noob advice on component ugrades please

manering

manering

manering

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21 Jul 2014
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Location
southampton
Hi all...

I am very new to pc gaming coming from xbox one. I have recently purchased myself a "gaming" pc or so i thought..

i have the following details... sorry if not detailed as i have no idea..

processor is ; AMD Phenom(tm) II X2 545.

my psu is 450w.

i had a really bad graphics card which i could do nothing with so i dived in and brought a GIGABYTE GeForce GTX 660 WINDFORCE 2X OC 2GB GDDR5 graphics card...

although a massive difference i have been told my processor is not up to scratch and i need a new motherboard to cope with a better processor...


can anyone advise me on new components at a budget of 200 pound to get me running a bit faster...


mainly play iracing, asseto corsa ect but would like to play battlefield although i understand on a lower setting..


thanks in advance for ready my very vague description
 
Hello & Welcome to the Forum

Who have you been speaking too in relation to performance issues with your current setup? On your PC, if you go to:

1. Start > Run
2. Enter msinfo32.exe
3. Select 'System Summary' and take a screenshot for us - posting it here

This should allow us to give you a more accurate idea of where to go.
 
i was told from a freind who has built himself a pc however i have only told him details i no how to check ...

sorry im clueless on a learning curve..

i hope i have done this correctly!!!

systemdetails_zps80dd4cd7.png
 
Googling indicates that the motherboard is a Foxconn A7VMX-K.

Max RAM is 4 GB so you can't expand there. However, if you look at the supported CPU list, you'll see that you can upgrade to a quad core 3.2 GHz Phenom IIx4, but I'm not sure that will give you much of a performance boost.

In short, it's not worth upgrading.

Really you're looking at a new motherboard, new CPU, and new RAM. And maybe a new PSU too and case. Fortunately OCUK do some nice bundles which are just what you need. Look here. Mostly they look to be ATX rather than mATX, though. OCUK do a barebones system for £250 here.
 
Quartz said:
Googling indicates that the motherboard is a Foxconn A7VMX-K.

Max RAM is 4 GB so you can't expand there. However, if you look at the supported CPU list, you'll see that you can upgrade to a quad core 3.2 GHz Phenom IIx4, but I'm not sure that will give you much of a performance boost.
Click to expand...

Something funny going on there - says it's an AM2+ board but there are a load of AM3 CPUs in the support list :confused:


Personally I'd keep the system as-is and pick up a cheap quad core CPU upgrade (once we've figured out what it actually supports). Performance will probably be "good enough" without going through the rigmarole of a motherboard+CPU+memory upgrade.

Edit: just noticed that the CPU in question, the X2 545 ("Callisto"), is actually a quad core with two cores disabled, AND, the A7VMX-K probably has the features to unlock cores. Could be worth a punt?
 
Last edited:
i take it this is the joys of rushing in buying a cheap 2nd hand unit...

ggrrr.. lol

cheers for the help guys im thinking of going fo the amd fx6350 with mb to suite would i notice a difference in speed quality ect
 
Processor AMD Phenom™ FX, Phenom™, Athlon™ 64FX, Athlon™ 64x2, Athlon™ 64, Sempron™ processors, Socket AM2 and AM2+.

Cant see any am3 on the list in the specs for the board! If this is deffinately the case then the FX6350 won't work with your motherboard
 
harry5522 said:
Cant see any am3 on the list in the specs for the board! If this is deffinately the case then the FX6350 won't work with your motherboard
Click to expand...

As I wrote though, it can't be that board, because it's currently got a Phenom II X2 545 in it, which is AM3.

manering, your motherboard might be fine with a CPU upgrade but we need to know the model. It should be printed on it somewhere if you have a look inside.
 
Quartz said:
Socket AM3 processors will work in a socket AM2+ board:
Click to expand...

Thanks, didn't spot that.

Looking into it a bit more, there isn't much to be gained in games going from a Phenom II X2 to an X4, so maybe if it's struggling in games then a new build is the answer. Quad core would make general use much nicer though.

http://www.anandtech.com/bench/product/97?vs=80

(For reference, the Phenom II X4 925 is the fastest one that will definitely be compatible with the mobo at 95W. They go for as low as £35 at auction.)
 
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