Got money for upgrade...Need advice.

[Rhino4]

Okay, so I'm totally incompetent when it comes to computer hardware.:doh: The limit of my experience is changing out a video card from a computer that was already built for me. I wouldn't DARE try to change out a processor. And since I'm now looking to upgrade, I need some advice on just what to get.:helpsmilie:

 

I've got:

AMD Athlon 64 3500+

8700 Nvidia graphics card (512mb)

2 gigs or ram (not sure how many sticks of memory that is.

 

I'd like to upgrade my processor, but I'm wondering what the biggest bang for my buck would be. My computer is approx. two years old. Will I have to get a new mother board? Since I see that graphics cards are so cheap should I upgrade now? Wait? I don't even know if the 8700 card that I have is any good.:huh:

 

Also: Should I take my computer into a store to have these things installed or would I be competent (given adequate instruction by some of you guys) to install all of this by myself?

 

Also also: If you have suggestions on which processor/motherboard/video card I should get, could you give me a link?

 

Also also also: I don't have a sound card at the moment. Do you think I need one to get the best performance? I don't have 5.1 speakers for my computer or anything so should I bother with a high end sound card?

 

Okay...To sum it up, I've got about 1k usd to play with...So how should I use it? Thanks for any advise/help from people in-the-know. Hopefully I can get this upgrade while I've still got the money and I'll have something that can handle DCS: BS really well when it comes out...:pilotfly:

[littlejohn1959]

Okay, so I'm totally incompetent when it comes to computer hardware.:doh: The limit of my experience is changing out a video card from a computer that was already built for me. I wouldn't DARE try to change out a processor. And since I'm now looking to upgrade, I need some advice on just what to get.:helpsmilie:

 

I've got:

AMD Athlon 64 3500+

8700 Nvidia graphics card (512mb)

2 gigs or ram (not sure how many sticks of memory that is.

 

I'd like to upgrade my processor, but I'm wondering what the biggest bang for my buck would be. My computer is approx. two years old. Will I have to get a new mother board? Since I see that graphics cards are so cheap should I upgrade now? Wait? I don't even know if the 8700 card that I have is any good.:huh:

 

Also: Should I take my computer into a store to have these things installed or would I be competent (given adequate instruction by some of you guys) to install all of this by myself?

 

Also also: If you have suggestions on which processor/motherboard/video card I should get, could you give me a link?

 

Also also also: I don't have a sound card at the moment. Do you think I need one to get the best performance? I don't have 5.1 speakers for my computer or anything so should I bother with a high end sound card?

 

Okay...To sum it up, I've got about 1k usd to play with...So how should I use it? Thanks for any advise/help from people in-the-know. Hopefully I can get this upgrade while I've still got the money and I'll have something that can handle DCS: BS really well when it comes out...:pilotfly:

 

greetings .

2 years old in the computer world is very old .

i believe your amd 3500 is for socket 939 mobo . they dont make that anymore . you will have trouble finding a good 939 chip . unless you buy it second hand .

if i were you , i would consider a full upgrade .

you allmost have to anyways .

intel seems to have the ball now on gaming rigs .

the 8400 is a great cpu . fast . very fast .

heres what i purchased only a few days ago .

i got everything here for less than $1000.00 canidian .

i did have the amd 3700 before . it didnt even come close , to this rig .

it was 3 years old and i paid twice the bucks for it .

computer parts are a fair price these days .

research alot . post alot .

be patient .

your patience will pay off , in the long run .

good luck there .

cheers .

 

ps , if you can change a video card , you can install a processor . there is tons of info on how to build a rig .

you tube has vids on everything youll need to do . http://www.google.com/search?q=installing+a+processor&btnGNS=Search+youtube.com&oi=navquery_searchbox&sa=X&as_sitesearch=youtube.com&hl=en&rls=com.microsoft%3Aen-us

cheers again .

Edited August 9, 2008 by littlejohn1959

[hitman]

I will tell you that changing out the processor is one of the easier things to do. You just have to be careful to ground yourself before handling any parts, lest you short it out with static. Of course, you have to do this with every component you swap out with the exception of the drives and fans.

 

What I would do to upgrade would be to find an FX-57 chip (939 socket) if you dont want to swap out the motherboard, which is the biggest PITA. Like John said above, youll have bad luck finding one that isnt used already, although if you do it will be relatively cheap.

 

Most computer stores charge 100 bucks to upgrade computer components, so this might be an option too. I just recently acquired some Mushkin DDR2-1066 ram for $115 off of newegg, my MSI P7N Platinum cost $150, the Intel Q6600 cost $200 or so, and my video cards cost 300 total. Just have to make sure your power supply can supply all the necessary voltages to the system. My Coolmax 1200w PSU cost 300 new, but you dont need to go that high. If you want to save a few more bucks, you can limit yourself to a DX9 card if your not moving or not already running Vista.

Edited August 10, 2008 by hitman_214th

[littlejohn1959]

dont skimp on the power supply . realize that it runs ,,,, everything .

you need to look at the future a bit , also . bigger , heavier graphic cards . crossfire ,, sli , etc .

the power supply is ,,,, very important .

i am sure lots will chime in here with suggestions .

be patient .

cheers .

[Kuky]

I'll add my sugestion of what I consider very nice PC, you'll need to search for computer stores and check prices (they vary from place to place) and you'll get yourself very nice deal(s)

 

Asus P5Q series motherboard (P45 chipset) and depending on what you want on the motherboard (onboard sound, how many LAN ports, PCI-E sockets, USB ports, SATA ports etc)

 

Intel E8XXX series CPU, right now E8500 seems best deal (Perf/Price) and only if you are doing lots of editing with video and sound I would recoment getting quad CPU instead... you will be able to overclock it as well without any need for lots of knowledge... just basic BIOS settings

 

Video card... single HD4870 will do... price/performance it's best off right now I think.

 

rest is up to you on how many HDD you want and what capacity... defintely get SATA drives and if you think they are very cheap you could even go RAID.

 

4GB of DDR2 (get 2 stick of 2GB instead of 4x sticks of 1GB as your botherboard will be working easier and less load on the motherboard NorthBridge shipset (this will help with overclocking, if you ever intend to do it)

 

And lastly as Littlejohn said don't skimp on PSU. Make sure you get high quality PSU and if you think your future system will draw about 500W of power, get 700W... you always need bit of buffer or you will very likely have system instabilities because of inadequate system power.

[-sulan-]

Hi!

I am thinking about a new rig as well. Allthough I'll wait until BS is released, I had a look around anyway at what I'd get if I were to upgrade right now..

Some Mobo with a P45 or X48 chipset, preferably micro-ATX (so far I've not found a micro-ATX mobo that suits me though).

Radeon HD4870 or GTX260 (can get the latter almost as cheap, I figure since I won't be buying yet I'll just wait and see which card seams the better).

E-8400 and 2 gigs 800mhz CL5 ram (adds up to 4gb total with what I allready have), I just get the cheapest corsair ram.. I won't bother getting into CL-this CL-that since it seams to make a small difference..

 

Like others have said though, take your time and read a bunch of reviews and so on and be in the loop for a month before you buy. Good luck!! :)

[G3]

4GB of DDR2 (get 2 stick of 2GB instead of 4x sticks of 1GB as your botherboard will be working easier and less load on the motherboard NorthBridge shipset (this will help with overclocking, if you ever intend to do it)

 

i have heard this too, 2 sticks better than 4,

i just liked the botherboard bit.:thumbup:

as we know some botherboards can be quite bothersome especially with 4x 1gig sticks.

 

good psu is by far the best suggestion.

 

i will add, i try to get something thats been road tested already.

by the time i buy a board, cpu or videocard,

there are more than enough reviews or user experience etc on tech sites

to give you a good idea if its any good or not.

and often a better bios has been released etc etc.

 

let someone else be the guinea pig,

 

if not confident building a new pc, get a friend to help or as suggested study up.

 

its very rewarding having built a pc yourself, it will

increase your understanding of them greatly, especially yours.

Edited August 10, 2008 by G3

[Rhino4]

Okay. Took your advice and did a LOT of research. I went and looked at just about every explanation I could find on how to build a computer. Really liked the one at geekempire.com. That guy is hilarious And very easy to understand: Helped to make me not so nervous about doing this myself.

I have settled on newegg.com as my source for hardware as they seem to have both excellent prices as well as many people who trust them. I have decided not to upgrade my video card for another few months and have settled on these things:

 

1: Intel Core 2 Duo E8500 Wolfdale 3.16GHz 6MB L2 Cache LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor http://http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115036&nm_mc=OTC-Froogle&cm_mmc=OTC-Froogle-_-Processors+-+Desktops-_-Intel-_-19115036

2: Creative 70SB046A00000 7.1 Channels 24-bit 192KHz PCI Interface Sound Blaster X-Fi XtremeGamer Fatal1ty Professional Serieshttp://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16829102005

3: ASUS P5Q Deluxe LGA 775 Intel P45 Intel Motherboardhttp://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131297&nm_mc=OTC-Froogle&cm_mmc=OTC-Froogle-_-Motherboards+-+Intel-_-ASUS-_-13131297

4: Patriot Viper 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memoryhttp://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820220334

5: ZALMAN ZM750-HP Continuous 750W ATX12V V2.2 / EPS12V V2.91 Modular LED Heatpipe-Cooled SLI Power Supplyhttp://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817379006

 

My questions:

 

1: I have an ANTEC LIFESTYLE SERIES SONATA II PIANO BLACK ROHS QUIET ATX MID TOWER CASE 450 http://www.computersunlimited.com/antec_lifestyle_series_sonata_antec_5713_prd1.htm.

Will this case be adequate, or should I move to a larger case? It says that it supports ATX motherboards. Will the motherboard that I have chosen fit in my case, or should I upgrade to a larger case?

2: Does the processor come with the heatsink and fan? Does it come with the thermal paste that I have read about? Will I need to purchase a heatsink and fan separately?

3: I have never bothered to buy a sound card before. Will I be able to tell the difference with the one I have chosen rather than without it?

4: I already have a 550w power supply. Is upgrading to a 750w a good idea? I intend to upgrade the graphics card a few months from now and I think I might need the extra power...Thanks for all the suggestions above. I'm one step away from clicking the buy button. Just wondering what your opinions are.

[Kuky]

You case will be fine, I used to have this case myself and even though it's very tight I could fit HD3870X2 in it... just ;) but if you ever decide to get a video card longet than that it won't fit.

 

Processor does come with heatsink and fan... all Intel CPU's do... don't know about AMD since I never had one.

 

Upgrading to 750W PSU is not a bad idea... in fact your old 550W PSU won't cut it once you put in powerfull video card.

 

Having separate sound card is better... less CPU utilisation then onboard sound.

[littlejohn1959]

Okay. Took your advice and did a LOT of research. I went and looked at just about every explanation I could find on how to build a computer. Really liked the one at geekempire.com. That guy is hilarious And very easy to understand: Helped to make me not so nervous about doing this myself.

I have settled on newegg.com as my source for hardware as they seem to have both excellent prices as well as many people who trust them. I have decided not to upgrade my video card for another few months and have settled on these things:

 

1: Intel Core 2 Duo E8500 Wolfdale 3.16GHz 6MB L2 Cache LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor http://http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115036&nm_mc=OTC-Froogle&cm_mmc=OTC-Froogle-_-Processors+-+Desktops-_-Intel-_-19115036

2: Creative 70SB046A00000 7.1 Channels 24-bit 192KHz PCI Interface Sound Blaster X-Fi XtremeGamer Fatal1ty Professional Serieshttp://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16829102005

3: ASUS P5Q Deluxe LGA 775 Intel P45 Intel Motherboardhttp://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131297&nm_mc=OTC-Froogle&cm_mmc=OTC-Froogle-_-Motherboards+-+Intel-_-ASUS-_-13131297

4: Patriot Viper 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memoryhttp://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820220334

5: ZALMAN ZM750-HP Continuous 750W ATX12V V2.2 / EPS12V V2.91 Modular LED Heatpipe-Cooled SLI Power Supplyhttp://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817379006

 

My questions:

 

1: I have an ANTEC LIFESTYLE SERIES SONATA II PIANO BLACK ROHS QUIET ATX MID TOWER CASE 450 http://www.computersunlimited.com/antec_lifestyle_series_sonata_antec_5713_prd1.htm.

Will this case be adequate, or should I move to a larger case? It says that it supports ATX motherboards. Will the motherboard that I have chosen fit in my case, or should I upgrade to a larger case?

2: Does the processor come with the heatsink and fan? Does it come with the thermal paste that I have read about? Will I need to purchase a heatsink and fan separately?

3: I have never bothered to buy a sound card before. Will I be able to tell the difference with the one I have chosen rather than without it?

4: I already have a 550w power supply. Is upgrading to a 750w a good idea? I intend to upgrade the graphics card a few months from now and I think I might need the extra power...Thanks for all the suggestions above. I'm one step away from clicking the buy button. Just wondering what your opinions are.

 

man , i tell ya , you are gonna be one happy camper once you loads lockon on that rig .

yes , there should be a heatsink fan with the cpu . get a high quality thermal paste like artic silver 5 , etc .IF , you are gonna overclock , get a high quality cooler . i think upgradeing your 550 watt psu , is a great choice .

a suggestion , make sure that your memory wont conflict with the mobo . go to the asus website and find the ''qualified vendors list ''.

your case should be fine for that rig . i dont see a video card on your list?

maybe give up the soundcard , add a few bucks , and get a video card.

the onboard sound is not all that bad . the soundcard will come later . like merry xmas or something .

if you can ,,,, build youself .

as was said here , its very ,,, rewarding .

you can't go wrong , really .

its just screws and plugs .

you are walking down a fine path there .

keep us posted .

cheers mate . :thumbup::thumbup:

Edited August 11, 2008 by littlejohn1959

[littlejohn1959]

go here ,,,

 

http://support.asus.com/download/download.aspx?SLanguage=en-us&model=P5Q%20Deluxe

 

download the manuel for your board .

there should be a qualified vendors list there .

[Rhino4]

The qualified vendors list made me change my ram decision from patriot to g.skill. Not a bad switch considering it's cheaper and it's got a 5 star review from over 300 people. Well...time to click the buy button....I'll keep you all posted and let you know how it turns out. Thanks again for the help.

[littlejohn1959]

The qualified vendors list made me change my ram decision from patriot to g.skill. Not a bad switch considering it's cheaper and it's got a 5 star review from over 300 people. Well...time to click the buy button....I'll keep you all posted and let you know how it turns out. Thanks again for the help.

 

good stuff . g-skill has great reviews .

touch base with you tube .

theres every video you need , there .

read your mobo manuel . lots of info there also .

good luck and do keep us posted .

cheers .

[Rhino4]

Okay, so everything arrived very quickly from newegg.com and I was extremely excited unpacking everything.:thumbsup: After giving the mobo manual a VERY thorough read:book:, I ripped out the guts from my old comp and started putting it all together. Once everything was hooked up, I applied power and gave it a go. Everything seemed fine at first (lights/leds came on, fans started going, bios booted up right away) but then I ran into a problem: "Windows has detected a hardware configuration change and needs to reactivate." Then it asked me to insert my copy of xp.:surprise: I leaned back and thought to myself, "Crap!" because I had lost the disk in my move (I recently moved cross-country and several things disappeared en-route). "Well, what now?" I thought. "I guess I'll have to go out and buy a new copy of xp...":dunno:

 

So I get to the store and am immediately assaulted by all things "Vista," but I resisted and decided to stick with my trusty xp. I bought the home version and sped like crazy the whole way home.:pilotfly: The first thing I did after I walked through the door was to boot up and insert the disk...Then I get a screen that says windows is preparing to "update" and that I should have my old copy of xp out and ready to be inserted.:huh: "What the..?? Why the heck do I need my old disk? I just bought a new one!!" Then I looked at the xp box: "XP Upgrade for users of windows 98 to 2000." ...."AAAARGH!!!":furious: So I take the box back to the store and exchange it for the ONE copy they had left of windows xp professional (no home versions available), and I said "F*** It" and bought myself a new hard drive as well. I wound up with a WHOPPING 1TB hard drive from western digital:thumbsup: (No more worrying about how many games I have installed heheh). I go home, hook up the new HD and let 'er rip!

 

Once again, everything seems to be going fine, and hey, windows setup just came up and says it's loading! "YAY!" But then, like a hot knife through butter, the "blue screen of death" pops up and cuts a hole through all my hopes and dreams. "Stop code: 0x0000006f"!!!!:wallbash:

 

So I go online with my wife's laptop (Always give your wife your old laptop just in case this happens and you need to steal it back from her:smilewink:) and I look for the stop code. After searching through about 30 different forums, one of which wanted me to pay for a solution (!), I finally narrowed it down to either compatability options with my HD or optical drive, or something messed up with my ram.

 

The very Next day the first thing I did was to go open up my case and take out one of my sticks of ram. If that didn't work, I would switch out the ram sticks and try again to see if either of them were busted. Then I would have had to switch out HD's. Then I would have had to call up one of my friends and beg a loaner optical drive from him to see if that would work. LUCKILY, as soon as I took out the first stick of ram and gave it a go, it worked flawlessly! True, I only have 2G of ram now instead of the planned 4G, but at least the damn thing installed correctly. THANK GOD.:clap::clap: Now I just have to go back and install everything onto my computer all over again.:pilotfly:

 

One question: My old HD has a lot of stuff on it I would like to transfer over to my new HD. How would I go about it? I have everything I need to connect to my mobo and supply power, but what do I do once I connect everything and hit the power button?

[hitman]

That sounds like a toughy...you could theoretically just install the old hard drive and hope to pull the files off that way, but if you had Xp on it before and had a password set up, or had any files encrypted, your screwed. No password and no encrypted files, your fine. Aside from that, nothing short of putting your old computer back together again will cure it.

[Kuky]

Take the old HDD out and connect new HDD only. Install XP and once you got all drivers installed shut down PC and insert old HDD again... just make sure in BIOS you sellect new HDD as boot HDD. Once you're in windows just copy/paste all the files you need... infact I recomend keeping the old HDD for data only.

[Rhino4]

Okay, I'll give it a go when I get home from work tonight. Thanks for the help!

[Pilotasso]

Once again, everything seems to be going fine, and hey, windows setup just came up and says it's loading! "YAY!" But then, like a hot knife through butter, the "blue screen of death" pops up and cuts a hole through all my hopes and dreams. "Stop code: 0x0000006f"!!!!:wallbash:

 

So I go online with my wife's laptop (Always give your wife your old laptop just in case this happens and you need to steal it back from her:smilewink:) and I look for the stop code. After searching through about 30 different forums, one of which wanted me to pay for a solution (!), I finally narrowed it down to either compatability options with my HD or optical drive, or something messed up with my ram.

 

The very Next day the first thing I did was to go open up my case and take out one of my sticks of ram. If that didn't work, I would switch out the ram sticks and try again to see if either of them were busted. Then I would have had to switch out HD's. Then I would have had to call up one of my friends and beg a loaner optical drive from him to see if that would work. LUCKILY, as soon as I took out the first stick of ram and gave it a go, it worked flawlessly! True, I only have 2G of ram now instead of the planned 4G, but at least the damn thing installed correctly. THANK GOD.:clap::clap: Now I just have to go back and install everything onto my computer all over again.:pilotfly:

 

One question: My old HD has a lot of stuff on it I would like to transfer over to my new HD. How would I go about it? I have everything I need to connect to my mobo and supply power, but what do I do once I connect everything and hit the power button?

 

Unbelievable the ammount of times I came across situations like these for a hardware change. The friggin ram modules... hapened the exact same to me with my current build except that I was having BSOD's every 2 hours or so, And I took the most of time figuring it out because the modules passed all tests I threw at them!!! :huh:

 

Sure enough after I RMA'ed them everything worked.

 

Since then I changed the modules again. From 2GB 800 DDr2 team Elite to 4Gb Corsair dominator DDR2 1066. Its been a stability dream ever since.

Edited August 18, 2008 by Pilotasso

[Ramstein]

I picked up some HP 1 gb sticks of DDRII ram for a whopping $2.99 each after rebate last year. :music_whistling: No problems at all to date. I really think people don't look hard enough for sales.

 

I shop often at Newegg.com, but there is still some competition around.