Small hardware upgrade to play NWN2 better - suggestions?

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It's a Celeron 2.4 Ghz system (I know, I know, but it wasn't intended as gaming machine) on an Abit IS7 mobo with 512 MB RAM on a single 400 Mhz chip, GeForce FX5900XT from MSI with custom radiators on the memory (yeah, it overclocks well but I don't normally do that)... and you probably don't need to know the rest, anyway. So, in order to play NWN2 better, I'd like to upgrade something. I can get another stick of RAM like I already have, for some Dual Channel boost. Or I could swap the processor for a real Pentium IV (socket 478 here, so not the fastest line of PIV will go in) for a bit more. The processor upgrade would cost me a bit less than a whole new gig of RAM. I could in fact try and get a newer card (AGP) for around the same price, but I don't think it would make that much difference.

Now, what would you recommend doing?

Note: I won't play in a higher resolution than 1024 by 768 and 800 by 600 is fine as well.

 

Wow. NWN2 must have created a huge boost for people in the PC component business! It's all we're talking about at the moment.

 

I would go for the processor.You can get a Pentium 4 - 2.8 Ghz S478 with a 800 Mhz bus for less than 90 euros. It would offer quite a performance boost compared to your Celeron.

I think the extra RAM wouldn't make the same impact.

And a graphic card that would be significantly faster than your's would probably cost more. Also because it would be paired with a weak processor, it wouldn't be running at it's full potential.

 

I have AntiVir on all the time and a communicator or three (50 megs total). The processor would cost around the same as a gig of RAM or a bit less. Pentium IV 2.0 GHz is dirt cheap, though, but I doubt it would be faster than my Celeron 2.4 GHz, so I guess I should be looking at 3.0-3.2...

 

A P4 @3.0GHz is getting to be dirt cheap as well.

To be honest, if you upgrade just the CPU, you'll notice a speed boost, but if you spare a little more extra $$ adding a second stick of 512MB RAM would give you a performance boost in two areas.

512MB sticks of regular DDR400 RAM are super cheap right now...so take that in to consideration.

Also...don't forget that you have an Abit motherboard. While the IS7 is somewhat of a "value board" you can still overclock pretty much *everything* on it. If a RAM + CPU upgrade STILL doesn't feed your need for speed...then overclock! I'm not suggesting that you go hardcore on it. I got my brother's P4 3.0GHz CPU overclocked on a "mid-range" Abit board just enough to give him noticeable boost in speed about 3 months ago. It's been running perfectly stable and not much hotter ever since. IIRC, he only saw a 2 degree rise in temp. under a full load...not enough to justify an aftermarket HSF unit.

 

Not here, alas. They are 33% more expensive than at the same time of the last year. :s

Haven't tried with the processor, but the graphics card can hold up to half the frequency overclock for up to a quarter increase in efficiency. Might as well try and overclock the Celeron since they're supposed to overclock well and I'm not going to get much for it anyway (I think I'll just give it to someone in the family when I'm done with it).

What kind of processor does it take to feel the difference? I don't think PIV 2.4 is going to be much faster than a Celeron 2.4, but I'm just guessing. Sometimes one can get a 3.0 or 3.2 at a bargain price, but that's somewhat more rare than finding a really cheap 2.4-2.8.

 

Anandtech

Chev, take a look at this test. You will see a Pentium 1.8 Ghz beating a Celeron 2.6 Ghz in every benchmark but one, and by quite a margin in some cases. So even if you buy just a 2.4 Ghz Pentium, you already gain alot of performance.

 

When you compare a P4 to a Celeron, the "speed" in GHz will not decide which CPU is faster. It's the way that it's made, the number and type of instructions per clock cycle, and several other factors.

Like Fallen Paladin said, a 1.8 Ghz will beat a Celeron 2.6 Ghz on mosts tests. I don't have the time right now to list the exact differences in instructions and the like between a Celeron and a P4, but they *are* there.

 

Okay, I get the idea. I guess it's the same like Intel vs AMD frequency comparisons. So, all in all, does it really look like I'm going to benefit more from CPU replacement than from new RAM? And unless something unexpected happens, I can't afford two. I can barely afford one, actually, and I need an upgrade for NWN2 and not like it won't help in some other games, plus I'd like to be able to play Dragon Age, BG3 and the like as they come out.