Spec Me an upgrade please? :)

geon106

geon106

geon106

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23 Dec 2010
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Location
Newcastle, Staffordshire
Okay my second computer needs upgrading. The spec is as follows:

AMD Athlon X2 6000+ 3.0Ghz AM2
4GB DDR2 RAM 667Mhz
AM2 2000Mhz FSB mobo
ATi 512Mb 5850 graphics card
Creative X-Fi platinum soundcard
700W modular PSU

I want to get a similar spec to my main machine(sig)
I'm thinking of getting
Intel i7 950 1366 socket
motherboard that has triple channel DDR3, preferbly crossfire and at least 1 PCI slot that wont be covered up if i had crossfire as i may add another 5850 later(for soundcard) and if possible, USB3 but not an absolute must
6GB Triple channel 1600Mhz RAM or more

My budget is £450, i could go up to around £500 at a push. I've got a bonus from work coming and well, computer needs upgrading :)

Thanks :)
 
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You are much better off getting 1155 stuff now. i5 2500k, ASRock Z68 mainboard, and 4GB DDR3 would be a good place to start.
 
Blue160 said:
You are much better off getting 1155 stuff now. i5 2500k, ASRock Z68 mainboard, and 4GB DDR3 would be a good place to start.
Click to expand...

whats the difference between 920/950 etc and the 2500k sandybridge? they seem really expensive, as do the Z68 motherboards. also would 4GB be bare minimum for ram nowadays?
 
The 1155 stuff is way faster than the 1366 gear at stock, and you can overclock a 2500k to 5GHz or thereabouts. 4GB is still plenty for gaming, although with RAM so cheap at the moment some are opting for 8GB for futureproofing.

Edit: just had a quick browse of the shop, and the 2500k is cheaper than the 950.
 
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Blue160 said:
The 1155 stuff is way faster than the 1366 gear at stock, and you can overclock a 2500k to 5GHz or thereabouts. 4GB is still plenty for gaming, although with RAM so cheap at the moment some are opting for 8GB for futureproofing.
Click to expand...

Oh okay thank you :) , so i'll go for a 1155 intel cpu and a motherboard, howabout these

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=MB-458-AS
Asus P8Z68-V Intel Z68 (Socket 1155) DDR3 Motherboard

and this ram

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=MY-293-CS
Corsair Vengeance 6GB (3x2GB) DDR3 PC3-12800C8 1600MHz

and this cpu:

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=CP-359-IN
Intel Core i7-2600 3.40GHz (Sandybridge) Socket LGA1155 Processor

excl delivery comes to £424.96

not sure if any better components or what not
 
You only need the i7 if you are doing encoding or video editing or rendering. The i5 is equal to it for games. You also want two sticks of RAM not three as 1155 is dual channel.
 
Blue160 said:
You only need the i7 if you are doing encoding or video editing or rendering. The i5 is equal to it for games. You also want two sticks of RAM not three as 1155 is dual channel.
Click to expand...

this is why im so out of touch :P i assumed the i7 was the high end faster CPU = better for gaming and i thought i3/i5/i7 sockets supported triple channel depending on particular mobo
 
Intel Core i5-2500K 3.30GHz (Sandybridge) Socket LGA1155 Processor - OEM £159.98

Asus P8Z68-V Intel Z68 (Socket 1155) DDR3 Motherboard - £129.98

Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 PC3-12800C8 1600MHz Dual Channel Kit - £79.99

Basket Total: £369.96


Wow that is much cheaper :D May be able to get a SSD on top with the above :D
 
1155 is the new mainstream socket which has dual channel RAM. It outperforms the old high end 1366 though. 2011 will be the new high end socket out towards the end of the year which will support quad channel RAM.

The only difference between the i7 2600k and the i5 2500k is the i7 has hyperthreading which doesn't help in games. Only the k series chips with an unlocked multiplier can now be overclocked thanks to Intel stopping base clock overclocking.

Edit: just seen your post above. That spec looks great :)
 
Blue160 said:
1155 is the new mainstream socket which has dual channel RAM. It outperforms the old high end 1366 though. 2011 will the new high end socket out towards the end of the year which will support quad channel RAM.

The only difference between the i7 2600k and the i5 2500k is the i7 has hyperthreading which doesn't help in games. Only the k series chips with an unlocked multiplier can now be overclocked thanks to Intel stopping base clock overclocking.
Click to expand...

i may as well spend the extra little bit for a k model then. will only having dual channel instead of triple channel ram make a difference ? im guessing it wont due to the extra ram, plus extra speed of DDR3
 
Any performance penalty for dual channel RAM is more than made up for by the speed of the new CPU's. Definitely go for a k chip :)
 
Asrock Fatal1ty Intel P67 (Socket 1155) DDR3 Motherboard **B3 REVISION** £187.99
(£156.66) £187.99
(£156.66)
Intel Core i5-2500K 3.30GHz (Sandybridge) Socket LGA1155 Processor Intel Core i5-2500K 3.30GHz (Sandybridge) Socket LGA1155 Processor £164.99
(£137.49) £164.99
(£137.49)
G.Skill RipJawsX 4GB (2x2GB) DDR3 PC3-17000C9 2133MHz Dual Channel Kit (F3-17000CL9D-4GBXL) G.Skill RipJawsX 4GB (2x2GB) DDR3 PC3-17000C9 2133MHz Dual Channel Kit (F3-17000CL9D-4GBXL) £54.98
(£45.82) £54.98
(£45.82)

Total price: £419.36 If you wnated a graphics card you could opt for a cheaper mobo
 
Why would you spend more money on that P67 board above the superior X68? Why go for four sticks of RAM rather than two and limit your overclocking? The OP's own spec a few posts up makes far more sense.
 
Blue160 said:
Any performance penalty for dual channel RAM is more than made up for by the speed of the new CPU's. Definitely go for a k chip :)
Click to expand...

Thanks for your help :) i'll take your advice and i'll get the parts I listed. Really can't wait to get them
 
Great :) Have fun with it.

Have a browse in the overclocking section before you start playing with the settings. Overclocking on 1155 is different to previous platforms and there are a few big things to know. (No increasing the base clock, and knowing the maximum safe voltage among the most important). There's also a thread in there for you if you manage to get 5GHz out of it :D
 
in regards to basket, as above ^

i'll not overclock for sometime, but in the next year or 2 i'll then research on the forums how to overclock the 1155

Thanks for your help Blue160
 
R088ieS86 said:
If your getting an OEM processor you will need to get yourself a CPU cooler as well, as the OEM version doesn't come one.
Click to expand...

I was thinking of getting a better one, but not sure. The Retail version isn't much different price wise.

How easy are the socket 1155 to fit? Because AMD just click to the motherboard but i remember the old socket Intels with the 4 clips that go direct on the mobo used to be a pain
 
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