Hmmm...What should I upgrade

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I've been considering a Christmas time upgrade, but I'm torn about what to upgrade. Specs should be in my sig.

I know for sure I'll be grabbing a 1tb HD, need some more space for media. Problem is, with 2x500gb, 1x400gb, and a 250gb, my case hd space is full. So, the options:

Option 1:

Upgrade my crappy CoolerMaster Cavalier case to the HAF 932. This would give me additional room for Hard Drives and, in general, make my life easier when upgrading. Cooling would definitely be better, which is a huge plus. I might pair this upgrade with a new 750W Corsair PSU in anticipation of future upgrades. My main concern here is I'm not getting any more performance out of my system (other than peace of mind with better cooling and more room to work with for upgrades).

Option 2:

I've seriously been considering a new monitor. This situation would have me replacing the 250gb HD with the 1tb instead of adding it to the system. The BenQ G2400WD looks mighty tempting, and I'm sure would be much nicer to look at that my Viewsonic VP191b 19" (don't get me wrong, it's nice). I'd have to get past my nostalgic attachment to my monitor and find somewhere to put it...I wonder what the market is like for a decent VP191b?

Option 3:

?? Open to suggestions here. Getting some newer (and MORE!) RAM would always be a good thing I suppose, I'm currently only running 2gb of G. Skill and RAM is incredibly cheap. 4 gigs sure would be nice, even though I'm still running XP.

The current CPU and mobo are enough for the time being I think. My 6400 is running at 2.8 ghz pretty nicely.

I don't feel that the games I play at the moment (Source and WoW regularly, other FPS when they come out. Left 4 Dead looks promising. I probably should get around to Crysis as well.) really warrant a GPU upgrade, even though I stupidly got the 320mb 8800GTS instead of the 640 version. I'll probably do the vid card upgrade in a year unless someone can convince me otherwise.
 
Do not upgrade anything if it does not give you immediate benefit. This includes PSU. If you're going to need a PSU later, then get the PSU at the same time asthe parts that would make you need it. Same with case.
 
dandragonrage said:
Do not upgrade anything if it does not give you immediate benefit. This includes PSU. If you're going to need a PSU later, then get the PSU at the same time asthe parts that would make you need it. Same with case.
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Fair enough. The reasoning behind the case was the ability to store more than 4 hard drives (and get better cooling/air flow), but losing the 250gb isn't really much of a hit. I suppose down the line, if I did get another one, then would be the time to upgrade the case (or when I go with a mobo upgrade).

Danny Bui said:
What's your total budget for this upgrade?
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Probably only a few hundred. I'm guessing the monitor might be the best choice at the moment. It would probably make my gameplay much more enjoyable. I could always throw in the RAM since it's so cheap, but how much of a difference would 4gb make over 2gb?

If I do go this route, I'll have to decide for sure on a screen. The BenQ G2400WD looks nice, so does the LG l227wtg-pf (but it's glossy! ugh).

Do you think my 8800GTS 320mb will be enough for a new 24" monitor?
 
A new monitor would also "necessitate" a new video card, as your 320MB 8800GTS wouldn't be enough to handle gaming on either monitor you're considering. (If you're considering Crysis, hold off until you get a decent video card. That game could bring even high-end GPU setups to their knees.)

More RAM wouldn't offer much improvement in gaming, but it wouldn't hurt. If you perform a lot of multitasking or if you use resource-intensive programs, then the additional RAM would benefit you somewhat. But with the 4GB system memory limitation in 32-bit operating systems, you'll only have about 3GB-3.5GB of "usable" RAM.
 
tiraides said:
A new monitor would also "necessitate" a new video card, as your 320MB 8800GTS wouldn't be enough to handle gaming on either monitor you're considering. (If you're considering Crysis, hold off until you get a decent video card. That game could bring even high-end GPU setups to their knees.)

More RAM wouldn't offer much improvement in gaming, but it wouldn't hurt. If you perform a lot of multitasking or if you use resource-intensive programs, then the additional RAM would benefit you somewhat. But with the 4GB system memory limitation in 32-bit operating systems, you'll only have about 3GB-3.5GB of "usable" RAM.
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Bah, so basically I'm looking at about $350-400 for the monitor, and then another $170 or so to upgrade to a 4850 (at the minimum, though this looks to be the "sweet spot" at the moment as the Nvidia offerings are more $$$)?

I'm not even sure if my current PSU would be adequate for the newer generation of cards. I have a little bit of a hard time believing that the 8800GTS wouldn't do for now, especially playing mostly CS: Source and WoW for the time being, even at the higher 1920x1200 res. I don't need AA and AF ALL the way up. Obviously I wouldn't be able to handle Crysis until I upgrade the GPU, but that can wait for a few more months.
 
You may want to upgrade your power supply as well, which would add about $60-$150 (based on the actual PSU you chose) to the costs need for the monitor and video card.

What's the most you're willing to spend on these upgrades?
 
I really wanted to stay in and around $500 max, but the monitor would eat up most of that.

Sigh, this makes me even more aggravated that I got the 8800GTS in March as a quickfix for a card that I thought was about to fail, although I guess I had little choice.

I suppose I could save some money and go for the 22" LG with the lower resolution to avoid upgrading my GPU immediately, but it seems to me that if I'm getting a new monitor I should go for the 24" (plus the LG is glossy...meh). Thoughts?
 
joeshmo1985 said:
I'm not even sure if my current PSU would be adequate for the newer generation of cards. I have a little bit of a hard time believing that the 8800GTS wouldn't do for now, especially playing mostly CS: Source and WoW for the time being, even at the higher 1920x1200 res. I don't need AA and AF ALL the way up
Click to expand...

Your current PSU is barely adequate for your current system, let alone an upgraded video card or hard drive. The amperage on the +12V rail is pretty damn low. Last time I checked, my system took up 250W at load with Prime 95 and ATI Tool both running. I
ll double check those figures when I get home tonight but note that your 8800GTS uses more power than my 8800GT. So any GPU upgrade or added hard drive you do will require a new PSU to be on the safe side. I recommend getting this PSU:
BFG Tech LS-550 550W PSU - $67

The 8800GTS 320MB is more than enough for CS:S @1920x1200 However, the recent updates to WoW have increased hardware requirements. So the 8800GTS 320MB will probably be barely enough for WoW at that 1920x1200 resolution.

joeshmo1985 said:
I suppose I could save some money and go for the 22" LG with the lower resolution to avoid upgrading my GPU immediately, but it seems to me that if I'm getting a new monitor I should go for the 24" (plus the LG is glossy...meh). Thoughts?
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Here's what I'd do:
Samsung 2443BWX 24" DVI Widescreen LCD Monitor - $350
BFG Tech LS-550 550W PSU - $67
Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 ST31000340AS 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - $114
----
$531 plus tax and shipping.

The Samsung monitor is a very nice quality monitor for the price. The BFG PSU will allow you to upgrade your GPU and add additional hard drives without a problem. The Seagate 1TB will replace that 250GB drive and should boost your storage by a lot. Yes your GTS320MB will struggle with some games, even if AA and AF is turned off, at 1920x1200 but it should be adequate.
 
Heh. I should've mentioned that I'm not paying for the hard drive, it's a gift.

Personally, I'm partial to the Corsair PSUs and could get the 650W for $110 before rebate, or the 750 if I really wanted to go nuts.

As for Samsung, I'm not sure. I've heard about the "panel lottery," plus I feel like the BenQ is better quality overall.

Do you think it's definitely worth it to go for the 24" over the 22" LG? If I went with the LG instead, I'd have enough $$ to upgrade to a 4850.

Or I could always hope for another BenQ deal like the one I missed in August (G2400 for $300). :mad:
 
joeshmo1985 said:
Personally, I'm partial to the Corsair PSUs and could get the 650W for $110 before rebate, or the 750 if I really wanted to go nuts.
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As am I. If you check out my posts here, I'll usually recommend Corsair PSUs over others. I own a Corsair PSU right now. The fact that I'm recommending a BFG PSU over a Corsair should tell you something.

Besides, $110 for the 650TX is a piss poor value when you can get the 750TX for cheaper:
Corsair 750TX 750W PSU - $105

The BenQ monitor is an excellent choice but will take up a good chunk of your $500 budget. How much is the 22" LG monitor? Also note that if you get the HD4850, you WILL need a new PSU.

If the 22" LG monitor, HD4850 and BFG PSU all fit within your $500 budget, I'd go that route.
 
Danny Bui said:
Besides, $110 for the 650TX is a piss poor value when you can get the 750TX for cheaper:
Corsair 750TX 750W PSU - $105
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Touche sir.

Here's the monitor at newegg, I believe it's still $260 at Best Buy:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824005109

I'm just concerned about the glossy finish, plus the extra resolution on the 24" would be nice. I don't know if there's any major advantages of getting a 24" over a 22".

LG Monitor - $260

Sapphire 4850 512mb - $140 after MIR

Corsair 650W - $80 after MIR

This would bring the total to $480 after rebates, before tax. I may hold off on the monitor for a bit or something, see if newegg runs the deal on the BenQ again.
 
Monitors are not my area of expertise TBH. So I'll defer to someone who knows more about monitors than I do. (Where's HardwareGuru at? :D)

But AFAIK, there aren't many advantages of getting 24" over a 22" besides the larger resolution and monitor size. But a disadvantage is that you will need a better video card to play a majority of newer games at 1920x1200.

EDIT: Don't count the MIR until you have that rebate check in hand. Rebates are not guaranteed since they can still be lost, rejected, and ignored even if you did everything right and did not forget about it.
 
Danny Bui said:
Monitors are not my area of expertise TBH. So I'll defer to someone who knows more about monitors than I do. (Where's HardwareGuru at? :D)

But AFAIK, there aren't many advantages of getting 24" over a 22" besides the larger resolution and monitor size. But a disadvantage is that you will need a better video card to play a majority of newer games at 1920x1200.
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Pretty much what I was thinking. And for someone who doesn't upgrade as frequently as other people (had my ATI x800xl not been about to fail, I'd probably still have that, and I bought my mobo and CPU 2 years ago), perhaps a lower resolution would be better for me.

I have heard that, overall, the BenQ is superior to the LG, but like you, monitors are definitely not my area.
 
Quick question though: Are you using the stock HSF? I ask because we have the same CPU and motherboard with similar RAM yet I was able to hit 3.2Ghz, even with the stock HSF albeit with high temps.
 
I was up to about that high, but backed it off a bit to keep the temps down. I'm using a Zalman CNPS-7700. My case doesn't have fantastic cooling and airflow, which is why I listed the HAF as a potential upgrade. I remember having some stability issues when pushing it higher than that, could be that I didn't get a great overclocker, or that my PSU really is pushed to the brink.
 
With a $500 budget, You did pretty good in selecting the LG 227WTG-PF monitor, Yeah I know glossy screen but, this monitor fricken rocks. 0 input lag, 3 year warranty, vivid vibrant colors. Plus, it has scaling feature to accomodate older games that support only 4:3 aspect ratios. I have a 22" glossy screen in the HP W2207H and it doesn't bother me at all. Yeah I do notice glare in the daytime when I game but, I mostly game at night after work. But, its vivid colors makes up for it. Plus, it does make viewing pictures look cleaner. Corsair PSU are very good no doubt but still, I would adjust to another PSU for the cost mainly. I would do this with your $500 budget

Monitor - 22" LG L227WTG-PF at Best Buy for $260
Better to buy locally as you can refund or exchange it if you are not satisfied. Also note, some models may suffer more backlight bleeding than other model. Also, you may have one that has a stuck or dead pixel. This is why it's good idea to buy locally. I had to do that with my HP W2207H where the first model I bought had bad backlight bleeding. You may not notice this right away when you turn it on. You need to have it on and let it sit until the bleeding appears. Fortunately, the second model I got in exchange is alot better.

Video Card - Good choice on the Sapphire Radeon HD 4850 for $160 ($20 MIR) with free shipping.

PSU - Although Corsair lines are great PSU. The Antec Earthwatts 650 for $70 w/free shipping is very good deal. It has 45A on the + 12V rail and this is also certified by AMD/ATI to run a Radeon HD 4870X2 video card. This is more than enough to run an HD 4850

Total - $490
 
Ah, the person I was waiting to hear from. When I get it I'll definitely have to test it out for backlight bleeding.

Any suggestions on the best way to do this (dark room? what to put up on the monitor? etc.). How much bleeding is normal on this monitor?
 
Dude Dude! Hurry and snatch this deal on NewEgg. Drop that Radeon HD 4850 video card and go with the MSI GTX 260 for $215 ($40 MIR)

Monitor - LG 227WTG-PF for $260 at Best Buy
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=8739118&type=product&id=1201913867539

Video Card - MSI GTX 260 for $215 ($40 MIR)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127361

PSU - Antec EA650 for $70 w/free shipping
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371015

Total: $545

Fricken worth it. You will get a bigger boost in Crysis if you step up to this GTX 260 video card from the HD 4850. (MAXIMUM... GAME) LoL.

*Note: with your setup and a GTX 260 video card on a 22" (1680 x 1050) I recommend these setting for Crysis and Crysis Warhead

Crysis - 1680 x 1050 res, All High Settings, 0x AA
Forget about Very High settings with 2x AA

Crysis Warhead - 1680 x 1050 res, All Gamer Settings, 0x AA
Forget about Enthusiast Settings with 2x AA
 
How long do you think the LG for $260 will last at Best Buy? Reason I ask is I probably won't buy it until after Christmas, and if I know I'm getting it from there, I'll just tell all the people pestering me for gift ideas to get me Best Buy gift cards.
 
joeshmo1985 said:
Ah, so it's a frequent sale. Excellent. Now I have to decide if odds are good it goes on sale again a month from now.
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There will always be something on sale. If not that particular monitor, then something else to replace it.
 
enginurd said:
There will always be something on sale. If not that particular monitor, then something else to replace it.
Click to expand...

Yeah, but it definitely is one of the better 22" screens. I'd go 24", but it's more stressful on video cards because of the higher resolution, and I don't typically upgrade that often. I'm going to get it either way, it's just a question of newegg or Best Buy (and if I can be assured it's Best Buy I'd ask for BB gift cards for Xmas).
 
My advice: Don't buy a monitor from NewEgg. Here's the reason, if you get a bad batch it's a bitch to return or exchange. If you return, here is NewEggs policy:

LCD Monitor Limited Non-Refundable 30-Day Return Policy

*Return for refund within: non-refundable
*Return for replacement within: 30 days
*There must be a minimum of 8 dead pixels to declare an LCD display defective and eligible for return.

"This is our detailed LCD Monitor Limited Non-Refundable 30-Day Return Policy. Products that state "This item is covered by Newegg.com's Non-Refundable 30-Day Return Policy", or items labeled as “Non-refundable” (or similar labeling) must be returned to Newegg.com within 30 days of the invoice date for this policy to apply. Products covered by this return policy may only be returned for a replacement of the same item.

Newegg.com sells many products such as Notebooks and Monitors that feature LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) screens. Newegg.com adheres to the dead-pixel policy that is observed by the majority of our manufacturers. In order to declare any product with an LCD screen "defective" and eligible for replacement or refund through any applicable Newegg.com Return Policy, there must be a minimum of 8 (eight) dead LCD pixels."



If you buy locally, you may pay more but, you can always return and exchange if not satisfied. What I do is buy locally, and run that monitor through tests like play movies, games, do a backlight bleed test, check for any stuck or dead pixels. Do all this within the return/exchange period. If you come across an area that you are not satisfied with, return or exchange it. If you return it, get the LG 22" and see how you like that. Hehe. I bought and returned and exchanged alot of monitors hehe.
 
Thanks for the advice Hardware. I guess even if it's not on sale at Best Buy, the $20 extra is worth the option to take it back and exchange.
 
Yup, there's alot of issues and factors that affect a monitor, it can arrive damaged from shipping, missing a component, backlight bleeding excessive, stuck/deal pixels, buzzing or humming sound from the internal PS. Ghosting/Motion blur, banding, screen door effect, etc. Invest time to research for a good one because you won't be upgrading this as often as a GPU, CPU etc.
 
Yeah. I'm not too worried about the monitor I've selected. Most reviews tend to be very positive, with only a few minor issues here and there (the only one I've really come across is banding in relation to contrast). Other than that, I'm a little worried about the reflection on the glossy screen.
 
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