Old OCer needs help with new build

C

cogitech

n00b
Joined
Jun 4, 2009
Messages
9
Hello everyone,

In the past I was an avid hardware enthusiast and OCer (from K6-2 days on through to 939).

I haven't kept up much on things over the past 3 years or so, so I'm looking to you guys to recommend some components.

My current rig is:

-Athlon 64 X2 3800+ (939) (it used to like running at 2.6Ghz, but no longer will so I run it at stock (2.0Ghz)
-Biostar T-Force-939
-3GB OCZ DDR 400 (1.5GB + 1.5GB dual channel)
-Antec Sonata with 450 (500?) Watt Thermatake PS
-I had an Nvidia 7300GT 256MB in there, but it just bit the dust (caps blew) so now I'm running on onboard video.
-320G + 750G internal SATA + 750G external
-some other stuff like card reader, PATA DVD/CD burner, etc.

So, in keeping with the rules, here are my answers to the questions:

1) What will you be doing with this PC? Gaming? Photoshop? Web browsing? etc
I'll mainly be using the PC as a RAW photo processing workstation. I run Bibble Pro in Linux, BTW. I also do some audio and video encoding, web/e-mail, burning, whatever...
2) What's your budget? Are tax and shipping included?
My budget is sort of flexible, but I am looking for best bang for the buck, lower end. Maybe about $250 Canadian, tax in.
3) Where do you live?
Toronto, Canada.
4) What exact parts do you need for that budget? CPU, RAM, case, etc. Please be very specific.
I need CPU, RAM, MB and cooler. I hope to get a MB with DVI out so I don't need a dedicated video card.
5) If reusing any parts, what parts will you be reusing? Please be especially specific about the power supply. List make and model.
I'll be reusing my case, power supply, NIC, SATA drives, PATA DVD/CD.
6) Will you be overclocking?
Yes, I am looking to get solid OCing potential from my new rig.
7) What size monitor do you have and/or plan to have?
I have a 20" Viewsonic VX2025. I love it.
8) When do you plan on building/buying the PC?
Within 6 weeks.
9) What features do you need in a motherboard? RAID? Firewire? Crossfire or SLI support? etc.
I has to have DVI out and be solidly compatible with Ubuntu 9.10. Preferably able to do DDR2 1066. Nvidia video is preferred (for Linux).
10) Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license?
Yes.


I have been an AMD guy since K6-2 days but I am tempted by Intel.

So, what's the best bang for buck, OCable, MB-CPU-RAM combo out there? Something that I can stick a quad core into eventually...
 
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$80 - BIOSTAR A760G M2+ AM2+/AM2 AMD 760G Micro ATX
$72 - AMD Athlon 64 X2 7750 Kuma 2.7GHz 2x512KB L2 2MB L3 Cache Socket AM2+
$52 - G.SKILL 4GB (2x2GB) DDR2-800 F2-6400CL5D-4GBPQ
$50 - XIGMATEK Dark Knight-S1283V 120mm CPU HSF w/ backplate included
=======
$254 + tax and shipping

Alternatives:
$98 - ASUS M3A78-EM AM2+/AM2 AMD 780G HDMI Micro ATX
$25 - ARCTIC COOLING Freezer 64 Pro 92mm


Check prices at NCIX, too, and go with whoever is cheaper.

What model # is your PSU? You may need a new one.
 
Thanks for that list! I didn't even know about newegg's Canuck site. Cool!

I'm at work, but I'll check my PS model when I get home. It is a pretty new one, as I replaced it about a year ago, I think. It's a Thermaltake for sure and it has the extra 12v connector. I'm thinking that since I plan on running onboard video, maybe my power needs won't be as high as the gamers running SLI, etc. :)

One other question; I was looking at the Kuma 7750 and it seems like it performs pretty damned good. Just how much better will it be (OCed to maybe 3Ghz or 3.1Ghz) than my X2 3800+ at stock speed? I am assuming that all that cache and new CPU architecture will make it even faster than the clock speed increase would indicate?

Also, (sorry) how much more OCing headroom is the $50 HSF going to get me over the $25 HSF? I have read about the Kumas going to 3.1 on stock cooling.
 
Well, I was wrong about the PS. It is 430W, not 450W.
It is a Thermaltake TR2-430-NP. 18A on a single 12V rail.
 
cogitech said:
One other question; I was looking at the Kuma 7750 and it seems like it performs pretty damned good. Just how much better will it be (OCed to maybe 3Ghz or 3.1Ghz) than my X2 3800+ at stock speed? I am assuming that all that cache and new CPU architecture will make it even faster than the clock speed increase would indicate?

Also, (sorry) how much more OCing headroom is the $50 HSF going to get me over the $25 HSF? I have read about the Kumas going to 3.1 on stock cooling.
Click to expand...
Clock for clock, the X2 7750 is roughly 20% faster than an AMD Windsor or Brisbane CPU. In addition, the 700mhz increase in the clock speed that the X2 7750 has over the X2 3800+ should provide at least a 5% increase in performance.

The $50 HSF will get you a few hundred extra MHz at least while being at significantly lower temperatures, equal to the stock HSF with the CPU at stock speed.

cogitech said:
Well, I was wrong about the PS. It is 430W, not 450W.
It is a Thermaltake TR2-430-NP. 18A on a single 12V rail.
Click to expand...

Not enough for your planned upgrades or even most modern setups. 18A on the +12V rail is shit low considering that there are some 400W PSUs out there with 30A on the +12V rail. In addition, the TR2 430W is a pretty low quality PSU to begin with.

So definitely get a new PSU with significantly more amperage on the +12V rail as well as better quality. The Corsair 400CX 400W PSU can be found for $55 CAD and has 30A on the +12V rail:
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139008
 
I've decided to wait another few weeks, save some money, then get the whole works, including the power supply, but maybe go for the X3 720 BE.

(something tells me 3 cores at 3.4 Ghz (of Phenom II glory) will be a much more satisfying upgrade)
 
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Danny's got you covered. That TR2 430W would be at or near capacity with its +12V rail (where most power will be drawn), depending on your OC, since it only has 18A (216W). I agree with saving more for the PSU, and the X3 is just a nice bonus if you get it. ;)

cogitech said:
... I am assuming that all that cache and new CPU architecture will make it even faster than the clock speed increase would indicate?...
Click to expand...

Indeed.

Hm... does anyone know if the X3 comes with the heatpipe HSF? If so, you probably don't need to replace it for a decent OC.
 
enginurd said:
Alternatives:
$98 - ASUS M3A78-EM AM2+/AM2 AMD 780G HDMI Micro ATX
Click to expand...

Might I advise that people should avoid that board or any ASUS M3 series boards. ASUS did a sloppy job on the bios and has yet to address the issues that many have complain about.
 
HardwareGuru said:
Nope. It just comes with an all aluminum heatsink. No heatpipe.

http://forums.legitreviews.com/about20248.html
Click to expand...

ugh... get at least the freezer 64 pro, then.

DTN107 said:
Might I advise that people should avoid that board or any ASUS M3 series boards. ASUS did a sloppy job on the bios and has yet to address the issues that many have complain about.
Click to expand...

Thats right, I keep forgetting. Switch that alternative to the GeForce 8200/8300 equivalent board (Asus M4 or Gigabyte). :p Thanks for the reminder.
 
DTN107 said:
Might I advise that people should avoid that board or any ASUS M3 series boards. ASUS did a sloppy job on the bios and has yet to address the issues that many have complain about.
Click to expand...

Honestly did not know about that.
 
Danny Bui said:
Honestly did not know about that.
Click to expand...

Heh, I was wondering why my list didn't have any of the M3A78 (VM/EM) boards on it, but it didn't occur to me when I posted. Either DTN107 or someone else mentioned it several times before, which is why I took them off my list in the first place, hehe.

Ahh, BlindFusion mentioned it before...
BlindFusion said:
Just to let you know, my M3A78-EM/7750+ combo tends to overheat because the M3A78-EM overvolts the processor. You can't set VCore in BIOS. It's apparently a common problem from what I've found and the only real solution is to run Cool 'n Quiet, which helps some. I don't know if the other ASUS boards have the same problem, but this one definitely does. ASUS has said they'll fix it in a BIOS update but nothing has come up for months.
...
Click to expand...
enginurd said:
In that case, go with the NForce board instead:

$95 - ASUS M3N78-VM SLI mATX AM2+ GeForce 8200

... unless this board has the same problem... BlindFusion?
Click to expand...

I guess the M3N78 has the issue too, though, according to DTN107, since its an M3 model.
 
Thanks a lot for all the info, everyone. I'm glad to know about that series of Asus boards.

The only problem I have now is finding the patience not to put the whole deal on my credit card and be done with it.
 
Hey guys, one more thing.

I have this cooler on my current rig http://www.ultracases.com/product_details.php?cPath=17&pPath=344&productID=344

It did quite a fine job of keeping my 3800+ cool at 2.6 Ghz with a pretty serious voltage increase.

The site says it is for Sockets A, 939, 940 and 754 only.

It is now a discontinued product, I assume, since it is unavailable at Tigerdirect (where I bought it some time ago).

My question is, how different are the heatsink mounts on socket 939 vs. AM2? Is there any chance at all that I can use this cooler?

On another note; all this hardware talk has me reminiscing about the good old days. Some of you might get a kick out of this page I wrote a long time ago: http://overclocking.cogitech.ca/duron/index.htm
 
cogitech said:
My question is, how different are the heatsink mounts on socket 939 vs. AM2? Is there any chance at all that I can use this cooler?
Click to expand...
Never used socket 939 so can't comment on this. Though from the pics, it looks like they're pretty similar.
cogitech said:
On another note; all this hardware talk has me reminiscing about the good old days. Some of you might get a kick out of this page I wrote a long time ago: http://overclocking.cogitech.ca/duron/index.htm
Click to expand...

LOL!. SO old school!
 
Hmm... maybe not.

I'm running my X2 3800+ at 2.4Ghz right now and I'm idling at 42-44C and hitting over 60 at load.

A CPU wattage calculator tells me I'm pushing 115 watts through the cooler under load.

I bet the cooler fins are full of crap. This thing used to be cooler at 2.6 Ghz at higher voltage.
 
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939 and AM2 mounting systems for heatsinks are virtually identical.
You can probably use that old cooler.
 
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