Update: So MSY screwed me around with 7850 stock, so I ended up with a 7770 OC instead. So far it's running amazingly. I'm playing BioShock Infinite at above 60fps (1280x720, high settings). So I'm very happy. Total cost was $105! :)
I've been running on the same desktop since 2008. It has been very good to me. The specs are:
Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 2.4Ghz (not OC'd)
Gigabyte GA-G31M-S2L
4GB 800MHz DDR2 RAM (this is the max the MB supports)
nVidia GeForce 9800GT 512MB
450W ATX Power Supply
(rest of specs irrelevant)
So my 9800GT has died. I'm thinking I have two options, replace the graphics and have the new card bottlenecked by the CPU, or buy a whole new system. Basically a new card would be just under $100 (spending any more would be pointless due to the CPU bottleneck), whereas I could buy an entirely new system; namely this 'Basic Gaming System' from BudgetPC (http://www.budgetpc.com.au/budgetpc-basic-gaming-system.html) for $549. The difference is $449 but my system is becoming outdated very quickly. I'm thinking that I may be better off to buy that budget system for an extra $449 and know I'll be set for a while, rather than likely spending ~$100 on a new graphics card only to find my processor can't handle it any more in less than a year.
What do you think?
End note: Just to clarify, I'm not looking for "gaming" in terms of ultra-specs, 1080p res @ 60fps. As we all are, I am on a budget. Looking for the best bang for buck :)
Can you provide some specifics on your case and power supply?
If your case and power supply is still in good nick, you probably won't have to spring for an entirely new system, but instead buy Core i3, a budget motherboard, 8G of RAM and a Radeon 7770 or similar.
e.g
Budget mobo and CPU $200 bux
RAM $60 bux
Radeon 7770 $100 or this 1 day only deal $145
Total $360.