If you play your cards right, and get one with the right board even the older timmys can have the boards reflashed, my Species is a good example as it still has a Frenzy board in it, but it's been reflashed with newer code. So the stock board still supports PSP ramping, not to mention has all the settings to really need. I just have to figure out how to change the cap from 15bps to 13...
Not to mention, if you get a 2k5, there's isn't much you actually need to upgrade to have an awesome gun, really just huck some paint in it, toss on your tank and you're good.