Wanting an Upgrade

[hazexban]

I am still rocking an underwater Q6600 that is still very stable and quick for the most part. Just want to play with new hardware.


1) What will you be doing with this PC? Gaming? Photoshop? Web browsing? etc
Internet surfing, emails, occasional gaming (DOTA 2, LoL, Diablo 3) I also try and edit videos from my GoPro and I definitely think my even my OC'd 6600 is slacking in working with the video.
2) What's your budget? Are tax and shipping included?
$500, this is an upgrade for now, not a brand new build
3) Which country do you live in? If the U.S, please tell us the state and city if possible.
I live in Parsippany, NJ about 20 minutes from a MicroCenter
4) What exact parts do you need for that budget? CPU, RAM, case, etc. The word "Everything" is not a valid answer. Please list out all the parts you'll need.
I will upgrading my CPU, Motherboard, Ram, possibly video card, in that case might need a new video card block. Though I might be ok with the card on AIR. New CPU Cooling block. (I think my current block is an Apogee GT, not sure if compatible or good enough these days)
5) If reusing any parts, what parts will you be reusing? Please be especially specific about the power supply. List make and model.
CORSAIR CMPSU-1000HX
EVGA GeForce GTX 470 (Fermi 1280MB)
Case, Radiator (480), Water Pump, HD (have an OCZ Vertex 2 100GB SSD and an a 1 TB Storage Drive)
6) Will you be overclocking?
Possible but may not be needed.
7) What is the max resolution of your monitor? What size is it?
23 inch monitor, 1920 x 1080
8) When do you plan on building/buying the PC?
I plan on buying the upgraded parts within next couple of weeks.
9) What features do you need in a motherboard? RAID? Firewire? Crossfire or SLI support? USB 3.0? SATA 6Gb/s? eSATA? Onboard video (as a backup or main GPU)? UEFI? etc.
USB 3.0 would be good, fast SATA ports.
10) Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license? If yes, what OS? Is it 32bit or 64bit?
I will be reusing my 64 bit Windows 7 Key.


This deal set on MC has spawned my interest in upgrading. http://www.microcenter.com/site/brands/intel-processor-bundles.aspx

Seems like a good deal on the i7 4790k and MB bundles. But I defer to you all on this.

Thanks for looking!

Pete

 

[Dangman]

For $500, you could do:
$240 - Intel Core i5 4690K CPU + AsRock H97M Pro 4 mATX Microcenter Combo
$66 - G.Skill Ripjaws 8GB DDR3 1600 RAM
$200 - Cheapest GTX 960 card from Gigabyte, MSI, eVGA, or Asus
----
Total: $506 shipped plus tax on the CPU and mobo.

A Core i7 is out of your budget and you'll won't be able to afford a water block for the GTX 960. Though I don't think any exists at this point in time.

 

[hazexban]

Thanks! I think I will stick with my current card to be honest.

Just looking at CPU RAM and MB. Not sure if I need a new water block for the CPU.

 

[Dangman]

Thanks! I think I will stick with my current card to be honest.

Just looking at CPU RAM and MB. Not sure if I need a new water block for the CPU.

I think you do since 775 and LGA 1150 are incompatible with each other.

 

[SticKx911]

as far as performance, the block you have will be fine. It may not be a "stellar performer," but that is a difference of a few degrees. Nothing huge. You may need an adapter kit and backplate though. I was able to get one of these on amazon for $40 and it works wonderfully. It looks like prices have soared, but I'm not sure if I'd have a better price for performance option to recomend. Ek's would be the next up IMO.

For the amount of gaming you do, the 480 will probably be fine for now, but that 480 puts a lot of heat into your system. You can normally find a used 680/780 with blocks already used on here a lot, so it's worth keeping your eyes open.