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Thread: Is this the right time to upgrade my pc ?

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    Is this the right time to upgrade my pc ?

    hi guys,
    currently i have a two year old system which has served me well, even now it is able to play all the latest games on high

    settings.
    Recently i been thinking of upgrading my pc to current specs but not sure whether it is the right time to do so. I have two

    choices either wait for the newer technology to come out or go ahead and upgrade.
    My current pc specs are:

    Case: Coolermaster Elite 330
    PSU: Corsair 650TX Series
    CPU: Intel E8400 @ 3.6ghz
    RAM: 4GB PC6400 DDR2 800mhz
    MOBO: BFG 680i SLI
    VGA: Ati 4870x2 2GB
    HDD: 500GB SATA 7200rpm

    Now i dont mind keeping some parts and use it in my new upgrade but the main thing i am looking for as a serious gamer is a

    performance gain of at least 50% .
    I am willing to spend around £300 which can go up to 500 if i sell some of my current parts.
    Please leave your suggestions regarding what route should i go and what components will be the best bang for the buck.

    Cheers

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    Senior Member Pob255's Avatar
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    Re: Is this the right time to upgrade my pc ?

    Personally speaking the only thing old and a bit clonky on that system is the motherboard.
    You could replace the cpu with a core2quad (2nd hand probably your best bet)
    Short of that you'd need to spend far more to get any major upgrade.

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    Re: Is this the right time to upgrade my pc ?

    IIRC,the 680i motherboards have issues with quad cores. Perhaps,if the OP really wants DX11 they could consider upgrading the card. The HD6950 and HD6970 are being released this year and are single GPU cards. However,an HX4870X2 is still quite powerful IMHO.

    Intel Sandy Bridge is being released early next year and AMD Bulldozer towards the end of the year AFAIK. However,an overclocked E8400 is still quite decent for games which don't use more than two cores.

    TBH,the system the OP has still looks fine for most games.

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    Not a good person scaryjim's Avatar
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    Re: Is this the right time to upgrade my pc ?

    Quote Originally Posted by koolman007 View Post
    ... even now it is able to play all the latest games on high ...
    Then no, it is not the right time to upgrade your PC! The time to upgrade your PC is when it will no longer meet your needs. If your current PC is meeting your needs, then wait, because PC components *will* get faster *and* cheaper, and you'll get a better performance boost by waiting 6 months to a year.

    As an aside, I have a Q6600 in a 680i SLI mobo and haven't had any problems with it at all.

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    Re: Is this the right time to upgrade my pc ?

    Quote Originally Posted by scaryjim View Post
    Then no, it is not the right time to upgrade your PC! The time to upgrade your PC is when it will no longer meet your needs. If your current PC is meeting your needs, then wait, because PC components *will* get faster *and* cheaper, and you'll get a better performance boost by waiting 6 months to a year.

    As an aside, I have a Q6600 in a 680i SLI mobo and haven't had any problems with it at all.
    AFAIK,the 680i was problematic for overclocking quad core processors and it lacked support for 45NM quad cores too.

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    Re: Is this the right time to upgrade my pc ?

    how about if i go with a quad core like Q6600 for now and wait for another 4-5 months for the prices to come down..will i get a performance boost of any sort as more games are starting to take advantage of quad architecture.
    cheers for the replies

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    Re: Is this the right time to upgrade my pc ?

    The Q6600 would be a good upgrade but you will need to check whether you can overclock the processor a reasonable amount with your motherboard. A Q6700 has a higher multiplier and is also worth considering too. Both processors will also run hotter than an E8400 too.

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    Re: Is this the right time to upgrade my pc ?

    Quote Originally Posted by CAT-THE-FIFTH View Post
    The Q6600 would be a good upgrade but you will need to check whether you can overclock the processor a reasonable amount with your motherboard. A Q6700 has a higher multiplier and is also worth considering too. Both processors will also run hotter than an E8400 too.
    i had a look at the manufacturer's website and it seems to support the cpu but how do i know if it will OC better ?

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    Re: Is this the right time to upgrade my pc ?

    Certainly on the gfx card front it is not. Your card performs better than a HD5870. That means you are going to have to buy a Hd 5970 or GTX 580 or an expensive crossfire/sli setup to get something tangiable better. Which is not going to be good value for money.

    As for CPU I am sure your dual core will be adequate for a little while yet. Getting a Q6600 will extend that period of time. But really I just think you want an excuse to upgrade! Therefore maybe wait for sandy bridge get a new cpu+ram+mobo and keep everything else. New intel SSDs should be coming out then which might make the pricing of SSDs a bit more competitive so you could maybe get one of those as well.

    But to me personally a new gfx card would be a dumb move unless dx11 and slightly lower powerconsumption is worth 250+ quid to you.

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    Re: Is this the right time to upgrade my pc ?

    I'd probably not go for a quad core without replacing the motherboard, going from an overclocked 3.6ghz dual core to a 2.4ghz stock would be a large downgrade in overall performance, if you can overclock it to around 3ghz then it'd not be too bad an impact, as the speed difference becomes less noticeable after 3ghz.

    This is all dependent on getting something cheap, any more than about £60 wouldn't be worth it.

    As c.ruel pointed out the 4870x2 is not slow, to get a card for dx11 you're looking top end which just are not bag for the buck and no where near a 50% performance boost even at the very top.

    An SSD migth well be worth looking into as that would carry across into a new build.

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    Re: Is this the right time to upgrade my pc ?

    Quote Originally Posted by c.ruel View Post
    But really I just think you want an excuse to upgrade!
    lol dats pretty much true

  12. #12
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    Re: Is this the right time to upgrade my pc ?

    Quote Originally Posted by CAT-THE-FIFTH View Post
    AFAIK,the 680i was problematic for overclocking quad core processors ...
    I'll let you know when I finish Project Cunning Plan

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    Re: Is this the right time to upgrade my pc ?

    Wait for the major upgrades.

    Get a decent SSD now as your OS drive. The performance boost is significant.

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    Re: Is this the right time to upgrade my pc ?

    I thought it was more a case of Nvidia's chipsets being crap clockers than a 680i specific problem?
    Kalniel: "Nice review Tarinder - would it be possible to get a picture of the case when the components are installed (with the side off obviously)?"
    CAT-THE-FIFTH: "The Antec 300 is a case which has an understated and clean appearance which many people like. Not everyone is into e-peen looking computers which look like a cross between the imagination of a hyperactive 10 year old and a Frog."
    TKPeters: "Off to AVForum better Deal - £20+Vat for Free Shipping @ Scan"
    for all intents it seems to be the same card minus some gays name on it and a shielded cover ? with OEM added to it - GoNz0.

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