Well, since everyone else is upgrading their computers...

Crashfan3 · 10-23-2011, 01:40 PM

My rig is starting to age pretty badly. Here is what I have right now:

Gigabyte GA-EP45-UD3P DDR2 Intel P45 Motherboard
Intel Core2 Quad Q8400 2.66ghz Quad-Core CPU
OCZ ModXStream Pro 700W PSU
4GB Buffalo 800mhz DDR2 RAM
Seagate 500GB 7200RM SATA 3.0GB/s HDD
Palit Nvidia GTS250 1GB Graphics

All of these parts are from early-mid 2009 with the exception of the graphics card (march/april 2010 or something).

I'm pretty much going to rebuild the whole thing. The only parts that will stay are the hard drive (I'll buy a second one but keep the original so I don't have to plop $200 on another copy of Windows 7), the power supply, the DVD drive, and my ATX tower.

Here's the upgrades I have in mind:
GA-970A-UD3 DDR3 AMD/AM3+ Motherboard ($94.99)
AMD Phenom II X6 1100T Black Edition 3.3Ghz Hex-Core CPU ($189.99)
Mushkin Enhanced Silverline 12GB DDR3 1333mhz RAM ($69.99)
Western Digital 1TB 7200RPM SATA 6.0GB/s HDD ($127.27)
PowerColor ATI Radeon HD6870 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 Graphics ($187.55)

The total of all of these comes to a whopping $669.79, which is disappointing because I really don't want to spend more than $500, but on the flipside, I don't want to settle for much less.

My biggest concern: is all of this compatible with each other? The last time I upgraded my rig, I had to go through the headache of returning and exchanging parts because some elements weren't compatible.

Also, what would be the weak point of this system? I really wanted to put an 80GB SSD in there, but unless I use it as my boot drive it would be pointless, and unfortunately, Windows is stuck on my 500GB Seagate (unless there's a way to migrate?)

If you have any suggestions or you think I should make any changes, please let me know, I'm always looking for extra opinions.

EDIT: As an alternative to upgrading, I've also considered just selling the damn thing and buying a new computer altogether, this is the one I had in mind: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16883147971 ... which would be a better idea in your opinion?

EDIT2: Also might help for you guys to know which case I have. It's a XION Solaris, but I don't know the exact model number.

Thanks!

fido123 · 10-24-2011, 10:58 AM

Not a good idea. I don't even suggest upgrading at all. I'll explain more when I'm not posting from a phone but what do you do on your computer? What applications do you need that something better than a 2.4GHz processor and more than 4GB of RAM?

**Reincarnate** · 10-24-2011, 11:20 AM

Even my uber-rig from two years ago, which has 12 GB RAM and a stock 2.8 ghz or so (overclockable to like 4.0 ghz), still tears apart just about anything you throw at it. Processing speed is rarely the bottleneck nowadays, and I rarely use more than 4 GB RAM unless I'm being lazy.
6 or 8 GB is really all you could ever ask for, really.

Crashfan3 · 10-24-2011, 04:15 PM

Perhaps I'm just feeling like I need moar power, I dunno. At first it was just that I needed a bigger hard drive, mine's slow and old, and it's about 80% full. I'm going to get that HDD no matter what.

As for the RAM, my board maxes out at 16 and I thought either 8 or 12 would be good, the 12GB sticks were only a few dollars more, but then I realized that they're DDR3 (the 8GB sticks were DDR3 too) and my board takes DDR2. So then came the new processor and the new motherboard and I figured I might as well throw in a new graphics card while I'm at it, because I like to record games but I lag if Fraps is set above 40 FPS; I want to be able to record at 60 so it doesn't look choppy when I use slow-motion effects.

Thought I haven't bought anything yet and probably won't until after New Year's...

fido123 · 10-24-2011, 05:40 PM

I think you don't really understand what makes a computer faster or how they really work. If you upgrade your computer you probably won't see any performance improvements in the areas you might feel like you're lacking such as boot time. I'm not trying to be a dick, just educate you so you don't waste a shit ton of money:

1) More RAM =/= More Speed: RAM is used so the processor can call instructions and information quickly. A intensive program like a game might take up 1GB of RAM (on top of your video card's RAM). The processor calls data from the RAM to make the game run. If your OS is taking up 500MB of RAM, and your game is taking 1GB of RAM, but you have 16GB of RAM, 14.5GB of RAM are sitting unused, doing absolutely nothing for you. I only have 2GB of RAM, and although I've come close playing games like MW2 with a browser open and some music playing, I've never actually exceeded it. When you run out of RAM your system has to call data form special files/partitions of your HDD which grinds things to an unbearable pace. You won't need any more than 4GB of RAM, and 6GB of RAM will cushion you for a long time to come. The clock rate (MHz) of the RAM matters, but the RAM you currently have is fine. I can honestly guarantee you though that 12GB of RAM is hilariously useless and it's something IT people laugh about when people unknowledgeable about the subject brag about their rig with 12GB of RAM but don't know if their processor is even Intel or AMD.

2) HDDs are a GIANT bottleneck: Most HDD's are about 7200RPM, and they've been that fast for a while. When you boot your computer or load a game, the reason the wait time doesn't really seem all that different is because it has to read the data off that HDD that's moving at 7200RPM just like everyone's out there. If you want a GIGANTIC speed increase get a SDD, and you want to look for something with ~500MB/s r/w. They come at different speeds, and if you want good bang for your buck for performance increase get one of these. Put Windows, and any programs you use regularly on it. If you go though a lot of games, put the game you're currently playing on your SDD while keeping everything else on a HDD.

3) Windows is a bitch: If you put that HDD with your OS on it in a totally new computer and it boots enough times, there's a good chance it will just BSOD to prevent you from violating the terms and agreement, being that you can only use that copy of Windows on ONE computer. If you put it in the SSD though with your current hardware it wouldn't do this. IMO if you run into a lot of problems, just obtain Windows for free in ways I am not allowed to mention in this forum although would happily help you via PM.

4) Shitty video card for modern gaming: Your card is about equal to a 9800GTX. If you want improved FPS, get a something like a 460GTX if you're on a budget, or a 480GTX or 500 series.

In short, buy a SSD and a new video card and your problems are solved. Also if you want further help please tell me what the most intensive applications you plan to run for the next while are.

Evnoir · 10-24-2011, 07:34 PM

I have something similar, except my rig doesn't even have a video card lololol (I don't game)

GA-880, 1100T, 8gb RAM, 120gb RevoDrive, 1tb WD Blue ...

This is pretty much my photoshop/SAI rig - the only time I actually need 4+gb of RAM
The only other time you'll need more RAM is video-editing

Crashfan3 · 10-25-2011, 03:06 AM

Well, someone told me that the recommended spec for Borderlands 2 will be 6GB ram, and that freaked me out.

I would love to have an SSD but I'm not willing to have an illegimiate copy of Windows. That's the one thing that I won't pirate. My 500GB HDD is a 7200rpm drive and I'm mostly getting the 1TB drive for moar space to store my useless crap. Plopping $120 on an SSD and then another $200 on W7 is just not feasible to me.

As for the video card, I found out that my board has crossfire support so I'm wondering if it would be better to get that 6870 or crossfire a couple of 6670s.

fido123 · 10-25-2011, 07:39 AM

Like I said though you only need to rebuy Windows 7 is you change the majority of your hardware like stated in your OP. A SSD and video card won't do this.

Also the specs for Borderlands 2 haven't been released yet and if you needed 6GB id be pretty surprised. Also I'd say getting 2 cards in crossfire is a good idea. I think you can Only crossfire the same series of cards so watch out for that. I'd google it but I'm on my phone.

Crashfan3 · 10-25-2011, 07:34 PM

So if I do buy that 80GB SSD, I can select it to be my boot drive, and it will automatically transfer the system files from my old drive? That just sounds too easy.

Edit: I'm looking at SSDs right now and it seems like every single one within my price range ($200 max) has a high failure rate. It looks as though about 1/3 of the drives become bricks within 6 months, regardless of brand, with the exception of one Sandisk SSD I'm looking at, but I won't buy a Sandisk after the trouble I had with my 32GB flash drive (died in a week, bought another and that one died in 3 weeks).

fido123 · 10-25-2011, 07:40 PM

I never said that at all. You can reinstall Windows, or move the file system over entirely which I could help you with using a Live Linux CD. If you have your product key (might be on a sticker) you can install Windows easily on your new SDD.

Crashfan3 · 10-25-2011, 08:13 PM

Oh, well shit. Yeah I've still got the box with the CD key somewhere, just gotta find it, then find an SSD that won't go dead on me in 6 months.

fido123 · 10-25-2011, 08:20 PM

And again, look at the read/write rate of the SDD. 500MB/s would be pretty good IMO.

Crashfan3 · 10-25-2011, 09:39 PM

My board doesn't support the SATA III 6.0gbps standard so that's probably not going to happen. I've seen a couple cheaper ones around 280mb/s which is pretty solid for a SATA II drive.

Quote:

SATA II with RAID Support
The second generation SATA interface delivers up to 300MB/sec transfer speed

**ninjaKIWI** · 10-25-2011, 09:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Crashfan3

I'm not willing to have an illegimiate copy of Windows. That's the one thing that I won't pirate.

lmfao. Looks like you have your priorities completely backwards. Microsoft makes all of their money off of large companies and schools licensing windows. Windows is extremely over priced. I think the Mac OS is something like twenty bucks, the only non-overpriced think Apple has. What you have to pay for windows is just ridiculous.

Crashfan3 · 10-26-2011, 01:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ninjaKIWI

lmfao. Looks like you have your priorities completely backwards. Microsoft makes all of their money off of large companies and schools licensing windows. Windows is extremely over priced. I think the Mac OS is something like twenty bucks, the only non-overpriced think Apple has. What you have to pay for windows is just ridiculous.

You and I are thinking on two different levels. I agree that Windows is batshit insanely expensive, but I like having a legitimate version because that makes support a lot easier when I screw something up.

**ninjaKIWI** · 10-26-2011, 01:55 PM

How do you manage to screw anything up?

Crashfan3 · 10-26-2011, 03:19 PM

Trust me, if there's a way, I'll find it. -_-

10-23-2011, 01:40 PM	#1
Crashfan3 FFR Player Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Jefferson, Ore. Age: 32 Posts: 2,937	Well, since everyone else is upgrading their computers... My rig is starting to age pretty badly. Here is what I have right now: Gigabyte GA-EP45-UD3P DDR2 Intel P45 Motherboard Intel Core2 Quad Q8400 2.66ghz Quad-Core CPU OCZ ModXStream Pro 700W PSU 4GB Buffalo 800mhz DDR2 RAM Seagate 500GB 7200RM SATA 3.0GB/s HDD Palit Nvidia GTS250 1GB Graphics All of these parts are from early-mid 2009 with the exception of the graphics card (march/april 2010 or something). I'm pretty much going to rebuild the whole thing. The only parts that will stay are the hard drive (I'll buy a second one but keep the original so I don't have to plop $200 on another copy of Windows 7), the power supply, the DVD drive, and my ATX tower. Here's the upgrades I have in mind: GA-970A-UD3 DDR3 AMD/AM3+ Motherboard ($94.99) AMD Phenom II X6 1100T Black Edition 3.3Ghz Hex-Core CPU ($189.99) Mushkin Enhanced Silverline 12GB DDR3 1333mhz RAM ($69.99) Western Digital 1TB 7200RPM SATA 6.0GB/s HDD ($127.27) PowerColor ATI Radeon HD6870 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 Graphics ($187.55) The total of all of these comes to a whopping $669.79, which is disappointing because I really don't want to spend more than $500, but on the flipside, I don't want to settle for much less. My biggest concern: is all of this compatible with each other? The last time I upgraded my rig, I had to go through the headache of returning and exchanging parts because some elements weren't compatible. Also, what would be the weak point of this system? I really wanted to put an 80GB SSD in there, but unless I use it as my boot drive it would be pointless, and unfortunately, Windows is stuck on my 500GB Seagate (unless there's a way to migrate?) If you have any suggestions or you think I should make any changes, please let me know, I'm always looking for extra opinions. EDIT: As an alternative to upgrading, I've also considered just selling the damn thing and buying a new computer altogether, this is the one I had in mind: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16883147971 ... which would be a better idea in your opinion? EDIT2: Also might help for you guys to know which case I have. It's a XION Solaris, but I don't know the exact model number. Thanks! __________________ Twilight Sparkle's Ponyville Group Free Chiptune Streaming Radio! Thanks justin_ator and megamon88 for making my sig 20% cooler. Last edited by Crashfan3; 10-23-2011 at 01:54 PM..

10-24-2011, 10:58 AM	#2
fido123 FFR Player Join Date: Sep 2005 Age: 32 Posts: 4,245	Re: Well, since everyone else is upgrading their computers... Not a good idea. I don't even suggest upgrading at all. I'll explain more when I'm not posting from a phone but what do you do on your computer? What applications do you need that something better than a 2.4GHz processor and more than 4GB of RAM?

10-24-2011, 11:20 AM	#3
Reincarnate x'); DROP TABLE FFR;-- Join Date: Nov 2010 Posts: 6,332	Re: Well, since everyone else is upgrading their computers... Even my uber-rig from two years ago, which has 12 GB RAM and a stock 2.8 ghz or so (overclockable to like 4.0 ghz), still tears apart just about anything you throw at it. Processing speed is rarely the bottleneck nowadays, and I rarely use more than 4 GB RAM unless I'm being lazy. 6 or 8 GB is really all you could ever ask for, really.

10-24-2011, 04:15 PM	#4
Crashfan3 FFR Player Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Jefferson, Ore. Age: 32 Posts: 2,937	Re: Well, since everyone else is upgrading their computers... Perhaps I'm just feeling like I need moar power, I dunno. At first it was just that I needed a bigger hard drive, mine's slow and old, and it's about 80% full. I'm going to get that HDD no matter what. As for the RAM, my board maxes out at 16 and I thought either 8 or 12 would be good, the 12GB sticks were only a few dollars more, but then I realized that they're DDR3 (the 8GB sticks were DDR3 too) and my board takes DDR2. So then came the new processor and the new motherboard and I figured I might as well throw in a new graphics card while I'm at it, because I like to record games but I lag if Fraps is set above 40 FPS; I want to be able to record at 60 so it doesn't look choppy when I use slow-motion effects. Thought I haven't bought anything yet and probably won't until after New Year's... __________________ Twilight Sparkle's Ponyville Group Free Chiptune Streaming Radio! Thanks justin_ator and megamon88 for making my sig 20% cooler. Last edited by Crashfan3; 10-24-2011 at 04:18 PM..

10-24-2011, 05:40 PM	#5
fido123 FFR Player Join Date: Sep 2005 Age: 32 Posts: 4,245	Re: Well, since everyone else is upgrading their computers... I think you don't really understand what makes a computer faster or how they really work. If you upgrade your computer you probably won't see any performance improvements in the areas you might feel like you're lacking such as boot time. I'm not trying to be a dick, just educate you so you don't waste a shit ton of money: 1) More RAM =/= More Speed: RAM is used so the processor can call instructions and information quickly. A intensive program like a game might take up 1GB of RAM (on top of your video card's RAM). The processor calls data from the RAM to make the game run. If your OS is taking up 500MB of RAM, and your game is taking 1GB of RAM, but you have 16GB of RAM, 14.5GB of RAM are sitting unused, doing absolutely nothing for you. I only have 2GB of RAM, and although I've come close playing games like MW2 with a browser open and some music playing, I've never actually exceeded it. When you run out of RAM your system has to call data form special files/partitions of your HDD which grinds things to an unbearable pace. You won't need any more than 4GB of RAM, and 6GB of RAM will cushion you for a long time to come. The clock rate (MHz) of the RAM matters, but the RAM you currently have is fine. I can honestly guarantee you though that 12GB of RAM is hilariously useless and it's something IT people laugh about when people unknowledgeable about the subject brag about their rig with 12GB of RAM but don't know if their processor is even Intel or AMD. 2) HDDs are a GIANT bottleneck: Most HDD's are about 7200RPM, and they've been that fast for a while. When you boot your computer or load a game, the reason the wait time doesn't really seem all that different is because it has to read the data off that HDD that's moving at 7200RPM just like everyone's out there. If you want a GIGANTIC speed increase get a SDD, and you want to look for something with ~500MB/s r/w. They come at different speeds, and if you want good bang for your buck for performance increase get one of these. Put Windows, and any programs you use regularly on it. If you go though a lot of games, put the game you're currently playing on your SDD while keeping everything else on a HDD. 3) Windows is a bitch: If you put that HDD with your OS on it in a totally new computer and it boots enough times, there's a good chance it will just BSOD to prevent you from violating the terms and agreement, being that you can only use that copy of Windows on ONE computer. If you put it in the SSD though with your current hardware it wouldn't do this. IMO if you run into a lot of problems, just obtain Windows for free in ways I am not allowed to mention in this forum although would happily help you via PM. 4) Shitty video card for modern gaming: Your card is about equal to a 9800GTX. If you want improved FPS, get a something like a 460GTX if you're on a budget, or a 480GTX or 500 series. In short, buy a SSD and a new video card and your problems are solved. Also if you want further help please tell me what the most intensive applications you plan to run for the next while are.

10-24-2011, 07:34 PM	#6
Evnoir _(:3」∠)_ Join Date: Sep 2008 Posts: 978	Re: Well, since everyone else is upgrading their computers... I have something similar, except my rig doesn't even have a video card lololol (I don't game) GA-880, 1100T, 8gb RAM, 120gb RevoDrive, 1tb WD Blue ... This is pretty much my photoshop/SAI rig - the only time I actually need 4+gb of RAM The only other time you'll need more RAM is video-editing

10-25-2011, 03:06 AM	#7
Crashfan3 FFR Player Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Jefferson, Ore. Age: 32 Posts: 2,937	Re: Well, since everyone else is upgrading their computers... Well, someone told me that the recommended spec for Borderlands 2 will be 6GB ram, and that freaked me out. I would love to have an SSD but I'm not willing to have an illegimiate copy of Windows. That's the one thing that I won't pirate. My 500GB HDD is a 7200rpm drive and I'm mostly getting the 1TB drive for moar space to store my useless crap. Plopping $120 on an SSD and then another $200 on W7 is just not feasible to me. As for the video card, I found out that my board has crossfire support so I'm wondering if it would be better to get that 6870 or crossfire a couple of 6670s. __________________ Twilight Sparkle's Ponyville Group Free Chiptune Streaming Radio! Thanks justin_ator and megamon88 for making my sig 20% cooler.

10-25-2011, 07:39 AM	#8
fido123 FFR Player Join Date: Sep 2005 Age: 32 Posts: 4,245	Re: Well, since everyone else is upgrading their computers... Like I said though you only need to rebuy Windows 7 is you change the majority of your hardware like stated in your OP. A SSD and video card won't do this. Also the specs for Borderlands 2 haven't been released yet and if you needed 6GB id be pretty surprised. Also I'd say getting 2 cards in crossfire is a good idea. I think you can Only crossfire the same series of cards so watch out for that. I'd google it but I'm on my phone.

10-25-2011, 07:34 PM	#9
Crashfan3 FFR Player Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Jefferson, Ore. Age: 32 Posts: 2,937	Re: Well, since everyone else is upgrading their computers... So if I do buy that 80GB SSD, I can select it to be my boot drive, and it will automatically transfer the system files from my old drive? That just sounds too easy. Edit: I'm looking at SSDs right now and it seems like every single one within my price range ($200 max) has a high failure rate. It looks as though about 1/3 of the drives become bricks within 6 months, regardless of brand, with the exception of one Sandisk SSD I'm looking at, but I won't buy a Sandisk after the trouble I had with my 32GB flash drive (died in a week, bought another and that one died in 3 weeks). __________________ Twilight Sparkle's Ponyville Group Free Chiptune Streaming Radio! Thanks justin_ator and megamon88 for making my sig 20% cooler. Last edited by Crashfan3; 10-25-2011 at 08:11 PM..

10-25-2011, 07:40 PM	#10
fido123 FFR Player Join Date: Sep 2005 Age: 32 Posts: 4,245	Re: Well, since everyone else is upgrading their computers... I never said that at all. You can reinstall Windows, or move the file system over entirely which I could help you with using a Live Linux CD. If you have your product key (might be on a sticker) you can install Windows easily on your new SDD.

10-25-2011, 08:13 PM	#11
Crashfan3 FFR Player Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Jefferson, Ore. Age: 32 Posts: 2,937	Re: Well, since everyone else is upgrading their computers... Oh, well shit. Yeah I've still got the box with the CD key somewhere, just gotta find it, then find an SSD that won't go dead on me in 6 months. __________________ Twilight Sparkle's Ponyville Group Free Chiptune Streaming Radio! Thanks justin_ator and megamon88 for making my sig 20% cooler.

10-25-2011, 08:20 PM	#12
fido123 FFR Player Join Date: Sep 2005 Age: 32 Posts: 4,245	Re: Well, since everyone else is upgrading their computers... And again, look at the read/write rate of the SDD. 500MB/s would be pretty good IMO.

10-26-2011, 01:55 PM	#16
ninjaKIWI plain old ugly ass dumbas Join Date: Aug 2006 Age: 31 Posts: 3,303	Re: Well, since everyone else is upgrading their computers... How do you manage to screw anything up?

10-26-2011, 03:19 PM	#17
Crashfan3 FFR Player Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Jefferson, Ore. Age: 32 Posts: 2,937	Re: Well, since everyone else is upgrading their computers... Trust me, if there's a way, I'll find it. -_- __________________ Twilight Sparkle's Ponyville Group Free Chiptune Streaming Radio! Thanks justin_ator and megamon88 for making my sig 20% cooler.

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