What best to upgrade?

Doc Rob

Doc Rob

Doc Rob

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Joined
11 Oct 2005
Posts
139
Hi guys,

It's 2 years since I rebuilt my PC with some advice from on here. This is my spec:

Intel Core i7 920 2.66Ghz (Nehalem) (Socket LGA1366)
EVGA GeForce GTX 260 896MB GDDR3
Gigabyte GA-EX58-UD3R Intel X58 (Socket 1366) DDR3
Corsair XMS3 3GB (3x1GB) DDR3 PC3-10666C9 1333MHz Triple Channel
Audigy 2 ZS
Corsair TX 650W ATX SLi Compliant Power Supply

I'm considering an inexpensive upgrade, and wondering where to begin.

I'm thinking I'd be best to upgrade my memory to 6GB and to swap out the video card for a GTX 460, or similar. That would come in at about £200, which is fine by me.

Would anyone disagree?

(One other thing - stupid question I know, but can I use 1600MHz memory instead with this MB?)
 
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A wide variety of stuff - gaming, Office, Photoshop, web, music.

I haven't noticed anything obviously struggling, but I want my hardware to stay reasonably current. My trigger to upgrade is that my other desktop has died, and instead of getting a new one of similar spec, I decided I would be better to buy an inexpensive one (it'll get used by the kids and for the web mostly) and to put the extra cash into new components for my main PC. I appreciate that this isn't the most logical reason to upgrade, but I don't tend to do these things often without an obvious prod.

I shudder to admit this (especially on this forum) but I'm not overclocked at all. I've never found the time to get into it.
 
The motherboard will work with 1600Mhz ram, but it would run at a lower speed. To reach 1600Mhz, you may need to overclock the CPU.


Corsair XMS3 6GB (3x2GB) DDR3 PC3-12800C9 1600MHz Triple Channel (CMX6GX3M3A1600C9) [CMX6GX3M3A1600C9]
This Week Only Offer
was £65.99 inc VAT
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=MY-205-CS&groupid=701&catid=8&subcat=1389


Gigabyte GeForce GTX 460 OC 768MB GDDR5 PCI-Express Graphics Card [GV-N460OC-768I]
£124.99 inc VAT
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=GX-068-GI&groupid=701&catid=1914&subcat=

Sell your old ram.

gfx compare...

http://www.anandtech.com/bench/Product/170?vs=156
 
Looking at a thread linked to elsewhere, it looks as if the i7 920 is ripe for a little overclocking. My system has been pretty stable for a while now, so perhaps I should try it. Am I likely to risk anything by trying? (Given my total lack of experience?)
 
No, it just won't boost past the bios basically.

Your system is crying out for 4gb of ram (8gb depending how much you use photoshop) and a gpu uprgade.

Buy another stick of ram and a 6950/560. Sell your gpu and your sorted. Might cost £150 to upgrade in total.
 
Trusty said:
No, it just won't boost past the bios basically.

Your system is crying out for 4gb of ram (8gb depending how much you use photoshop) and a gpu uprgade.

Buy another stick of ram and a 6950/560. Sell your gpu and your sorted. Might cost £150 to upgrade in total.
Click to expand...

4GB/8GB? In tri channel? Now that I have to see!

Best to look at a graphics update atm, 3GB of ram is still adequate for gaming (might be a bit tight for Photshop though).

I'd be looking at selling off the GTX260 for around £60 (going price for a 216 core) and current ram (maybe £30?) and getting something like a GTX480 - on special for £194.98 - very fast card, if not a bit hot/noisy; and getting a 6GB set of DDR3 1600MHz ram.

Oh, and clock that Bloomfield!
 
Cookeh said:
4GB/8GB? In tri channel? Now that I have to see!
Click to expand...

Now now new boy, no need to be a dick. Seems to be the current theme through GH with people besting each other with specs.

Had'nt noticed the motherboad, as Cooooky said, sell the ram and buy a nice 6gb tri channel set.
 
This, basically:

Asus GeForce GTX 480 1536MB GDDR5 PCI-Express Graphics Card with Far Cry 2 £205.99
(£171.66) £205.99
(£171.66)
GeIL 6GB (3x2GB) DDR3 PC3-12800C9 1600MHz VALUE PLUS Triple Channel (GVP36GB1600C9TC) £51.98
(£43.32) £51.98
(£43.32)
Sub Total : £214.98
Shipping cost assumes delivery to UK Mainland with:
DPD Next Day Parcel
(This can be changed during checkout) Shipping : £9.00
VAT is being charged at 20.00% VAT : £44.80
Total : £268.78

With the sale of current ram and graphics you might even make a profit :p
 
Trusty said:
Now now, no need to be a dick. Seems to be the current theme through GH with people besting each other with specs.

Had'nt noticed the motherboad, as Cooooky said, sell the ram and buy a nice 6gb tri channel set.
Click to expand...

Hardly being a dick, bit sensitive today? :eek::D

But you are correct, a lot of testosterone and keyboard warrioring going around atm :confused:

Didn't notice motherboard.
Or the current RAM.
Or the current CPU.

:p

Also, new boy? Wut?! :confused:
 
Like above, I'd change these

Doc Rob said:
Intel Core i7 920 3.8/4.0Ghz (Nehalem) (Socket LGA1366)
EVGA GeForce GTX 480 1536MB GDDR3
Gigabyte GA-EX58-UD3R Intel X58 (Socket 1366) DDR3
GeIL 6GB (3x2GB) DDR3 PC3-12800C9 1600MHz VALUE PLUS Triple Channel (GVP36GB1600C9TC) £51.98 Posted above^
Audigy 2 ZS
Corsair TX 650W ATX SLi Compliant Power Supply
Click to expand...

Anything above 3.4GHz for that i7 takes it away from being the bottleneck with a single GPU IMHO
The 480 will be the same sort of jump again from 260>460.
 
Cookeh said:
This, basically:

Asus GeForce GTX 480 1536MB GDDR5 PCI-Express Graphics Card with Far Cry 2 £205.99
(£171.66) £205.99
(£171.66)
GeIL 6GB (3x2GB) DDR3 PC3-12800C9 1600MHz VALUE PLUS Triple Channel (GVP36GB1600C9TC) £51.98
(£43.32) £51.98
(£43.32)
Sub Total : £214.98
Shipping cost assumes delivery to UK Mainland with:
DPD Next Day Parcel
(This can be changed during checkout) Shipping : £9.00
VAT is being charged at 20.00% VAT : £44.80
Total : £268.78

With the sale of current ram and graphics you might even make a profit :p
Click to expand...

+ 1 for me there mate. Good upgrade for your current system :cool:
 
OK - am going to take the plunge and buy the GPU, I think.

Should I buy the GeIL memory or the Corsair XMS3 mentioned further up? The latter is cheaper, but only because it's on special offer.
 
i got the corsair tx 650, an INSANE PSU FOR THE PRICE! its wicked!! also, with ram, im runnin XP Pro, and a radeon 4670, and a athlon 4400+ @ 2.3ghz (stock...) and i use CS5 Master collection, and it runs fine, never crashes or lags, only problem is i cant render 3D with my 4670, but im ordering a MSI 560 Ti monday, i'd reccommend the MSI 560 Ti btw, just shop around for good deals first,
 
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