Official "Upgrade Help" Thread

[FEN1X]

This is a courtesy notification. The following products you ordered
have been SHIPPED using our courier and should arrive shortly.

w0000000000t! I WIN! NA NA NA NA NA!

/teasing kiddy voice

[McDangerous]

Awesome FEN1X. Post a build log, we have a dire shortage of those on the forum... I know I'm going to when I upgrade (and mod my HAF922)

[bekim]

Hi

Anybody tell me where I can get an ATI 5850 graphics card? Dosn't seem to be available anywhere!

[vanatic]

Hi

Anybody tell me where I can get an ATI 5850 graphics card? Dosn't seem to be available anywhere!

Check this out...

Jump.co.za

Thats not the home page, I searched for you. See what you can find there...

[Chevron]

Well, that's the problem I suppose - my primary reason for the investment is overclocking. Ah, well - I think I'll have to avoid the temptation until I can replace my current motherboard (which is only just able to cope with the 140W, being an Asus M2-series). Thanks for the help, guys.

If you're gonna overclock you shouldn't be worried about the tdp. You'll most gonna get an aftermarket cooler and raise the volts anyway.

The 955 and the 965 reach the raise speeds when overclocking. It's more dependant on the chip you get than the model.

[FEN1X]

Awesome FEN1X. Post a build log, we have a dire shortage of those on the forum... I know I'm going to when I upgrade (and mod my HAF922)

Will do :D

[BTROG]

Seeing as how my 9500GT is bottlenecking my Q8200 I plan on buying a new gpu but I can't decide between the GTX260 and the HD4870

[McDangerous]

They're comparable dude, so whichever one you can get for cheaper! :)

If you want PhysX, go for the GTX. You'll see a HUGE gain in performance regardless of which one you get

[bekim]

Check this out...

Jump.co.za

Thats not the home page, I search for you. See what you can find there...

Thanks a ton, Will check who has in stock.

[Rah_Skill]

Excuse long post.

kk so Nag Forum noob here. I'm currently starting university next year and I am thinking of upgrading/buying a new pc. Now I'm gonna say this will be my last pc I will own as I want one to last as long as possible (say another 6 years) AND play the current games at max graphics. I already own a Samsung 23" full HD monitor.

I'm not sure what to chose between AMD and Intel (tho I am more an intel fanboy...) so I'm gonna list 2 pc's and ask which is the better to buy. (also it's from Evetech.co.za - I saw them mentioned in a Nag magazine and just want reaffirmation I can trust them with this much cash :P)

PC 1 - AMD R15,794.00

AMD Phenom II 965 3.4GHz Black Edition CPU
AMD? 790GX Chipset and AMD? SB750 Chipset
ATI Radeon HD5870 1GB DDR5 DX11 Graphic Card
8GB (4 x 2GB) DDR2 800MHz Ram
Seagate 1000GB SATA 2
Lite-On 24x Dual Layer DVD +/- Writer
Cooler Master eXtreme Power 650W Gaming PSU
RAIDMAX SMILODON Extreme Black Gaming Case
Zalman CNPS10X Extreme CPU Cooler
2 Front and 4 Back USB Ports
Integrated 10 Channel HD Sound Card
Gigabit Integrated Ethernet (LAN) Card -Broadband Ready

-----------

PC 2 - Intel i7 R16,998.95

Intel? Core? i7 920 2.66GHz Overclocked To 3.4GHz CPU
Biostar TPower X58 Motherboard
ATI Radeon 5870 DDR5 DX11 GPU
Raidmax Smilodon Extreme Black Gaming Case
Gigabyte ODDIN 720W Gaming Power Supply
6GB OCZ (3 x 2GB) 1600Mhz Triple-Channel DDR3
Zalman CNP10X Extreme CPU Cooling Solution
Seagate 1TB SATA 2 Hard Drive 32MB CACHE
Lite-On 24x Dual Layer DVD +/- Writer
Integrated 8 CH HD Sound Card
Gigabit LAN Card -Broadband Ready

P.S for PC 2:
Double the RAM to 12gb for R1,699

IF PC 2 is the better buy, would it be worthwhile paying for the extra RAM?

Thanks, it's much appreciated.

[Wesley]

Excuse long post.

kk so Nag Forum noob here. I'm currently starting university next year and I am thinking of upgrading/buying a new pc. Now I'm gonna say this will be my last pc I will own as I want one to last as long as possible (say another 6 years) AND play the current games at max graphics. I already own a Samsung 23" full HD monitor.

I'm not sure what to chose between AMD and Intel (tho I am more an intel fanboy...) so I'm gonna list 2 pc's and ask which is the better to buy. (also it's from Evetech.co.za - I saw them mentioned in a Nag magazine and just want reaffirmation I can trust them with this much cash :P)

PC 1 - AMD R15,794.00

AMD Phenom II 965 3.4GHz Black Edition CPU
AMD™ 790GX Chipset and AMD™ SB750 Chipset
ATI Radeon HD5870 1GB DDR5 DX11 Graphic Card
8GB (4 x 2GB) DDR2 800MHz Ram
Seagate 1000GB SATA 2
Lite-On 24x Dual Layer DVD +/- Writer
Cooler Master eXtreme Power 650W Gaming PSU
RAIDMAX SMILODON Extreme Black Gaming Case
Zalman CNPS10X Extreme CPU Cooler
2 Front and 4 Back USB Ports
Integrated 10 Channel HD Sound Card
Gigabit Integrated Ethernet (LAN) Card -Broadband Ready

-----------

PC 2 - Intel i7 R16,998.95

Intel? Core™ i7 920 2.66GHz Overclocked To 3.4GHz CPU
Biostar TPower X58 Motherboard
ATI Radeon 5870 DDR5 DX11 GPU
Raidmax Smilodon Extreme Black Gaming Case
Gigabyte ODDIN 720W Gaming Power Supply
6GB OCZ (3 x 2GB) 1600Mhz Triple-Channel DDR3
Zalman CNP10X Extreme CPU Cooling Solution
Seagate 1TB SATA 2 Hard Drive 32MB CACHE
Lite-On 24x Dual Layer DVD +/- Writer
Integrated 8 CH HD Sound Card
Gigabit LAN Card -Broadband Ready

P.S for PC 2:
Double the RAM to 12gb for R1,699

IF PC 2 is the better buy, would it be worthwhile paying for the extra RAM?

Thanks, it's much appreciated.

Second rig, definitely. Sex with 6GB RAM.

[Obi Two Kenobi]

Hey there guys and gals..

A friend of mine who is building himself a new PC this December is having trouble deciding which CPU and graphics card to get. Now he cant decide between these two options. I'm sure someone here would be able to justify which of these two is the best at this moment.

Option 1
E8400 and
Sapphire HD 5850 1GB

Option 2
Q9550 and
Club 3D GTX 260 896MB

Which one of these two options will best preform on graphic intense games like Crysis (yes I know it's old but what the hell) for example, but will also be future proof. Thanks in advance

[vanatic]

Hey there guys and gals..

A friend of mine who is building himself a new PC this December is having trouble deciding which CPU and graphics card to get. Now he cant decide between these two options. I'm sure someone here would be able to justify which of these two is the best at this moment.

Option 1
E8400 and
Sapphire HD 5850 1GB

Option 2
Q9550 and
Club 3D GTX 260 896MB

Which one of these two options will best preform on graphic intense games like Crysis (yes I know it's old but what the hell) for example, but will also be future proof. Thanks in advance

IMO, option 1 is the way to go. The 5850 with dx11 is a MUST for a future proof PC and the E8400 is overclockable if that does start bottle necking, which i do doubt it will. The LGA 775 socket is reasonably old now so it is not necessary recommended for new system builders, but the E8400 and the HD5850 would be a lethal combo for a game such as Crysis.

[Wesley]

Hey there guys and gals..

A friend of mine who is building himself a new PC this December is having trouble deciding which CPU and graphics card to get. Now he cant decide between these two options. I'm sure someone here would be able to justify which of these two is the best at this moment.

Option 1
E8400 and
Sapphire HD 5850 1GB

Option 2
Q9550 and
Club 3D GTX 260 896MB

Which one of these two options will best preform on graphic intense games like Crysis (yes I know it's old but what the hell) for example, but will also be future proof. Thanks in advance

My advice would be to ditch the Q9550. Rather choose the Q9400, then you can sneak in the HD5850, and he'll have the best of both worlds: a super-fast quad-core and DX11.

[vanatic]

My advice would be to ditch the Q9550. Rather choose the Q9400, then you can sneak in the HD5850, and he'll have the best of both worlds: a super-fast quad-core and DX11.

I could not agree more! That should do untill Sandy Bridge comes along, then you can think of upgrading your processor again, but if you start saving now, you should have about half by then...haha!

[goleastro]

Excuse long post.

kk so Nag Forum noob here. I'm currently starting university next year and I am thinking of upgrading/buying a new pc. Now I'm gonna say this will be my last pc I will own as I want one to last as long as possible (say another 6 years) AND play the current games at max graphics. I already own a Samsung 23" full HD monitor.

I'm not sure what to chose between AMD and Intel (tho I am more an intel fanboy...) so I'm gonna list 2 pc's and ask which is the better to buy. (also it's from Evetech.co.za - I saw them mentioned in a Nag magazine and just want reaffirmation I can trust them with this much cash :P)

PC 1 - AMD R15,794.00

AMD Phenom II 965 3.4GHz Black Edition CPU
AMD™ 790GX Chipset and AMD™ SB750 Chipset
ATI Radeon HD5870 1GB DDR5 DX11 Graphic Card
8GB (4 x 2GB) DDR2 800MHz Ram
Seagate 1000GB SATA 2
Lite-On 24x Dual Layer DVD +/- Writer
Cooler Master eXtreme Power 650W Gaming PSU
RAIDMAX SMILODON Extreme Black Gaming Case
Zalman CNPS10X Extreme CPU Cooler
2 Front and 4 Back USB Ports
Integrated 10 Channel HD Sound Card
Gigabit Integrated Ethernet (LAN) Card -Broadband Ready

-----------

PC 2 - Intel i7 R16,998.95

Intel? Core™ i7 920 2.66GHz Overclocked To 3.4GHz CPU
Biostar TPower X58 Motherboard
ATI Radeon 5870 DDR5 DX11 GPU
Raidmax Smilodon Extreme Black Gaming Case
Gigabyte ODDIN 720W Gaming Power Supply
6GB OCZ (3 x 2GB) 1600Mhz Triple-Channel DDR3
Zalman CNP10X Extreme CPU Cooling Solution
Seagate 1TB SATA 2 Hard Drive 32MB CACHE
Lite-On 24x Dual Layer DVD +/- Writer
Integrated 8 CH HD Sound Card
Gigabit LAN Card -Broadband Ready

P.S for PC 2:
Double the RAM to 12gb for R1,699

IF PC 2 is the better buy, would it be worthwhile paying for the extra RAM?

Thanks, it's much appreciated.

Welcome to the NAG Forums dude.


Second option is a definite. And i am assuming you don't have a budget so if you really want to future proof... Get a second hd5870 and go cross fire.

The extra ram won't do a thing for you righ now, and 6gb is going to last you a long time. Also, you need a 64bit OS to use the 6gb so if you don't already have it, i would recommend windows 7 pro 64bit. I've just got it and i'm lovin it!

Oh yes, and don't you think you'll need 2tb hard drive instead of 1tb seeing as you are going to be keeping it for so long :P (6 years, dam)

[McDangerous]

6 years is a damn long time in hardware terms. Think about it, in 2003 the absolute best graphics card you could buy was a Radeon 9800XT... or a Geforce FX 5900... And today, those are almost matched by integrated graphics cards (well, not quite, but you get what I'm saying).

[Wesley]

6 years is a damn long time in hardware terms. Think about it, in 2003 the absolute best graphics card you could buy was a Radeon 9800XT... or a Geforce FX 5900... And today, those are almost matched by integrated graphics cards (well, not quite, but you get what I'm saying).

He's a noob, we'll have to forgive him ;-)

[FEN1X]

Right.

My friend after seeing my awesome new rig has decided he needs something to compete.
He can also only get everything from one place. Needs a whole PC from scratch, except m+kb.

This is something he built.

ASUS AMD Socket AM3, AMD 785G, 5200MT/s, 4xDual DDR3 1800(O.C), Onboard VGA (HDMI), 1xPCI-x16(Hybrid CrossFire), 1xPCIx1, 2xPCI, 1xATA133, 5xSATA (Raid 0,1,10), 1x eSATA, Gbe Lan, 8ch-Sound HD, Max 12xUSB, 2xIEEE1394, microATX R 1,073 incl

AMD Phenom II X4 945, 8MB, AM2+, 3GHZ L2 Cache Quad Core R 1,613 incl

Sapphire HD 5850 1GB R3000

2GB DDRIII-1800 Hyper X (Kingston) x2 R1478 incl.

500GB-7200RPM 16MB Cache SATA II (Seagate) R 473 incl.

DVD Writer 22/12x DL (SAMSUNG) SATA R 199 incl

24 WIDE TFT, 1920 X 1200, 5 Millisecond, 20000:1 Contrast Ratio, Analogue/DVI/HDMI, Swivel, Tilt Stand, MagicBright3 R 2,506 incl.

Raidmax Black Smilodon Full-Blk Case R 746 incl.

650W ATX Power Supply- Huntkey Titan R 796 incl.

Total: R11903

Opinions?


IMO, I think he should get a 22" screen, a 320GB HDD, spend a little bit more and gett a better CPU and Mobo?

[Wesley]

Right.

My friend after seeing my awesome new rig has decided he needs something to compete.
He can also only get everything from one place. Needs a whole PC from scratch, except m+kb.

This is something he built.

ASUS AMD Socket AM3, AMD 785G, 5200MT/s, 4xDual DDR3 1800(O.C), Onboard VGA (HDMI), 1xPCI-x16(Hybrid CrossFire), 1xPCIx1, 2xPCI, 1xATA133, 5xSATA (Raid 0,1,10), 1x eSATA, Gbe Lan, 8ch-Sound HD, Max 12xUSB, 2xIEEE1394, microATX R 1,073 incl

AMD Phenom II X4 945, 8MB, AM2+, 3GHZ L2 Cache Quad Core R 1,613 incl

Sapphire HD 5850 1GB R3000

2GB DDRIII-1800 Hyper X (Kingston) x2 R1478 incl.

500GB-7200RPM 16MB Cache SATA II (Seagate) R 473 incl.

DVD Writer 22/12x DL (SAMSUNG) SATA R 199 incl

24 WIDE TFT, 1920 X 1200, 5 Millisecond, 20000:1 Contrast Ratio, Analogue/DVI/HDMI, Swivel, Tilt Stand, MagicBright3 R 2,506 incl.

Raidmax Black Smilodon Full-Blk Case R 746 incl.

650W ATX Power Supply- Huntkey Titan R 796 incl.

Total: R11903

Opinions?


IMO, I think he should get a 22" screen, a 320GB HDD, spend a little bit more and gett a better CPU and Mobo?

I like it as it is. Drop the DDR3-1800 for 1333, move down to a 23", and get an HD5870, then it's perfect.