Anybody else here try to get 3 years of their computers? I don't know about everyone else, but it seems like everyone else is rich, and constantly updating their computers. I was curious if anyone else trys to get atleast 3 years out of their computers? To me a computer is a BIG investment, and I try to get atleast 3 to 4 years out of a computer, before building a new one.
Anybody else try to get 3 years out of their computer?
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I'm a performance whore, so I usually upgrade often. I don't usually run out and buy top notch things, but just what's good. I don't think I could be satisfied with a 3 year old computer, personally. I think every 2 years would be more reasonable.
Jakal
Tech Monkey
My last one was built in 2003 and I just built a new one. I plan on upgrading in two years, but not build a whole new computer. When you start with a great platform like Socket 939, you can expect to pick up great parts at a fraction of what they would have cost new. You just have to wait or upgrade when you can. I put a lot of hard work and effort into saving up for this pc.
madmat
Soup Nazi
I'm on 3 years with this one though I've upgraded a few things. The core of it is basically the same. It'll still play any game out, maybe not at uber high resolutions but playable at 1024x768 with AA enabled which suits me. I can play older games at 1600x1200 with 4x AA and 8x AF pumping but that's the way games go now isn't it?
sbrehm72255
Tech Monkey
My second rig is about 3 years out and my main rig is over a year now..............
I up-grade whenever I have the extra cash.
I up-grade whenever I have the extra cash.
madstork91
The One, The Only...
my last comp was 6 years old. All I had done to it was a graphics card at about 3 years, and I bumped the ram from 256 too 384 at about 3.5 years(granted this was rd Ram) Believe it or not a 2.0 p4 with atleast 512 ram and a decent graphics card will still get you damn far in this world. That old comp of mine still runs games like battlefield 1942 and lineage 2 quite well.
Now for the newest games and what will be coming out soon, I suggest something better than that, atleast 1 gig of ram with a 128 vid card, and youll be fine.
I usually get > 4-5 years outta my systems with little to no upgrade.
Now for the newest games and what will be coming out soon, I suggest something better than that, atleast 1 gig of ram with a 128 vid card, and youll be fine.
I usually get > 4-5 years outta my systems with little to no upgrade.
leecho7
Partition Master
The rig I have now I had since the beginning of 2002. So it's about 4 years old. The only thing I changed on it was adding an extra 512mb of ram, and upgrading my graphics card from a Geforce Ti4200 to an ATI Radeon 9800 pro, now to an eVga Geforce 6600 (in agp form).
I didn't change my processor at all, AMD XP 2400.
I am able to run BF2 at high (not max) settings and it runs real smooth. It ran FEAR on high settings smoothly as well. Hopefully it'll run Oblivion (which comes out today), just as smoothly.
I didn't change my processor at all, AMD XP 2400.
I am able to run BF2 at high (not max) settings and it runs real smooth. It ran FEAR on high settings smoothly as well. Hopefully it'll run Oblivion (which comes out today), just as smoothly.
Tech-Daddy
Tech Monkey
I usually upgrade on a 2 year cycle.
However that would be the "major" upgrade, utilizing a new CPU/mobo install. I do upgrade throughout those 2 years... video card here, hard drive there... maybe a sound card...
but I look hard at tech leaps usually on a 2 year cycle.
However that would be the "major" upgrade, utilizing a new CPU/mobo install. I do upgrade throughout those 2 years... video card here, hard drive there... maybe a sound card...
but I look hard at tech leaps usually on a 2 year cycle.
Jakal
Tech Monkey
leecho7 said:
That's what I had in my last pc and I loved it. I managed 2.2Ghz with the patriot ram, and a shoddy motherboard.
My original processor got a chip on the die and wouldnt' work on the motherboard. Well I kept it and bought another one. I then built a pc with the chipped processor for a friend of mine for his birthday; he was using a k6-2 500.
He got a 9800xt and ran doom 3 and farcry great with that thing. Everything maxed out on D3.
I generally go 3-5 years between upgrades because my wife doesn't like me spending tons on computers, and also doesn't like having the old ones sitting around. I'm still working on a P4 2GHz system with a Geforce4 MX card from around 2001-2002 (pre hyperthreading). I also just put my P2 400MHz system to use as a PVR.
Fortunately or unfortunately, I don't have time to get into any new games at the moment, so I haven't had a huge need to upgrade either. However, I do plan to upgrade sometime this summer.
Fortunately or unfortunately, I don't have time to get into any new games at the moment, so I haven't had a huge need to upgrade either. However, I do plan to upgrade sometime this summer.
=CDU=Above
Obliviot
I've got more than three years on this case. I've switched out so many things...it can't be called the same computer. Motherboard, CPU, Vid card, memory ....switched and added mutible harddrives. From IDE to Sata...it goes on and on.
My next will be my own creation. I really want to get in to the cases. I think I could create some really cool stuff.
My next will be my own creation. I really want to get in to the cases. I think I could create some really cool stuff.
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Tech-Daddy
Tech Monkey
Well... if we are talking about "using" a machine, and "do we get 3 years out of it?", hell yes!
I have P3 600's and 733's around my house, as well as some Athlon and Athlon XP lovin' happening in the garage.
They are not my primary machines, but theyare still productive and I still have use for them!
I have P3 600's and 733's around my house, as well as some Athlon and Athlon XP lovin' happening in the garage.
They are not my primary machines, but theyare still productive and I still have use for them!
fussnfeathers
E.M.I.
I have all of you beat........or rather, my mother does. She has a 466 Celeron she bought new in 1997. It's still used daily, several hours a day. Granted, it has an Antec PSU zip-tied to the back, but otherwise it's all stock, no replacement parts, no RAM upgrades, no nothing.
fussnfeathers
E.M.I.
Yup, gets a defrag once in awhile, and that's about it. Not bad for a Sears closeout special HP rig. I've been very impressed with it over the years. The 2mb of shared VRAM gives me the heebie-jeebies though........it's amazing that just 9 years ago, that was more than enough for most users, it was only us geeks that had 16mb cards and such.