Quick spec check please

PapaLazaru

PapaLazaru

PapaLazaru

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23 Dec 2009
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My rig started dying the other day and it appears that my mobo has taken the the CPU with it, as well as the GPU which failed first. :(

The RAM is fine as well as everything else but I have decided on an upgrade. Will flog the RAM.


My current bits to be kept -


Corsair TX750W PSU

2 x Seagate HD's

Brand New HIS ATI 5770 GPU I already bought, as that fried itself first.

Still running XP so time to change to Win7 methinks.


I am looking at -


AMD Phenom II X2 Dual Core 550 3.10GHz Black Edition (Socket AM3) - £71.99.

Asus M4A785TD-M Evo AMD 785G (Socket AM3) PCI-Express DDR3 Motherboard - £69.99.

OCZ Obsidian 4GB (2x2GB) DDR3 PC3-12800C9 Dual Channel - £85.99.

Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium - Retail (Upgrade Version) - £66.99.


This comes in at £300 or thereabout and I really cannot afford to go higher,
but may stretch a little if people think I will see a marked improvement.

I game mainly. L4D2, BF2 and BC2 when it comes out in March.


1. Would you change anything?

2. Does that mobo allow me to try and unlock the further cores in the CPU?

3. Will it all work with each other?


Thanks in advance :)

**edit** Will need a CPU cooler as well so any advice on a cheapish one would be great!
 
Last edited:
Cheers for the advise so far. I think you are right with the RAM will save a few pennies and go for -

OCZ Platinum 4GB (2x2GB) DDR3 PC3-10666C7 1333MHz Dual Channel - £72.99

Now let's say I bottle doing any overclocking / unlocking. I can save a little on the cooler then. Both my original choice and jms198's choice of CPU are about the same price, and I could stretch to the extra of the quad Athlion, as I have saved a tenner on the RAM. Is the quad Athlion much better than the dual Phenom?
 
PhoenixUK said:
Not quicker at all : ). And 775 is dead slot.

I'd go for your first setup apart from the fact that I'd stretch for extra 20-30quid and get 790fx mobo, that will last you for few years and u'll have the possibility of getting faster/OC ram, good OC options for CPU and upgrade later without problems to new AMD cpus (6core 2011) when they come out if you'll need and might unlock the extra cores too saving you 60quid on CPU : ).
Click to expand...

Cool I did relook at it and realise :D

I have now decided to keep XP for the time being as I really just want to get it up and running and working first and I am scared doing a fresh install of Win7 with all my current programmes and new bits all at once. Will worry about that at a leter date.

I always thought that you have to fresh install your OS when you get a new mobo, but a friend of mine reckons he has the technology to repair and upgrade the XP in my C drive. I have a C drive which should just have OS on it and a D drive with everything else, though some non-OS stuff may have sneaked onto the C drive. Is this true or is he talking porkies?
 
Cheers Pheonix.

I suppose the best thing to do is check what is on the C drive first, move all non-OS stuff to the D drive, then just format the C drive and fresh reinstall XP. No partitions on either methinks.
 
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