Looking for a cheap upgrade Mobo+CPU+RAM

[Andaho]

My current ageing system is:

AMD dual core 4850E @ 2.5ghz
6GB DDR2
HD 4850 graphics

I'm looking at spending about £150 on a mobo+cpu+ram upgrade, and I've been looking at the AMD FM1 or FM2 processors, as I don't do much PC gaming, but wouldn't mind half decent IGP for old games like starcraft2 that I still occasionally play.

I play a lot of flash games (on Kongregate)... and some flash games lag a lot on my ageing cpu.

I like to have a very quiet PC.

So to get best value for money, should I be looking at AMD or Intel?

Also, is it worth stretching the budget a little to get a small SSD as boot drive with the prices being so cheap?

[scaryjim]

See my reply in the almost identical thread you started in the CPU sub-forum.

and also it's preferable if you stick to one thread per subject matter, as it makes it easier for people to keep track of who they've responded to

As far as an SSD goes, I'd definitely look at working it in to a generic build, particularly if you don't do much gaming and you're not looking to download huge amounts of media (or you're happy to keep all your downloads on an external hard drive ).

[Andaho]

Thanks again Jim, and yes, I currently have a 500gb as a OS/programs drive (that I'm only using 130GB of) and 2TB for storage.

For other people reading this, for reference the other thread is here: http://forums.hexus.net/cpus/264433-...5700-90-a.html
But please reply here

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

What motherboard do you have?? You might be able to use one of these CPUs:
http://www.scan.co.uk/shop/computer-...ore-socket-am3

Is the RAM being run in dual channel,ie, 4 DIMMs??

What PSU do you have??

Do you have a mATX or ATX case??

What OS do you use??

The AMD A10 is a better allround CPU than a Core i3 3225 IMHO. However,you already have an HD4850 and run SC2,so have you considered an FX6300??

You could get the following parts if you have an ATX case:

http://www.dabs.com/products/amd-fx6...-95w-8BXH.html

http://www.dabs.com/products/gigabyt...l?q=970&src=16

http://www.dabs.com/products/crucial...%20ddr3&src=16

The motherboard can be used for overclocking if possible. However,if you do not overclock you can get a cheaper one.

[Dottorrent]

You could go for -
the A8-5600K - http://www.scan.co.uk/products/amd-a...hz-100w-retail
Gigabyte GA-F2A55-DS3 sFM2 - http://www.scan.co.uk/products/gigab...(x16)-hdmi-atx
Corsair vengeance 1600MHz 4GB (2x2GB) blue ram - http://www.scan.co.uk/products/4gb-(...9-9-24-xmp-15v

[Andaho]

Is the RAM being run in dual channel,ie, 4 DIMMs??

What PSU do you have??

Do you have a mATX or ATX case??

What OS do you use??

I currently use 2x2gb+2x1gb ddr2, 430W corsair, ATX case and Windows 7. But the mobo is socket AM2 so I think I definitely need to replace that.

so have you considered an FX6300??

Oww, that CPU does look really nice on the passmark cpu chart

Thank you everyone for your advice

[scaryjim]

As CAT says, if you plan on keeping the 4850 then it'd be hard to go wrong with an FX6300 in a 970 motherboard and 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3. No need to get expensive RAM as it doesn't make that much difference on an AM3+ motherboard - bog standard 1600MHz DDR3 will be fine.

For a similar cost you could get an FM2 APU, decent motherboard and 8GB of very fast RAM - Trinity really benefits from going 2133MHz or faster. The whole system would draw less power at the wall, but you'd be sacrificing performance on both the graphics and CPU compared to an FX6300 + HD4850.

Coming from a 2.5GHz Athlon X2, I wouldn't recommend the dual-core Trinity APUs - they won't be a noticeable upgrade in most tasks. If you want the best possible performance for your money, keep the 4850 and go with an FX6300 + reasonable ATX motherboard. If you want a capable general purpose PC with low power draw, go for an A10-5700 with an A75-based motherboard.

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

A Core i3 will probably do a bit better in SC2 though, TBH, if you had a high end card like a HD7950 or GTX670. In reality though with a card like an HD4850,the graphics card will be more a limiting factor. Even,then with a GTX580 or HD7950 I would expect 60FPS at 1920X1080,with decent minimums with an FX6300.

However,as time progresses more games will become multi-threaded(especially with the new consoles being launched in the next year or so),and for general purpose use the FX6300 is also a better CPU.