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[cvkpaladin]

I'm thinking of buying a new PC pretty soon and I'm wondering if I should wait for PCI-Express MOBOs and videocards? Will the leap in performance (if any) will actually be worth the wait? Also, when are the new PCI-Express MOBOs and videocards supposed to be released?

 

[Bregor]

There is always going to be some PC technology on the horizon that will make the one you just built obsolete and incompatible. When PCI-E comes out, you'll be thinking 'maybe I should wait for (insert tech here)'.

My advice is to ask yourself whether you need the new computer right now to play your current games. If not, then wait. Once you definitely do need a new PC, get it then and don't worry about what's coming out in a couple of months.

 

[cvkpaladin]

Yeah, its true that the games are are the reasons behind motivating me to buy a new PC. Though, I guess I'll just wait for Half-Life 2, Doom 3, LotR: The Assualt on Middle Earth, and all the other games being released around the Fall that are supposedly graphics heavy.

 

[Vennt]

There is always going to be some PC technology on the horizon that will make the one you just built obsolete and incompatible. When PCI-E comes out, you'll be thinking 'maybe I should wait for (insert tech here)'.

My advice is to ask yourself whether you need the new computer right now to play your current games. If not, then wait. Once you definitely do need a new PC, get it then and don't worry about what's coming out in a couple of months.

Whilst I agree that waiting for tech 'on the horizon' is often pointless, the one case where I believe there is an exception is in mobo architectures. Look how long ISA, PCI and PCI/AGP have lasted, alot longer than the 6 monthly cycle of graphics cards & cpu upgrades etc.

I personally will wait for a PCI-E mobo & setup for my next upgrade, investing in a PCI/AGP upgrade now would seem wasteful to me.


Freeburn.

 

[Pellham]

PCI-Express video cards (16x) are going to be awesome, but I don't see any use for PCI-Express network or modem cards (1x)

 

[ravingloon]

I'd wait for DDR2 system RAM before PCI-E.

Edit: And I'd definetely wait for the new AMD socket (If you're going AMD)! Though I'm sure by the time PCI-E mobos ship, this will be available.

 

[gofreak]

I'd wait for DDR2 system RAM before PCI-E.

Edit: And I'd definetely wait for the new AMD socket (If you're going AMD)! Though I'm sure by the time PCI-E mobos ship, this will be available.

Which socket? 939? Aren't they available now?

 

[GuntherBait]

Wait for PCI-E and DDR2.

I'm building a system in August after the boards are out for a while + the 21st of this month is when Intel is releasing their new chipset cores and they're supposed to drop in price in August again.

Either be it AMD or Intel or whomever you go with, wait till end of this summer to build a rig because you want something that will play Unreal Engine 3.0. Right?

 

[Mrbob]

Either be it AMD or Intel or whomever you go with, wait till end of this summer to build a rig because you want something that will play Unreal Engine 3.0. Right?

Do you mean summer of 2006?

Because if you want something that will play Unreal Engine 3.0 at high specs that is probably the time to do it.

 

[GuntherBait]

Do you mean summer of 2006?

Because if you want something that will play Unreal Engine 3.0 at high specs that is probably the time to do it.

No, think about it.

Intel and AMD after the 21st will have processors that are 64-Bit. PCI-E is 16X and DDR2 will hit over 1GHz in bus speed so running Unreal 3.0 won't be that far of a catch. Besides, it sounds like Epic is going to start using the engine (from the rumors that I hear) for the next UT2k5 game. Severly stripped down of course, but still, the base core of the code will be based on it.

Besides, by then (2006 I mean) there will be a couple of different things. DDR3 (duh) PCI-E2, and by that time, Intel (I'm not sure about AMD on this) but they'll have dual-core processors both with Hyper-Threading. So basically 4 CPU's for the price of one.

So yea, stuff is going to change a lot, but at least getting a little ahead of the next tech curve isn't a bad thing.

 

[Bregor]

There is no such thing as getting ahead of the tech curve, not for the foreseeable future. The fact is that there is always technology coming up that will make some if not all of your current components obsolete.

Wait till you need the PC - you will get better tech and better prices. But once you are at the point where you do need it, don't worry about whether it will become obsolete soon or not - because nothing you can do will stop it from becoming obsolete.

 

[pestul]

Wait for 2nd gen PCI-Express boards... the first ones can be riddled with issues.

 

[ravingloon]

Which socket? 939? Aren't they available now?

I guess they finially have begun shipping. A little longer, however, and there'll be more chips that have been released and prices will lower. Even the cheapest isn't cheap.

I personally don't expect DDR3 to be mainstream by 2006. Just saw a press release for DDR2 recently (And the insane prices). I'm optomistic that by late 2005 it'll be mainstream and cheap.

 

[CrimsonSkies]

I waited for Socket 939 from AMD, and those prices are going to have to drop. Ridiculous right now due to short stock. I'm waiting two more months now. I've bought a case, Pioneer DVD-RW, two 10,000 RPM HDD's, Windows XP Professional, and a 450 Watt Power Supply. They are just sitting in their boxes until some price drops happen. I'm not spending $1300 for a mboard, Ram, CPU, and Graphics Card. No way in hell.