which upgrade path should I take?

[Vague]

I currently run a Poweredge sc420 with the PCIe mod for the video card. I have pentium 4 2.8 and 4 GB (3.25 detected) of DDR2 800 installed running 32bit vista.

My top goal is to run a 64bit cpu to take advantage of more memory and their incredibly low prices these days. Here's the dilemma:

If I get a new cpu like a q6600, I'd want a new motherboard. The poweredge case doesn't quite fit any other motherboards, at least not the EP35-DS3R I tried, so I'd need a new case as well. If I do that wouldn't I also need/want to buy memory to match the 1066 fsb of the cpu? because I should'nt use the slow ddr2 800, it would create a bottleneck. I'd need a new power supply as well and before I know it I'm looking at like 6-$700 worth of upgrades that I can't really afford.

So the other option would be to get a p4 531 for about $60. It's 64bit and is a slight increase in speed: 3.0 vs 2.8GHz. Is this a really bad idea? Am I investing in an obsolete technology? Should I suck it up and save until I can afford a complete upgrade?

 

[Volcanon]

Depends on the videocard you have, whether an upgrade would be wasteful or not.

I'd bring it into the 21st century on a budget if I was you, get a good wolfdale core and a 750/650i mobo.

Your RAM can be OC'd if you need it to be, but it won't be much of a bottleneck as you think. I don't think you'd need a new power supply for this either unless you intend on cranking that new processor up to the max.

 

[wadec22]

what are you using your pc for? i use 800 ddr2 with my q6600, it will not/does not create a bottleneck. what is the wattage rating of your power supply? if you are really watching your budget, you can get a mobo for 60-100 dollars, a good power supply for 60, a good case for 40 plus shipping then your q6600 for 180 new.

 

[Vague]

I have a Radeon x1300 video card.

I do some light gaming, TF2 mostly and everything it runs well enough, it gets a little choppy during heavy fight but is really fine.

The current PSU I have is like 300 or 350 watts and is quite old.

Can I really trust a new PSU that costs $60? I had pretty much set my head around a Corsair because of reliability.

The sc420 motherboard does not have any options for overclocking and I've never really done any, but if I get a q6600 I'd definitely want to push it up to around 2.8-3.0 just because of how easy I've heard it is.

So you're saying that I can make a new q6600 machine using the video card and memory I already have for <$500?

 

[Volcanon]

A quad core of any kind would be major overkill for your machine, unless you intend on buying a new GPU sometime soon.

Your PSU could probably handle the upgrade just fine, but getting a new one wouldn't be a bad idea.

I think you could get to 64 bit on what you have now for less than 250 bucks.

 

[Vague]

My major upgrade cycle is about 4 years. I usually like to make it a big step. The quad core seems like that big step for a decent price. But if it's overkill then I should consider getting a 64bit pentium 4 that fits what I already have? The 531 can be found for like $60 through pricewatch and $30 via eBay. Or perhaps a Pentium D, they run close in price on eBay, would the extra L2 cache be worth it?

Is there any reason my motherboard won't support a p4 531 or Pentium D 830? If it'll run it fine and it'll give me 64bit then that seems like a much safer upgrade now until I can afford to actually put together a new machine from the ground up.

 

[RamonGTP]

I currently run a Poweredge sc420 with the PCIe mod for the video card. I have pentium 4 2.8 and 4 GB (3.25 detected) of DDR2 800 installed running 32bit vista.

My top goal is to run a 64bit cpu to take advantage of more memory and their incredibly low prices these days. Here's the dilemma:

If I get a new cpu like a q6600, I'd want a new motherboard. The poweredge case doesn't quite fit any other motherboards, at least not the EP35-DS3R I tried, so I'd need a new case as well. If I do that wouldn't I also need/want to buy memory to match the 1066 fsb of the cpu? because I should'nt use the slow ddr2 800, it would create a bottleneck. I'd need a new power supply as well and before I know it I'm looking at like 6-$700 worth of upgrades that I can't really afford.

So the other option would be to get a p4 531 for about $60. It's 64bit and is a slight increase in speed: 3.0 vs 2.8GHz. Is this a really bad idea? Am I investing in an obsolete technology? Should I suck it up and save until I can afford a complete upgrade?

You have a misconception between the FSB and memory speeds. DDR2 800 runs at 400MHz it's just double pumped. The Q6600's FSB is actually 266MHz x 4. So DDR2 800 has plenty more MHz left over. Infact, DDR2 800 is enough to overclock the Q6600 to 3.6GHz while still running within spec at a 1:1 ratio.

Just like your P4 isn't really a 800MHz FSB, it's 200Mhz x 4

And yes, upgrading a P4 to another P4 is certainly a waste, especially for 200MHz

 

[Dangman]

Can I really trust a new PSU that costs $60? I had pretty much set my head around a Corsair because of reliability.

Yes, there are some $60 PSUs out there that are pretty decent. But those $60 PSUs are usually $100 PSUs one sale. So you have to be on the lookout for those PSUs. But a Corsair PSU is within your budget anyway.

So you're saying that I can make a new q6600 machine using the video card and memory I already have for <$500?

It is possible:
Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 CPU - $210 (Free shipping)
Gigabyte GA-EP43-DS3L Intel P43 Motherboard - $95
Corsair 450VX 450W PSU - $71 (Free shipping)
Antec 300 ATX Case - $60 (Free shipping)
----
Total: $436 plus tax and shipping.

If you want a video card upgrade on the cheap, I recommend this video card:
ASUS EN9600GSO GeForce 9600 GSO 512MB PCI-E Video Card - $100

Don't bother getting either a P4 or a Pentium D. Both are lousy upgrade paths/purchases.

 

[wadec22]

i think the concensus is you sure can do it. but after reading what you do with the machine AND you saying you are currently pleased with it's performance. i don't think you should upgrade at all. sounds like you should save some cash and buy a sweet rig when you NEED it. but there is no way i'd throw another sixty bucks towards a new cpu for that machine.

 

[Vague]

Wadec22, I think you're right. I should just deal with what I have.
Danny Bui, thanks for pricing out that machine. I'm definitely going to keep those links in mind and see if any of that stuff gets any cheaper as I save.

I appreciate everyone's input. Mahalo nui