Going from a C2D 4500 need advice.

[Blitz108]

Long time lurker here, I just wanted to ask you guys' opinion on a very frustrating matter.

Currently I'm being torn between just upgrading my current system from a 4500 @ 3ghz to a C2Q 9400 which I intend to oc aswell. Now here is the hard part, I am using intel's retail edge program, and I'd like to grab one of the i5s offered at $89.

The problem im running into is that i can't bring myself to pull the trigger because I'm not sure that the performance gains will be worth it over an oc'd 9400. I don't do any editing, av conversions, etc. I only mainly game, watch movies, and surf the interwebs.

Right now I'm running a 4850 at 1680 but lately in games I've been getting a lot of slowdown in more physics and mass AI situations and I figure the cpu is the root cause.

If I keep the 775 set up I'll be using a 4gb set of gskill pi 6400 on a Gigabyte p35-ds3l if that helps. This will be the first time I've really been stumped like this when thinking about upgrades in a long long time, any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Mr. Bluntman]

If you were planning on a Q9550 I'd tell you not to bother. However if you are dead set on a Q9400 with 3MB L2 per core, I'd grab the i5 750. Games love lots of L2/L3 cache.

Also, your 4850 is starting to get a little long in the tooth if you like AA&AF at maximum details. A 5850 or a GTX 285 would make for a nice upgrade.

 

[gwarren007]

Would you be buying the Q9400 at retail? That would factor into the decision.

If you were to buy the processor at $89, a motherboard for 115 and ram at 95, you would be looking at $300 total investment.

Sell the E4500/DS3l/and ram for $150 and you have spent less than buying the Q9400 at retail.

 

[Blitz108]

Thanks for the input, time to pull the trigger.