Official "Upgrade Help" Thread

[Wesley]

@Wesley

One chip is a Corsair DDR-667 and the other is a Kingston DDR2-800.

I'm running an Intel system.

Cool beans. Chuck out the Corsair 667 memory and replace at with a 800Mhz module (doesn't matter what brand). If you have two sticks of differing speeds, the motherboard defaults to running the memory at the slowest speed, thats why we always recommend two memory sticks running at the same speed.

[BTROG]

I say go for something else, or perhaps overclock your processor and save the money you have now for a Core i5 or Core i7 rig.

If you still want to upgrade, get yourself an E5300 from Take2. I doubt a E7400 upgrade will be worth it, and after that the 9500GT will look weak in comparison, not to mention there wont be a major performance difference. Your games will feel a little smoother, but then the 9500GT will be running at full speed, and you wont get much more out of it, methinks.

So, I first recommend getting a nice CPU cooler and trying out an overclock, you should be able to reach 2.8Ghz without much difficulty. What motherboard and memory are you currently running?

I'm currently using a Elitegroup 945GCT-M2 motherboard with 3GB 667Mhz ram

[L0S]

Well, lets hope there's no bottlenecks in your system. Might as well post your rig too while you're at it :-P Well, 22 inches of gaming, you have two choices, basically:

Force3D HD4870 512MB @ R2416

or

Inno3D GeForce GTX260 CORE216 @ R2260

Do yourself a favour, take the GTX260. Its the 216-core version, its faster than the HD4870, its got more memory than the HD4870, and its cheaper. Plus, it comes with Company of Heroes: Opposing Force and Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2. Epic win-win situation, I think you'll agree.

Thank you. Here are the specs of my PC: Mother board: ASUS P5KPL/1600 FSB 1600 (O.C) DDR2 1066 (O.C)

CPU: 2.8 ghz and 45 nm

Ram: 2GIG DDR2 (800 mhz)

Not a exactly good PC but, I am hoping to change that.

[N3G4T1v3]

Looking at prices lately I've noticed that the Forced3D 4850 has come down in price quite a lot, and I was wondering, would it be worth buying it and running it in crossfire with my current 4850 (also forced3D) or rather sell my 4850 and buy a 4870 instead?

My current Mobo is an Asus M3A78-CM which I realize isn't crossfire and I would have to upgrade, if I went the 4870 route, would my motherboard be up to pace so it doesn't bottle neck to much
As also mentioned before I thinking of getting the Phenom II X4 720, would this all work happily together?

[Chevron]

Looking at prices lately I've noticed that the Forced3D 4850 has come down in price quite a lot, and I was wondering, would it be worth buying it and running it in crossfire with my current 4850 (also forced3D) or rather sell my 4850 and buy a 4870 instead?

My current Mobo is an Asus M3A78-CM which I realize isn't crossfire and I would have to upgrade, if I went the 4870 route, would my motherboard be up to pace so it doesn't bottle neck to much
As also mentioned before I thinking of getting the Phenom II X4 720, would this all work happily together?

Getting a 4850 and new mother board would cost the same as a 4870 1gig. Rather sell the 4850 and get a 1gig 4870. The processor isn't urgent. You can actually wait a bit.

[N3G4T1v3]

Getting a 4850 and new mother board would cost the same as a 4870 1gig. Rather sell the 4850 and get a 1gig 4870. The processor isn't urgent. You can actually wait a bit.

thanks, i'll get the card first, and when the cpu prices drop a bit i'll go for it.

[Wesley]

I'm currently using a Elitegroup 945GCT-M2 motherboard with 3GB 667Mhz ram

Ai Ai Ai. Well, instead of getting the E7400 you were looking at, rather think about upgrading the rest of your rig at the same time to avoid bottlenecks:

MSI Intel G31M3-F V2 @ R489
Corsair XMS2 Low-Latency DDR2-800MHz 2GB (2 x 1GB) @ R455
Cooler Master Hyper TX 2 Intel CPU Cooler @ R204

Total: R1148

I'm guessing your memory is running in a 2GB + 1GB configuration, which doesn't really bode well for speed. Having 2GB of RAM in dual-channel is far better and will make your games feel smoother. The motherboard is also faster than your current one, and will allow you to overclock your E2200 to 3Ghz+. The CPU cooler I also recommended will allow your chip to overclock to those heights, and keep it very cool. On the plus side, you will be saving money here by not buying the E7400, and you might even want to keep it to upgrade to the Core i5 platform sometime late next year! ^_^

Thank you. Here are the specs of my PC: Mother board: ASUS P5KPL/1600 FSB 1600 (O.C) DDR2 1066 (O.C)

CPU: 2.8 ghz and 45 nm

Ram: 2GIG DDR2 (800 mhz)

Not a exactly good PC but, I am hoping to change that.

Okay, so... Asus P5KPL (with G31 chipset); 2GB or random DDR2-800 RAM, and what looks like a... Intel E7400 (funny how this chip pops up everywhere). You won't have any bottlenecks, your system will run just fine ^_^

Btw, what power supply are you running? Depending on what you have, you may have to get a more powerful one. Open up your case and look at the label on your PSU that lists the different rails and their amperage per rail. If you have 2 12v rails capable of 16amps each, and the PSU is larger than 400 watts, you should be able to run everything at full tilt without a problem.

Looking at prices lately I've noticed that the Forced3D 4850 has come down in price quite a lot, and I was wondering, would it be worth buying it and running it in crossfire with my current 4850 (also forced3D) or rather sell my 4850 and buy a 4870 instead?

My current Mobo is an Asus M3A78-CM which I realize isn't crossfire and I would have to upgrade, if I went the 4870 route, would my motherboard be up to pace so it doesn't bottle neck to much
As also mentioned before I thinking of getting the Phenom II X4 720, would this all work happily together?

Irk..Crossfire :-"

Its a great option for people building a new rig, in which case the staples are two HD4670s, two HD4830s (now an outdated platform) and now recently two HD4770s in tandem. Two HD4850s are amazing in Crossfire, but its not worth it unless you're already running a Crossfire motherboard, along with an existing HD4850 and a bloody good PSU. Depending on the choices made, the system could end up more expensive than an Intel i7 rig with one GPU (probably slower, too)

Its not worth it unless you already have a rig capable of running two GPUs. Rather sell the HD4850 and buy yourself an HD4870 1GB.

[Miz3r]

can anybody recommend me a good case, ive been looking at the Raidmax range and the saggita catches my eye but R700 for it , anybody seen any other decent cases for around that price?

[<O_COOL>]

can anybody recommend me a good case, ive been looking at the Raidmax range and the saggita catches my eye but R700 for it , anybody seen any other decent cases for around that price?

I am also looking at the saggita for my new pc, and I must say you get an awful lot of bang for your buck at that price premuim. Look at the first page of the system builders thread where Wesley has suggested a few cases.

[Wesley]

can anybody recommend me a good case, ive been looking at the Raidmax range and the saggita catches my eye but R700 for it , anybody seen any other decent cases for around that price?

I am also looking at the saggita for my new pc, and I must say you get an awful lot of bang for your buck at that price premuim. Look at the first page of the system builders thread where Wesley has suggested a few cases.

Off the top of my head... Antec Super Lanboy, Cooler Master Elite 341; 350; Gladiator 600, Aerocool Masstige; Zerodegree and the Aerocool Aerocube are all that comes to mind right now. The Raidmax chassis are great value, but they aren't great for airflow. I would highly recommend the Aerocool chassis over the rest, especially the Zerodegree with its 25cm side panel fan and upside-down configuration.

Edit: Here's the Zerodegree. Read a review here.





As far as chassis go, I am in love.

[BTROG]

Thankx Wesley but is it simple to overclock coz I have never overclocked b4

[L0S]

Okay, so... Asus P5KPL (with G31 chipset); 2GB or random DDR2-800 RAM, and what looks like a... Intel E7400 (funny how this chip pops up everywhere). You won't have any bottlenecks, your system will run just fine ^_^

Btw, what power supply are you running? Depending on what you have, you may have to get a more powerful one. Open up your case and look at the label on your PSU that lists the different rails and their amperage per rail. If you have 2 12v rails capable of 16amps each, and the PSU is larger than 400 watts, you should be able to run everything at full tilt without a problem.

I dont have t i open my pc to tell you that, considering I built it last year. I have a 500 watt psu.
Thank you very much for the help Wesley!

[@@GJC@@]

Hey you guys, i'm looking to put a few xtra Gigs of RAM in my pc. Is going for 3GB really worth it???? or should I just go for 2GB

[Tryxst3r]

Hey you guys, i'm looking to put a few xtra Gigs of RAM in my pc. Is going for 3GB really worth it???? or should I just go for 2GB

Specs please? More RAM is always a good idea. Unless you're running a 32bit OS and want to upgrade to 6 gigs...

[@@GJC@@]

Thanx, um specs, well not the best but here goes:
2.4 Ghz Intel Processor(overclocked to 2.8Ghz)
1GB RAM
NVIDIA 6800XT 256mb
ASRock P4S61
450W PSU
250 Gb IDE HDD

I want to buy a game with the RAM so 6gigs not my best option

[Chevron]

Thanx, um specs, well not the best but here goes:
2.4 Ghz Intel Processor(overclocked to 2.8Ghz)
1GB RAM
NVIDIA 6800XT 256mb
ASRock P4S61
450W PSU
250 Gb IDE HDD

I want to buy a game with the RAM so 6gigs not my best option

I say just get an extra gig for now.

[@@GJC@@]

Ok tnx Chevron, will follow ure advice for now. Maybe get some better rig some time soon. What's better value for money 800Mhz or 1060Mhz RAM.

[Wesley]

Thankx Wesley but is it simple to overclock coz I have never overclocked b4

With Intel it is very simple. I'll PM you later about it, don't have much time now to delve into detail with it.

Hey you guys, i'm looking to put a few xtra Gigs of RAM in my pc. Is going for 3GB really worth it???? or should I just go for 2GB

Thanx, um specs, well not the best but here goes:
2.4 Ghz Intel Processor(overclocked to 2.8Ghz)
1GB RAM
NVIDIA 6800XT 256mb
ASRock P4S61
450W PSU
250 Gb IDE HDD

I want to buy a game with the RAM so 6gigs not my best option

3GB isn't worth it unless running a Core i7 build, in which case 3GB becomes a staple. I suggest another 1GB module, which should do the trick. If you, like a lot of other Pentium 4 owners have two 512MB modules in your motherboard, you will probably want to swap them out for either two 1GB modules or one 2GB single module. And stick to DDR2-800, it will run at full speed and be compatible with your motherboard (unless it only accepts DDR2-667 modules, in which case you are stuck to that memory speed). I'll search for you motherboard later (probably tomorrow) to have a look-see at what memory it is compatible with.

[@@GJC@@]

Ok tnx Wesley. I think I'll take u're advice and only go for 2GB(I think I'll buy a 2GB single module) When u purchase RAM sometimes they say : 2GB 667-800. Does that mean it can vary from 667 to 800??

[Wesley]

Ok tnx Wesley. I think I'll take u're advice and only go for 2GB(I think I'll buy a 2GB single module) When u purchase RAM sometimes they say : 2GB 667-800. Does that mean it can vary from 667 to 800??

Well, that is a spelling error, but all RAM modules can run at slower speeds to match the motherboard they're working on. So if you slot in a module that runs at 800mhz, and the board's max is only 667mhz, then the RAM defaults itself to this lower level. It therefore underclocks itself, and will not run at full speed.