Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 16 of 20

Thread: el cheapo upgrade

  1. #1
    Senior Member Hicks12's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Plymouth-SouthWest
    Posts
    6,586
    Thanks
    1,070
    Thanked
    340 times in 293 posts
    • Hicks12's system
      • Motherboard:
      • Asus P8Z68-V
      • CPU:
      • Intel i5 2500k@4ghz, cooled by EK Supreme HF
      • Memory:
      • 8GB Kingston hyperX ddr3 PC3-12800 1600mhz
      • Storage:
      • 64GB M4/128GB M4 / WD 640GB AAKS / 1TB Samsung F3
      • Graphics card(s):
      • Palit GTX460 @ 900Mhz Core
      • PSU:
      • 675W ThermalTake ThoughPower XT
      • Case:
      • Lian Li PC-A70 with modded top for 360mm rad
      • Operating System:
      • Windows 7 Professional 64bit
      • Monitor(s):
      • Dell U2311H IPS
      • Internet:
      • 10mb/s cable from virgin media

    el cheapo upgrade

    Right my mates looking to upgrade his system for gaming, specifically battlfield 3 .

    Looking cheap as possible (he is a jobless student you see!), some suggestions ive said (also taken some from ctf thread )

    P2 x4 955 @£89
    either Asus M5A97 PRO or Gigabyte GA-970A-UD3 both £80-£85
    Ram random 2x2gb sticks for £20 (corsair ones)
    GPU not sure? thinking around the £100-£120 mark, 6850?

    Cheap as possible as he really doesnt want to upgrade, just wants to play bf3 better .
    Current system is:

    e5200
    crap motherboard
    corsair 2x2gb pc6400
    8800GTS 512mb

    I think the motherboard we need one near the £50 mark thats acceptable?
    Quote Originally Posted by snootyjim View Post
    Trust me, go into any local club and shout "I've got dual Nehalem Xeons" and all of the girls will practically collapse on the spot at the thought of your e-penis

  2. #2
    Not a good person scaryjim's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2009
    Location
    Gateshead
    Posts
    15,196
    Thanks
    1,231
    Thanked
    2,291 times in 1,874 posts
    • scaryjim's system
      • Motherboard:
      • Dell Inspiron
      • CPU:
      • Core i5 8250U
      • Memory:
      • 2x 4GB DDR4 2666
      • Storage:
      • 128GB M.2 SSD + 1TB HDD
      • Graphics card(s):
      • Radeon R5 230
      • PSU:
      • Battery/Dell brick
      • Case:
      • Dell Inspiron 5570
      • Operating System:
      • Windows 10
      • Monitor(s):
      • 15" 1080p laptop panel

    Re: el cheapo upgrade

    OK:

    1) he shouldn't buy anything until the reviews are out and we know which hardware it runs best on.

    2) We need to know what resolution his monitor is! Graphics card recommendations are going to vary depending on whether he's on 1280x1024, 1080p or 2560x1600 (I assume not the latter though ).

    3) I'd strongly suggest he doesn't upgrade until he actually gets a retail copy and final drivers and finds out how the actual game (rather than the beta) performs on his existing system - the 8800GTS is still a decent lower mid range card (should be roughly equivalent to a 5750 / 5770, I think), and it's not impossible that he'll actually be fine with either a new HSF and a decent overclock on the e5200, or a Core 2 Quad upgrade for £106 (45nm Q8300 should be a drop in upgrade, but check the mobo compatibility list first, obviously ).

  3. #3
    Anthropomorphic Personification shaithis's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2004
    Location
    The Last Aerie
    Posts
    10,857
    Thanks
    645
    Thanked
    872 times in 736 posts
    • shaithis's system
      • Motherboard:
      • Asus P8Z77 WS
      • CPU:
      • i7 3770k @ 4.5GHz
      • Memory:
      • 32GB HyperX 1866
      • Storage:
      • Lots!
      • Graphics card(s):
      • Sapphire Fury X
      • PSU:
      • Corsair HX850
      • Case:
      • Corsair 600T (White)
      • Operating System:
      • Windows 10 x64
      • Monitor(s):
      • 2 x Dell 3007
      • Internet:
      • Zen 80Mb Fibre

    Re: el cheapo upgrade

    Keep an eye out for deals and/or second hand stuff.

    ~£100-120 should get you a 6850 or gtx460....maybe even a 6870 or GTX560 if you catch a deal on the right day.....I have seen plenty of one-off deals recently with 20-40quid off of gfx cards.....

    As for mobo/cpu......I would look second hand tbh. May even be able to save enough to put more towards the gfx card.
    Main PC: Asus Rampage IV Extreme / 3960X@4.5GHz / Antec H1200 Pro / 32GB DDR3-1866 Quad Channel / Sapphire Fury X / Areca 1680 / 850W EVGA SuperNOVA Gold 2 / Corsair 600T / 2x Dell 3007 / 4 x 250GB SSD + 2 x 80GB SSD / 4 x 1TB HDD (RAID 10) / Windows 10 Pro, Yosemite & Ubuntu
    HTPC: AsRock Z77 Pro 4 / 3770K@4.2GHz / 24GB / GTX 1080 / SST-LC20 / Antec TP-550 / Hisense 65k5510 4K TV / HTC Vive / 2 x 240GB SSD + 12TB HDD Space / Race Seat / Logitech G29 / Win 10 Pro
    HTPC2: Asus AM1I-A / 5150 / 4GB / Corsair Force 3 240GB / Silverstone SST-ML05B + ST30SF / Samsung UE60H6200 TV / Windows 10 Pro
    Spare/Loaner: Gigabyte EX58-UD5 / i950 / 12GB / HD7870 / Corsair 300R / Silverpower 700W modular
    NAS 1: HP N40L / 12GB ECC RAM / 2 x 3TB Arrays || NAS 2: Dell PowerEdge T110 II / 24GB ECC RAM / 2 x 3TB Hybrid arrays || Network:Buffalo WZR-1166DHP w/DD-WRT + HP ProCurve 1800-24G
    Laptop: Dell Precision 5510 Printer: HP CP1515n || Phone: Huawei P30 || Other: Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 Pro 10.1 CM14 / Playstation 4 + G29 + 2TB Hybrid drive

  4. #4
    Registered+
    Join Date
    Nov 2009
    Location
    Aberystwyth
    Posts
    40
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked
    2 times in 2 posts
    • gwyn's system
      • Motherboard:
      • Asus Maximus IV Gene-Z
      • CPU:
      • i5 2500-k
      • Memory:
      • 4 gig DDR3
      • Storage:
      • 500 gig
      • Graphics card(s):
      • MSI GeForce GTX 560Ti OC Twin FrozR II
      • PSU:
      • Corsair AX750
      • Case:
      • Corsair Obsidian 650D
      • Operating System:
      • Win7
      • Monitor(s):
      • Dell U2311H

    Re: el cheapo upgrade

    Quote Originally Posted by Hicks12 View Post
    Right my mates looking to upgrade his system for gaming, specifically battlfield 3 .

    Looking cheap as possible (he is a jobless student you see!), some suggestions ive said (also taken some from ctf thread )

    P2 x4 955 @£89
    either Asus M5A97 PRO or Gigabyte GA-970A-UD3 both £80-£85
    Ram random 2x2gb sticks for £20 (corsair ones)
    GPU not sure? thinking around the £100-£120 mark, 6850?

    Cheap as possible as he really doesnt want to upgrade, just wants to play bf3 better .
    Current system is:

    e5200
    crap motherboard
    corsair 2x2gb pc6400
    8800GTS 512mb

    I think the motherboard we need one near the £50 mark thats acceptable?
    My mate is running the same graphics card and almost max's out Black ops at 1900/1200. So as was said above, we need to know what res he is running. Also very importantly, what power supply has he got? If its a generic one, then I would get a decent PSU first before looking at anything else in the PC.

  5. #5
    Anthropomorphic Personification shaithis's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2004
    Location
    The Last Aerie
    Posts
    10,857
    Thanks
    645
    Thanked
    872 times in 736 posts
    • shaithis's system
      • Motherboard:
      • Asus P8Z77 WS
      • CPU:
      • i7 3770k @ 4.5GHz
      • Memory:
      • 32GB HyperX 1866
      • Storage:
      • Lots!
      • Graphics card(s):
      • Sapphire Fury X
      • PSU:
      • Corsair HX850
      • Case:
      • Corsair 600T (White)
      • Operating System:
      • Windows 10 x64
      • Monitor(s):
      • 2 x Dell 3007
      • Internet:
      • Zen 80Mb Fibre

    Re: el cheapo upgrade

    Quote Originally Posted by gwyn View Post
    My mate is running the same graphics card and almost max's out Black ops at 1900/1200.
    Black Ops is a predominantly CPU-based title. BF3 is a different kettle of fish!!
    Main PC: Asus Rampage IV Extreme / 3960X@4.5GHz / Antec H1200 Pro / 32GB DDR3-1866 Quad Channel / Sapphire Fury X / Areca 1680 / 850W EVGA SuperNOVA Gold 2 / Corsair 600T / 2x Dell 3007 / 4 x 250GB SSD + 2 x 80GB SSD / 4 x 1TB HDD (RAID 10) / Windows 10 Pro, Yosemite & Ubuntu
    HTPC: AsRock Z77 Pro 4 / 3770K@4.2GHz / 24GB / GTX 1080 / SST-LC20 / Antec TP-550 / Hisense 65k5510 4K TV / HTC Vive / 2 x 240GB SSD + 12TB HDD Space / Race Seat / Logitech G29 / Win 10 Pro
    HTPC2: Asus AM1I-A / 5150 / 4GB / Corsair Force 3 240GB / Silverstone SST-ML05B + ST30SF / Samsung UE60H6200 TV / Windows 10 Pro
    Spare/Loaner: Gigabyte EX58-UD5 / i950 / 12GB / HD7870 / Corsair 300R / Silverpower 700W modular
    NAS 1: HP N40L / 12GB ECC RAM / 2 x 3TB Arrays || NAS 2: Dell PowerEdge T110 II / 24GB ECC RAM / 2 x 3TB Hybrid arrays || Network:Buffalo WZR-1166DHP w/DD-WRT + HP ProCurve 1800-24G
    Laptop: Dell Precision 5510 Printer: HP CP1515n || Phone: Huawei P30 || Other: Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 Pro 10.1 CM14 / Playstation 4 + G29 + 2TB Hybrid drive

  6. #6
    Registered+
    Join Date
    Nov 2009
    Location
    Aberystwyth
    Posts
    40
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked
    2 times in 2 posts
    • gwyn's system
      • Motherboard:
      • Asus Maximus IV Gene-Z
      • CPU:
      • i5 2500-k
      • Memory:
      • 4 gig DDR3
      • Storage:
      • 500 gig
      • Graphics card(s):
      • MSI GeForce GTX 560Ti OC Twin FrozR II
      • PSU:
      • Corsair AX750
      • Case:
      • Corsair Obsidian 650D
      • Operating System:
      • Win7
      • Monitor(s):
      • Dell U2311H

    Re: el cheapo upgrade

    Quote Originally Posted by shaithis View Post
    Black Ops is a predominantly CPU-based title. BF3 is a different kettle of fish!!
    I except that, but I think its better to run BF3 on lower settings than risk an unstable rig due to a poor PSU.

  7. #7
    Senior Member Hicks12's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Plymouth-SouthWest
    Posts
    6,586
    Thanks
    1,070
    Thanked
    340 times in 293 posts
    • Hicks12's system
      • Motherboard:
      • Asus P8Z68-V
      • CPU:
      • Intel i5 2500k@4ghz, cooled by EK Supreme HF
      • Memory:
      • 8GB Kingston hyperX ddr3 PC3-12800 1600mhz
      • Storage:
      • 64GB M4/128GB M4 / WD 640GB AAKS / 1TB Samsung F3
      • Graphics card(s):
      • Palit GTX460 @ 900Mhz Core
      • PSU:
      • 675W ThermalTake ThoughPower XT
      • Case:
      • Lian Li PC-A70 with modded top for 360mm rad
      • Operating System:
      • Windows 7 Professional 64bit
      • Monitor(s):
      • Dell U2311H IPS
      • Internet:
      • 10mb/s cable from virgin media

    Re: el cheapo upgrade

    Sorry forgot the res. He plays 1200 by 1000 roughly lol. His psu is terrible but I may have a spare one for him so he don't need a new one.
    Quote Originally Posted by snootyjim View Post
    Trust me, go into any local club and shout "I've got dual Nehalem Xeons" and all of the girls will practically collapse on the spot at the thought of your e-penis

  8. #8
    Senior Member Pob255's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2007
    Location
    The land of Brum
    Posts
    10,143
    Thanks
    608
    Thanked
    1,226 times in 1,123 posts
    • Pob255's system
      • Motherboard:
      • Asus M5A99X EVO
      • CPU:
      • FX8350 & CM Hyper 212+
      • Memory:
      • 4 x 2gb Corsair Vengence 1600mhz cas9
      • Storage:
      • 512gb samsung SSD +1tb Samsung HDD
      • Graphics card(s):
      • EGVA GTX970
      • PSU:
      • Seasonic GX 650W
      • Case:
      • HAF 912+
      • Operating System:
      • W7 Pro
      • Monitor(s):
      • iiyama XB3270QS-B1 32" IPS 1440p

    Re: el cheapo upgrade

    the psu is a good point, but so is the resolution, in the 17-19" monitor range of resolutions (1280x1024 or 1440x900 or 1366x768) then the good old 8800gts 512mb should be able to keep up with newer games.

    It also depends on the person and what they find acceptable in both graphics quality and fps

    Quote Originally Posted by scaryjim View Post
    3) I'd strongly suggest he doesn't upgrade until he actually gets a retail copy and final drivers and finds out how the actual game (rather than the beta) performs on his existing system - the 8800GTS is still a decent lower mid range card (should be roughly equivalent to a 5750 / 5770, I think)
    Actually the 8800gts 512mb would be below the 5750, some ware between the 5670 and 5750. (the 5750 was about equal to the higher clocked 9800gtx+/gts250)

    A cheap 2nd hand 5770 or even a 4890, 4870 or gtx260, gtx275 (although the nvidia cards hold value better) would probably be a good low cost option.

    A decent P35 or P45 motherboard and a spot of overclocking might be good, or a cheap core2quad.

  9. #9
    Ninja Noxvayl's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2007
    Location
    In the shadows
    Posts
    2,451
    Thanks
    748
    Thanked
    215 times in 173 posts
    • Noxvayl's system
      • Motherboard:
      • GigabyteZ87X-UD4H-CF
      • CPU:
      • Intel i7 4770K
      • Memory:
      • 16GB Corsair Vengaence LPX + 8GB Kingston HyperX Beast
      • Storage:
      • 120GB Snadisk + 256GB Crucial SSDs
      • Graphics card(s):
      • 4GB Sapphire R9 380
      • PSU:
      • ENermax Platimax 750W
      • Case:
      • Fractal Design Define S
      • Operating System:
      • Windows 10 64bit
      • Monitor(s):
      • ATMT + Dell 1024x1280
      • Internet:
      • Sky Fibre

    Re: el cheapo upgrade

    In that case he doesn't need a new Graphics card, the 8800GTS 512Mb should be fine. As mentioned before a drop in Intel quad core upgrade would be a great option.

  10. #10
    Not a good person scaryjim's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2009
    Location
    Gateshead
    Posts
    15,196
    Thanks
    1,231
    Thanked
    2,291 times in 1,874 posts
    • scaryjim's system
      • Motherboard:
      • Dell Inspiron
      • CPU:
      • Core i5 8250U
      • Memory:
      • 2x 4GB DDR4 2666
      • Storage:
      • 128GB M.2 SSD + 1TB HDD
      • Graphics card(s):
      • Radeon R5 230
      • PSU:
      • Battery/Dell brick
      • Case:
      • Dell Inspiron 5570
      • Operating System:
      • Windows 10
      • Monitor(s):
      • 15" 1080p laptop panel

    Re: el cheapo upgrade

    Quote Originally Posted by Hicks12 View Post
    Sorry forgot the res. He plays 1200 by 1000 roughly lol.
    OK, standard 5:4 17" or 19" monitor @ 1280x1024 then (don't laugh, they're very good monitors: especially for top down / isometric games as you get a better forward field of vision ). As ExHail's already said, an 8800GTS 512 should be pretty reasonable on that monitor still (it's a much lower res than I'm tasking my 8800GTX with), so the only question is how many sparkly pretties BF3 uses that'll chew up processing power. he might have to tone down a few of the prettiest settings...

    If it was my mate I'd be offering two options. Option 1 - I'd be checking his mobo for compatibility and stability, then recommending dropping in a Core 2 Quad, as the rest of the system is fairly well balanced and well matched to his monitor in gaming terms. That's ~ £100 upgrade (maybe a bit more depending on which quad he goes for and where he buys it) and should give him the capability to play at his monitor's native res with plenty of pretty turned on (although maybe not all of it). The only other thing I'd look at is the PSU, to make sure it's of a reasonable quality. If not I'd also factor in a branded ~400W unit.

    If the motherboard isn't so good (or isn't quad-core compatible), then the only real Option 2 is a complete rebuild, probably to a Phenom II Quad, 7x0 chipset mobo, 4GB DDR3 and 6850(/GTX460?) combo (for BF3 the Phenom's native cores should easily outstrip a Core i3). But then you're into several hundred quid's worth of goodies...

  11. #11
    Senior Member Hicks12's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Plymouth-SouthWest
    Posts
    6,586
    Thanks
    1,070
    Thanked
    340 times in 293 posts
    • Hicks12's system
      • Motherboard:
      • Asus P8Z68-V
      • CPU:
      • Intel i5 2500k@4ghz, cooled by EK Supreme HF
      • Memory:
      • 8GB Kingston hyperX ddr3 PC3-12800 1600mhz
      • Storage:
      • 64GB M4/128GB M4 / WD 640GB AAKS / 1TB Samsung F3
      • Graphics card(s):
      • Palit GTX460 @ 900Mhz Core
      • PSU:
      • 675W ThermalTake ThoughPower XT
      • Case:
      • Lian Li PC-A70 with modded top for 360mm rad
      • Operating System:
      • Windows 7 Professional 64bit
      • Monitor(s):
      • Dell U2311H IPS
      • Internet:
      • 10mb/s cable from virgin media

    Re: el cheapo upgrade

    Seems my post deleted itself... basically was in uni so sorry for the basic reply earlier .
    (dont fancy rewriting in depth again so apologise for another basic reply loL!)


    Hes going to wait till next month i think now due to waiting for some birthday/christmas money etc, so looking at sorting potential upgrades now just encase but obviously if BF3 is much more optimised on launch he wont.

    he wants to play medium at 40FPS + atleast or wont upgrade. I think cpu is the main limitation as my system was getting a fairly similar fps on caspain borders, the only difference are systems were my 1920x1080 res and gtx460/ e8400, as i just upgraded to an i5 i will be able to give a better insight to if its cpu limited or not when its released as i have the same gpu .

    He doesnt want to spend much at all as he really has little to spend, he has like £200 to last him for food this year lol! Hes hoping to use gift money to buy anything for the pc. Hes certainly toying with the idea of a drop in quad, i will check if his motherboard supports it next time im over but a c2q q9300 at cex costs £85 with a years warranty (any other c2q alternatives?) which obviously without buying a new motherboard is a healthy upgrade!

    edit: amd 4890 can be had for £80 brand new... good or bad compared to say a gtx550? or 6850?
    Oh and thanks for all the replies guys!
    Quote Originally Posted by snootyjim View Post
    Trust me, go into any local club and shout "I've got dual Nehalem Xeons" and all of the girls will practically collapse on the spot at the thought of your e-penis

  12. #12
    Bagnaj97
    Guest

    Re: el cheapo upgrade

    Quote Originally Posted by Hicks12 View Post
    Hes certainly toying with the idea of a drop in quad, i will check if his motherboard supports it next time im over but a c2q q9300 at cex costs £85 with a years warranty (any other c2q alternatives?) which obviously without buying a new motherboard is a healthy upgrade!

    edit: amd 4890 can be had for £80 brand new... good or bad compared to say a gtx550? or 6850?
    Oh and thanks for all the replies guys!
    I wouldn't get a Q9300 (having just replaced one after a couple of years). Get a Q6600 instead, roughly the same performance but far easier to overclock. A Q6600 is also more likely to be compatible with his motherboard as it's one of the older 65nm CPUs.

    As for the GPU I wouldn't bother with the 4890. My memory might be failing me, but off the top of my head I recall it's about the same performance as an 8800GTS 512Mb.

  13. #13
    Ninja Noxvayl's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2007
    Location
    In the shadows
    Posts
    2,451
    Thanks
    748
    Thanked
    215 times in 173 posts
    • Noxvayl's system
      • Motherboard:
      • GigabyteZ87X-UD4H-CF
      • CPU:
      • Intel i7 4770K
      • Memory:
      • 16GB Corsair Vengaence LPX + 8GB Kingston HyperX Beast
      • Storage:
      • 120GB Snadisk + 256GB Crucial SSDs
      • Graphics card(s):
      • 4GB Sapphire R9 380
      • PSU:
      • ENermax Platimax 750W
      • Case:
      • Fractal Design Define S
      • Operating System:
      • Windows 10 64bit
      • Monitor(s):
      • ATMT + Dell 1024x1280
      • Internet:
      • Sky Fibre

    Re: el cheapo upgrade

    Your memory is failing you Bagnaj97, the HD4890 beats the GTX260 consistently: http://www.anandtech.com/bench/Product/175?vs=170

    Comparing the HD4870 to the HD6850 (Anandtech's Bench doesn't have the GTX550 ) doesn't bode well for it. Not as fast by about 10FPS for every benchmark, some a lot more than that. It is a lot cheaper though so is worth the money in my opinion.

  14. #14
    Moosing about! CAT-THE-FIFTH's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2006
    Location
    Not here
    Posts
    32,039
    Thanks
    3,910
    Thanked
    5,224 times in 4,015 posts
    • CAT-THE-FIFTH's system
      • Motherboard:
      • Less E-PEEN
      • CPU:
      • Massive E-PEEN
      • Memory:
      • RGB E-PEEN
      • Storage:
      • Not in any order
      • Graphics card(s):
      • EVEN BIGGER E-PEEN
      • PSU:
      • OVERSIZED
      • Case:
      • UNDERSIZED
      • Operating System:
      • DOS 6.22
      • Monitor(s):
      • NOT USUALLY ON....WHEN I POST
      • Internet:
      • FUNCTIONAL

    Re: el cheapo upgrade

    Firstly, get a decent PSU!!

    Secondly, check the model number of the motherboard.
    Last edited by CAT-THE-FIFTH; 18-10-2011 at 11:38 AM.

  15. #15
    Not a good person scaryjim's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2009
    Location
    Gateshead
    Posts
    15,196
    Thanks
    1,231
    Thanked
    2,291 times in 1,874 posts
    • scaryjim's system
      • Motherboard:
      • Dell Inspiron
      • CPU:
      • Core i5 8250U
      • Memory:
      • 2x 4GB DDR4 2666
      • Storage:
      • 128GB M.2 SSD + 1TB HDD
      • Graphics card(s):
      • Radeon R5 230
      • PSU:
      • Battery/Dell brick
      • Case:
      • Dell Inspiron 5570
      • Operating System:
      • Windows 10
      • Monitor(s):
      • 15" 1080p laptop panel

    Re: el cheapo upgrade

    According to the Hexus review a GTX550 Ti fluctuates between 5770 performance and 6850 performance depending on the game, but overall it's better than the 5770 but worse than the 6850. Given the 5770 had similar performance to the 4870, that should give you a rough comparison.

    That said, and having checked back some reviews, his existing 8800GTS 512 has roughly the same performance as a 4850, so it should be very close to the 5750. The only real consideration there, though, is driver optimisations: the 8800GTS has probably had all the extra performance drievr tweaks will ever give it, whereas newer cards are more likely to have their performance improved by updated drivers.

    But I'm still recommending sticking with the 8800GTS 512 for now and just going for a core 2 quad upgrade

    Quote Originally Posted by Bagnaj97 View Post
    I wouldn't get a Q9300 (having just replaced one after a couple of years). Get a Q6600 instead, roughly the same performance but far easier to overclock. A Q6600 is also more likely to be compatible with his motherboard as it's one of the older 65nm CPUs.
    The OPs friend is already running a 45nm processor in their mobo, so I don't think that's going to be an issue. It sounds like they have a cheap entry level motherboard, however, so I don't think overclocking is going to be a concern! Q6600 are definitely good chips, however at this point you're going to end up with a 3 year old processor that has potentially been clocked to within an inch of its life. I think a new C2Q of whatever flavour is available would be a better long term investment. Of course, if the OPs mate thinks they can save up enough money to rebuild from scratch in, say, 6 months, then taking a punt on a second hand Q6600 wouldn't be a bad move - but I wouldn't consider it a long term upgrade now.

  16. #16
    Moosing about! CAT-THE-FIFTH's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2006
    Location
    Not here
    Posts
    32,039
    Thanks
    3,910
    Thanked
    5,224 times in 4,015 posts
    • CAT-THE-FIFTH's system
      • Motherboard:
      • Less E-PEEN
      • CPU:
      • Massive E-PEEN
      • Memory:
      • RGB E-PEEN
      • Storage:
      • Not in any order
      • Graphics card(s):
      • EVEN BIGGER E-PEEN
      • PSU:
      • OVERSIZED
      • Case:
      • UNDERSIZED
      • Operating System:
      • DOS 6.22
      • Monitor(s):
      • NOT USUALLY ON....WHEN I POST
      • Internet:
      • FUNCTIONAL

    Re: el cheapo upgrade

    I would rather get an HD6790 over the fail which is the GTX550TI. However,HD6850 and GTX460 cards are quite close to the HD6790 and GTX550TI in price.

    Edit!!

    Ebuyer has an HD6850 for around £108 delivered:

    http://www.ebuyer.com/280047-powerco...850-1gbd5-ppdh

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)

Similar Threads

  1. Computer upgrade advice
    By C2Dan in forum PC Hardware and Components
    Replies: 6
    Last Post: 28-12-2008, 08:16 PM
  2. Replies: 11
    Last Post: 29-09-2008, 04:57 AM
  3. In desperate need of an upgrade!
    By Allen in forum PC Hardware and Components
    Replies: 16
    Last Post: 30-12-2007, 08:10 PM
  4. The eternal upgrade dilemna
    By MiLaMber in forum PC Hardware and Components
    Replies: 4
    Last Post: 04-12-2004, 10:29 AM

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •