Upgrade decisions help

[cdre]

So I did a quick search online and could really only find older articles for my question.

Here are my specs:
GA-EP45-UD3P mobo
Intel q9550 processor (core2quad)?
4 gig compatible ram (forgot frequency)
xfx hd 5850 1024 gpu
Vista home premium 32 bit

I've pretty much maxed out the 775 socket processor upgrade I think, and I believe my gpu to be a decent enough card for reasonably good gaming experiences.

My question is this. Would an upgrade to a 64 bit OS (windows 7) and doubling my current RAM be the next logical upgrade? I figure the cost of said upgrade to be about $180...

It's the only part of my system that I see lagging behind.

Any input appreciated.

[Doc_Gonzo]

I'd say that an upgrade to the full retail version of Windows 7 64 bit would be the next logical upgrade. You can then re-use it when you upgrade further. I'm not sure how much benefit you'd see from doubling your current RAM though and as I presume it's DDR2, that's expensive compared to DDR3 right now.

I'd hold off on the RAM and wait until you can afford to upgrade your whole system, then get 8Gb of DDR3

[cdre]

Originally Posted by Doc_Gonzo

I'd say that an upgrade to the full retail version of Windows 7 64 bit would be the next logical upgrade. You can then re-use it when you upgrade further. I'm not sure how much benefit you'd see from doubling your current RAM though and as I presume it's DDR2, that's expensive compared to DDR3 right now.

I'd hold off on the RAM and wait until you can afford to upgrade your whole system, then get 8Gb of DDR3

Thanks for the quick reply. I kinda see what you mean about the ram situation. Would the upgrade to 64 bit Win 7 in itself net me any performance gains? I dont know much about OS but I do know that I have a 64 bit cpu.

[Doc_Gonzo]

Originally Posted by cdre

Thanks for the quick reply. I kinda see what you mean about the ram situation. Would the upgrade to 64 bit Win 7 in itself net me any performance gains? I dont know much about OS but I do know that I have a 64 bit cpu.

There will be a performance gain but whether it's noticeable or not, I don't know. You will be able to use 64 bit programs which might seem a bit more responsive. The main advantage is being able to use more than 4Gb of RAM.

What do you use your computer for and how long do you plan on keeping it before upgrading to a different platform?

[cdre]

Originally Posted by Doc_Gonzo

There will be a performance gain but whether it's noticeable or not, I don't know. You will be able to use 64 bit programs which might seem a bit more responsive. The main advantage is being able to use more than 4Gb of RAM.

What do you use your computer for and how long do you plan on keeping it before upgrading to a different platform?

I use it for gaming and browsing mostly. I'm just trying to squeeze out every bit of performance before a full mobo rebuild. I'm hoping it sees me through this holiday season of bf3, skyrim etc.

[Doc_Gonzo]

Originally Posted by cdre

I use it for gaming and browsing mostly. I'm just trying to squeeze out every bit of performance before a full mobo rebuild. I'm hoping it sees me through this holiday season of bf3, skyrim etc.

In that case, I'd just stick to the Windows 7 upgrade. 4Gb of RAM should be enough as long as you don't have too many background programs running while you're gaming. Save your money towards a future upgrade, you can always add more RAM if you find you really need to