Upgrade time, what to get?

ChrisD.

ChrisD.

ChrisD.

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Joined
20 Sep 2006
Posts
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Right, I've had a shed load of problems with my PC recently and after reading many articles and forums on the net, I think it's all down to my X-Fi and my nForce4 chipset. So it looks like I'll be going on the Conroe bandwagon.

My rig is currently:

Opteron 175
A8N32-SLI Deluxe
2 GB PNY RAM
2 X 7900 GTX 512
2 X 36GB WD Raptors
250GB WD Caviar
Creative X-Fi Fatal1ty
Etasis ET850 PSU

I plan on just getting CPU, Mainboard and RAM for now. I don't think it's worth me spending the extra on a DX10 GPU, I figure I might as well wait till the 7900's start showing their age and the DX10 GPU's come down in price.

CPU:

I was going to get the E6600, but I see there are some other 6XXX conroes out now with lower core speeds but still the Conroe core and 4MB cache, is it still worth that little extra for the E6600. Also, I read that some of the later ones don't clock as well as the older ones?? Would it be worth getting a second hand E6600 from e-bay or similar?

Mainboard:

Stuck in a dilemma here. Obviously I'd need a SLI board for my two 7900's, but would it be worth me getting an Intel chipset (Matrix RAID seems very good) and just running the one 7900? Or should I just not worry about that and get something like the Asus P5N32-E SLi nForce 680??? If not, any suggestions please?

RAM:

Read some reviews on the web, and I think I've got my heart set on the Crucial Ballistix 2GB (2x1GB) DDR2 PC2-6400C4, possibly even getting 4 GB of it. Looks like it's the best price/perfomance DDR2 RAM out. If anyone has any other suggestions then I'm all ears. Either that, or would some quicker stuff be better?

Also, what's the best CPU cooler for the C2D's? Or is the stock one any good? And finally, what could I expect in return for my old CPU, board and RAM? Could use that and the money from my 7900's to possibly fund a 8800 GTX?
 
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MilanoChris said:
CPU:I was going to get the E6600, but I see there are some other 6XXX conroes out now with lower core speeds but still the Conroe core and 4MB cache, is it still worth that little extra for the E6600. Also, I read that some of the later ones don't clock as well as the older ones?? Would it be worth getting a second hand E6600 from e-bay or similar?
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Hey MilanoChris, the E6420 would be fine, when you start overclocking you wont tell the difference. It all depends on the chip you get, just because you bought an older batch of the E6600/E6420 dosent mean it will clock well, just the luck of the darw.

MilanoChris said:
Mainboard:

Stuck in a dilemma here. Obviously I'd need a SLI board for my two 7900's, but would it be worth me getting an Intel chipset (Matrix RAID seems very good) and just running the one 7900? Or should I just not worry about that and get something like the Asus P5N32-E SLi nForce 680??? If not, any suggestions please?
Click to expand...

Im not a fan of SLI to be honest, so i would suggest one of the new chipset boards, the P35 series, they support Intels upcoming Penryn processors and this one supports DDR2/DDR3:

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=MB-086-GI&groupid=701&catid=5&subcat=913

MilanoChris said:
RAM:

Read some reviews on the web, and I think I've got my heart set on the Crucial Ballistix 2GB (2x1GB) DDR2 PC2-6400C4, possibly even getting 4 GB of it. Looks like it's the best price/perfomance DDR2 RAM out. If anyone has any other suggestions then I'm all ears. Either that, or would some quicker stuff be better?
Click to expand...

Memory, the Crucial Ballistix is good stuff but i would recommend the Cellshock RAM, always been very reliable whenever ive had to install it in machines and the Heat spreaders are very well made and do what they are supposed to do.

MilanoChris said:
Also, what's the best CPU cooler for the C2D's? Or is the stock one any good?
Click to expand...

The one most people normally go for is the Noctua and i think its proven itself to be very effective.

So how`s this:

Intel Core 2 Duo E6420 "LGA775 Conroe" 2.13GHz (1066FSB) - Retail

Gigabyte GA_P35C_DS3R (Socket 775) PCI-Express DDR2 & DDR3 Motherboard

CellShock 2GB (2 x 1GB) DDR2 PC2-6400C4 800MHz Dual Channel Kit

Noctua NH-U12F (Socket LGA775/754/939/940/AM2) Heatsink

Total : £359.80
 
I'd probably just stick with your sli 7900 for now as it's more than enough for all DX9 games at the moment. What resolution are you playing your games at?

If you have the budget the E6600 is still the sweet spot and the next step up has got to be the quad-core xeon.

The crucial ballistix is ace and the 5300C3 version is cheaper but overclocks just as well I believe.

Get a decent cooler if you want a decent overclock - Tuniq tower 120, Thermalright ultra-120 & Noctua NH-U12F.
 
stickroad said:
Hey MilanoChris, the E6420 would be fine, when you start overclocking you wont tell the difference. It all depends on the chip you get, just because you bought an older batch of the E6600/E6420 dosent mean it will clock well, just the luck of the darw.
Click to expand...

Thanks mate, I think I'll just go for the E6600, as I know that I'll be annoyed with my self if I don't get it. I've been after one for a good few months now!

stickroad said:
Im not a fan of SLI to be honest, so i would suggest one of the new chipset boards, the P35 series, they support Intels upcoming Penryn processors and this one supports DDR2/DDR3:
Click to expand...

That's the thing, I doubt I'd change my RAM for DDR3 in the future, nor would I change the CPU without changing the mainboard. I think I'll stick with a 650 or 680 SLI board, due to my current cards, though I'm having a little bit of trouble fathoming out which would be the best for me.


stickroad said:
Memory, the Crucial Ballistix is good stuff but i would recommend the Cellshock RAM, always been very reliable whenever ive had to install it in machines and the Heat spreaders are very well made and do what they are supposed to do.
Click to expand...

OK, what about the Corsair Twin XMS set then, 6400? Only a little more, and I remember that when I used to use it it was fantastic RAM. Also, what's the warranty and returns like on Cellshock?


stickroad said:
The one most people normally go for is the Noctua and i think its proven itself to be very effective.
Click to expand...

Thanks.

steve258 said:
I'd probably just stick with your sli 7900 for now as it's more than enough for all DX9 games at the moment. What resolution are you playing your games at?
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1280*1024, though I intend on getting a larger monitor soon.

steve258 said:
If you have the budget the E6600 is still the sweet spot and the next step up has got to be the quad-core xeon.
Click to expand...

That's what I thought, think my mind is made up on that.

steve258 said:
The crucial ballistix is ace and the 5300C3 version is cheaper but overclocks just as well I believe.
Click to expand...

Would the slower speed of the RAM hinder anything?
 
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^^ your sig is too big, 400x75px max please :)

I would suggest that a single 7900GTX is enough for that resolution but since you intend to get a larger monitor it's worth keeping the second one.

As for the mobo I am not sure what the raid performance difference is between Intel and Nvidia but I think onboard Raid solutions are all similar. There are 2 versions of P5N32E, the SLI and the SLI "Plus" I believe, the cheaper one is using 650i SLI NB + MCP55 SB while the non-plus one uses 680i SLI with 680i MCP. I'd go for the former one or the cheaper 650i SLI solution.

MilanoChris said:
Would the slower speed of the RAM hinder anything?
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Not if you are overclocking it anyway. I believe the 5300C3 version is exactly the same as the 6400C4 with different SPD table so it defaults at DDR2 667 3-3-3-9.
 
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What about the following?

Asus P5N32-E SLI PLUS NF650i

Intel Core 2 Duo E6320 "LGA775 Conroe" 1.86GHz (1066FSB) - Retail

2Gb (2X1GB) Corsair TwinX XMS2, DDR2 PC5400 (667), 240 Pin, Non-ECC Unbuffered, CAS 4-4-4-12

That a good bang/buck system? Would it clock well? And would I see increased performance over my current rig?
 
That is fine, the RAM might not take you far but since Nvidia chipset allows you to run Ram unlinked with FSB it shouldn't be a problem. Is there any reason why you are not getting better RAM? If you only wish to spend around £50 the Geil PC5400C4 for £52 is a better deal, otherwise the Crucial Ballistix PC6400C4 on this week only deal for £20 more is the best buy.
 
In that case then how about:

Asus P5N-E SLi nForce 650 (Socket 775) PCI-Express DDR2 Motherboard £67.99
(£79.89)

GeIL 2GB (2x1GB) PC5300C4 667MHz Value DDR2 Dual Channel Kit (GX22GB5300DC)
£44.99
(£52.86)

Intel Core 2 Duo E6320 "LGA775 Conroe" 1.86GHz (1066FSB) - Retail
£94.99
(£111.61)

Sub Total : £207.97
Shipping : £8.25
VAT : £37.84
Total : £254.06

The P5N-E is out of stock atm though.
 
steve258 said:
In that case then how about:

Asus P5N-E SLi nForce 650 (Socket 775) PCI-Express DDR2 Motherboard £67.99
(£79.89)

GeIL 2GB (2x1GB) PC5300C4 667MHz Value DDR2 Dual Channel Kit (GX22GB5300DC)
£44.99
(£52.86)

Intel Core 2 Duo E6320 "LGA775 Conroe" 1.86GHz (1066FSB) - Retail
£94.99
(£111.61)

Sub Total : £207.97
Shipping : £8.25
VAT : £37.84
Total : £254.06

The P5N-E is out of stock atm though.
Click to expand...

See I could spend over, but even spending will cause the wife to kill me. I'd actually prefer some better RAM that could clock well too... hmm what to do. I'm fed up with mine and I'm sure as hell that it's the chipset. I've got the god awful sound glitches in Battlefield 2 and I'm positive it's the chipset after reading on the Creative forum. I'd look like a right prat in front of her if it solved nothing :rolleyes:
 
Yeah the sound glitch is due to the Nforce4 chipset not compatible with x-fi, however the new 6 series chipset doesn't seem to have the same problem - I have the exact same mobo with extreme music and it's working perfectly fine.

That is the best combo IMO for £250, if you want better RAM then you would need to go for an E4300 instead and you'll miss out on the 4mb cache. If you look at the customer review for that geil PC5400 kit a lot of people have had success overclocking it, so you might be lucky too.
 
Thanks for all your help mate!

Quick one, is a second hand ASUS AI Life P5N32-SLI Deluxe for £20 good value?

It's without the CD (I can get the drivers from ASUS anyhow) or the backplate, though I should be able to get one from somewhere (anyone one here lol)?

I've just ordered the following from OCUK:

Intel Core 2 Duo E4300 "LGA775 Allendale" 1.80GHz (800FSB)

Crucial Ballistix 2GB (2x1GB) DDR2 PC2-5300C3 667MHz Dual Channel Kit

I went for the Allendale as it's a beast at overclocking, and I thought I'd better wait till the price cuts next month before getting either a E6600 or a quad core depending on funds. Is it a good idea to get a good cooler for the Allendale?


Should be able to get the following for my current bits:

Opteron 175 - £50
ASUS A832-SLI Deluxe - £50
PNY 2X1GB RAM copper case - £20 or so.

Anyone disagree with the above prices?
 
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You have to be careful there - ASUS has very confusing (tricky) naming scheme and the P5N32-SLI actually has the Intel edition of the same chipset on your current mobo, not only will it have problems with your x-fi it also doesn't support the latest C2Ds. You will need to get the P5N"E"32-SLI or SLI Plus for the latest 680i/650i chipsets.

I think you are being a little bit conservative on the estimated price, IMO:

Opty 175 - probably £70/75 or higher depends on stepping and ocability.
Mobo - £40/45
RAM - £40/45
 
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Oh crap yeah. Whoopsie! Well, looks like I'll be on the hunt for another motherboard come payday (end of the month). At least I'll be able to check out the Allendale in the meantime.
 
Forgot to mention that I ordered the Noctua NH-U12F too. Also, just sold all my old bits to a mate for £140 :D - So overall not a bad upgrade I think.

Once I've got the build up and running I'll update :cool:
 
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