i7 dilemma

T

Tbolt

Limp Gawd
Joined
Mar 2, 2009
Messages
299
Alright folks, the time has come for upgrades. I have quite a few questions and need some advice/suggestions as well.

For starters here is what I am working with:
PSU - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817153042
Card - 9800GTX+ 1gig
Case - lian-li something, its fine
Mobo - asus p5w dh deluxe
cpu - intel core 2 e6400 conroe
hard drives: 2x500GB seagates
ram: 2gigs of some ddr2 ocz

Now here is what I want to upgrade to:
intel i7 920
asus p6t
corsair 6gigs

for now I would love to just drop $630 on those three and have a nice system again, but I am concerned about the PSU. Will it be sufficient for the time being? Optimally I could grab those components now and in a few months grab a new PSU and a nice HSF (thermalright TRUE 1366 or w/e) and maybe then do some OC'n but I need some advice from the pros.

questions answered:
1) What will you be doing with this PC? Gaming? Photoshop? Web browsing? etc
Gaming is the prime reason for upgrades, gaming will be filling my time gaps this summer. I also watch alot of HD content.
2) What's your budget? Are tax and shipping included?
don't really have a budget per say, just prefer buying components over time.
3) Where do you live?
md
4) What exact parts do you need for that budget? CPU, RAM, case, etc. Please be very specific.
ideally i need the core: cpu/mobo/ram
5) If reusing any parts, what parts will you be reusing? Please be especially specific about the power supply. List make and model.
provided link to the PSU, thats my main reason for posting.
6) Will you be overclocking?
eventually but not with my current PSU
7) What size monitor do you have and/or plan to have?
dell 24" ultrasharp (IPS)
8) When do you plan on building/buying the PC?
within the month
9) What features do you need in a motherboard? RAID? Firewire? Crossfire or SLI support? etc.
just the basics, maybe HD audio
10) Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license?
Sure


Thanks a ton, I really appreciate it.
 
That 600 watt should suffice, but it cuts it kind of close.
 
Tbolt said:
for now I would love to just drop $630 on those three and have a nice system again, but I am concerned about the PSU. Will it be sufficient for the time being? Optimally I could grab those components now and in a few months grab a new PSU and a nice HSF (thermalright TRUE 1366 or w/e) and maybe then do some OC'n but I need some advice from the pros.
Click to expand...

A good quality 600W will be more than enough to power that system. However, that TT Purepower 600W is not of good quality IMO since it only has 38A total on the +12V rail. Many ~500W PSUs have more power than that.

With that said, 38A will be enough for your planned upgrade. However if you intend to overclock, add a better GPU or add another 2 hard drives or so, definitely get a new PSU.

Hmmm, now that I've looked over your specs and res, I highly doubt that you actually need a CPU/mobo/RAM upgrade at that res. Since gaming is your primary activity, you'll be far better off with new GPU like the GTX 260 than with a CPU/mobo/RAM upgrade. In fact, it's gonna be a while before the E6400, assuming that it's being OC'd, will be a bottleneck.

So something to think about: New GPU + PSU > New CPU + RAM + Mobo
 
Danny Bui said:
A good quality 600W will be more than enough to power that system. However, that TT Purepower 600W is not of good quality IMO since it only has 38A total on the +12V rail. Many ~500W PSUs have more power than that.

With that said, 38A will be enough for your planned upgrade. However if you intend to overclock, add a better GPU or add another 2 hard drives or so, definitely get a new PSU.

Hmmm, now that I've looked over your specs and res, I highly doubt that you actually need a CPU/mobo/RAM upgrade at that res. Since gaming is your primary activity, you'll be far better off with new GPU like the GTX 260 than with a CPU/mobo/RAM upgrade. In fact, it's gonna be a while before the E6400, assuming that it's being OC'd, will be a bottleneck.

So something to think about: New GPU + PSU > New CPU + RAM + Mobo
Click to expand...

Well, I actually did just recently upgrade my GPU =( ...I went from a 7600GT to the 9800GTX. I wish I would have waited considering the gtx 260s are the price of what I paid for my gtx a couple months ago.

I see you have a e6400 in your signature. Is that the same one I have? mine is a conroe 2.13ghz I bought about 3 years ago when I built my current set-up. I do have it OCd but only to 2.4ghz and even at this it runs pretty hot. then again I only have a stock HSF.

I really just want a have a all-around better/faster PC with a long life ahead and some room to upgrade. Plus I NEED to experience first hand what all the fuss is about i7

I was also considering phenom II x3 720/am3 as it seems like a really good value.

In any case, if my current PSU will do for the build I think I will splurge for the i7. Grab a HSF/PSU later(mid to end of summer). and eventually a nice vid card down the road.
 
Tbolt said:
I see you have a e6400 in your signature. Is that the same one I have? mine is a conroe 2.13ghz I bought about 3 years ago when I built my current set-up. I do have it OCd but only to 2.4ghz and even at this it runs pretty hot. then again I only have a stock HSF.
Click to expand...
Yup, I have the E6400, the same one you have. Got mine up to 3.2Ghz with the AC7Pro HSF.

Do you really NEED to experience i7 first hand?
 
bump, need more input as to if my PSU will work with the mentioned build.
 
Tbolt said:
bump, need more input as to if my PSU will work with the mentioned build.
Click to expand...

Unless you have the same PSU as the OP, I suggest that you ask your question in a separate thread.

TheInfernal said:
Danny Bui:
The PSU has two 12V+ rails each providing 18A. It can't be 38A.
Click to expand...

Regardless of whether the PSU produces 36A or 38A of power, it's still a relatively weak amount of power for a 600W power supply. For comparison's sake, the Antec Earthwatts EA500 500W PSU produces 34A, the BFG LS-550 550W PSU produces around 42A, and the Seasonic M12 SS-600HM 600W PSU produces 48A.

To accurately determine the maximum amount of power pulled through the 12V rail, find out the maximum amount of watts pulled through all of the 12V rails and divide be 12. Just adding all of the amps pulled from the 12V rails together is inaccurate since those numbers represent the most power each rail can pull on its own. While you can't find that number of watts from looking at the Seasonic PSU's label, it does tell you the maximum amperage that it can pull from all of the rails, compared to the maximum amount that each rail can pull.
 
My mistake; I mixed the two of you up.

Regardless, the point is that you need a better PSU. Another good choice that won't break the bank is the Antec Earthwatts EA650. Get it from Buy.com, where it is currently cheaper than NewEgg.
 
another question though... think I could fetch maybe $150 for my current stuff:
asus p5w dh deluxe
core 2 duo e6400
ocz 2gigs ddr2
 
Unless you're going to use a dual-card CF/SLI setup, like, you're buying both cards this week, it will be overkill for your build.

In fact, unless you want ultra high settings on Crysis, for example, you don't really need SLI or CrossFire.

Tbolt said:
another question though... think I could fetch maybe $150 for my current stuff:
asus p5w dh deluxe
core 2 duo e6400
ocz 2gigs ddr2
Click to expand...

Couldn't tell you.
 
would like to keep my options open for the future. maybe two GTX 260/275 in 5-6 months

also, I would much rather overkill on a PSU then come up short. what happens if the PSU doesnt supply enough power?
 
im getting mixed reviews as to if my current PSU will handle it:

"That PSU will handle that, easily."

"Personally I think that 600 W would be enough."

so im still debating
 
tiraides said:
Regardless of whether the PSU produces 36A or 38A of power, it's still a relatively weak amount of power for a 600W power supply. For comparison's sake, the Antec Earthwatts EA500 500W PSU produces 34A, the BFG LS-550 550W PSU produces around 42A, and the Seasonic M12 SS-600HM 600W PSU produces 48A.

To accurately determine the maximum amount of power pulled through the 12V rail, find out the maximum amount of watts pulled through all of the 12V rails and divide be 12. Just adding all of the amps pulled from the 12V rails together is inaccurate since those numbers represent the most power each rail can pull on its own. While you can't find that number of watts from looking at the Seasonic PSU's label, it does tell you the maximum amperage that it can pull from all of the rails, compared to the maximum amount that each rail can pull.
Click to expand...
Yes. I'm already aware of that. Which is why I didn't say 36A. I just said it must be less that 38A.
 
A good PSU of at least 600W, like the two that I mentioned earlier, can handle a high-end single-GPU video card.

Here are my feelings about SLI and CrossFire in a nutshell:

Markyip1 said:
Just some info on SLI / Crossfire: It's absolutely not worth considering if a) you're gaming at a resolution under 1920x1200 (as you'll see no performance benefit over a single card,) and b) if you plan to buy one card now and another later. SLI / Crossfire as an upgrade path is usually a very poor idea, as by the time you're ready to get that second card, a new single card solution will likely be available that will outperform two of your older cards in tandem. Furthermore, there really is no cost benefit to the SLI Upgrade Route, as any additional cost in getting the new card can be easily mitigated in most situations by selling the original. By avoiding an SLI / Crossfire solution when it will not be of benefit, you gain a cooler running, simpler to maintain system and more importantly, access to a much better (and broader) selection of motherboards.
Click to expand...

You can safely expect new cards to arrive in about six months from now. At that time, it would make more sense just to sell your current card and get a newer, better one than it would to buy a second card for an SLI configuration.
 
Tbolt said:
im getting mixed reviews as to if my current PSU will handle it:

"That PSU will handle that, easily."

"Personally I think that 600 W would be enough."

so im still debating
Click to expand...

How old is your current PSU? Are you still considering selling your current parts and going with a Core i7 system instead?

If the answer to those two questions are "Over a year old" and "Yes," then my recommendation is that you should consider getting a new PSU that can support at least 40A on its combined 12V rails. Your current PSU may be able to handle a GTX 260 (I don't know, and I'm not inclined to find out), but it may struggle with that GTX 260 in a new Core i7/X58 setup. I don't believe that it's worth taking the risk.
 
My current PSU is almost 3 years old is this an issue?

I only have one 9800GTX though. As for the video card SLI shens. Like I said I like to keep my options open. I do in fact run in 1920x1200 so in 6 months I would want the best value wether that be two GTX 260s for relatively cheap or one really nice one. Either way I don't think the $50 extra on a really nice PSU is overkill(or if it is, overkill on a PSU is something I am fine with)

Let's say hypothetically I purchase a i7 920/p6t/6gb ram and drop it in to my current system with the 600watt thermaltake PP mentioned. Case A it works fine and in a few weeks I can get a nice 800 watt (probably this one: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817702007&Tpk=bfg 800 ) and a nice HSF and only then will I consider some OCn. Case 2 = ? I don't even know what happens if the power is not sufficient. Would this be AT ALL risking my mobo/cpu? If the worst case is it shuts off or wont start but my cpu/mobo is fine then I am fine with that, it will force me to get the PSU.
 
Your power supply, given its age, may not be able to produce the maximum amount of power that it was originally rated for. Since today's components draw most of their power from the 12V rail(s), it is rather important that your power supply is capable of handling that potential load. I still recommend getting a new power supply.

As for the video card setup, I never said that a single video card would be better than two of them in SLI mode. All that I'm saying that it makes more sense to get, say, a GTX 275 now rather than wait six months to buy a second GTX 260. But that's your decision to make.
 
Tbolt said:
also, I would much rather overkill on a PSU then come up short. what happens if the PSU doesnt supply enough power?
Click to expand...

Tbolt said:
Case 2 = ? I don't even know what happens if the power is not sufficient. Would this be AT ALL risking my mobo/cpu? If the worst case is it shuts off or wont start but my cpu/mobo is fine then I am fine with that, it will force me to get the PSU.
Click to expand...

It depends on the PSU. If the PSU is over-drawn, then it'll just shut down as the result of the OCP being triggered. However some PSUs, even with OCP, can die when over-loaded/over-drawn. In some cases, when the PSU dies, it can take out the rest of the parts like mobo and CPU. In some cases, when the OCP is tripped and the the PSU shuts down, it can still take out the rest of the PC. So yes, there is a good risk of harming your system.

Also, it says 38A right on the Thermaltake website:
http://www.thermaltakeusa.com/Product.aspx?S=1170&ID=1527

Dual +12V rails provide 38A for PC system
Click to expand...

As shown by Tiraides and I, that so called "600W" PSU is more of a 500W PSU than a 600W PSU due to the low amperage on the +12V rail. And yes age is an issue with a low-quality PSU like the TT PP 600W.
 
I personally think the upgrades would be fine on my current PSU, but ill take your guys words for it. Probably going to grab the bfg 800 watt.
 
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So, I take it that you're going to also go for a new Core i7 system and get one GTX 260 now and another one in about six months?
 
No, i ordered the core i7 for $200 from MC while the deal is good. thats too good of a deal to pass up. I am going to use my 9800gtx for a while. maybe till the 300 series is out? 5800 series?

to be honest I have never used more than 1 GPU and I probably won't unless thats the most practical(read:value) solution for my build(considering my dell ultrasharp 24" @ 1920x1200)
 
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