Almost done upgrading, seeking advice

T

Twizzler

n00b
Joined
Feb 7, 2010
Messages
5
Hey folks, long time lurker, first time poster!

1) What will you be doing with this PC?
Gaming, 3D Applications (Max/Maya, Zbrush, UE3), Photoshop

2) What's your budget?
$295 shipped

3) Where do you live?
Seattle

4) What exact parts do you need for that budget?
GPU (most important), HDD possible, HSF (using stock atm)

5) If reusing any parts, what parts will you be reusing?
Core I5 - 750, Gigabyte P55-UD3R, Seagate 250gb, 8GB DDR3 1333, Lian Li HPC 500W PSU, Antec 900

6) Will you be overclocking?
Yes, currently at 3.3ghz (65C at load or so)

7) What size monitor do you have and/or plan to have?
Gateway 21 (1680x1050) + Samsung 204B (1600x1200)

8) When do you plan on building/buying the PC?
Anytime but don't mind waiting a couple of weeks or so

9) What features do you need in a motherboard? RAID? Firewire? Crossfire or SLI support? etc.
N/A
10) Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license?
Yes, Vista 64 (open to Windows 7 upgrade)

For the past couple of months, I've been slowly upgrading my computer. It started with one of those awesome Core I5 sales at Frys and has been a work in progress ever since.

I definitely need a new GPU since I am using an 8800GTS 640mb currently. I am looking at 5770s or, if my patience holds up, at the 5830s when they are released. I would like to stick to $150-170 for the GPU and put the rest of the money into HSF, HDD, or wherever. However, if the 5830 is the right price/performance, I may go for that. I am not in the market for a monitor upgrade, however, I will also consider it if the price is right WITH a new GPU.

Thanks for all the help folks! HardOCP has been a great resource for me for many years. :)
 
Last edited:
Uh...a black one? :)

Just kidding. Unfortunately, I can't get to the make/model of it without ripping it out which I can't do tonight. It's roughly 3 years old though and am open to upgrading if it's absolutely needed.

If I have time tomorrow, I'll rip it out and update the OP tomorrow.
 
Unless you're going SSD or are running out of space, I wouldn't worry about the HDD.

I'd think about using some of your money on a Windows 7 upgrade if you plan on keeping this computer for a while. I think it's a good improvement over what you're running now.
 
Ok, edited the OP with the PSU details. Turns out, it's not 550 but 500. It's a Lian Li HPC-500 500W.
 
Twizzler said:
. Turns out, it's not 550 but 500. It's a Lian Li HPC-500 500W.
Click to expand...
Damn. I'm honestly surprised your PC is still running then:
http://hardocp.com/article/2007/05/23/450w500w_psu_battle_royal/8

I'd recommend a PSU upgrade as well. Something like this PSU will be enough for a HD 5770:
$60 - Antec NEO ECO 520C 520W PSU.

For your relatively moderate resolution, the HD 5770 will be enough. I'd recommend this XFX HD 5770 due to XFX's lifetime warranty and excellent customer support:
$165 - XFX HD-577X-ZNFC Radeon HD 5770 1GB PCI-E Video Card

If you want a faster drive, I'd recommend this drive:
$55 - Samsung Spinpoint F3 HD502HJ 500GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive

Or if you don't need a faster drive, get this HSF:
$30 - Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus HSF for LGA 1366 and LGA 1156

It should all be under $295 shipped.
 
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