Desperation choice of CPU

[Hans L]

Hello:

After installing a new SSD (512 GB), due to previous SSD failure, and using Partition Wizard to reduce the C: drive (partition) space to get data partitions on there (presently on an HDD), I cannot get the SSD to start up the computer (Windows 7 Ultimate). I have spent days trying. Utter failure! So, I have to reinstall Windows and all my apps. Now, while I was going to wait a while to upgrade hardware, having to do all these reinstalls, I might as well invest in a new CPU and mobo.

So, I wonder if you would be so kind as to direct me to the best options as far as CPUs go. Once I have selected a CPU, I will go on to the mobo. (Is it still better to have a separate graphics board for a non-gamer?)

Greatful for your advice. (Last time I built my PC, I was able to do it mainly because of HEXUS support.) Thanks for then, and thanks for now!

Hans L in the USA (from Sweden, originally)

[Domestic_Ginger]

Hi Hans,

What have you got and what do you want to use for?

Power efficiency, onboard graphics are fine for most thing's or are you just after raw grunt?

[Hans L]

Ginger, I want a CPU that is as new as possible, so that it will last. While I will be using it for mostly database application use (FoxPro), word and pdf documents, web browsing, and, later, a mass of scanning and dealing with photographs, I want fast. As I said, I am not a gamer, and never will be. I have tons of applications (can't access a list of them now, unfortunately). I will have an SSD, maybe two eventually.

After zooming in an a CPU, I will decide upon a mobo (I have ASUS now, and while updating firmware and driver to it is a pain -- it is old --, it has been steady as a rock).

I have not followed what is happening in CPU's, so I don't know what is on the horizon.

If you need more info, please just ask.

Regards,

Hans L

[Domestic_Ginger]

The only real development on the horizon is DDR4 memory. Released I believe in the high end intel setups and pretty expensive atm. The intel refreshes we see every year are pretty uninspiring with 5-10% performance increase core per core. AMD hold the budget arena with better onboard graphics or multicore processors that only really compete in multi threaded applications at a lower price to their intel counterparts.

Foxpro seems to be single threaded so hyperthreading or a six core system is probably overkill. I would check up on this though to be sure. The best bet is therefore the best i5 you can afford imo. If you are not overclocking then avoid the k series and get a cheaper chipset with the features you want.The improvement from the next refresh will probably be minimal and only bring DDR4 suppport. If you already have DDR3 you can re-use it. Intels dominance allows them to chop out features from their mainstream chips; I'm not sure what you are after here.

I know very little more than you tbh. I was trying to get more information so someone who does know would be able to help!

[Biscuit]

What kind of budget would you be looking at?

[Hans L]

Ginger, great info. Thanks/Hans L

[Hans L]

What kind of budget would you be looking at?

Don't know, as I do not know what today's CPU's cost.

In Dec 2006 (auch!), I bought Intel Core 2 Duo E6600 for $318.00 (then just released), and the ASUS mobo P5B Deluxe for $214.00. Does that give you an idea?

By the way, the above combination as worked like a charm, and still does. (My present problem was an SSD, made crazy by partition software.)

Regards,

Hans L

[KeyboardDemon]

Don't know, as I do not know what today's CPU's cost.

In Dec 2006 (auch!), I bought Intel Core 2 Duo E6600 for $318.00 (then just released), and the ASUS mobo P5B Deluxe for $214.00. Does that give you an idea?

By the way, the above combination as worked like a charm, and still does. (My present problem was an SSD, made crazy by partition software.)

Regards,

Hans L

I could suggest all manor of CPUs, but while you might not know how much they cost you should have an idea of what you can afford.

Just because you spent $532 8 years does mean that you can spend that same amount now, if that's what we're going on then I would say get an i7 or i5 and an Asus, EVGA or Gigabyte mobo.

i7 would cost around $200, mobo around $150, you'd probably need new RAM too, so I'd allow upto $60. What about your PSU?

The i7 has integrated graphics, just make sure the mobo you get has support for this if you are planning on running it with the IGPU.

[wasabi]

If you don't play games you don't need a separate graphics card any more in my opinion - unless you have a HUGE monitor?.

[Biscuit]

RAM is a definite, as Q6600 was DDR2 (except specific motherboards). Power supply would be a recommended purchase, even a quality PSU has a life span, mine is probably due a change too!
I would actually be tempted to recommend the baseline Xeon 1150 quad core.

[Hans L]

I could suggest all manor of CPUs, but while you might not know how much they cost you should have an idea of what you can afford.

Just because you spent $532 8 years does mean that you can spend that same amount now, if that's what we're going on then I would say get an i7 or i5 and an Asus, EVGA or Gigabyte mobo.

i7 would cost around $200, mobo around $150, you'd probably need new RAM too, so I'd allow upto $60. What about your PSU?

The i7 has integrated graphics, just make sure the mobo you get has support for this if you are planning on running it with the IGPU.

KeyboardDemon, I do not want to argue with you, as you so kindly have given me great advise. However, I want to express the opinion that it is very difficult to say how much you are willing to spend on a single item if you have no idea about the price range of that kind of item, and if you have no idea of how much you may have to spend on other items for the entire unit (a computer in this case). So, when you give me an idea above of the price for i7, mobo, RAM and new PSU, I can start working out a budget, and then see what I can afford.

As for a separate graphics board, let me mention that I have three monitors, and will continue having three in the future. It fits my mode of working very well.

So, thank you very much for your help!

Hans L

[Hans L]

Wasabi, three monitors!

Hans L

[Hans L]

RAM is a definite, as Q6600 was DDR2 (except specific motherboards). Power supply would be a recommended purchase, even a quality PSU has a life span, mine is probably due a change too!
I would actually be tempted to recommend the baseline Xeon 1150 quad core.

Okay, new PSU it is. And I will look at the Xeon. Thanks/Hans L

[KeyboardDemon]

I want to express the opinion that it is very difficult to say how much you are willing to spend on a single item if you have no idea about the price range of that kind of item, and if you have no idea of how much you may have to spend on other items for the entire unit (a computer in this case). So, when you give me an idea above of the price for i7, mobo, RAM and new PSU, I can start working out a budget, and then see what I can afford.

With the right information we can help narrow down your choices to the combination of parts that most closely match your needs and budget, but as a rough indicator of CPU prices, the cheapest CPU on NewEgg USA is $5.90 and the most expensive is $5799.99, and there were 92 pages of products in the CPU category alone.

Pricing an individual part of a full project might sound like a better way to approach things, but it makes more sense to look at what you want as the outcome of the entire project.

You started this thread to ask about a CPU and Mobo, now you also need to consider RAM and a PSU. More variables were added to the equation as we discussed the one part we started with, right?

A better approach is to define all of the parameters from the start such as:

What are the goals of this project? ie.. what will the PC be used for, so far the only constant is that it is not for gaming and that the last time you bought parts you picked parts from the higher end, which seems to suggest you are looking for something that will last and not something that you will want to upgrade in 2 to 3 years.

These are some of the outcomes from the posts above:
- new CPU, a new CPU needs a new mobo
- new mobo, this needs new RAM as your existing DDR2 won't do the job
- new PSU, your old PSU is 8 years old, can it be trusted?

At a rough guess you could do that for maybe $400 or you could do that for $2000.

What else might you need?
HDD/SSD drives?
Case?
Monitor?
Keyboard?
Mouse?
Operating System?
Software?

Each new item added is a new cost on your total price.

How are you funding the project?

Are you using a bottomless pit full of money where we could tell you this is what you need and you just reach in and pay it?

Or are you, like most people I know, restricted to an income that defines how much extra money you have at the end of each month/year from which you can afford to make your decisions?

I'm guessing that your income won't be linked to the price of the system you end up buying, so maybe it would be easier to try and link the price of the system you are buying to what you can afford to pay. Now we want to help you, but we can't do much without the right information.

Can we start this again?

It's hard to hit a target if we don't know what we are shooting at, so first and most importantly, as biscuit said above, how much can you afford to spend?

Then what exactly do you need?

How will it be used?

[Hans L]

KeyboardDemon, you are right in so much of what you say. However, we have the same problems, only from opposite views. From the buyer's (my) point of view, it is almost impossible to say "how much can you [I] afford to spend?" Instead, it comes down to a simple process (but a lot of work :-) of determine what parts are needed, zooming in on some pricewise and performancewise reasonable range of each part (from good to very good), and then look at a few combinations and their prices. After that, you determine a range of how much you are willing and is able to spend. The more you spend, the more other things you have to give up (yes, my budget is limited). As a guideline to myself, I think I have never paid less that about $2300.00 on a computer. Since prices have gone down, it means, of course, that I have gotten a better computer each time. The one I have now is still going rather strong 8 years later, and that is because I got the just released CPU in Dec 2006.

I wanted to respond right away, but I will have to come back to give some more info, because, since a rebuild is a longer-term project, I have to get my puter up and going now. I am almost there, just have to root out a browser hijacker and get my keyboard layout manager to work (KLM2000, a very good app if you want to reprogram your keys; not the usual compromises, but the real thing).

So, thanks for today; I will be back in a few days. Sorry for the delay.

Hans L

[Biscuit]

The current situation as far as I can see it, is that budget is less of an issue than finding the right componenets.

If im completely honest, from the information about what you will use the computer for so far, the SSD will probably give you enough of a boost for you to feel as though you have had a decent upgrade and you wont need anything.
If you really want to do a full upgrade anyway, you will get a pretty solid and future proof rig for far less than $2000.