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upgrade suggestions

R

ratedm

Limp Gawd
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Joined
Dec 29, 2010
Messages
239
I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place. I'm currently in a dilema whether or not to upgrade my system for better performance in some games I play. (BC2 BC, COD:BO) Here are my current specs:

Intel Core2duo 6400 2.13 GHz
Intel branded 975X motherboard
Mushkin DDR2 800 ram 4GB
Asus Radeon HD4830 video card
550 Watt PSU

The motherboard doesn't support pci-x 2.0. Also this motherboard only supports DDR2. Am I hurting that much in performance since I am not running at the full 2.0 speed on the video card? If I can get away with just a mobo, cpu, and ram upgrade I would like to do that. If not I have an ASUS 6870 in mind I want to buy. Any suggestions?

Here are the current "budget" upgrade parts I have in mind:

mobo:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157198
cpu:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103871
ram:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231277

If absolutely 100% necessary:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121401
and:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817256035
 
I think your choices are fine, Your current GPU is defenatly weak for the games you mentioned. What resolution do you play at?

the 6870 would defenatly be a monster upgrade for you.

Edit: your current PSU should be fine as long as you dont OC
 
xAlex79 said:
I think your choices are fine, Your current GPU is defenatly weak for the games you mentioned. What resolution do you play at?

the 6870 would defenatly be a monster upgrade for you.

Edit: your current PSU should be fine as long as you dont OC
Click to expand...

Unfortunately my LG led/lcd monitor only supports 1680x1050. I'm fine with that, but I'm not fine with my 4-35 fps in games. I was hoping to get away with waiting on the video card and upgrading the other 3 right now...
 
Which 550W PSU do you have?

I did a similar upgrade myself and I noticed an immediate difference with BFBC2. However my 8800GT, similar to your HD 4830 in performance, is still lacking a bit with games at 1600x900.
 
Danny Bui said:
Which 550W PSU do you have?

I did a similar upgrade myself and I noticed an immediate difference with BFBC2. However my 8800GT, similar to your HD 4830 in performance, is still lacking a bit with games at 1600x900.
Click to expand...

This is the PSU I have:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817101021

I narrowed it down to these items:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157198
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103846
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231180

I went with the dual core Phenom in hopes to be able to unlock the other 2 cores on it. Which every one I've seen so far, it's possible. The ASRock motherboard has all the features I want on it for a good price. I don't plan on doing any overclocking.
 
mills84 said:
This is the PSU I have:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817101021

I narrowed it down to these items:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157198
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103846
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231180

I went with the dual core Phenom in hopes to be able to unlock the other 2 cores on it. Which every one I've seen so far, it's possible. The ASRock motherboard has all the features I want on it for a good price. I don't plan on doing any overclocking.
Click to expand...

Man thats 230 shipped.. not a good value for that.. Try this instead.

80 AMD Athlon II X3 450 Rana 3.2GHz
87 Patriot 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 + BIOSTAR TA880GB+ AM3 AMD 880G

Stock the tipple should outperform the pII x2, And only 1 additional core to unlock for the quad so your chances improve. Plus it still unlocks into a Phenom II x4 just like the calisto chip does, except about 10 bucks less. & The mobo is as high if not higher quality as the asrock you listed, Ram is also on par with what you listed, Except that combo is 86 instead of 130.. overall 167 shipped so a savings of 63 bucks.. Which you could use & simply reinvest in a good quality PSU (danny can correct me if I am wrong but your current PSU isnt a good unit)
 
Yeah that PSU isn't good quality. In addition, it's already 4 years and nearing 5. I would highly recommend upgrading the PSU, especially considering that the HD 6xxx cards do use quite a bit of power:
$64 - Antec NEO ECO 520C 520W PSU
 
Couldn't he also just pickup a used quad core 2 and save the expense of a new motherboard and RAM? DDR2 vs DDR3 really isn't that big of a difference in your FPS in games, correct?
 
canna said:
Couldn't he also just pickup a used quad core 2 and save the expense of a new motherboard and RAM? DDR2 vs DDR3 really isn't that big of a difference in your FPS in games, correct?
Click to expand...

The problem is that he has an old motherboard chipset which limits him to the Q660 or Q6700 CPUs. Unfortunately finding those for a good price is a tad hard. Not to mention that once you get those CPUs, you still need to OC them to about 3Ghz at a minimum to further decrease the limitations of the CPU/system.

And yes there's no difference between DDR2 and DDR3 RAM in games.
 
ordovician said:
Honestly I'd just try to find a Q6600 on ebay/craigslist/fsft and pick up a GTX 460/6850/6870. If not, consider upgrading to a good ol unlockable AMD build.

Look at this, $130 for a new mobo and unlockable proc. Even can keep old ram:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.564800
Click to expand...

Thats actually a fairly good combo, but not that great.. This for 4 bucks more is a much better combo as it unlocks to a 3.2 Ghz Phenom II instead of a 2.8 Ghz Phenom & it comes with a cooler & is only 4 bucks more. But your looking at less then a 40 dollar difference then to go a AM3 setup with DDR3.. If it were me I would keep the old set together for use elsewhere or for sale..
 
Well in defense of my PSU "not being good quality" I would beg to differ in the fact that it's been running strong for 4 years without an issue.

Anyway, those parts I had listed were $212 shipped with coupon codes. But unfortunately the codes ran out and so did the instant discounts. I also didnt get a chance to log in yesterday and see the combo deals you guys posted and they are all expired now as well. I'm not going to upgrade my PSU until this one either dies or I need a higher wattage output. My reasoning for going with the Phenom X2 was the fact that it has the 6MB L3 cache, whereas the Athlon II's don't. I really like that ASRock board and I found a lot of good reviews of it and core unlocking while searching on google. The fact that it went back up to $109 takes it off my list though. Basically I'm back to square 1 on my searching. I could kick myself in the ass for not buying the ram the other day when it was free shipping with the 15% off... :mad:
 
mills84 said:
Well in defense of my PSU "not being good quality" I would beg to differ in the fact that it's been running strong for 4 years without an issue.

Anyway, those parts I had listed were $212 shipped with coupon codes. But unfortunately the codes ran out and so did the instant discounts. I also didnt get a chance to log in yesterday and see the combo deals you guys posted and they are all expired now as well. I'm not going to upgrade my PSU until this one either dies or I need a higher wattage output. My reasoning for going with the Phenom X2 was the fact that it has the 6MB L3 cache, whereas the Athlon II's don't. I really like that ASRock board and I found a lot of good reviews of it and core unlocking while searching on google. The fact that it went back up to $109 takes it off my list though. Basically I'm back to square 1 on my searching. I could kick myself in the ass for not buying the ram the other day when it was free shipping with the 15% off... :mad:
Click to expand...

Sure.. Your going to wait till the PSU goes poof & then you can upgrade it & everything its connected to that it fry's... Just because a PSU works doesn't mean its good quality. its about the quality of power it supply's.. I wouldnt risk loosing anything new, but thats just me. Your welcome to keep using it..

As for the Phenom II vs Athlon II.. The extra Cache unlocks on the Athlon II's as well as the core.. They all start from the same die & just have different shit disabled.
 
Wait a week or two before starting your new price hunt, as it takes that long for NewEgg to update its combo deals list. Also, the better NewEgg combo deals normally arrive around mid-month.

If you plan on upgrading the video card, I recommend a new power supply regardless. Because it's a less-than-stellar brand/model that's been in constant use over the past four years, it may not be able to handle a newer, more powerful video card despite its rated load.
 
Topower makes PSUs for Tagan, OCZ, Scythe, BFG, Mushkin... it is likely that this PSU is actually halfway decent. I wouldn't throw a GTX 460 and a quad core in it though.
 
bastage said:
Sure.. Your going to wait till the PSU goes poof & then you can upgrade it & everything its connected to that it fry's... Just because a PSU works doesn't mean its good quality. its about the quality of power it supply's.. I wouldnt risk loosing anything new, but thats just me. Your welcome to keep using it..

As for the Phenom II vs Athlon II.. The extra Cache unlocks on the Athlon II's as well as the core.. They all start from the same die & just have different shit disabled.
Click to expand...

good point. This was the PSU i had in mind if I decided to do the video card upgrade:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371015

I also didn't know that "unlocking" the cores also unlocked the cache, thanks for that info.

This that being said, I like this guy here:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103886

and I still like that ram:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231180

So I mean it still comes down to a reliable motherboard that I will be able to unlock that chip for my best performance for the money.
 
bastage said:
Sure.. Your going to wait till the PSU goes poof & then you can upgrade it & everything its connected to that it fry's... Just because a PSU works doesn't mean its good quality. its about the quality of power it supply's.. I wouldnt risk loosing anything new, but thats just me. Your welcome to keep using it..

As for the Phenom II vs Athlon II.. The extra Cache unlocks on the Athlon II's as well as the core.. They all start from the same die & just have different shit disabled.
Click to expand...

Some early Athlon II were based on Phenom II, all of the 3 and 4 core Athlon II are now Propus core, there is no L3 cache to unlock it is no longer physically there. The Sempron single core and Athlon II dual core are the same design and that allows semprons to become 2 core, these two tyoes will not become 3 or 4 core. The 500 series X2 black editions on the other hand are Phenom II
 
Last edited:
This ram is the same thing and cheaper:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...0231179&cm_re=4gb_ddr3-_-20-231-179-_-Product

Also look at this:
http://www.superbiiz.com/detail.php...Super-Talent-DDR3-1333-4GB-256x8-Value-Memory
You can get it for a steal if you order 3 or 4 of them, use code BYEBYE2010

And I say that the cache unlock its more of a gamble than the core unlock. AFAIK some Rana's DO NOT have the extra cache. I'd stick with a Phenom II X2 BE, or an X3, although the price on the 715 just went up $10.
 
mills84 said:
good point. This was the PSU i had in mind if I decided to do the video card upgrade:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371015

I also didn't know that "unlocking" the cores also unlocked the cache, thanks for that info.

This that being said, I like this guy here:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103886

and I still like that ram:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231180

So I mean it still comes down to a reliable motherboard that I will be able to unlock that chip for my best performance for the money.
Click to expand...


CPU would be my 1st choice (infact I have it coming for a buddy of mine already).. As for the memory if you can swing the difference I would buy this as then you would be set for memory as long as the hardware lasted.. For the motherboard on a budget I would buy this. Read the reviews on it. Biostar may not have the enthusiast name like Asus or Gigabyte, but there doing something right with there 880g boards. And at 60 bucks thats a hell of a buy.

That board, ram, & CPU come to a shipped total of 225.. Compared to your 212 with the combo's that would still be a well spent 13 bucks to double your ram. As for the PSU you dont necessarily need higher rated wattage. Infact you shouldn't at all unless your going to throw in a 2nd video card.
 
Keep in mind, I am only running Win7 home premium 32 bit...

I know to take a lot of the newegg reviews with a grain of salt, but it does have a few that bring up concerns on that biostar mobo.
 
mills84 said:
Keep in mind, I am only running Win7 home premium 32 bit...

I know to take a lot of the newegg reviews with a grain of salt, but it does have a few that bring up concerns on that biostar mobo.
Click to expand...

You can contact Microsoft if you need 64-bit. They will send you a disk for free, and your original key will work.
 
mills84 said:
Keep in mind, I am only running Win7 home premium 32 bit...

I know to take a lot of the newegg reviews with a grain of salt, but it does have a few that bring up concerns on that biostar mobo.
Click to expand...



Lol there are a bunch of reviews on your original asrock that would make me think twice as well.. Your going to get that on any motherboard & typically 90% of the negative reviews on newegg are due to an ID10T error.. Honestly I as long as you take your time & arent a dumb shit you should be fine with either. But the bang for buck of those bio star mobo's are a hard one to overlook.

Its a 20 dollar difference for the cheapest 880g MSI, 28 dollars for Gigabyte & 33 dollars for Asus.. Any of those are probably better boards, But thats no less then 33% cost difference.
 
ordovician said:
You can contact Microsoft if you need 64-bit. They will send you a disk for free, and your original key will work.
Click to expand...

The Win7 pro I bought for my laptop off of newegg is "oem" version and after researching MS forums they claim oem keys work for that specific version, win 7 pro 32 bit. I have an "upgrade" version of win7 that doesn't show in the product ID that it's an oem version but when I punch the product ID into MS support page it claims it's outdated? Do you have a specific way of contacting MS so that I know I can definitely do the 64 bit switch?
 
mills84 said:
The Win7 pro I bought for my laptop off of newegg is "oem" version and after researching MS forums they claim oem keys work for that specific version, win 7 pro 32 bit. I have an "upgrade" version of win7 that doesn't show in the product ID that it's an oem version but when I punch the product ID into MS support page it claims it's outdated? Do you have a specific way of contacting MS so that I know I can definitely do the 64 bit switch?
Click to expand...

Regardless I would probably do the 8gb.. Given the value of that kit so that when you upgrade OS later (assuming you cant now) you will have it, or when you sell the components after upgrading (assuming your as bad as I am)
 
mills84 said:
The Win7 pro I bought for my laptop off of newegg is "oem" version and after researching MS forums they claim oem keys work for that specific version, win 7 pro 32 bit. I have an "upgrade" version of win7 that doesn't show in the product ID that it's an oem version but when I punch the product ID into MS support page it claims it's outdated? Do you have a specific way of contacting MS so that I know I can definitely do the 64 bit switch?
Click to expand...

The OEM keys for both Vista and Windows 7 will work on 32-bit and 64-bit versions of the OS. You can find 64-bit ISOs that you could then burn onto CDs/DVDs or run from bootable flash drives.

I've learned this first hand when I "upgraded" myself from 32-bit Vista to 64-bit Vista and again when I installed 64-bit Windows 7 on a friend's computer with a 32-bit OEM license.
 
tiraides said:
The OEM keys for both Vista and Windows 7 will work on 32-bit and 64-bit versions of the OS. You can find 64-bit ISOs that you could then burn onto CDs/DVDs or run from bootable flash drives.

I've learned this first hand when I "upgraded" myself from 32-bit Vista to 64-bit Vista and again when I installed 64-bit Windows 7 on a friend's computer with a 32-bit OEM license.
Click to expand...

wow, that's good to know. Does anyone have a link or an actual 64 bit iso for me? If you have a good(virus free) link or file I could download? I have extra ram (ddr2 800) I can even throw in my pc now to take advantage of until I get new components...
 
mills84 said:
wow, that's good to know. Does anyone have a link or an actual 64 bit iso for me? If you have a good(virus free) link or file I could download? I have extra ram (ddr2 800) I can even throw in my pc now to take advantage of until I get new components...
Click to expand...

From the Forum rules:
(18) You will not discuss, suggest, engage, or encourage any ILLEGAL ACTIVITIES. Links provided to locations that deal with any such activity are also expressly forbidden.
Click to expand...

Regard that as a warning.
 
Danny Bui said:
From the Forum rules:


Regard that as a warning.
Click to expand...

I didn't think downloading an OS and using a legal purchased license with it was illegal. I read some things on MS forum about downloading it from "tech net". Thanks for adding some input to my thread hoss ;)
You'd have a field day at the gov't installation I work at with pirated software though :p
 
mills84 said:
I didn't think downloading an OS and using a legal purchased license with it was illegal. I read some things on MS forum about downloading it from "tech net". Thanks for adding some input to my thread hoss ;)
Click to expand...
It's software piracy if you're downloading from an unauthorized source. Microsfot TechNet is an authorized source however.
 
Danny Bui said:
It's software piracy if you're downloading from an unauthorized source. Microsfot TechNet is an authorized source however.
Click to expand...

Ah ok. I'm not an "illegal" downloader so i don't have much experience with the whole software download thing. I've always bought everything from newegg since they've come about. Before newegg I used tigerdirect.
 
Danny Bui said:
It's software piracy if you're downloading from an unauthorized source. Microsfot TechNet is an authorized source however.
Click to expand...

So is digital river who sells MS OS for direct download.. I Found this a while back after I lost the iso for win 7 home premium 32 bit that I bought using the 30 dollar student deal..

http://www.mydigitallife.info/2010/...-64-bit-direct-download-links/comment-page-1/

Danny as I am not linking to any illegal download I believe this is not against the rules.. if you think it is please remove the link from my post.
 
bastage said:
So is digital river who sells MS OS for direct download.. I Found this a while back after I lost the iso for win 7 home premium 32 bit that I bought using the 30 dollar student deal..

http://www.mydigitallife.info/2010/...-64-bit-direct-download-links/comment-page-1/

Danny as I am not linking to any illegal download I believe this is not against the rules.. if you think it is please remove the link from my post.
Click to expand...
Nah not illegal. Digital River is an authorized source. I wasn't aware of that particular link. That should help the OP out just fine.
 
bastage said:
So is digital river who sells MS OS for direct download.. I Found this a while back after I lost the iso for win 7 home premium 32 bit that I bought using the 30 dollar student deal..

http://www.mydigitallife.info/2010/...-64-bit-direct-download-links/comment-page-1/

Danny as I am not linking to any illegal download I believe this is not against the rules.. if you think it is please remove the link from my post.
Click to expand...

Thank you very much. That's how I acquired my home premium as well. This was exactly what I was looking for.
 
Ok, so it's down to these 2 boards. I realize $30 is a big difference in price but is it worth it?

biostar vs. asus
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813138283
or
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131651

I am going with 8GB ram but in a toss up also between the 2 you guys suggested:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231422
or
http://www.superbiiz.com/detail.php...Super-Talent-DDR3-1333-4GB-256x8-Value-Memory

For now I am going to use my current video card and PSU until I get my income tax return. My W2 is available the 6th on mypay I believe and then I just need to wait until AES releases the form to claim my student loan info.
 
mills84 said:
Thank you very much. That's how I acquired my home premium as well. This was exactly what I was looking for.
Click to expand...

yea that was a good deal.. Now they want 65 bucks for it.. what a ripoff (atleast in comparison).
 
The Asus board has more features: four RAM slots, three PCI-E slots (x16, x4, x1), and USB 3.0 and SATA III (6.0Gbps) support. If I had to choose between the two, I'd recommend the Asus board. Having said that, however, the Biostar board will work for your needs.

The Super Talent RAM is the better deal, but I trust the known quality of the G.Skill brand. But so I'm no longer confused on the matter, may I ask why you're going with 8GB of memory?
 
tiraides said:
The Asus board has more features: four RAM slots, three PCI-E slots (x16, x4, x1), and USB 3.0 and SATA III (6.0Gbps) support. If I had to choose between the two, I'd recommend the Asus board. Having said that, however, the Biostar board will work for your needs.

The Super Talent RAM is the better deal, but I trust the known quality of the G.Skill brand. But so I'm no longer confused on the matter, may I ask why you're going with 8GB of memory?
Click to expand...

The Supertalent should be fine. I have never had a problem with it.
 
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