upgrade for my cpu?

A

AZBOOSTIN

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Nov 20, 2005
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Hey guys, trying to decide what direction to go in with my upgrades.... I currently have an asus m4a88t-m motherboard, amd 6x 1055T cpu, Nvidia gtx 560 ti, I am mainly using the computer to play games, and video editing, photoshop work, I play at 2560 resolution and notice the pc has a hard time keeping up... my motherboard only allowes 1 graphics card. so adding another would mean another board... are there any upgrades I could do to my current system to gain 20%+ performance? or am I better off buyin an i7 board and another gtx 560ti?
 
You're SOL with that board.... Doesn't support Bulldozer, which would at least give you a boost in video and probably Photoshop not as much in gaming, and you can't go SLI... For "20%" boost in performance, you're definitely looking at i5, i7 route....
 
Short of overclocking you've hit a dead end CPU side. Maybe upgrading the GPU would be a good option, along with OC'ing the thuban and selling off the graphics card to pay for a better one. Are you looking for a 20% performance for gaming or the work related tasks? If it's the latter then your best bet is saving for an Intel platform but if it's gaming then sell off the 560Ti and buy a 7970 :p
 
Buy a faster GPU. A GTX 560 Ti is being pushed to the limit at 2560 resolution, especially if you like to turn up settings. It's really best for 1920x1080.

A GTX 580 or HD 7970 is much more appropriate for that resolution.

Your Thuban CPU should be enough to power most modern games, especially if it's overclocked.
 
well, overclocking would give you a pretty decent boost, though I would recomend a decent cooler if you do not have one, the 6 core AMD actually gain a pretty decent performance jump by doing so.

560Ti, you could up the gpu to a Radeon 7970 or 7950 when they become available, that would net you close to a 20% boost(GTX560ti to a 580 is a pretty decent jump, and 7970/7950 are more powerfull overall then a 580 especially when overclocking them bad boys)

But you do have a few choices, up the gpu to a more powerfull one($) change the cpu/motherboard($$) or get a better cooler and overclock your current cpu, there are quite a few decent coolers that are quite low cost that will allow you to overclock, now it really depends on you board, ram, how "good" the chip you have but 3.6Ghz or higher should not be much of an issue, and will really let your current setup breathe better. I have a Hyper 212+ with dual bladmaster fans, there are better coolers yes, but not many as low cost that cool as well for its cost :)

Now yes, an i5/i7 is faster, but for most gaming, certain "work" tasks the 4/6core Phenom II are still almost as good, slightly better, or slightly worse depending on what you are doing(work and games of course depends on the specific ones being used) if you overclock it helps them out tons, however, if you do plan on going dual gpu either SLI or Crossfire moreso on the dual Nvidia cards, the Intel cpu`s do "feed" them a bit better, but honestly, you would be surprised what even a small bump in cpu speed will do.

At least 6 folks in my clan run AMD cpu, 2 of them very high res 2500x1600, of the 6, 3 of them are SLI, 1 is Crossfire, the other 2 are single cards(myself am one) and AMD cpu dont have a lack of horsepower in regards to gaming. I overclock my 955BE c3 to 4.1-4.2 no problems, very stable with a single 6870 1920x1080 and medium/high settings in BF3, the lowest FPS I get is 58 or so, and have seen it hit 85 in game.

If you dont mind to do so, try overclocking first, it will probably help a ton.

GTX560Ti 448-570-580 or Radeon 6950-6970-7900 series are more geared for higher res, mostly cause of the shader counts and sometimes cause of the other parts like rops/tmu/Vram etc.
 
A 20% performance increase across the board is alot to ask for from an upgrade. I would say this:

If money is no object, get an i7 2600k system or 3930x and a 7970.
2600k $300
3930x $600
board $200-400
7970 $550

If money is a problem, I'd keep your cpu, (1055T isn't a bad gaming chip and O/Ced will do fine) get a better cooler, (if needed) and a new motherboard that supports SLI and drop in a second 560ti. You'd get an AMD 3+ board, so you can upgrade to a BD later if you want. You'd need to be sure your power supply supports SLI/Crossfire as well.

second 560ti $250
board $150-250

as you can see the second option is a shitload cheaper and realistically it wouldn't be that far behind a new i7 system in most gaming....
 
I myself am as have said using a 955BE C3 chip, love it.

I am also using a M5A99X EVO motherboard which supports all currently available AMD chips(including bulldozer and piledriver when it releases) overclocks like a champ(have had FSB well over 300 stable, cpu/NB up to 2900 stable) it is most certainly an awesome board, I got it for just shy of $150 when I got it, and it does support multiple gpus if you want it to either SLI or Crossfire, not to mention all the Sata 6 and USB 3 most folks would need.

The Sabertooth 990FX is just slightly better in regards to overclocking and such(slightly) and is more geared for triple cards then the A99X is, and I believe at the time Sabertooth 990FX was close to $200, hence why I went with the board I did, not quite as good, but very close in every regard and $50 cheaper :) a freind of mine got the sabertooth for his dual 460s and he loves it, way better performance then he got with his Q9650overclocked and X48 board(forget which)

There is I believe 3 choices for Sandy-e higher end 6 core models, $100 ~$650 and ~$350 and I believe there is also now a 4 core based Sandy-e that is cheaper then 2600k but out performs it, however, the motherboards are far more expensive as the need for quad channel memory interface.

So a sandy setup cpu-motherboard-another gpu ~$700
Sandy-e setup $600-$1200+(and need an aftermarket cooler)$700+
keeping current setup just getting a better motherboard AND gpu AND cooler ~$450.

You may not end up getting the absolute best performance no, but I am 100% sure you will be plenty happy with its performance. Also do keep in mind, although the CPU is still needed, the other stuff such as GPU, communications of the motherboard and such will generally play a much larger role at Higher resolutions then the cpu will, and bumping the clock speed will reduce to do away with any "bottlenecking" that may be there. Not saying CPU is not needed, but higher res overall reduces the outright need for a really expensive cpu, most of the lower end ones with still do fine.

Anyways, choice is truly in your hands. I think if anything, you may be noticing the graphics performance is not quite up to the challenge, having the cpu clocked up a bit and having more graphics performance by far will net you more outright performance advantage then will getting a completely new setup, and you keep $ in your pocket as well :)
 
Sorry Im looking for that boost in gaming not so much in other task its fine... Id like to overclock it how high can these go on average? Right now I play wow,and a couple first person shooters..... however I am soon getting a matrox triplehead2go and going with the 20 30 20 monitor setup.... so yeah I would like to overclock everything and then see what my bottleneck is... Have even thought about buying a cheap phenom 2 motherboard and getting a faster quad core processor and another gtx 560 for sliI dont have a huge i7 buget or I would do it now...
 
AZBOOSTIN said:
Have even thought about buying a cheap phenom 2 motherboard and getting a faster quad core processor and another gtx 560 for sliI dont have a huge i7 buget or I would do it now...
Click to expand...
Not the best route considering that your current CPU is just as fast as many of those AMD quad-cores in games. In addition, in games like BF3, the extra 2 cores help out a bit. Granted, not enough to outperform a Core i5 CPU but ahead of the regular Phenom II X4 CPUs.
 
So you're going to splurge on the monitors and stay cheap on the computer side...

Well, people have different priorities I guess.

Your budget route would be upgrading the motherboard, getting a new CPU cooler, and getting a second 560.

I would strongly consider selling everything off and getting at least the 2500k and two 6970s for a 20-30-20 monitor setup.
 
haha I have the monitors just have to buy the adapter.... monitors were priority doing work... now comes the games :)
 
I think you misunderstood me. I meant to say you splurged on the monitors but went cheap on the computer hardware.
 
Tsumi said:
I think you misunderstood me. I meant to say you splurged on the monitors but went cheap on the computer hardware.
Click to expand...

This.

2560x1600 vs 1920x1200 is a drastic change
Resolution-comparison.jpg


I'd think CPU your fine for now, GPU I'd definately pull out the stops and go 7970 or 580GTX.

Also, get the cards with more VRAM, at that res...it needs it, your 560 is most likely only at a Gig.
 
Well, like Danny said, the X4 vs x6, the x6 are more capable for everything, on average they hit about the same clock speeds, obviously there is alot of factors but 3.8-4.3 seems about the average to the high average. I think the biggest thing with the chip you have seeing as its not a unlocked BE chip, you will be rleiant on the dividers as well as the multi the boards are capable of. Sabertooth and M5A99X EVO both can do some very drastic divider changes as well as some really nice base speeds, in the 280-340 range depending. The likely hood of the board not being able to hit a speed is very much not there, the cpu more likely will hit a speed that the chip doesnt like :)

Anyways, it is worth reading on the different voltages and such, proper speeds, timings, voltages and all that to help you get the most of it, but, there is no point in dropping your x6 and getting a x4 instead, the x6 1055-1075-1090-1100 all hit about the same to more then the x4 can. Running the chip at 3.8-4.0Ghz or so should be easily accomplished, and will give you alot of extra performance. 6cores at 3.8 vs 4cores at 4.2 at least in synthetic benchmarks show the x6 just has more performance behind it. Gaming it doesnt matter much as they rely more on pure clock speed then core counts, but same like BF3 really benefit from the extra cores and clock speed.

I would go for the route of keeping you chip, getting a different motherboard, better gpu, and a decent cooler so that at least you know your cooling performance will not be suffering if you overclock a bit or a good amount, this will be the lowest cost to do, and give you the most benefit I believe relative to the price it costs.
 
Why go with a Matrox2go card, when the Radeons can run triple or 6 monitors from a single card?
 
If not comfortable with Overclocking:
Phenom II X6 1100T = about 15-20% faster just based on clock speed and same architecture
3GB factory OC GTX 580 graphics card if you are staying nvidia
OR
Radeon HD 7970

If comfortable overclocking:
120mm tower air cooler like a Cooler Master 212+ EVO
and same thing as above on video card because your resolution is so high.
Also, you may need to switch to better quality ram depending on what you already have I would aim for 8GB DDR3-1866 kits thatuse 1.5v at rated CL10 or CL9 timings

You could also upgrade to the Phenom II X6 1100T add a big air cooler, overclock that AND still add the new graphics card.
 
Thanks for all the input guys...

I want to go with the matrox because I heard the ati does not allow 2 portriat and one landscape monitor setup?

I think im going to keep the 1055t or get a 1100, swap out motherboard for something better.... and either get a gtx 580 or another 560 ti? how do 2 560's compare to one 580? I have the 1gb version... also going to get some new memory... and overclock EVERYTHING
 
AZBOOSTIN said:
Thanks for all the input guys...

I want to go with the matrox because I heard the ati does not allow 2 portriat and one landscape monitor setup?

I think im going to keep the 1055t or get a 1100, swap out motherboard for something better.... and either get a gtx 580 or another 560 ti? how do 2 560's compare to one 580? I have the 1gb version... also going to get some new memory... and overclock EVERYTHING
Click to expand...

:D:D:D
 
Also would like some advice on a cooler for the 1055t would like to spend aorund 100 or less and keep it quiet tired of a jet in my pc..... water or air...
 
M5A99X EVO or Sabertooth 990FX nough said. Both excellent boards, both very overclock freindly.

2x560Ti are faster then a single 580, but are just a hair faster then a stock clocked 7970. If it were my coin I would go 7970.

Not sure what u mean by portrait and landscape if it means having 2x1 sort of speak then eyefinity should allow this. However for a true PLP setup, they are working on this from what I have heard, but alas its not there yet. Not sure what your needs are, or if you can run things extended etc, however, at least with eyefinity single card, there is alot of combinations and such you can do, you might be able to find one you can be comfortable with an not need a second card :)

Also for memory I am using Gskill RipjawX 1866 8gbGBXL 9,10,9,28 1.5v kit, exceptional, go above thier speeds np and also are able to drop thier speed/tighter timings very well, mine are at 1332 and 7,7,7,20,30 1.5v, the 1600kit GBXL is just as awesome.

If you do change cpu to a slightly faster one 1075T or 1090T Black edition would be the better choices, it would take all of 2 seconds to go into bios and up the multi to get it to 1100T and beyond speeds. It will take more work with 1055, but they all hit "roughly" the same clock speeds. Just as example 333 base clock and multi 12.5 gives me 4.163 core speed, 1055T I believe can down thier multi not up it higher then its default state, so you should have a fairly decent range of speeds you would be able to attain.

Hyper 212+ with extra fan still is my choice for heatsink, hyper 212 EVO or the other hyper 412 are also damn good, but they are more costly. 212+ can get for like $22 depending on where you live, I have OC/OV this cpu as high as I am willing, not once has it ever went beyond 50c so this cooler does work very well especially considering its price.
 
That silver arrow is good, but, is also $ and not that much better then some of the more budget freindly options.

Now if your chip was a penitum D or i7 900 or i7 3k series, then it would make sence, but AMD Phenom II x4/x6 truly do not need supreme coolers, just good ones :)

Forget where I had seen it, but they compared directly some 100+ heatsinks.
DH14 was top of the litter at that time, they used a i7 920 at 1.4v as a test bed.

DH14, megahelms and all the top boys.

Funny thing is the hyper 212+ in push/pull was maybe 3c warmer at load nad 6c at idle compared, and yet they hit the exact same clock speeds. It does not take the wonking huge heatsinks to do the same task, well, that is unless you are pumping god awful insane voltages through it to break some power chewing temperature smashing records :p
 
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Well this is true, bvut there are many other options as well.

Thermalright also has the nasty side of usually not having very good contact and/or flat bases, sometimes this relates to poor cooling compared to if they were made flat(and we should not have to)

Archon is a decent cooler, a decent price, but there are better ones which are able to handle more load, are less costly, and not nearly so wide :)
Other options would be Xigmatech Gaia 1283, Gelid GX7, Deepcool Iceedge 400XT, Zalman Performa, Scythe Mugen 2(with a set of wire clips)NZXT Havik 140/Havik 120, Cogage, Noctua, and of course the FRIO coolers.

Most of the better coolers are all pretty much the same height and such, the main thing using most of these coolers on AMD systems is alot of them only allow a single orientation so you cannot make them go north/south or east/west that is the one thing I do like about the Hyper212+ slide the fans up/down and change the heatsink whatever direction you want. At least I have 0 clearence issues with the Hyper because of this and its in a Raven 3 which does pose its own restrictions on usable spacing around the cpu socket. I suppose it all comes down to what you want, something that is pretty, something that performs very well considering its cost, or something to say "look at what I got" :p
 
AZBOOSTIN said:
Thanks for all the input guys...

I want to go with the matrox because I heard the ati does not allow 2 portriat and one landscape monitor setup?

I think im going to keep the 1055t or get a 1100, swap out motherboard for something better.... and either get a gtx 580 or another 560 ti? how do 2 560's compare to one 580? I have the 1gb version... also going to get some new memory... and overclock EVERYTHING
Click to expand...

I don't think you should switch out the motherboard. That mobo is fine, it differs from the one I have in that it is micro ATX and uses the 710 southbridge chipset rather than the 850... Not that much of a big deal. If you plan on running two cards you need to upgrade the mobo because you need dual PCI express lanes at x16. But you don't need to run two cards on two PICe lanes, you can a dual card like a 6990 on one. Your cpu is good too, I have the same one and it should overclock easily to 3.9-4.0+ (remember to turn off turbo)

I would simply sell your GPU and get either a radeon 6990 or a 7970. Or wait for a 7990

Also upgrading the mobo may mean you have to buy Win 7 again (although you may be fine if you call microsoft)


If you have to buy cooling for your CPU get one of those built in water ones like the corsair h70 or some such. They give better clearance to the RAM if you want to cool the RAM. I have a RAM cooler and it doesn't fit due to the placement of the slots so close to the CPU and cooler.
 
Keep the motherboard and do a mild overclock to 240 on the bus. All budget matx boards can do mild clocks (cept MSI they catch on fire).

Looking at your board, if you trial and error you can hit 250 for clocks of 3.5. Better than stock speed right.
 
I still do not believe the H units justify thier cost, they are compact though, that I will give them, alot of the tower coolers give ample space, especially the ones that the fans can slide up and down, and at least they also give plenty of airflow over the motheboard components as well.

6870x2 or 6990 are both wonderfully fast card, quite expensive both on cost and power usage. A good 750watt unit will work though. I myself am also not a user of dual cards or for that matter X2 style cards, they tend to have more issues with drivers, scaling problems with new games and such, so there is a give and take. I would rather just get a more powerfull card and overclock it, that is if temps and power supply can handle it.

6870x2 or 6990 are very fast indeed, 7970 overclocked near matches thier performance though, and will use less power, produce less heat overall, and you do not have to worry about CF/SLI issues or anything that would effect using dual cards.

Keeping your cpu, ramping up the base clock with a decent cooler you should be able to get a decent overclock out of it. The board I have can easily do 300+base clock, it all depends on the $ that you are willing to spend.

Just upping the cpu speeds, and getting a faster card, will more then likely make a night and day difference, even just upping the cpu and OC the gpu will probably make quite a noticeable difference(just keep an eye on your temps is all. CPU 55c or below is fine GPU any current card can get quite hot, I like to keep mine 70c or below this usally take 55-70% fan speed though, all depends on your noise tolerance)
 
Well I just bought a ASUS M5A99X EVO, a 2nd gtx 560ti, and a new 800w psu, and a h80 cooler for the cpu time to put it all together and see what happens!
 
There are plenty of great offerings out there from Asus, Asrock, Gigabyte and MSI. I think the chipset to stick to is the 990FX, but I haven't built an AMD system in a while. From there, its a matter of what you want/need out of the board. How many PCIx slots, how much ram, Raid supported, ect... The only thing I would say is don't waste money on a high end board with 4x PCIx slots that is $400 if your never going to run tri/quad crossfire/SLI.
 
I am sure you will love the M5A99X EVO, I love mine, very stable high clocks for cpu, memory, fsb, multis etc.

If you need some help with it let me know, I will try my best to help you out.
 
well, basically the 970s are best for single card, 990x for dual cards(or 2x2 style) 990FX for tri or quad card. M5A99X EVO is actually a very nice combo or features, very similar in almost every regard to the 990FX based boards, but trims back a tough on the lane outs for pcie-x for multi-card usage, beyond that not much seperating it from the high end boards, sabertooth 990FX and other like it as probably the bets overall that are not costing a mint for extra stuff that most do not use.

One thing I can say about ASUS current offerings, the new UEFI interface is awesome, everything is well organized, and to get to the old style bios look, all you have to do is hit exit or mouse over to the top and enter the advanced mode, there is even an option to force it to boot into that style of bios everytime. Very intuative, it took me a little to learn where it all is, but I love it now, works very well :)
 
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