Which to Upgrade?

d3moliti0n · 16 Feb 2008 at 23:32

Hey there

I am in the process of upgrading my PC to an Athlon X2 3600+ (2.00GHz, 512KB cache, socket 939), 2GB DDR Ram (which I already own) and a Radeon HD3850 256MB (which should be due sometime next week). Basically I was wondering, as I only have enough to order one or the other this week and will have to wait two weeks to get the final component, should I order my PSU this week (which will enable me to run the PC with the 3850 + 2GB Ram + the current CPU which is an Athlon X64 3200+ installed) or order the new CPU this week and wait two weeks for the power supply and then install it all at the same time. How would it handle games with the Athlon X64 3200+ installed and not the X2 3600+ if I were to get the PSU this week?

Thanks for your help and time

Frame352 · 16 Feb 2008 at 23:52

Peeps more knowledgeable than myself will give you better advice, but if it was me, I'd just wait and order everything together.

I think I'd prefer to install all items at once, and you'll probably save on postage too

mame · 17 Feb 2008 at 00:02

First of all, is the 3850 going to be AGP? if so, I would wait untill you see it in stock and are happy with the price because i think it will be expensive. The 3600 x2 has 2x256mb cache but the 3800 x2 has 2x512mb. I'm usually the first to say cache size doesnt make a big difference but at level it does. Try to get a 3800 x2, Should OC to 2.6-2.8ghz

AgedIdiot · 17 Feb 2008 at 00:04

What PSU you got?

And what are you upgrading to?

d3moliti0n · 17 Feb 2008 at 09:50

Peeps more knowledgeable than myself will give you better advice, but if it was me, I'd just wait and order everything together.

I think I'd prefer to install all items at once, and you'll probably save on postage too

I'm not buying all of the components from OcUK though, getting them from 3 different shops so either way I'm not going to save on postage.

First of all, is the 3850 going to be AGP? if so, I would wait untill you see it in stock and are happy with the price because i think it will be expensive. The 3600 x2 has 2x256mb cache but the 3800 x2 has 2x512mb. I'm usually the first to say cache size doesnt make a big difference but at level it does. Try to get a 3800 x2, Should OC to 2.6-2.8ghz

No the HD3850 is a PCI-Express card, my mobo supports PCI-E, and I can't find the 3800+ instock anywhere at the moment and I don't fancy buying a used one to be honest, I prefer to buy all my PC components brand new. So the 3600+ looked like the next best thing so I decided upon that.

What PSU you got?

And what are you upgrading to?

The PSU I currently have I know won't be able to power the HD3850 so I am upgrading to a 600w PSU.

The Badger · 17 Feb 2008 at 10:56

Take out that link d3moliti0n !!!! Its against the rules to post competitors

The Psu is a "600W EZ-Cool Silent SLi pPFC Power Supply PCI-E + SATA AMD & P4 Ready 12cm Silent Fan ATX12v Ready"

AgedIdiot · 17 Feb 2008 at 11:17

False economy to buy a cheap PSU.- And additional postage is going to inrease cost to £30 so why not go for

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=CA-023-OC&groupid=701&catid=123&subcat=148

and leave cpu until later. Again you can use the psu on next build, so why skimp.

Would also wonder as to how much wattage the cheapo psu actually can produce on a continous basis - if only one gpu do you need 600w wouldn't a 500-550 good 'un be enough e.g.

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=CA-089-AN&groupid=701&catid=123&subcat=103 or

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=CA-018-OK&groupid=701&catid=123&subcat=456

d3moliti0n · 17 Feb 2008 at 11:23

Is that PSU really that bad? It doesn't look to bad tbh but I haven't got that much to spend atm so am looking at budget upgrades more than anything, I plan on buying a new system within the next year or so though.

AgedIdiot · 17 Feb 2008 at 12:48

Have not been able to find any reviews on the PSU and therefore unfair for me to **** it off as such. True to say that you can be lucky or unlucky with psu's be they cheap or expensive.
Have used both and have never had problems with either.
You read some horror stories on 'em and you appear to get more failures on cheapos than more expensive.
Also , usually, the more expensive are more efficient (less electric used ) and ,hopefully,quieter.

I did find the below which appears to be comment on ez cool psu's (not sure which model) which , as is often the case, has people writing saying , Rubbish and Good!

http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/forum-replies-archive.cfm/538807.html

d3moliti0n · 17 Feb 2008 at 12:55

So would you say it's worth getting the EZCool or not? I'm on quite a tight budget atm so it would be better but as you said, in the long run it's better to use a more expensive PSU. There are quite a few positive comments and negatives being that it's too loud for some but nothing about it being unreliable.

AgedIdiot · 17 Feb 2008 at 15:04

Personally I would go for the more expensive ocz on offer .Why ? mainly because I would think it will be cooler,quieter,more efficient and less likely to fail than the ez cool.

I would not however be honest if I said that the Ocz wouldn't fail or that the ez cool would - impossible to predict.

The spec on the ez is a little sparse so impossible to compare but ocz comes with 3 yr swap out warranty and you know what cables etc your going to get; so ,as said, I would go for the ocz.