How do you decide when to upgrade?

^^questionFor me I am use to getting prebuilt computers. Generally its more simple for me instead of upgrading piece of hardware every year. I will wait for about three years to get a new PC with all new hardware. During that time I will also look at the system requirements to decide when exactly the best time to get to a new PC. That is what I did for my current PC.How do you decide when to upgrade?
I decide to upgrade when I notice that my computer is lagging behind on most newer games that I play. Usually my video card gets upgraded once a year, and my CPU+Mobo about once every 2 years.How do you decide when to upgrade?
When I can't play the games I want, at the settings I want. Cheers
i try to make a big upgrade every 2-3 years. I just bought a really nice system during fall 07 and I already see its becoming obsolete when compared to some of the stuff coming out today. If there is a useful inexpensive upgrade I see such as RAM that seems needed/useful il do it, but when it comes to upgrading GPU, Mobo, CPU, etc I usually wait at least 2 years and just upgrade the entire system. For my next upgrade i want to upgrade to at least the next gen GPU and next gen CPU in at least a year from now.
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This will sound weird but I usually upgrade when I'm bored. I like the idea of getting stuff working (or getting it to do stuff the hardware shouldn't ie - overclocking un-overclockable hardware) more than when it is working perfectly.
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I don't do regular upgrades anymore. I look ahead and currently at games I want to play and what settings I want to play them at. If I see a need to upgrade, as opposed to 1 or 2 games that don't run so well I will.
The last 2 video card upgrades were because of Folding@Home performance and the 3870/9800GTX+ dropping to the $100-200 level :D [QUOTE=''CellAnimation'']This will sound weird but I usually upgrade when I'm bored. I like the idea of getting stuff working (or getting it to do stuff the hardware shouldn't ie - overclocking un-overclockable hardware) more than when it is working perfectly.[/QUOTE]

Haha same, i guess i just skip a generation then the hardware will be tempting to play with.
I just built my first computer this summer, so the thought of upgrading is hopefully a ways away for me!
I upgrade mostly every 3 years, but i think that with the amount of new stuff coming out right now, upgrading IMO is going to be a task for me every year especially with video cards...
i would say a couple of years. i'm not big on it, i just bought more RAM so i'm 2gigs now. i bought a 7900 around 06 and that went a year ago so i'm going to be getting a new video card soon. around a 9800.