Small upgrade advice

strang3r · 10 Mar 2011 at 20:15

I was going to buy a new system but thinking about it I could probably upgrade what I have and then get something a lot more awsome next year for less money.

I currently have a Striker Extreme motherboard, an [email protected], 8800GT, 4GB ram, 700w Silent Pro PSU, Antec 900 case and a 1 terrapin HD.

I use my PC m ainly for gaming so that is where I'm looking for the improvement. As I said, I was going to spend around 700 on a new PC but I would be happier trying to get more out of this one.

If I was to spend around £200 on upgrades then what would be the smart choice? A quad core and mid range gfx card? I figure if I throw a £200 card in there then the CPU is going to hold it back. Would a quad core be worth it as a stop gap?

Any ideas welcomed.

stulid · 10 Mar 2011 at 20:22

I say get a 6950 for £210, or a GTX480 for £200

Then when your ready, do a big upgrade of the RAM/motherboard and CPU to something with serious poke.

hybrid572 · 10 Mar 2011 at 20:27

I'd get a second hand(overclockable) Q6600 for ~£50, and a GTX 460 1GB for £150.

A £200 GFX would be held back by an E6750 @2.9, you're completely right.

strang3r · 10 Mar 2011 at 21:08

Q6600 then I think. I guess in 6 months or so I will be able to pick up a GTX480 for around £150, then in another 6 month I can upgrade the rest.

God!!!! I hate buying kit

hybrid572 · 10 Mar 2011 at 21:21

I would go for the 460 1GB, two main reasons:
1. If you're playing at 1900x, you won't be able to tell much difference between that and the 480 (esp if you overclock the 460 a bit)
2. The GTX 480 is based on an old Fermi design that sucks power and blasts out heat. Unless you're short on radiators in your house, do not get this card. bit-tech's review claims it takes 382W at full load and hits a temperature of 94 degrees C. This compares to 270W and 51 degrees on the 460.

strang3r · 10 Mar 2011 at 21:26

Will be gaming at 1650. We are a little short on radiators in the house but not in the games room, that heat sounds like it could be an issue.

strang3r · 10 Mar 2011 at 21:32

Another question. Will I need another fan for the CPU or will the one I have now do the job?

hybrid572 · 10 Mar 2011 at 21:34

At 1650x, the GTX 460 is in overkill territory, and I'd tend to recommend a 5770. That said, if you're an overkill kinda guy, the 460 seems perfect. The 6850 uses even less power and produces even less heat than the 460 with similar performance, but it's a fairly marginal difference.

I definitely wouldn't risk it if you have a games room- they tend to get pretty hot anyway with all the electronic devices and people in a relatively small place.

hybrid572 · 10 Mar 2011 at 21:35

strang3r said:
Another question. Will I need another fan for the CPU or will the one I have now do the job?

Stock cooling is fine for stock clocks. If you get a decently overclockable Q6600, it may be worth investing in a cheap (no more than ~£20ish) CPU cooler.

strang3r · 14 Mar 2011 at 20:04

Well, I picked up a Q6600 today and fitting it I have been unable to get the CPU cooler back on. 2 of the 4 pins are broken and so I am not able to fix it back in to the motherboard.

I did take the CPU cooler off once before and it was such a pain to get back on but this time it's just not happening.

Can anybody spec me a decent CPU cooler that will work with what I have and most of all not be a pain in the *** to fit.

Cheers.