Time for a new HD or a new computer?

[Gleeky]

Hello,

I've been using the following computer for a while now. Some parts as long as 5 years and it's performed well for me. That is until recently when my HD started making a ton of noise. So I changed the HD to another one...it fell prey to the same thing. Choppy gaming, slow program boots, horrible multitasking, etc.

AMD 64 3200+ 745pin
1gig Gskill 3200 i think
BFG 6800gt 256mb
DFI 250gb Lanparty 3
Audigy 2 ZS
Antec Truepower 430w
Antec 1080B


I've been considering purchasing a new comp for a while now. Is my comp on it's way out? If so, what should I replace it with.

I've read a little...

If you guys could point me in the right direction.

I'd like to keep it at or below $800-850. This comp has to handle games well, TF2, WoW, Starcraft 2, Crysis, etc. I'd like for it to be as quite as possible. It also has to drive my 1080p monitor.

Thanks!

 

[tiraides]

I'd normally recommend a new system, considering the age of your current one... but a decent video card for your 1080p monitor is the sticking point.

Which specific monitor are you using? And which specific hard drive did you just recently buy?

For the rest of the build, here goes:

$125 - Intel Core 2 Duo E7200
$37 - Xigmatek HDT-S1283 CPU cooler
$7 - Xigmatek ACK-I7751 mounting bracket (for HDT-S1283)
$135 - Gigabyte GA-EP45-DS3R Intel P45 ATX motherboard
$80 - G.Skill 2x1GB DDR2 800 dual channel kit
(reusing optical and hard drives?)
$285 - VisionTek HD4870
(omit the sound card... for now)
$115 - Corsair 750TX 750W PSU ($20 mail-in rebate)
(do you need a new OS license?)
=====
$784 - Subtotal (not including shipping, taxes, or rebates)

 

[kmS]

That comp handles crysis well? I think you have a miracle PC b/c my friend's comp with an 8800GTS and 4GB of RAM and an E4400 had to play it on low for most parts.

Here's something I threw together really quick:

GIGABYTE GA-EP43-DS3L LGA 775 Intel P43 ATX Intel Motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128347

Intel Boxed Processor E8400 (can replace with a quad if you'd like but if it's mostly gaming this should do, and assuming you have a microcenter near you)
http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0281097

G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231122

SAPPHIRE 100242L Radeon HD 4850 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card (might want to go with the 4870 someone's gotta help me on this one)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102747

CORSAIR CMPSU-650TX 650W ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply (you could stick with your same PSU but I wouldn't recommend it)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139005

XIGMATEK HDT-S1283 120mm Rifle CPU Cooler
http://www.newegg.com/Shopping/ShoppingItem.aspx?ItemList=N82E16835233003&MainItemList=N82E16835233003 (with this: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835233019)

I'm going to assume you're going to keep your current HDD and OS and case, but give us a little more details if this needs tweaking.

EDIT: And tiraides beats me again haha, I don't think he needs a 750W PSU for that kind of system, and you meant to say 2x2GB but you can go with tiraides's as well mine comes to around $676 shipped - a lot of MIRs if you get em.

 

[gwai lo]

4850's going to have trouble with that resolution and Sapphire is also not so good from their rebates from what I've heard...actually they're not so good on their dealing-with-people from what I've heard.

How do you define handle Crysis well?

Why not the TX750 from provantage? 98 + 20MIR, not free shipping..but shipping isnt *that* much.
http://www.provantage.com/corsair-cmpsu-750tx~7CSMC05E.htm

 

[Toaster Oven]

The symptoms you describe are indicative that you are running out of memory and paging to HD, not that you are suffering a HD failure. With that said, you're still very much in need of a new system.

 

[Gleeky]

That comp handles crysis well? I think you have a miracle PC b/c my friend's comp with an 8800GTS and 4GB of RAM and an E4400 had to play it on low for most parts.

Here's something I threw together really quick:

GIGABYTE GA-EP43-DS3L LGA 775 Intel P43 ATX Intel Motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128347

Intel Boxed Processor E8400 (can replace with a quad if you'd like but if it's mostly gaming this should do, and assuming you have a microcenter near you)
http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0281097

G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231122

SAPPHIRE 100242L Radeon HD 4850 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card (might want to go with the 4870 someone's gotta help me on this one)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102747

CORSAIR CMPSU-650TX 650W ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply (you could stick with your same PSU but I wouldn't recommend it)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139005

XIGMATEK HDT-S1283 120mm Rifle CPU Cooler
http://www.newegg.com/Shopping/ShoppingItem.aspx?ItemList=N82E16835233003&MainItemList=N82E16835233003 (with this: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835233019)

I'm going to assume you're going to keep your current HDD and OS and case, but give us a little more details if this needs tweaking.

EDIT: And tiraides beats me again haha, I don't think he needs a 750W PSU for that kind of system, and you meant to say 2x2GB but you can go with tiraides's as well mine comes to around $676 shipped - a lot of MIRs if you get em.

This comp as in, this new comp I'm building has to handle those games well. My comp can hardly handle startup lol.

Thanks for the advice so far guys. Would extending my budget to 1k make a decent difference in performance?

Also, I'm using the ever so popular westinghouse 37inch 1080p LCD. The HD that bit the dust would be a pretty old western digital.

Edit. Also, I'd like to get a case with slots for 120mm fans if possible. I hate my noisy PC.

 

[Alai]

You're using a 37"?!?! Jesus... you're gonna need the latest and greatest in graphics (HD4870 or GTX480).

 

[tiraides]

This comp as in, this new comp I'm building has to handle those games well. My comp can hardly handle startup lol.

Thanks for the advice so far guys. Would extending my budget to 1k make a decent difference in performance?

Also, I'm using the ever so popular westinghouse 37inch 1080p LCD. The HD that bit the dust would be a pretty old western digital.

Edit. Also, I'd like to get a case with slots for 120mm fans if possible. I hate my noisy PC.

Performance-wise, maybe... maybe not. However, a $1000 budget would allow you to build a completely new system from the ground up, including a new OS license. (As for the OS license, all you really need is an OEM copy of Vista Home Premium.)

The GA-EP45-DS3R board that I recommended earlier also has a second PCI-E x16 slot (that actually runs at x8 in CrossFire mode), and the HD4870 could play most games (save Crysis and Supreme Commander) well on its own. I suggest either getting one HD4870 now, and grabbing another one if its performance alone is not enough for you, or waiting for the HD4870X2. (For Crysis, the latter may be the better option.)

If you want/need a new hard drive (you never told us which HDD you're using now), consider the Western Digital WD6400AAKS or the Samsung F1 750GB/1TB hard drives. They use drive platters of at least 320GB, which makes them faster than last year's models (and the Seagate 7200.11 series).

Since you could afford to, consider getting a Samsung SATA DVD burner. Samsung optical drives (and their hard drives as well) generally run quieter than other brands, and the SATA cable, though it offers no performance benefits over the IDE cable, makes for a cleaner and easier to manage interface. Though any model would do, try to get one of the SH-S203 models -- B, D, or N -- as they are known to be reliable drives.

Here are some cases that support 120mm fans:

Cooler Master Elite 330 RC-330-KKN1-GP ATX Case - $39
Cooler Master Centurion 534 ATX Case - $45
Cooler Master Centurion 532 ATX Case - $50
Cooler Master Mystique RC-632S-KKN1-GP ATX Case - $57
Antec 300 ATX Case - $60
Cooler Master RC-590-KKN1-GP ATX Case - $60
Cooler Master RC-690-KKN1-GP ATX Case - $60
Antec Solo ATX Case - $84
Lian Li PC-7B Plus II Silver ATX Case - $90
Lian Li Lancool PC-K7B ATX Case - $90
AeroCool Masstige ATX Case - $105
Antec P182 ATX Case - $135
Thermaltake Armor VA8000BWS Full Tower ATX Case - $120
Lian Li PC-A16A ATX Case - $150

 

[dhc014]

If you want/need a new hard drive (you never told us which HDD you're using now), consider the Western Digital WD6400AAKS or the Samsung F1 750GB/1TB hard drives. They use drive platters of at least 320GB, which makes them faster than last year's models (and the Seagate 7200.11 series).

Just a note... The 320GB Seagate 7200.11 is a single platter drive and is possibly even faster at sustained transfer rates than the WD3200AAKS/WD6400AAKS. I've read that it has longer seek times though.

The 320GB 7200.11 is currently $5 more than the 320GB WD AAKS model at newegg, but they're usually the same price. The nice thing about buying the Seagate though is that you are guaranteed to receive a single platter drive whereas Newegg is still randomly shipping double platter WD3200AAKS.

 

[engiNURD]

Crysis/SupCom are probably the only games that will require more power than whats been suggested. I say deal with the lesser quality for those two games and save your money, lol.

Just a note... The 320GB Seagate 7200.11 is a single platter drive and is possibly even faster at sustained transfer rates than the WD3200AAKS/WD6400AAKS. I've read that it has longer seek times though.

Link? I know, I'm lazy, sorry.

 

[dhc014]

It's kinda tough to find good information on this drive. I couldn't find any direct comparisons. Supposedly this drives's seek times are worse than average in order to make the drive even cooler and quieter.

HardForum thread: WD6400AAKS killer? ST3320613AS 7200.11 320gb/platter from Seagate - I should really read the Disk and Storage subforum more often.

RAID0 performance for 7200.11 320GB - HD Tune 2.55 screenshot.

Forum thread with a screenshot of an HD Tune 3.00 Pro Benchmark for a single drive.

Forum thread with a nice chart comparing the 7200.11 series specs.

Long forum thread.

Toms Hardware has the drive on their 3.5" Hard Drive Charts also where it scores very well except in random access times. The drive is not on the list by default, you have to add it. Unfortunately, Toms lacks the 320GB/platter WD drives.