Upgrading/New Build

Hey there,

I'm planning on upgrading my computer in the next couple of months although it's going to be more of a new build...

I've currently got:

Asus A8N-SLI Deluxe motherboard
AMD 64 3000+ (S939)
Geil Golden Dragon PC3200 2x512mb
Geforce 7900GS 512mb
250GB Maxtor SATA HD
480W Thermaltake PSU

I'll be keeping the graphics card and hard drive from my old computer and will need everything else new. Although I would like to keep the PSU if possible.

I'm planning on spending £400 to £500 and will be buying online from either www.overclockers.co.uk www.scan.co.uk or www.ebuyer.co.uk

It'll be used mainly for gaming and ideally i want to be able to play the next gen games at top spec (or near enough) although I also do a fair bit of encoding and so a dual or quad core processor would be good.

I want to be able to run two graphics cards in SLI and was wondering what processor would be best for my budget since I'll also need some RAM (2GB), a motherboard and a good case.

I've been looking at the Thermaltake Mambo in terms of cases but have no idea about the motherboard. Although for the processor, I've been thinking about the C2D E6750 or the E6850 but theres also the Quad core Q6600.

With these components does anyone know what sort of cooling I'd need, I'm not certain if I'd overclock but I would like to have it as a possibility. I'm not too bothered about the noise as long as its not overly noisy.

Also, what sort of power PSU would I need, I'm guessing that 480W would not be enough , baring in mind that I'd like to be able to run 2 graphics cards in there at some point and with the possibility of a processor upgrade etc.

A computer that I'll be able to easily upgrade in the future would also be great.

I've also heard that Intel are going to cutting the prices of their core 2 duo and quad core processors in the next month, is that really going to happen?


I appreciate any advice you can give!

Thankyou

 

I would suggest just upgrading your cpu t either an X2 4200/4600 socket 939 or an Opteron 180 939 and then get a better video card and some more ram.
If you want to save even more money and want to SLI and not replace your PSU then just get an auxillary PSU from Thermaltake.And try and get another 1GB of RAM from Geil, or just replace it all with some OCZ platinum. I would get a couple of 8800GT's. Then you just need to buy 3 parts instead of a whole new pc.

 

I was thinking about just upgrading my current parts but I'd rather switch to intel, and by doing that I've got better upgrade possibilities in the future since socket 939 has now been outdated by AM2.

Plus I've only recently got the graphics card so I'd like to hold onto as long as possible. Do you not think it would be worth doubling up this card at a later date?


Thanks

 

Well it kind of depends. See if you built a C2D right now, then yes you would have better multi tasking and such over the X2 or the Opteron, and you would certainly have better future upgrade options where the cpu is concerned. The only problem is that if your a gamer, your bottleneck will be that video card. For gaming sticking to the GT/GTX series is always the better bet. It really depends on what you want to do the most. Upgrading to an Opty 180 or an X2 4600, the opteron being easier to find and usually retail, and getting a couple of 8800 GT's or GTX's, along with doubling up your RAM will net you much more FPS than building the new system and using the old vid card. Either way I think you should have no problem running many of the newer games, just might have to knock down the FPS a bit. I guess the only other benefit of the Intel system build would be that you could always get new video cards later too.

 

I think I'll have to look into selling this graphics card and then buying a new 8800 like you said...

If I buy another AMD then I think I'll just feel its a little outdated since they've got their new AM2 range plus they'll have their new processors coming out soon.

In terms of motherboards is there anything that you would recommend for the Intel C2D and quad core processors or is there anything I should be looking out for? Needs to have SLI and overclocking capabilities.

At the moment which is better with graphics cards with performance to cost?

Thanks again for the help!

EDIT:

I've just had a look at graphics cards and have found this one. Would it be much better than my current card and would it having less memory make a difference?

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=GX-044-BG&groupid=701&catid=56&subcat=927

 

Honestly i see no reason to get rid of your 7900GS, those are great cards and unless you have Vista there is no reason to get a DX10 card that wont outperform your current one by that much.

You dont need a quad core proc either, most programs and games are just beginning to use multithreading to take advantage of multiple cores. Pretty much any core 2 duo has some serious OC potential.

XFX, eVGA and ASUS make good C2D boards made specifically for gamers/overclockers

 

I'm glad you said that. I probably won't be getting Vista til the end of the year and I should have enough money for a good graphics card by then. I'd rather not get it at all but since it's the only way to get DX10, I don't really have much choice.

The reason for the quad core was partly to do with not wanting to upgrade the processor for a while and also because some of the next gen games coming up; Crysis and UT3 will use all the cores.

I was also having a look at two processors in particular; the Quad Core Q6600 (2.4ghz) and the Core 2 Duo E6850 (3.0ghz) both priced at £178.59 on overclockers.co.uk and was wondering are they supposed to be equal in terms of performance and which one would be better to get. With this planned drop in the C2D prices at the start of September are Intel going to be releasing a new line of processors aswell? I've had a look but couldn't find anything about it.

And with the motherboard which socket am I looking to get, I know its 775, but there are so many different variations of this socket now...



Thanks again.

 

Actually Viper, hate to disagree with you, but the 8800GTS outperforms the 7900GS by a lot. In fact the 8800GTS outperforms 2 7900GS' in SLI mode.If you really feel the need to upgrade then go with Asus,EVGA, or the high end Abit boards. Like I said, getting a Opteron 180 with your current board beats out the C2D's up to the e6600. So if you want any performance gain you'll need to get at least an e6600. If you do that I would also recommend a nice hsf like the Tuniq Tower. My friend has an e6600 with a Tuniq Tower cooler and he has a stable overclock to 3.4ghz. Keep in mind, at that point the video card is still your bottleneck, so don't expect a big difference in gaming. Cheers.

 

Also the Q6600 handily outperforms the E6850. If you want a good resource for processors use this

http://www23.tomshardware.com/cpu_2007.html?modelx=33&model1=871&model2=872&chart=419

And for a good resource on video cards use this....


http://www23.tomshardware.com/graphics.html

 

Thanks for those sources, they're really useful, although the one for graphics cards doesn't have the exact model of my card; there's only the 256mb and no 512mb. But still good all the same.

With the Tuniq Tower, does changing the HSF for the processor still void warranties, or would that be fine changing it? And, would it be touching the side of the box, I've read with a few of the larger heatsinks that they do and because of that you can lose space for a fan.

I'm not planning on keeping the graphics card for much longer either, just need to sell it and get some more money together to get a new one.


Thanks

 

I've got a gigabyte 965 ds3 that I'm about to drop a quad core (q6600) into (if ups would ever get here gggrrr) what you want is a socket 775 motherboard that supports an fsb of 1333 check 680i chipset for sli

 

First off Amen to the UPS thing....hate UPS so much. As for voiding the warranty, as far as I know using a different cooler never has voided the warranty of a cpu. Maybe using big globs of thermal gel, but that can be cleaned. Not sure about space restrictions, he has an Antec Nine Hundred case and has no problems with the Tuniq tower. And yeah, definitely try to get a 680i chipset, because they are really nice boards. I know the Abit high end one is good, and the Asus Striker is the board that 3DMark's current "Fastest Computer on Earth" uses as of 6pm last night, so it's good too. I've heard a couple of bad things about the DFI version, but I would still bet the farm on DFI since I've supported them since the old Infinity nf2 boards. As long as you're planning on upgrading that video card to something decent eventually then C2D is definitely the way to go. And I'll be sitting here jealous of your quad core having posterior. hehe

 

I just hope the quad core's worth the extra money.

I didn't know about the warranty thing, just something I heard from a friend a long time ago.

I quite like the look of that case too, and looks like it will stay cool, unfortunately I can't really afford it. £50 absolute max if you have any suggestions for cases with good airflow for me

Really appreciate the advice with everything and I'm thinking of either this:
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=MB-001-BG
or:
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=MB-209-AS&groupid=701&catid=5&subcat=205

I don't suppose you know why the Premium and Plus versions of the Asus P5N32-E are cheaper than the standard version, surely they should be better boards?

I'll definately be upgrading my graphics card sometime soon, that link you sent me was great by the way.

Also, what size power supply would you recommend, I found a case (Sonata III) which comes with a 500w power supply, but I really don't think that would be enough. My rough guesstimate was from 600 to 700w with upgrade potential but I don't know how accurate that is.

EDIT:

Here's a PSU calculator:
http://www.extreme.outervision.com/PSUEngine

It estimates mine at about 700w with my current card...

 

the asus board looks good. I've used asus a lot and wifes pc still going after 3 or 4 years as for power supply get a decent 700 watt or so for when sli time rolls around. (usually 700 should cover most high end sli configs)

 

I run all of my components on a Hiper Type R 580w. You would probably appreciate actually, the fact that we imported it from you guys. Hiper is a Brittish company who makes just, absolutely fantastic power supplies. It's gorgeous, it is. As for a case I personally use the ,Aerocool Masstige, and find it's a great one, but I can't find it at any UK etailers. The Antec Nine Hundred and Coolermaster Stacker cases are better than mine, but a bit pricier in the Stackers case (no pun intended). In fact I think the Stacker is the only case to be SLi certified. If you want to make sure you get the right PSU go here......

http://www.slizone.com/object/slizone_build_psu.html

P.S. The Case does NOT need to be SLi certified. It's kind of silly that they even did that, though I'm pretty sure it's because of the cooling system inside. And if you could spare another 9 (don't know the sign for your currency, sorry. ) Then you could get this..... http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=CA-065-AN&groupid=701&catid=7&subcat= And it's just as good if not better than my beloved Masstige.

P.S.S When deciding between motherboards I use this scale for brands..... 1)DFI,2) Asus,3) EVGA,4)Abit,5) Everybody else. That Asus board is a good one. You can read some hands on user reviews here.... http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16813131073

 

to add to your mobo list, the new XFX boards are quite nice actually, and not too pricey either. gotta love ASUS though, thats what I use

 

Unfortunately, the XFX boards are even more expensive so I'm going to have to go for the Asus one, although thats more than what I was planning to spend on the motherboard anyway.

As for PSU, I've narrowed it down to two:

Hiper 730w True Power (£82.19):
http://www.aria.co.uk/Products/Comp...+730W+TRUE+POWER++PSU+EPS+12v?productId=24516
Thermaltake 700w Modular (£76.32):
http://www.aria.co.uk/Products/Comp...take+W0106RB+700W+Modular+PSU?productId=27047

Other than that, this is what I'm planning on getting (unless you recommend something else)

CPU: Quad Core Q6600 @ £165.39
MOTHERBOARD: Asus P5N-32 E nforce 680 @ £129.49
RAM: OCZ 2GB PC2-8500 Reaper @ £99.82 OR OCZ 2GB PC2-8500 SLi Ready @ £129.19 OR http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=MY-013-OK&groupid=701&catid=8&subcat=817
CASE: Antec Nine Hundred @ £65.17

It's more than I was planning to spend at about £550 ($1107) including postage and packing so if you guys recommend anything else that would be great. I'm going to be waiting til October time so hopefully the price might have dropped a bit by then.

I've checked the two different OCZ RAM and they seem identical to me, they both support SLi and the timings look the same but the 2nd one is more expensive for some reason. The own brand OcUK one would save me a lot of money so is it much worse than the OCZ?

Again, thanks for all your help so far!

 

Definately get the quad it ROCKS
this thing is a beast

 

I'm about the build a system w/ Q6600. Will report back on insaneness of speed.

Q6600($280)
Gigabyte-P35 Express chipset-DS3R($110)
2 GB DDR2-1066 Super Talent RAM(cas 4 latency/dual channel/$100)
320 GB SATA HDD Seagate Barracuda($100)
500 Watt Antec SmartPower 2.0($60)
1 GPU; ATI Radeon X1950XT 256 MB-onboard; 256-bit interface($165)

 

Yeh, the quad is the one thing I'm certain I want to get, partly just to beat my brothers system. But what do you think of the other components? RAM and the PSU?

Cheers

 

Getting ready to build my first real system. Any advice or comments would be greatly appreciated, Thanks

ASUS P35 P5K Delux Wifi MoBo
Intel Core 2 Q6600 2.4GHz 1066 MHz LGA775 8MB cache
OCZ DDR2 PC2-8500 Platinum SLI-Ready Edition OCZ2N10662GK Memory
Enermax ECA3052-B Chakra Mid Tower Case
Antec TruPower Trio 650 650W Power Supply
(2) Western Digital WD 1600YS 160GB 3.0 Gb/s 16MB Cache 7200 RPM SATA
ASUS GeForce 8500 GT PCIE 512MB DDR2 Extreme Silent EN8500GT SILENT/HTD/512M Video Card.

Trying to keep it around a $1000.00 US. The above is at about $1050.00
Thanks.

 

looks good from what I see

 

Thanks, IB. It's gona be one of those slowww builds because I will have to buy a little at a time. :cry

 

You might be better off waiting til you have all the money to buy all the parts. I know I'd be gutted if I'd bought only my processor or motherboard or whatever and then the next week the price had dropped and I still didn't even have a complete system.

 

thats how i built this machine. A little at a time worth it though just do as I did and shop for sales