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CREDIT CRUNCH UPGRADE

Malazan

Malazan

Malazan

Associate
Joined
15 Aug 2008
Posts
524
I play @ 1680 X 1050, and will be wanting play all the latest games over the coming Winter months especially, when i get 3 weeks off from college at Crimbo.

I was going to go GTX260 + E8400, but since prices have gone up and seem set to continue that way, i'm not going to bother, the two together have probably gone up around £40.

So, i was thinking about getting a decent CPU cooler (i'm back at stock on my E4300 becuase temps were over 70 degrees) and getting maybe a 2nd hand or cheapish 8800GT and OC'ing both.

Suggestions for parts appreicated.

Current rig in sig.

:)
 
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Your best option for a credit crunch upgrade would be an ati 4850, as its the best bang for buck card by a mile at this moment in time.

GTX260 would work great too if you want to spend a bit more.

The good cpu cooler would be the best option for your cheap cpu upgrade :P And if you do get a better cpu later that cooler should be great for that too.
 
Well, I decided I wanted a 2nd 360 to connect up to my monitor, so last night took out one of my 4850's to see how a single would do.

The most noticeable performance in a game with single vs dual cards is Far Cry 2. With dual cards it runs brilliant at ultra with 4xAA. With single it runs well at very high with no AA.

Assassins Creed seems to run just as well, and Crysis and Crysis Warhead don't run much worse to be honest. Did not have much time for testing, but the single card seems to do very well - it's just a question of can I put up with the slightly lowered settings?

I would say, try and get a 4850. It will run most things very well and does not cost a fortune. Sure it's more expensive than a 2nd hand 8800GT, but I think it's worth the extra.
 
credit crunch my ***

all my credit cards have given me a extra £1000 each

im getting 1 advert from my banks every few weeks asking me to take a £15,000 loan to spend on booze and strippers..


On to the topic..

have you properly cleaned your PC, and mabye re-seat the CPU? and how are your room temps like, a extra cooler is not 100% needed unless every degree counts when your doing insane overclocking. So id say check that stuff out before you consider spending £20 or so on a cooler.

Sort out yourself with some AS5/MX2 and a brush and see if you can get those temps down enough to run 3ghz or so, at which point your not gonna be CPU limited in all the new games, which are generally limited by GPU, i.e. a 2.4ghz Q6600 vs a 3.8ghz Q6600 in crysis makes **** all difference.


if i were you, id try sort out the temps and overclock CPU if possible , buy a 4850 (cheapest available) and thats that, if you think a £20 cooler will allow you to jump around 600+mhz in your OC then do it, but 70degrees LOAD temp is fine! as it rarely would get near that anyway, my load temp is 70degrees and the highest ive seen it while going crazy is like 50, however if you meant idle temps 70 then something is seriously wrong!!!!
 
platinum87 said:
credit crunch my ***

all my credit cards have given me a extra £1000 each

im getting 1 advert from my banks every few weeks asking me to take a £15,000 loan to spend on booze and strippers..


On to the topic..

have you properly cleaned your PC, and mabye re-seat the CPU? and how are your room temps like, a extra cooler is not 100% needed unless every degree counts when your doing insane overclocking. So id say check that stuff out before you consider spending £20 or so on a cooler.

Sort out yourself with some AS5/MX2 and a brush and see if you can get those temps down enough to run 3ghz or so, at which point your not gonna be CPU limited in all the new games, which are generally limited by GPU, i.e. a 2.4ghz Q6600 vs a 3.8ghz Q6600 in crysis makes **** all difference.


if i were you, id try sort out the temps and overclock CPU if possible , buy a 4850 (cheapest available) and thats that, if you think a £20 cooler will allow you to jump around 600+mhz in your OC then do it, but 70degrees LOAD temp is fine! as it rarely would get near that anyway, my load temp is 70degrees and the highest ive seen it while going crazy is like 50, however if you meant idle temps 70 then something is seriously wrong!!!!
Click to expand...



LOL!!!

Pc gets a good cleaning out every month, but you may be onto something with reseating the cooler and applying some decent coolant.

I've just run Prime blend, and got at 100% load:

System 35 deg
CPU 48 Deg
Core 1 and 2 about 72 degrees each.

(At stock)

How does that sound?

What is safe for the CPU?
 
You could put yourself into game hibernation for a year. When you come out of hibernation, upgrade your pc to what would be at the time a barely adequate spec for running the games of the day, i.e. cheap. But, since you have been in game hibernation for a year, all the games you have missed will run at full whack on your relatively modest pc, as a year ago that pc would have been the equivalent of a 4870x2 behemoth now.
 
Bubo said:
You could put yourself into game hibernation for a year. When you come out of hibernation, upgrade your pc to what would be at the time a barely adequate spec for running the games of the day, i.e. cheap. But, since you have been in game hibernation for a year, all the games you have missed will run at full whack on your relatively modest pc, as a year ago that pc would have been the equivalent of a 4870x2 behemoth now.
Click to expand...



Are you advising me not to bother upgrading?
 
Malazan said:
I've just run Prime blend, and got at 100% load:

System 35 deg
CPU 48 Deg
Core 1 and 2 about 72 degrees each.
Click to expand...

im confused, you have put CPU 48 and then cores at 72, or is 48 the idle temp?

use coretemp, and if your bothered post a screenshot :D




Malazan said:
What is safe for the CPU?
Click to expand...

i think people will generally agree that a load temp of 70 is acceptable, i dont think you can really damage the CPU normally, as when it gets to a high temp it throttles entering blank instructions to reduce the temperature. i think it may be like 85 or 100 degrees when it throttles, it might crash or whatever but there shouldnt be any damage.
 
platinum87 said:
im confused, you have put CPU 48 and then cores at 72, or is 48 the idle temp?

use coretemp, and if your bothered post a screenshot :D






i think people will generally agree that a load temp of 70 is acceptable, i dont think you can really damage the CPU normally, as when it gets to a high temp it throttles entering blank instructions to reduce the temperature. i think it may be like 85 or 100 degrees when it throttles, it might crash or whatever but there shouldnt be any damage.
Click to expand...


No, i was using speedfan, it tells you the CPU temp, and that of the cores.


---------------

Ok.

Core temp.

Core 1: 73

Core 2: 73

At stock 100% load.
 
I wonder how much the Credit Crunch and Gordan's "Global Econimic Slump" are costing places like OcUK? Nothing sold here is classed as "essential" so I guess computer components, along with cars and beer are among the first items people hold fire on.

One of my main cutbacks this year has been purchases from OcUK and the like. The fact that everything has gone up due to the £'s weakness does not help eaither.

Perhaps even OcUK directors will have to cut back on new car and large dingy purchases soon:).
 
555BUK said:
I wonder how much the Credit Crunch and Gordan's "Global Econimic Slump" are costing places like OcUK? Nothing sold here is classed as "essential" so I guess computer components, along with cars and beer are among the first items people hold fire on.

One of my main cutbacks this year has been purchases from OcUK and the like. The fact that everything has gone up due to the £'s weakness does not help eaither.

Perhaps even OcUK directors will have to cut back on new car and large dingy purchases soon:).
Click to expand...

Nah, there is still money around and people will be buying i7.

Plus there are some great car bargains to be had ;)
 
555BUK said:
I wonder how much the Credit Crunch and Gordan's "Global Econimic Slump" are costing places like OcUK? Nothing sold here is classed as "essential" so I guess computer components, along with cars and beer are among the first items people hold fire on.

One of my main cutbacks this year has been purchases from OcUK and the like. The fact that everything has gone up due to the £'s weakness does not help eaither.

Perhaps even OcUK directors will have to cut back on new car and large dingy purchases soon:).
Click to expand...


I just saw the prices and rising and thought "Nah, not on your nelly", i'll do a cheapie upgrade and get the most out what i have. I could still get a GTX260 and an 8400, but i begrudge it a little now.

Will wait until after Xmas and probably Spring for a big upgrade
 
"You could put yourself into game hibernation for a year. When you come out of hibernation, upgrade your pc to what would be at the time a barely adequate spec for running the games of the day, i.e. cheap. But, since you have been in game hibernation for a year, all the games you have missed will run at full whack on your relatively modest pc, as a year ago that pc would have been the equivalent of a 4870x2 behemoth now."



"Darling,take note of the the word gobbledeegook, i like it, and i want to use it more often in conversation"
 
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