Upgrade check before I order...

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9 Sep 2003
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My old AMD X2 is playing up big time, so I'm upgrading.
I was thinking of using my old cheap Coolermaster case, my old graphics card WinFast PX7600GS if it doesn't slow the rest of the PC (I wont be gaming or overclocking) and don't know whether my old PSU will work, it's an Antec True 430P.

My list so far:
Intel Core i7 920 D0 Stepping (SLBEJ) 2.66GHz (Nehalem) £179.99
OCZ Gold 6GB (3x2GB) DDR3 PC3-12800C8 - £126.98
Gigabyte GA-P55-UD5 Intel P55 (Socket 1156) DDR3 - £124.98
Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB SATA 6Gb/s 64MB Cache - OEM - £84.99

TOTAL = £528.10

Would really appreciate your input! Thanks
 
Unfortunately that motherboard won't work wit that system. You will either need to switch to an X58 motherboard like this one or shift the CPU to a s1156 lynnfield chip and change the RAM to a dual channel kit.

I just checked an i7 920 spec + 7600GS in this PSU calculator and it said 291W, so your current 430W should be OK.
 
Thanks loads. So glad you corrected me with the board phew!
Good to know I can keep the psu and graphics card too.

So, the above list, with the X58 board instead for about £30 more, sound like a good kit? (I like the Gigabyte boards because the FireWire chipset is TexasInstrument, and works well with my digidesign 002 rack and pro tools, this computer is for music production)

Any refinement to be made?
Or should I wait for new offers of the week in a couple of days? Aargh
 
To be honest, buy it ASAP - there is no guarantee how long the i7 920 chips will remain at this low price (they were £220 a week or so ago).

I would also get a good s1366 cooler so you can overclock the pants off the CPU. This would be my suggestion, just make sure it can fit in the case before buying. What is your case model name/number?

The Gigabyte X58A-UD3R is a great bit of kit. Loads of features and overclocks very well.
 
The case is a DG-01B-DU Dragon and I currently have an AMD 64 X2 4200+ chip being cooled by an ArcticCooling 64 Freezer Pro.
Maybe I could use that cooler?

Does it matter about my psu or graphics card not being amazing when it comes to oc'ing?
 
Lol, I have that case (or one that looks damn like it), it is now my sisters PC. She is using a TRUE, so the Titan Fenrir should fit too.

The arctic cooling 64 freezer pro would likely work with the i7, but you would need to buy a special s1366 mounting kit. I would suggest going for the Titan, its good value and cools the i7 chip much more effectively than the ACF could (especially when overclocked).

The PSU should hold up to a decent amount of overclocking and the graphics card won't matter. Assuming you will be using it for reasonably CPU intensive tasks, a decent overclock will give you a huge performance boost. I would suggest trying 3.6GHz out - it can be achieve with less than stock volts, is reasonably cool, easy to setup and blooming fast.
 
the artic cooler for socket 939 only fits that one socket, the mounting clips and plastic tension lever don't come off if I remember mine.

sell that dual core 4200 chip for a solid £100 or more on that auction site.
 
Lol, good point. If its s939 then not only sell the CPU, sell the mobo and RAM too - you will be surprised how much these things go for on the bay.
 
Superb advice, thanks everyone.
I'll be ordering in the morning, and probably selling too :)

Lastly, is that the best RAM to get for the bucks? Not worth going cheaper?
 
I won't sell the mobo, because I've got a strong feeling the onboard SATA is messing up, but as for the chip and RAM, defo sell
 
The stuff you picked is great. Good price, c8, 1600MHz, low profile, lifetime warranty. My friend has a set and its working great in his 4GHz i7 machine.
 
Thanks a million mate. I feel a lot more confident now. And I'll take your advice on the Titan, would seem rude not to overclock just a little, although I might need some help doing that when I've got it built.
 
My pleasure, m8 :)

I don't think you will regret going for the titan, they really do cool well and the mounting system is solid and easy to do.

We'd be happy to help you through the overclocking. Best of luck getting it built.
 
To the OP: which Antec Truepower 430W version do you have?

If its a newer version, it has PCI-E connectors, which will make adding a second 12V 4pin CPU connection easier. Is your 7600GS using any additional power connectors?
 
My old AMD X2 is playing up big time, so I'm upgrading.
I was thinking of using my old cheap Coolermaster case, my old graphics card WinFast PX7600GS if it doesn't slow the rest of the PC (I wont be gaming or overclocking) and don't know whether my old PSU will work, it's an Antec True 430P.

My list so far:
Intel Core i7 920 D0 Stepping (SLBEJ) 2.66GHz (Nehalem) £179.99
OCZ Gold 6GB (3x2GB) DDR3 PC3-12800C8 - £126.98
Gigabyte GA-P55-UD5 Intel P55 (Socket 1156) DDR3 - £124.98
Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB SATA 6Gb/s 64MB Cache - OEM - £84.99

TOTAL = £528.10

Would really appreciate your input! Thanks

I would probably wait until the Phenom II X6 is released next week to see how well these will perform and whether they will cause a reduction in the pricing of other Intel processors.
 
I would also get a good s1366 cooler so you can overclock the pants off the CPU. This would be my suggestion, just make sure it can fit in the case before buying.
Well, in the newest issue of Custom PC, they have reviewed Akasa Nero S and apparently for the 1366 socket, it is even better cooling and quieter than the Titan Fenrir (it is known that it can get loud under load)...not trying to say the Titan is not great...it is a very good CPU cooler, but the Nero S seem better for just £5-£6 more.
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=HS-070-AK
 
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Hmmm... might be worth waiting for the Phenom II X6 to come out.

cmndr_andi: This is my graphics card click here
The psu just says 'Antec True 480P' and it's pretty old, it hasn't got SATA connectors, I have to use adapters from 4pin.
Just for the hell of it, I might just get me a new psu too, a QUIET one that will do the job.

Interesting info on the Asaka Nero S
 
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