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Thread: Due for an upgrade?

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    Question Due for an upgrade?

    I’m in need of a few suggests as to what to upgrade too, and I’ve a couple of questions so here goes..

    My current set up is as follows:

    CPU: 3700+ San Deigo 2.2ghz
    mobo:Asus A8N sli premium
    ram:1gb(512mbx2)ocz premier
    hdd: 2x western digital 250gb
    Gpu: 2x sli XFX 6800gs XXX edtion 485/1100
    Soundcard: Audigy2 zs platinum w/ I/O panel
    Case: lian li pc-61
    psu: hiper 580 type-r


    I’ve had this pc around year and bit now and it was perfect for what I needed back then, but with newer games it's always seemed choppy and jerky so I’ve been thinking about upgrading to a core2duo setup.

    I haven’t really kept up with latest technology, although I know Intel currently owns the market so I’m going Intel this time around but with a budget of around £420-£450 tops.
    That’s for a processor, motherboard, ram and case.

    So here what I’ve come up with:

    Cpu:
    http://www.ebuyer.com/customer/produ...uct_uid=112708

    Motherboard:
    http://www.ebuyer.com/customer/produ...uct_uid=125082

    Ram:
    http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showpr...d=8&subcat=813

    Case:
    http://www.ebuyer.com/customer/produ...uct_uid=100727
    (This is only firm set choice)

    I’ll be carrying over my hard drives, power supply, graphics cards and optical drives from old build.

    Open to suggestions on all above but the case.

    But I’ve got a couple of questions, firstly will my power supply be able to handle the above motherboard, ram and cpu along with 2x optical drives, 2x 6800gs, sound card and 2 maybe 3 hard drives?

    How well would my sli 6800gs’s coupled with the new setup handle current games such as say s.t.a.l.k.e.r and oblivion, I’ve had reasonable performance on mid settings with some of the eye turn off or right down, but it’s always been a quite choppy after loading levels etc my fps is aweful sometimes after loading too and I always assumed it was due to only have 1gb of ram or is it more down to the graphics card side of things?

    any thoughts appreciated

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    • Marcvs's system
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    interested in mobo/ram if you sell possibly

    wait till april 22nd and the price drops though!

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    finding nemo staffsMike's Avatar
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    6800's should be OK with stalker..I think i would be more inclined to go for a single gfx card mobo and do a graphics card upgrade at some point in the near future though.

    something like this

    http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showpr...d=5&subcat=565

    Asus P5B is a popular choice as well.

    I was running a 6600gt as a stop gap card in my current system..but it just couldn't do justice to the games i was starting to play. I can't comment on how much 2 6800gs's will fair..but what size monitor are you playing on.

    With regards to the processor..I would probably go with either the e6300 or the e4300 as they will overclock very well..and to similar speeds as the e6400 will.

    the ram and case are fine imo

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    I think you'd be better off selling your 6800GS's and getting a single, more powerful card myself. Especially if its games performance you are upgrading for.

    You deinfately need some more CPU grunt than 2.2ghz, any c2d will beat that with a small oc. What resolution do you play at?
    Last edited by s_kinton; 02-04-2007 at 09:51 AM.

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    Quote Originally Posted by s_kinton View Post
    I think you'd be better off selling your 6800GS's and getting a single, more powerful card myself. Especially if its games performance you are upgrading for.

    You definitely need some more CPU grunt than 2.2ghz, any c2d will beat that with a small oc. What resolution do you play at?
    Sorry I should have pointed out this time around I’m not overclocking anything; I’m going for stock performance and silence.

    My resolution depends on the game I’m playing but most for games such as oblivion and stalker it's just 1024x768.

    My monitors just an old 19in Compaq crt, I’m about to order a 19in wide screen though so my budgets changed slightly.

    I worked out the above would cost roughly £390-£395 and if I was to order the screen I can still afford to buy the above,but...

    When I built my current system I bought an sli motherboard just for upgrade ability, and sure enough graphics card prices dropped and I picked up a second card for a 3rd of what I paid… so I’ve looked into 8800gts and it’d be awhile before i could afford one,so i'd like to keep my 6800gs's for now... sli 8800gts for me would be way way down the line for me so 680i motherboards are out.

    but anyone have any other good contenders for skt775 sli motherboard?

    (i'll probably be waiting till the prices drops in april like marcvs suggested)

  6. #6
    Editable... jimbouk's Avatar
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    How about just getting a S939 Athlon X2, another gig of ram and thinking about a new gfx card? At 1024x768 gaming shouldn't be a problem on an AMD, in fact gaming is the only thing the AMDs can just about keep up with C2Ds on. Unless you're into video processing or something else CPU intensive do you really need a full upgrade?

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    • timread's system
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    If you want to game in native widescreen resolutions (e.g. 1680x1050) then I'd concentrate your upgrade funds on the graphics. I don't know how your pair of 6800GS will do on that, maybe they'll be OK.

    I just went from a 3700+ to X2 4200, and stuck with socket 939 for now. If you stick on socket 939, get 2GB RAM.

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    If you want to game in native widescreen resolutions (e.g. 1680x1050)
    Native res on a 19" Widescreen is 1400x900 and not 1680x1050

  9. #9
    Yeah dude! NightshadowUK's Avatar
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    I agree, pick up a cheap second hand X2, an extra GB RAM and a 320MB 8800GTS and you'll be laughing even at 1400x900.

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    Have a look at the ASUS P5B or the gigabye DS3 for the MOBO they have a better chipset IMO.

    And that case is super

    Also I would go for the E6300 as it has the same core as the E6400 and a bit cheaper and is the 0.6GhZ going to make much diffrence. Plus as it has the same core you can overclock past this

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    • spiral out's system
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    I agree get a better graphics card, another gig of ram and an X2, you will see better gains than going to c2d and keeping your graphics cards.

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    • timread's system
      • Motherboard:
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      • CPU:
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      • Memory:
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    AMD X2 4200: £82
    2Gb (2X1Gb) Corsair TwinX XMS DDR PC3200 6,3,3,2: £149
    8800 GTS 320MB, take your pick of brand and factory-set OC: ~£200

    Total £431 (prices from Scan)

    minus whatever you can sell your 2x 6800GS cards, and 2x512MB OCZ RAM, for.

    I reckon that's the most affordable option, and you get your GTS now!

  13. #13
    Yeah dude! NightshadowUK's Avatar
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    • NightshadowUK's system
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    I recommend the same as above but save £50 and go with Corsair Value Select...

    - AMD Athlon 64 X2 4200+ ~ £82.24

    - 2GB (2X1GB) Corsair VS PC3200 ~ £101.43

    - 320MB BFG 8800GTS OC ~ £193.82

    Total ~ £377.49

    And if you're after quietening things up a bit...

    - Arctic Cooling Freezer 64 Pro ~ £11.15

    - 80mm Sharkoon 2000 ~ £4.69 each
    Last edited by NightshadowUK; 03-04-2007 at 12:17 PM.

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    well i've figured out my rubbish graphics performance was due to someone turning sli off ,seems my brother borrowed my pc for god knows what and forgot to mention he'd set it off...

    to be honest although going for a x2,2gigs of ram and an 8800gts is probably the best option..

    i'm still more in favour of a c2d setup purely because of the fact if i bought an x2 and 2gigs of ddr it'll be worth next to nothing when i come to upgrade 10-12months down the line again..

    or i might meet your ideas half way and buy a 8800gts, p180 and just another gig of ram, that way i'd at least have to only fork out for cpu,motherboard and ram for a c2d setup...

    i'm not going to rush this decision though i'll have a think about it,

    thanks for your help guys much apperciated

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    Brothers, eh? tsk!

    Agreed, it's a tough call atm if you're tight for cash - blow more on Intel and DDR2, or upgrade into a dead end staying on socket 939.

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