New video card in old BOAC worhwhile?

Hello all!

My BOAC is six years old and basic specs are 1GHz/266MHz Athlon, 768MB PC133 and GeForce 2MX/32MB. Now, the fan on the video card seems to be worn out and I have two options:

1) Get a replacement fan at the cost of $15

2) Get a replacement (but outdated by todays standards) video card, GeForce FX5200/128MB or GeForce 6200/128MB at the cost of $60-70

The old video card only supports DirectX 7 but the suggested replacements support DirextX 9 and I'm sure that other improvements have been implemented. The motherboard only supports AGP4X which will reduce the performance of the suggested replacements from AGP8X to AGP4X.

Will my old system benefit from one of the suggested replacements or should I save the money for the next build?

Thanks for your time,
Christer

 

The system will/would benefit in overall performance etc....I'd imagine you could find a new card in the 20 to 40 dollar range too...

Will let you decide about doing it or not...

 

Well, I think your opinion on the price range reflects the general difference between Sweden and the US. Prices are generally higher in Sweden by 25-50 %.

I checked PriceGrabber for:

Asus N6200TD128 and it was listed as low as $37. The price in Sweden is SEK499 which at the current exchange rate is approximately $72, almost twice as much.

I didn't find the ST Lab AGP-VGA5200-TD but other FX5200 cards are listed as low as $31. The price in Sweden is SEK399 which at the curent exchange rate is approximately $58, again almost twice as much.

You guys get a lot for your $$$ ... ... and I don't!

Christer

 

Since moving is probably out of the question......

I generally try to avoid throwing good money into old pc's....A new card wouldn't increase the value of an older pc hardly at all..It would however help extend its life a bit.

 

A new fan looks favourite to me

 

Pete,
considering that the hardware has worked well together for six years, I think that a replacement fan would be a wise choice but I'm tempted by the potential performance boost for ... ... "a few bucks more "!

Christer

 

I could not get a new fan or a new video card before the weekend and decided to try some "space oil" to cure the symptoms (vibration and noise when cold starting the computer but a restart "fixed" it, until the next cold start). I removed the fan, removed the plastic sticker and gave the bearing "half a drop" of the stuff. I refitted the fan and the card went back into the computer. It has not vibrated since and yes, it IS working! For how long ... ... I don't know but I know this much: If I buy a new "precautionary" fan, it will be for a longer time than if I don't.

(If you wonder what "space oil" is ... ... I dare not tell you due to board policy on advertising but advertising claims that it is used in space.)

Christer