other changes whatsoever to the architecture thus your story about new things falls flat - since it is basically just a factory overclocked 9700pro with one change made to it - but beause it is clocked higher at stock speeds it gets 1000 points more in 3dmark 2001 so that should give you an indication of how much faster it is - though IMHO the only question is it worth paying R1000 more for that - and if you want a bit more futureproofing the answer to that is really simple - Ill leave it to you anyway - but im only gonna chose between a 9800pro and a 5900ultra right now for next month to go into my modded rig (i dont think that the 256 meg 5900ultra will be available by then but the 128 meg one is on sale in england already so cyberdyne should have the msi one within two months)
 
 ps the 9900pro is just gonna be a higher clocked R350 (9800pro) while the R400 chip has been cancelled and you will get a R500 toward the beginning of the year - thats if you want ATI - while if you want nvidia later on in the year around november nvidia are going to launch the NV40 which is the successor to the 5900ultra so graphics cards are goonna move by leaps and bounds - both the R500 and NV40 are slated to give you twice the frames per second of the current highend offerings respectively - so beginning next year fx5200´s and 9200pro´s and the like are gonna seem like how a riva tnt2 is now - so dont be hasty in your purchasing decisions unless like me you intend to follow the product life cycles and change cards every six months
 [ Edited by naughty On Date June 11, 2003 ]

SquattingDog · Post by **SquattingDog** » 11 Jun 2003, 10:20

MMMM, quit interesting information you got there. You actually helped me quit a lot. A was gonna buy a 9700PRO at the end of this month, but you just changed by mind.
 
 What I should do instead is upgrade my CPU 2 a 2800+ Barton chip. But it is so tempting 2 buy the 9700PRO, lets be real here. My current GPU is making climbing walls every night.
 
 I was looking at it this way. If i have a 9700PRO, 2800+,1GB Ram, with 140GB space. Something like this could last me another 18 or so months don´t you think. I´m sorry but I´m not gonna fork out 5K or more for the new GPU 2 come out later this year.
 
 WHAT 2 DO WHAT 2 DO?!?!?!? <IMG SRC="images/forum/smilies/icon_confused.gif"> <IMG SRC="images/forum/smilies/icon_confused.gif"> <IMG SRC="images/forum/smilies/icon_confused.gif">

SnowMonkey · Post by **SnowMonkey** » 11 Jun 2003, 10:34

<TABLE BORDER=0 ALIGN=CENTER WIDTH=85%><TR><TD>Quote:<HR></TD></TR><TR><TD><BLOCKQUOTE>
 On 2003-06-09 20:44, Fishzn wrote:
 <TABLE BORDER=0 ALIGN=CENTER WIDTH=85%><TR><TD>Quote:<HR></TD></TR><TR><TD><BLOCKQUOTE>
 On 2003-06-09 20:30, SnowMonkey wrote:
 Its cool, I probably could have gotten stuff cheaper but then I´ll have to shop around and I´m lazy too so it up to you. <IMG SRC="images/forum/smilies/icon_cool.gif">
 
 </BLOCKQUOTE></TD></TR><TR><TD><HR></TD></TR></TABLE>
 
 Hey man i said i meant no offense so don´t be lazy help a brother out. Thanx for that Quote but it bust my budget quite badly, pleez don´t think i´m just getting yoll guyz to do the dirty work for me cos i´ve been doing a fair amount of looking myself and i have been able to come up with a good system. I just needed the advice of people with my interests in mind(hopefully) since yoll share similar interests. <IMG SRC="images/forum/smilies/icon_rolleyes.gif">
 </BLOCKQUOTE></TD></TR><TR><TD><HR></TD></TR></TABLE>
 
 AMDÂ® Athlonâ„¢ XP (Palomino) 2000+ with QuantiSpeedâ„¢ Architecture & 3DNow!â„¢ Professional
 
 TranscendÂ® DDR333 256MB 184-pin: 2700MB (2.7GB) Transfer Per Second, CL2 clock, 6-layer PCB
 
 Cooler Masterâ„¢ " AMD in Box" program AMD Cooler (CP5-6J31C) - Copper Base Heat Sink -Athlon XP up to 3000+
 
 GIGABYTEÂ® VIA KT400A Athlone M/B - AC97-6CH , LAN, ATA133, 1xAGP(8x), 5xPCI, 3xDDR, ATX, USB 2.0
 
 AOpenÂ® Tower ATX Chassis w/P4-250W PSU (AMD Approved)- 3x5.25",2 x 3.5"- SABS - power surge protection
 
 AOpenÂ® 16X DVD-ROM IDE: 16xDVD (Max 22,160KB/S); 48xCDROM (Max 7,200KB/S), 256k Buffer Size, DDS
 
 MaxtorÂ® 40GB - ATA133 - 7200RPM - 2MB Cache - Quiet Drive Tech. - Shock Protection & Data Protection
 
 AOpenÂ® nVidia GeForce FX 5200 AGP-8x 128MB 128-bit DDR with TV-out & DVI output - DirectX 9.0 Open GL 1.4
 
 AOpenÂ® A70E 17" - 0.27mm Dot Pitch - 1280x1024 @ 66MHz - TCO: MPR II - 3yr Warranty
 
 AOpenÂ® 3-button 3D Internet Optical Mouse - PS/2 - retail package
 
 AOpenÂ® Windows 98 PS/2 Keyboard, English, retail package
 
 R 6,178.68
 
 That is the best that I can do to suit your budget, U cann´t expect to buy a high performance rig with no money. <IMG SRC="images/forum/smilies/icon_eek.gif">
 Cheers SM out <IMG SRC="images/forum/smilies/icon_cool.gif">

VeX · Post by **VeX** » 11 Jun 2003, 23:06

DUDe <IMG SRC="images/forum/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif">
 
 Dont get Giga Crap Mobo, get a nForce2 based board... Much better...Like the MSI Delta MSI board´s... I got the MSI K7N2 DELTA ILSR, cost me around R1490 or so. It´s great.
 
 I also got a 2500+, and OC´d it to 2100 Mhz <IMG SRC="images/forum/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif">
 
 Anyways, that cost me around 2.3 G´s, a good bet is cyberdyne, for people who don´t have a CC to get Rectron reseller rights...
 
 I got my CPU from Rectron though, through a friend...
 
 You could build a pretty decent PC for R5500...
 
 <IMG SRC="images/forum/smilies/icon_lol.gif">

naughty · Post by **naughty** » 13 Jun 2003, 04:33

<TABLE BORDER=0 ALIGN=CENTER WIDTH=85%><TR><TD>Quote:<HR></TD></TR><TR><TD><BLOCKQUOTE>U cann´t expect to buy a high performance rig with no money.
 </BLOCKQUOTE></TD></TR><TR><TD><HR></TD></TR></TABLE>
 
 therein lies the words of a wise man - FISH - a system like you are looking at with all of the prices you are quoting does not include vat and postage - expect to pay between R400 to R500 for the postage and insurance wether you buy it from one place or spread the purchases around (obviously more if you spread it around) and also on the R5500 the vat will be around R700 more thus in the quality of system that you are looking at the one that snowmonkey has offered you seems like a good buy considering the warranties you will get and also the fact that he is in durban thus no postage costs
 
 <TABLE BORDER=0 ALIGN=CENTER WIDTH=85%><TR><TD>Quote:<HR></TD></TR><TR><TD><BLOCKQUOTE>You could build a pretty decent PC for R5500... </BLOCKQUOTE></TD></TR><TR><TD><HR></TD></TR></TABLE>
 
 thats when you look at ram/mobo/cpu/cooler/average graphics card and harddrive only - add in keyboard/mouse/monitor/floppy drive/case + psu/cd/rw/dvd etc plus vat i would venture to say that your budget is way too low for the type of pc that you are looking for - unless you already have an existing machine in which you just want to upgrade the basics - even the lowest complete machines with software and all of the above will just about make the budget while midrange will creep up closer to around R8000 and high-end to R15000 and above - sorry to burst your bubble here but it cannot be done unless you take advantage of snowy´s generous offer which also includes the monitor which you didnt want - maybe if you deduct that you would get to your budget but you are not gonna get a 2500+/good mobo with the works/lots of ram and a mid range graphics card without smashing your budget considerably - the best that i could come to with your description in your first post including vat and postage was around R8000 and that was adding absolutely no profit margin - when you water it down to what snowy is offering then it comes to around the same price as him
 
 you could look around for those pricebuster jobbies where guys sell of old outdated stuff (brand new mind you) in adverts all over the sunday newspapers and spend R5500 with vat but youd need to pay for software after that plus you wont get enough ram and will probably only get onboard graphics if you need a complete system and IMHO the graphics is the most important part of a gaming rig

naughty · Post by **naughty** » 13 Jun 2003, 04:44

<TABLE BORDER=0 ALIGN=CENTER WIDTH=85%><TR><TD>Quote:<HR></TD></TR><TR><TD><BLOCKQUOTE> I was looking at it this way. If i have a 9700PRO, 2800+,1GB Ram, with 140GB space. Something like this could last me another 18 or so months don´t you think. I´m sorry but I´m not gonna fork out 5K or more for the new GPU 2 come out later this year. </BLOCKQUOTE></TD></TR><TR><TD><HR></TD></TR></TABLE>
 
 squattie - ive only been waffling on about the highend - the R9700pro is still freely available here since we are always late with stuff anyway but if you expect it to last you 18 months then you may make it - cos around the end of next year you would look to buy a new system anyway so IMHO you should buy the 9700pro if it suits your budget - if you can extend to the 9800pro - then that 18 months is guaranteed but after that you would be skating on thin ice - it is the most irritating thing about the 6 month product life cycles that graphics card manufacturers follow - if you buy the 9700 pro now which is a great buy you will be a full three generations behind in your projected upgrade time - but what i was trying to point out to you is that the 9800pro is not the next generation but merely an update within the product life cycle and the next ATI card due overseas in two to three months from now is the same - the one due toward the end of the year will be the actual next generation without being an update - i hear you about the spending bit as far as the end of the year is concerned but you are correct that the 9700 pro would easily do for 18 months - then yu would need a complete system update - that is if you intend to continue gaming at that time
 
 ps the graphics upgrade will do far more to your gaming performance than the chip upgrade so dont get the 2800+ cos in 6 months from now that 2800+ barton will be obtainable at around lower than R1000 so your plan for the graphics card is better - the 9800pro is better though if you intend to stick to absolute high-end stuff cos its a wee bit faster but it is R1000 more right now - its only left to you to decide wether you want 8/10% better performance overall for R1000 - but looking at your specs you would need a faster cpu as well since that 1700+ if it is running at stock will be too slow to get the best out of that 9700pro and will land up being the obvious bottleneck in the system - as for ram you wouldnt need a gig until your next operating system upgrade since even windows xp flies with 512 megs - so you should get the 9700 pro cyberdyne has the hercules one for R3195 +vat if you are in joburg and that is cheaper than the gigabyte one - then 2 months later you could get a 2500+ barton which is on their pricelist for R895 + vat and you would have a well balanced system - remember if yu dont overclock then you wouldnt even realistically notice the diff between the 2500 and 2800
 
 [ Edited by naughty On Date June 13, 2003 ]