Hello everyone. I had posted my pecular problem of torn between a new LCD or GPU. I have chosen Acer 22" LCD and bought 8400gs for the time being.
Here are my specs:
CPU: E4300@1.8GHz
Mobo: Intel G965RYCK
GPU: nVidia Geforece 8400GS 128-bit 512 MB DDR-2
Ram 1GB 800mhz
LCD: Acer 22"
Current resolution is 1650 X 1080
 
Watcha think about this config?? I have tried to select parts such that nothing bottlenecks anything. Is the GPU good enough?? I am getting very playabe FPS' in COD4 in medium settings in 1240X1024. My next upgrade will come in about 6-8 months. What should I get then. A new GPU or Q6600?? Thanks for your time. Ohh and BTW how do i benchmark my games?? Is there anything in the nVdia panel or you guys use fraps?? ALso I wanted to check my GPU temp w/o going into bios. Any links to OC guides for GPU?? I am also having difficulty in getting reviews for my particular card(XFX 8400GS) which has 128-bit instead of 64. WOndering how much difference it makes??

You wanted it rated o here goes:
 
Basically it is a piece of crap. Yup I said it. Your next upgrade should be a whole new PC. You could be a bit better if you overclock the cpu, but I doubt your mobo will let you.
 
I just built a celeron e1200 machine for a customer, I bet it will smoke your system. Its overclocked from 1.6 to 2.7

That was sure a lot of help, maybe he can get a better answer from you if he tosses some $$ at you.  
The monitor was a good choice as it will move along to different builds with you. If you're playing games and your framerates are low your next step would be to upgrade your GPU. The 8400GS is a pretty low powered graphic card. Check here for a hierarchy chart.
http://www.tomshardware.com/review [...] 987-6.html
If your OS is XP then you can get by with 1GB RAM, 2 is better. See about adding another GB of RAM. Match what you have.
What power supply do you have? Power supplies are often the limiting factor of how powerful a GPU you can use without upgrading the power supply also.

Thx dirt mountain and no thx raodrunner. Dirt ya maybe i will add anoth gig of ram in a week. And well if the gpu is what i should go for, wont the cpu bottleneck it?? Or is it better to wait for a year and get both upgrades at once?? To roadrunner, you think you are too smart huh. You got any idea how street prices are in my country?? FFS just shut up. GPUs are the most costleist here(300% of the US). Other components are well below 200%(cpus are 125%). So you get the idea its not apples to apples your comparing over here(zzzz). Why do you even care to reply then.  
 
And yeah dirt, i own 450watts of PSU(25A on 12V rails). I think I will have to buy a new one even for ati 4850??

I'm guessing that your PSU won't be able to handle a 4850, but it might be able to squeak by for a 3850 (but don't quote me on that). And the 3850 is lightyears ahead of your 8400GS. Hell, in the intro to that hierarchy chart it recommends an upgrade of 3 tier or more and the 3850 512MB is 13 tiers higher. Even just upgrading to something around a 7900GT would be a huge improvement and you should probably be able to find something in that range fairly cheap (regardless of where you live).
 
And another gig of RAM would also give a noticeable performance increase.
 
And as you may or may not already know, your MoBo doesn't support quad-core CPUs, so you'd need a new one to upgrade to a Q6600. Here's a compatibility list for your MoBo. The fastest processor you could go up to is an E6700.

Roadrunner, what is wrong with you, does bashing other peoples systems make the size of your e-penis grow?  How about instead of saying things like that you give him some advice.....  Anyway OP,  no your system will not play crysis at 1650 x 1080, I hope you figured that one out on your own.  But this is a decent place to start, first I would say that you should either add another gig of ram and upgrade ur graphics to an 8800gt (120 bucks after rebates) this will play anything you want as long as your not limited by cpu, or you could upgrade to, say, and e8400.  This is a very good processor that will oc past you wildest dreams.

Wanker thx for that info. Damn I am dead man. I thought my mobo has LGA 775 socket 1066 FSB. Q6600 is LGA 775 1066 FSB. Why wont they work?? Sorry I am not saying your wrong(the link confirms what you say). But doesnt my mobo has the same socket and all I am confused why it should not work. Anybody can put some light?? Thx everyone.

Hey guys check this link out :
http://en.expreview.com/img/2008/0 [...] el_new.jpg
 
It does seems my mobo does support Q6600 But theres written product refresh Is it reffered to BIOS update or new product line Check it out

I guess everything depends on your budget.  In my opinion, you're always better off saving up the money and building a new system every few years as opposed to spending few $100~$300 every several months.  I know it requires patience and it sucks while you save up.  I love instant gratification too and don't want to (or sometimes can't) spend a chunk of money on a new system.  Or maybe you might feel like you don't need an uber system, but just want a little boost for your games and such.  In the end though, saving up can get you the best bang for the buck.  
 
Otherwise, you're forced to spend your money on components that must be compatible with your old ones (such as CPUs that fits your old motherboard socket).  One of the exceptions might be if you have one component that isn't expensive to upgrade, but at the same time very outdated.  Still, you shouldn't go to crazy with upgrading an old rig. Technology moves way too fast for that.
 

Thx for that zeroyb But I had bought this rig thinking that I will get a q6600 later But if the motherboard doesnt support it(will feel like cheated by intel ). May go with AMD for next rig

Everywhere I've seen that motherboard, it says compatible with Core 2 Duo. But I don't see Core 2 Quad support being mentioned anywhere.
 
The compatibility listed on the chart you've linked comes with an asterisk.  Apparently, it's a big asterisk since it says "platform refresh" (I'm guessing BIOS update?) is required and you must contact a local Intel sales rep.  It sounds like it's unofficial support even if it's real.  
 
If I were you, I'd probably assume the worst and not try Q6600 on your board.  So, I'd upgrade the video card except your PSU would be questionable in that case.   You might have to get a new PSU, costing you more $$$.  Sorry, but you should just save up!  
 
And I know you feel cheated, but still go with Intel processor if you buy a new rig in the foreseeable future.  They're so much better than AMD at the moment.  You can ask around the forum about your setup before you get it to make sure it will be upgradeable.  

Ya thanks for all the inputs zeroyb. I may get 9600GSO when it gets cheap(its 170$ here). Maybe get nehelam or something after keeping this rig for 2yrs