Small upgrades, memory or disk?

O

outspoken

Limp Gawd
Joined
Feb 15, 2007
Messages
465
So my new(ish) system is starting to slag off on me. I put this thing together around April '07, here are the stats:

Corsair PC2-6400 (CM2X512A-6400) 2 x 512MB
Intel Core 2 Duo E6400
Gigabyte 965P-DS3 v3
Seagate ST3160811AS
EVGA 7900GS-KO
Corsair 520W PSU

Running Windows XP I've formatted and re-installed but it's just not the same as it used to be for copying files, unpacking RAR and XviD encoding, also my gaming has started to chop up from time to time in places it didn't used to.

Think this is the drive or the memory? I don't really have a benchmark to go against from when I put the system together but I've run memory tests and there are no errors.

I have some extra cash and want to buy something to make this thing right again.
 
Memory's the big thing, but you may also want to look at either overclocking the processor (there are plenty of guides, both here and elsewhere, that can show you how) or getting a better video card. The Radeon HD 3850 can provide a noticeable improvement in games, compared to the 7900GS, for under $200.

If you're planning on overclocking your processor, make sure that you have a good CPU cooler/fan combination. In addition to the Ultra 120/S-FLEX combination that crhscoog suggested earlier, there's the Thermalright Ultima 90 (with a Panaflo 92mm fan), the Scythe Ninja Plus Rev.B, the Cooler Master Gemini II (with two S-FLEX fans), and the Tuniq Tower 120. Purchase the CPU cooler/fan combination from either SVC or Jab-Tech; both places are cheaper than NewEgg.
 
For OC'ing with the stock cooler, 3Ghz is your most likely limit.

Pickup a faster HDD, like the 250GB 'cuda.10.

If you want better gaming performance, pickup a new vidcard. What size monitor do you have?
 
We have pretty similar PCs, check my sig for specs.

Anyway, have you updated your vid card drivers? Also, I concur with Engirund's recommendations. And definitely get more RAM.
 
thanks for all the replies guys. i may overclock, but would have to get the better cooling first.

i have a 20" Samsung 205BW monitor. i'll probably do a video card upgrade later on, but for now i just need this system to pick up the pace a bit. sounds like the memory is the big issue for now.

Danny Bui, yea we do have similar specs, i even have the same case.
 
Like I said earlier, you can reach 2.8-3Ghz on the stock cooler, so you don't have to wait until you get a new cooler before you start OC'ing.

Pickup an 8800GT 512MB if you want better gaming performance and can afford it.

Also note that if you're using 4 sticks of RAM, it will be harder to get a good OC as opposed to running just 2 sticks. For a higher OC, pull out the 1GB kit and just leave the Ballistix in there. The ballistix can reach DDR2-1066 speeds, so with a better cooler, you can probably reach around 3.6Ghz on that E6400.

My E6400 @ 3.2Ghz (1.33v):
40°C, 73°C: Stock Intel
28°C, 49°C: Ninja
30°C, 50°C: Tuniq

E6400 @ 3.6Ghz (1.50v):
35°C, 57°C: Ninja

Keep your voltage under 1.5v and your load temps under 60°C and you'll be fine. At 3Ghz and using the Intel stock cooler, my load temps were under 60°C.
 
thanks again to everyone, i got my g.skill 2x1gb in the mail today and stuck it in with the corsair, now it is 3GB total. MAJOR difference, all the choppiness that i was randomly seeing went away and web pages on flickr with tons of pics loads 10x faster.

cpu-z shows corsair: 270mhz 5-5-5-18 1.8v
g.skill: 266mhz 5-5-5-15 1.8v

for now i'm happy but will probably take out the corsair and overclock as suggested earlier.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top