How Long Should I wait?

[alexander]

I know that there is always something round the corner but I think that this is the right time to wait.

Basically, I have downgraded from a 7900GTX (got £250 a month ago) to a 6200LE (which is not too great) and am downgrading my RAM from 2GB to 1GB (Making £50).

This brings my PC to the following:

Venice 3800+
Abit AN8 Ultra
1GB Geil One (DDR500?) Overclocking stuff (I don't overclock though)
400GB Samsung Spinpoint
6200Le
Audigy 4
etc...

Basically I play the odd game here and there but I am in no real rush for a new pc, but I do want to upgrade.

But I think I am going to wait until quad core comes out, people upgrade and I'll take their e6600 Core 2 Duo or something.
But RAM is also expensive, may this come down in a month or two?
I'll also be buying a new motherboard + graphics card, I'm waiting until DX10 before I upgrade the graphics so how long do you think this will be?

Anyway, am I making the right decision? I am in no real rush but I do like playing the odd game and so probably want a pretty decentish graphics card.

How long do you think I should hold out for? Will prices fall for the various components in say 2-3 months or so? Or would my current component's prices fall even more?

[cdpuk]

Memory prices are high due to supply & demand at the moment as far as I know. I'm not sure if they're due to fall soon.

The first DX10 graphics cards (GeForce 8 series) are due out as soon as next week I think, with cheaper slower models coming shortly after the release of the flagship cards.

I think you're making the right decision to wait. I'm probably going to wait too.

-Chris

[EtheAv8r]

... nobody actually knows or can answer this..... it can only be pure speculation....

Who knew at the beginning of the year RAM would get so expensive by the following Autumn??? Expectation was always that it would only get cheaper......

My hope is that some prices will fall after the Christmas buying frenzy, as 4 quad core becomes more available and Core 2 Duo prices may come down an bit, and also top end motherboards as we see yet more choices hit the market...

With technology the right time to buy is when you absolutly want and need something, and you consider the price OK for what it is at the time. It will be cheaper 3 or 6 months later but so what... you will have enjoyed it's use for those 3-6 months, and if you keep waiting there as always another announcement of the next wunder-kit that will make you pause even longer - it is always jam tomorrow, and so when the right for you to jump can only be decided by you, and your needs, and pocket (and possibly some input from the 'other half is there is one!).

[Madafwo]

You could wait forever for the next big thing to come up.

Personally I would wait until the 2ng gen of DX10 cards are out, then either pick up one then or possibly a higher end first gen on the second hand market. Depending on any problems that they may have. Going for a C2D when Quad core comes out may also be a good idea, but how many people will go for Quad Core? Also some motherboards may not take Quad core with just a BIOS update so a few C2D boards may be on the market, look for february though, as most of the lower end quad cores are meant to be coming out around then. The RAM prices may also have come down, as they have gone up due to an increase in demand due to everyone switching to C2D.

I know my upgrades will be done in February, or just build a whole new system and have my current one as a machine for the woman to play around with. Thing to look out for with Quad core is though, how many programs are actually using 2 cores effectivly at the moment, hardly any? Thats just with two, let alone 4.

[alexander]

Ok.

One final question.

I have just bought 2 x 1GB of DDR2 Corsair Value Select PC5300 just because it was cheap.

Would this be able to overclock at all say a E6300 or E6600?

[htid]

Ok.

One final question.

I have just bought 2 x 1GB of DDR2 Corsair Value Select PC5300 just because it was cheap.

Would this be able to overclock at all say a E6300 or E6600?

From my limited knowledge of overclocking, your ram clock speed needs to be double your fsb speed (hope that's right). Since PC5300 is 667mhz half that is 333.5, and 333.5 x 9 (the multiplier on an E6600...not sure about the E6300) is around 3ghz so theoretically i would assume you can get 3ghz with that RAM, but you should definitely be able to overclock, just depends how high

(I may be talking crap here, so if I am can somebody please tell me or i'll never learn )

[alexander]

Hello, thanks for the reply. Sounds very useful.

Cany anyone please confirm that I should be able to get to 3ghz?

Would I be able to get to 3ghz with the 6300 or 6400? or is it just the 6600?

Thanks.

[danroyle]

333X8 ON A 6400 would be 2.66ghz 6300 would be lower and on a 6600 you would hit 2.97 ghz by dropping the ram speed to ddr 533 in the bios

[T3hGr8£st]

Hello, thanks for the reply. Sounds very useful.

Cany anyone please confirm that I should be able to get to 3ghz?

Would I be able to get to 3ghz with the 6300 or 6400? or is it just the 6600?

Thanks.

depends more on your mtoherboard and cooling than your ram, your ram can always be slowed down but u cant make ur fan turn any faster than top speed.