View Full Version : What CPU and other "UPGRADES" should I be looking at now :)
Hi all,
been a while and I am gonna be moving so I thought as part of this new change I would finally look into a Mobo/CPU/GPU upgrade :)
I know there were nightmares people had from my Mobo but I have not had them. Although I am OC'd at a decent rate I think I could do better, just not with this Mobo and the Bios I am using now.
I will state my goals and wants and if you can let me know what you suggest I would be grateful.
1. New MOBO : More stable, better OC(air), more CPU upgrade choices and SLI.
2. BEST Video card/sli I can get without breaking the bank.
3. WHy I ask here :) what CPU should I bee looking to upgrade to with the new ones out there now. I am a bit confused if I would do better jsut getting a d-core for my Mobo now rather than the core-duo?
dicecca112
09-05-06, 03:42 PM
well the cheapest core 2 duo or conroe will destroy any Pentium D out there right now, and will beat even the higher end AMD AM2 processors, so I would say that's the way to go. I'd look at the Asus 965 chipset boards or the Gigabyte 965 Boards. I'd say look at a single 7900gt and if you can afford it get two for SLI, if not just get one and SLI them later. You can reuse your memory, hs, case and hds and sell the rest to fund the build. But I would upgrade that PSU.
darkcow
09-05-06, 03:53 PM
if i were you, i would wait for DX10. you'd save a ton of money on graphics cards.
dicecca112
09-05-06, 04:00 PM
if i were you, i would wait for DX10. you'd save a ton of money on graphics cards.
why? GTS would do him fine. ITs gonna be a while before a. dx10 cards come out and dx10 itself comes out, and it'll be backwards compatible
darkcow
09-05-06, 04:13 PM
i'd rather spend 100 bucks on a graphics card. and stick with "ok" graphics for 5 months then get that 100 bucks or more that i saved and put it all towards a high end one.
or i would just keep the one he has right now. and then go all out on a DX10
QuicKSwitcH
09-05-06, 04:20 PM
i'd rather spend 100 bucks on a graphics card. and stick with "ok" graphics for 5 months then get that 100 bucks or more that i saved and put it all towards a high end one.
or i would just keep the one he has right now. and then go all out on a DX10
ur money will be wasted on a new DX10 card that 1st of WILL have bugs/glitches and etc and not only will not be a nessessary for gaming til at least 2008. Why buy the card when it first comes out? why not wait til the glitches and stuff are fixed more supply/choices are out and its Actually used to its full potential and is NEEDED for gaming
So from what I am reading I should get a new Mobo + CPU and think on the GPU a bit. I think ONE 512 7900 would be grand :)
My PSU? hmmm, I jsut upgraded :) I guess the Ultra X-Finity 600W has a bad rep. I just do not see any other good looking + power horse PSU anywhere.
greenmaji
09-06-06, 01:59 AM
I personaly wouldn't think about SLI with C2D untill NV gives SLI functality back to intel chipsets.
If you had a need for multi GPU (you do have to rather large monitors) Id be thinking ATI Crossfire.
But to be honest.. I'd just stick with the current card sell it come next month when I bought the new X1950 to push monster res though those screens ;)
That single card beat the highest current SLI in testing... so why go multi GPU?
Did you ever get around to getting the Silverstone Zuse? IIRC that was the PSU you were planing on upgrading to. performance-pcs has the best price last time I checked.
The Sparkle 520W SLI PSU is also a good choice IMHO. And a cheaper alternative.
Also, your Ram.. IIRC most people could get maybe 400FSB out of them tops and that might have been with Vdimm mods. Without a 975X motherboard (no SLI) your not going to have downward dividers (to the best of my knolege no 965 based motherboard has them) for your memory, you would need to get new Ram to get over whatever FSB you can get out of them.
Id look into getting the new Abit Max 975X mobo comming out next month with as much as you have invested in that ram.
If your not building right away.. I would look to see if the E6500 is comming out soon.. I have a feeling its going to be the best overclocker for air.
Hi, Yah I can see myself with one 7900GT 512 no problem :) but I might consider ATI depending on the Mobo I choose. I will be getting bigger monitors. Prob. a 23in Dell x 2 or keep a CRT around for games. niot sure.
NO I ended up with a new Ultra X-Finity 600W. It seems fine but I am not sure if I will keep it with the upgrades.
I am really confused about what you said about my RAM. Why would I not be able to kick but with what I have?? even in a new Mobo?
It will be about 2 months till I do this upgrade :)
greenmaji
09-06-06, 06:44 PM
I wouldnt trust the current PSU with a single big ATI card much less SLI or crossfire. Id move to a strong single 12V rail model like the ones mentioned or if you have the extra bucks order one of two top PC&cooling scilencer's.
Your ram doesn't overclock FSB extreamly well *compared to the FSB the C2D platform uses*, Its just my advice to get a 975X based motherboard for the downward divders option in case you get some decent FSB out of your CPU. Over 400FSB with C2D's isn't uncommon.
The ram you have will do 400 so I wouldn't worry about trying to replace it when you got 4 gigs of the stuff already. Especially if you get a board with downward dividers.
If its going to be 2 months before you upgrade, there is no sense in anyone suggesting anything to you. Especially if you want a possible SLI because all thats going to be totally different 2 in months.
OK, I figure let me keep the focus on the Mobo and CPU and PSU, than work from there. But unless there is to be some great "new" thing to be released in the next Two months I still will not get it since I am not interested in being a ginni pig so I would consider a GPU like a 2nd gen 7900GT.
So speaking of Mobo's/CPU's. Is there any real reason to change from ASUS? amd would any C2D kick my 660's but? or should I look at a specific C2D?
Well the R600 will be coming soon with high expectations. NV is also putting out a better 590 board with a newer NB eventually than the ones about to come out. There will also be more 975 and 965 boards. So there will be plenty of choices. Its not like its going to be beta testing a MB, all boards get reviewed fairly well and lots of ppl test them out.
As for the E6600, there could a specific week thats preferred. The newer weeks coming out now look overall a little better than the first few. As for video, the 1950's will be out and who knows what else.
Personally I can't wait to see what the R600's are like as I've been wanting to try an Ati chipset for a while and this may be the last "good" intel board from them since there in bed with Amd now. :)
Evilsizer
09-06-06, 11:05 PM
read this article here
http://www.anandtech.com/cpuchipsets/showdoc.aspx?i=2795&p=8
keep your eye on the lowest end C2D E6300 in each graph then notice how its not that far behind the 965XE pentuim D. what are you refereing to about amd, you lost me when you went about C2D kick my 660's butt. if you wind up upgrading now i would suggest a new video card. if you look at the 7900gt from evga look for the model ending with AR these are the fixed cards. as for the other brands IDK which ones. if you plan on a single card only system look at the Asus P5B-DLX or if out when you buy the P5B-E, either get a e63 or e64.
I mean my CPU to a Core 2 Duo.
Evilsizer
09-07-06, 12:29 AM
I mean my CPU to a Core 2 Duo.
i was saying the 965xe as a ref., errr well is a 960. i was seeing a 6 for some reason, they are the same speed 3.6ghz. pretty much the 960 isnt faster when looking at single threaded apps. now Multi threaded is another story as haveing a second core helps alot vs HT. i havent been able to find any reviews of 6xx vs C2D's. Still the E6300 is going to e better then the 660.
Yah from the link you gave me the C2D's outpreform the Pen D. So my 3.6 GHZ 660 P4 (EM64T) is below the Pent D and C2D.
So are there ANY Mobo's you guys know of that have a good rating with Core 2 Duo? I saw Gigabyte released a board that is hot but If I move from ASUS I will be a bit clueless since I have used ASUS for so long.
SeanBest
09-11-06, 08:52 PM
Go for a Gigabyte DS3 or P5B-DLX. I'm planning on a e6400 and a p5b-dlx.
K, looking into both boards now :)
What do you guys know about the GIGABYTE GA-965P-DQ6 Socket T (LGA 775) Intel P965 Expres Mobo?
THis is the link and the one I heard about http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16813128323
Gotta look at the Asus stuff before I ask any questions about them :)
greenmaji
09-11-06, 09:07 PM
So are there ANY Mobo's you guys know of that have a good rating with Core 2 Duo? I saw Gigabyte released a board that is hot but If I move from ASUS I will be a bit clueless since I have used ASUS for so long.
How soon do you plan to purchase the motherboard.
I would not advise a 965 northbridge motherboard for your upcoming setup for they lack downward dividers (the DS3 and the Asus P5B-D would be the very mobo's I would aviod in your situation)
The Abit Max 775X motherboard coming up pretty soon looks to have some promise, there should be at least one member here that will have it as soon as he can get his hands on it (you know who you are ;) ), keep an eye on the Abit Intel Motherboard fourm for results before taking off and getting it.
The only prerelease results have been from a bencher that seems to have a little too much good luck (in not just my humble opinion) so I'd wait to see how our fourm members fair first.
Abit was once a very strong contender, Before the ASUS is hardmoded, and there products have been a decent alternitve to ASUS in the recent past. If the early review is any indcation it migh just be one of the best 975X motherboards out to date (once it gets here)
That's info I never would have considered greenmaji, thanks.
I will build the upgraded sys. in about a month or so depending on if I get my stuff together quickly after I move.
How about the ASUS P5N32-SLI SE Deluxe?
greenmaji
09-11-06, 09:33 PM
ZZF lists products right before they are availble (and at a higher price then they will actually sell them for) its already listed, so were looking at a couple weeks most likely.
http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=240505
Epox4life
09-11-06, 09:38 PM
Which C2D are you going to get?
Have you tested your max memory clock speed?
Which C2D are you going to get?
Have you tested your max memory clock speed?
I figure and E6600 or E6700 but they are of course expensive :) No I have not done anything with my ram since my Mobo underclocks them when I OC my CPU and I never really got around to figuring out a full Manual OC on my Mobo.
greenmaji
09-11-06, 11:20 PM
I think a 9multi (E6500 or E6600) with downward divders for your ram would be a good match with the motherboard I listed.
I think a 9multi (E6500 or E6600) with downward divders for your ram would be a good match with the motherboard I listed.
I am a bit concerned. I am not sure if the photo's were right on that Mobo but it looks like there are no Firewire ports and only 1 PCI slot? I need more than that. at least 3.
greenmaji
09-12-06, 12:17 AM
the photo's are right.. its a very striped down board..
my pholosopy.. rig for all the other stuff on the LAN LOL
http://www.admodumdigirati.com/images/woot-contest.jpg
4000 posts!
yea yea he's got the windows icon around his neck, still funny
the photo's are right.. its a very striped down board..
my pholosopy.. rig for all the other stuff on the LAN LOL
Congrats!!!
I understand. Not sure if I could live without my TV Tuner or Audigy 2 card.
Evilsizer
09-12-06, 01:49 AM
Congrats!!!
I understand. Not sure if I could live without my TV Tuner or Audigy 2 card.
you cant get a tv tuner that is usb... No boards using the 975x have more then 2 pci slots. One to look at while ATM have a limited oc to about the 360-375 range is the DFI 975X that i have been eyeing since i was stuck at 280fsb with the ab9. now that i can get to 300mhz and be 24/7 stable now where before it wasnt. IMO a good sound card is always needed and is PCI. i just wonder how much longer till we see pci-e 1x sound cards...
Evilsizer
09-12-06, 02:40 AM
it is weither or not they were able to work out the bugs to add it in the bios.
Yah I know I will find another solution for TV if I have to. I have enjoyed it on my PC for so long I don't even go into the living room now. Hehe, well maybe why I am looking to buy a 42' plasma that will force me out of my home office.
The Audigy 2 has a firewire port. The new ones do not :( I really need to the firewire so I guess I gotta keep eyeing the specs on that mobo.
hUMANbEATbOX
09-13-06, 02:29 PM
4000 posts!
and in less than a year too. :eek:
only other times i've seen people rack up a post count as fast as you, they have always been arsehats. but i wanted to point out that your posts are always informative, and are far from spam. you are a nice addition to our forums, i'm glad you landed here. :D
greenmaji
09-13-06, 03:52 PM
and in less than a year too. :eek:
only other times i've seen people rack up a post count as fast as you, they have always been arsehats. but i wanted to point out that your posts are always informative, and are far from spam. you are a nice addition to our forums, i'm glad you landed here. :D
Thank you, and anyone that might be thinking the same thing :D
@infini.. If your intrested in getting an Audigy 2 and are having trouble finding a deal on one. Just say so, I would go on a search for ya ;)
LOL, thanks but I have one and why I was asking about more than 2 PCI ports. I refuese to use any onboard Sound since they suck and I am also not too sure a USB TV will be very good.
If I have to I would give up the TV on the PC thing, but ...
BigDan3131
09-13-06, 05:37 PM
If you really love your tuner why not just get one of those high end switches and turn your current rig into a media center.
?? I don't understand switch ??
PS: do you have any links to your avatars old flash skits? :attn:
UPDATE: Joe Cartoon :)
Hi guys!
Well it's been a while and I have moved across the country to California. I discovered "FRY'S" and now am looking at MOBO's & CPU's again. I see the EVGA has decent reviews with the new CPU's but I am still not sure what to get.
I figure all of you have had time to play with the new stuff and will have more direct advise on this. Maybe it;s the same advise but I would like to be sure.
PS: I did upgrade my card already to a 7950 GT card so it's a new Mobo & CPU I am wanting :)
UPDATE:
Well I went and blew some cash today :)
I bought these items:
MOBO - EVGA nForce 680i SLI
GPU - x2 - XFX GeForce 7950GT 512MB PCI Express x16 HDCP ExTreme Edition
CPU - Core 2 Duo E6600
PSU - Thurmaltake Purepower 600W
Let me know what you think of my descision and how it will fair with my old parts. Oh, new Lian Li case comming. Either a custom LIAN LI PC-V1200Bplus II or V2000.
Thanks all,
James
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