Upgrading my Rig

F

FerraraZ

Gawd
Joined
Feb 4, 2010
Messages
578
This is my first post so apologies for any noobishness or if it seems like I dont need to upgrade, but I'm one of those PC guys that loves having the latest.

Current Build:

AMD Phenom II X4 945 (Black Edition) 3.0ghz
4gb DDR3
ATI Radeon 4870 X2
Windows 7 64 bit

Basically I want to upgrade:
Case
CPU cooling
Vid card
cheap sound card *not sure if its really necessary*
power supply (currently 600W I think)
SSD hard drive

The only issue I can say I'm having with my build is occasionally my PC completely shuts off during games but I can't reproduce this and it happens at random with random games but not all of them. I think this may be a power supply issue.

For video card I was probrobly going with a 5970 or 5870 depending on the price and how much I'm willing to pay.

Also not sure if buying an SSD is really worth it, it really would just be for the operating system because I dont want to spend alot more than 200 on it.

Do you feel I should get another 4870 x2 or just upgrade and also should I upgrade the CPU over the video card? I felt the CPU was still good enough and wouldn't have a big hit on game performance.
 
The 4870s will sell easily, I've seen a pair on eBay for over 250$ With that in mind I'd suggest the 5870 because the 5970 may be a bit overpriced, and you'll probably never tell the difference until 2 years later.

I doubt you'll find a SSD for 200 or less, you may want to consider a Veliciraptor. Although this 80GB SSD got good reviews for 250$
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820211412

For PSU I'd go Cosair or Antec, as high as your budget allows. Go 1100W if you want. At least 750W.

I hear this Corsiar cooling option is worth every penny:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835181010

For sound the new 5700+ series ATI cards bitstream audio, you may not even need one.

And just a suggestion, get a Blu Ray burner, if you're looking for something fun to have.
 
A Velociraptor would be a waste of money, IMO, as even the ~$100 Indlinx/Intel offerings smoke the VRaptor. For a single SSD, go for either the Intel or Kingston 40GB (or 30GB model, if its out); if you want to spend $200, the OCZ Agility 30GB SSDs were on sale today for $85AR -- RAID0 action.

What is the model # of your current PSU?

What size monitor do you have? and what res/settings do you game at? also, what games do you play?

Oh, and don't forget lowteckh's q.
 
I actually already have an 80gb veloci raptor.

I would say my budget is anything under 1k. I mean I want to be reasonable but definatly want more of the budget to go to a video card, especially with more and more software relying on gpu.
 
80GB VRaptors are OEM, mainly through Dell, IIRC. I'd still sell it unless you got an amazing deal for it, lol -- I've sold all of mine in favor of SSDs -- much, much faster. And yes, pls answer the sticky questions.
 
gwarren007 said:
Can you answer these questions?
http://www.hardforums.com/showthread.php?t=1349433


There is just so many issues with this thread. WE need the PSU, make model, the size of the monitor so we can recommend the corect video card, and the model of your harddrive, and any troubleshooting you've done to fix your problem.

FWIW I don't think WD made a 80gb Velociraptor
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...50001306 1035915133 1035507821&name=10000 RPM
Click to expand...

I mean I travel and monitors change between 25in to 21 in. The PSU I dont know nor am I going to open it up right now, I just dont care that much. Whats wrong with getting the best video card? Covers all basis's right?
 
What is the highest resolution that you plan on using?

The PSU matters because if it's over two years old and/or comes from a manufacturer we don't recommend here, then it would be best to replace it. The PSU is the most important component in the entire computer system as it's where every other component gets their power from.

Regarding video cards, there is a point of diminishing returns. For example, you don't need the HD5870 (or even the HD58580) if you aren't gaming at a 1920x1080 or greater resolution. If you won't be gaming, period, then you don't even need a mid-range card like the HD5770.

So, again, please answer the questions. They give us the insight that we need to give you recommendations that are more suited for your needs.
 
The highest resolution I plan on playing at is 1920x1080

As for the power supply its from the case manufacteror so chances are its not of good quality. I believe its 650W
 
Ok, if it came with the case, it ain't good unless it's a newer Antec. Factor in a new PSU in your budget.
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