Ideas For Upgrade

S

Squintos_86

n00b
Joined
Sep 24, 2008
Messages
21
I recently had my power supply, mobo, and cpu fry due to the antics of a drunken roommate :( and am now in the market for a new cpu+gpu, and possibly a new mobo as well depending on the input. Current components...

Coolermaster Centurion Case
PCP&C 750 Watt S75QB ( $90 on newegg a while back)
MSI K9A2 Platinum Mobo AM2+ (replaced+upgraded under extended warranty)
4gigs (2x2) Corsair XMS ddr2-800
Samsung DVD Burner
250 gig WD Caviar HD
EVGA 256mb 7800 Pro (usually skip a generation for upgrading, overdue....)

$300-350 cpu+gpu, can spend more or even go Intel for a good reason...

I am having a lot of trouble picking a cpu--The Phenoms are really not all that impressive-- should I just get one, wait for Deneb to come out, or just switch to Intel? The 9850 BE and a 4850 (possible future crossfire) really look like the only viable options for my range, but the timing of the new chips could either drive prices down or encourage me to step up. I mostly do mid/upper level gaming and basic multimedia (too cheap for bluray), and after this upgrade I plan on going to moving up to a 22-24" LCD (1900x1200/1080) as soon as the new BenQ reviews roll out. Also, any help with a carrying said roommate's body to the woodchipper would be appreciated :rolleyes: ...
 
Go with the Phenom 9950 BE....price is decent and it is a sweet chip.

When the next chip comes out it will still work on the AM2 socket with DDR2 since that is what you have.

You can see in my sig the rig I have and it is new.

I have clocked the 9950 to 3.225 pretty easy on my first clock. Will continue to tweak and I know people are getting it close to 3.4 on air.

I am sure there are plenty of options.

My two cents.
 
Hey guys, sorry for being pretty vague in the OP, I guess I shouldn't start threads at 3 am...
The specific case is Centurion 5 CAC-T05-UW, the 2nd highest rated case at newegg. The Components I have been looking at are the $170 9850 Phenom and the $165 AR Visiontek 4850 512MB at newegg, where I do almost all my component shopping.The real question I never really asked was would it be better to purchase the Phenom now or see if the benefits of Deneb are worth spending more when it comes out? I am not an overclocker, and very few programs seem to take full advantage of a quad-core which makes me lean towards a faster-clocked Deneb...
 
I'm personally against getting new technology shortly after it's released because it becomes very expensive and relatively untested. Deneb, IIRC, will be arriving around the same time as the mainstream Core i7 processors, and its overall performance isn't guaranteed to be better (at least, not right away). Again, if you need something for now, get something now.

As for the case, I'm not a big fan of it. My issue deals mainly with the 80mm front-mounted fan being insufficient (IMO) for cooling components. If it works for you, keep it; but there are some good cases available (like the Antec Three Hundred or the Cooler Master RC-590/690) that don't cost an arm or a leg.

So, the motherboard has already been replaced? And everything else (save for the processor and power supply) is fine? I have a few more questions:

- Which games/programs are you using?
- Which monitor did you have in mind? When were you planning on buying it?
- Do you really want to wait for Deneb, or would you rather have a good system right now?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top