Junkpile PC, looking for any help possible

[Feielle]

I ran FFXI on a 2Ghz P4 for a few years, should easily be enough power with a decent video card.

The difference was immediately noticeable. Its running closer to how my old system performed now, and I don't even have to resort to SNES graphics!

Since the graphics card is ca. 2003, do you think I'd see more notable gains by upgrading the card or the processor (again) now? The card is a Radeon 9600XT, the processor info is above. I figured I can toss a few dollars at this thing

Thanks for all your help getting me on the right track guys, glad to see there's still some life left in this pile of junk.

[Isiolia]

I started FFXI with a 2Ghz P4 and a GF Ti4400, later upgraded to a 6800. It didn't make a whole lot of difference with FFXI. Was a little better with weather effects and all, but definitely not worth the price just for that.

I have a friend (also using a 2Ghz P4) who was using a GF4MX 420 or something, like the complete lowest end card from that series...I put that card in his system last year and it was night and day.

Your 9600XT, if I recall, would be a better starting platform than my 4400 was.

Personally, I don't think it'd make a big enough difference to be worth spending much money on, not for FFXI. If you have a friend willing to give you a higher end AGP card, or sell one for a few bucks, then maybe. Or if you want to play other games.
I just wouldn't put much money into it given what you can buy/build for a few hundred bucks.

[mootsfox]

Changing the graphics card does not help much if at all. I went from a X1600 to a HD3870 in testing and the score difference was unnoticeable.