Will the ASUS P5N-E SLI support...

Jango

Jango

Jango

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Hi!

I want to upgrade from my current Intel Core 2 Duo E6550 2.33Ghz to the Intel Core 2 Quad Q8400 2.66Ghz.

Also, I have a GeForce 8500GT 256MB RAM and I wan to upgrade to a GeForce GTS 250 SLI 1024MB .

Will the ASUS P5N-E SLI Motherboard support these upgrades?

Thanks in advance. :)
 
The 650 and 680 chipset do not support 45nm quads, so the best quad core you can upgrade to is a Q6xxx. Two 250s should work ok but make sure you have a decent psu.
 
The board may or may not support a 45nm quad - but theres no guarantees - some 650 boards do have BIOS upgrades that support them in theory - some will even boot ok without an upgrade, despite a BIOS error message on booting... but in short that answer would be no to a 45nm quad, and even a 65nm quad may not run too well on some 6x0 nForce boards... your unlikely to get above 3gig with overclocking either.

GPUs should be fine but I'd reccomend you have either atleast a 500watt decent brand PSU, 600watt pref.
 
What is 'nm'?

So I can buy a GeForce GTS 250 SLI 1024MB and it will work with my Motherboard?

Also, doesn't the P5N-E SLI have a LGA775 socket, which can support the Intel Core 2 Quad Q8400 2.66Ghz? It uses a LGA775 socket.

Here is my rig (if useful):

Windows Vista Home Premium X32 Bit
Intel Core 2 Duo E6550 2.33Ghz
2GB DDR2 667Mhz RAM
500GB Hard Drive
GeForce 8500GT 256MB Graphics Card
550 Watt Power Supply

PS: What is a GPU?

PSS: For reference, I am not interested in overclocking.
 
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1) nm = nanometre. When we refer to 65nm or 45nm, we mean the size of the CPU's microarchitecture.

2) The sockets might be the same, but the power circuitry employed on most of the older Nvidia boards is not up to scratch for 45nm quads, which is why they are not officially supported. It was the same situation on the early Intel socket 775 boards - they supported Pentium Ds but not Core 2 Duos even though the socket was the same.

3) GPU = Graphics Processing Unit

---------

What is the make and model of your PSU?

What screen resolution do you run? SLi is a waste under 1680x1050.
 
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Thank you :)

Are you sure? Will it be ok on Vista X32 Bit? Will my motherboard support the FSB speed? Will my PSU be able to support the upgrades?

I don't want to spend £140 on a processor or £85 on a graphics card to find that it doesn't work...

Here is some info on my PSU sticker:

HEC: High Evolution Commitment
HEC-550TD-PTE
Total Output: 550Watt

Again, thanks in advance ;)

Nice rig btw :)
 
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The CPU will work fine - you can see the CPU support list here:

http://support.asus.com/cpusupport/cpusupport.aspx?SLanguage=en-us

The graphics card will also work fine.

Remember that if you do have any compatibility problems (which you shouldn't) you can always return the parts.

I'm not sure I trust your power supply though - whilst I expect it will run the parts listed I would personally feel more confident about your upgrades if you had a better unit.

Either way, you will need a 6-pin PCI-E power lead for the new card.
 
If you need the use if your SATA ports then i would advise against buying two GTS250 cards as the lowrer one will block the SATA ports
 
I only want one GTS 250 :)

How can I tell whether my Power Supply will handle the upgrades? :confused:

Also, if my Power Supply won't handle the upgrades, then would I be able to get a refund?
 
Have a gander at the spec sticker on the side - we need to know the amperage it kicks out over the 12v rails.

Here's OCUK's return policy:

Under the Distance Selling Regulations (2000) you have the right to cancel the contract relating to your order at any time up to the end of 7 working days after the goods are delivered. To exercise your right of cancellation, you must give written notice to Overclockers UK by letter, fax or RMA WebNote giving details of the goods ordered and date received. Notification by phone is not acceptable. If you exercise your right of cancellation under the Distance Selling Regulations (2000) after the goods have been delivered to you, you will be responsible for returning the goods to Overclockers UK at your own cost. The Distance Selling Regulations (2000) places a duty on you to take reasonable care of the goods once you have exercised your right to cancel. Returned items must be packaged properly and shipped in a plain outer box. Please try to include all internal packaging, cables, manuals, drivers and protective bags, however small. Overclockers UK will refund you within 30 days for any sum that has been paid by you or debited from your credit or debit card for the goods. If after exercising your right under the Distance Selling Regulations (2000) you do not return the goods as required, Overclockers UK may charge you a sum not exceeding the direct costs of recovering the goods. When exercising your right to cancel under the Distance Selling Regulations (2000) please return goods to Overclockers UK (Esnet Ltd), 4 Axis, Millenium way, High Carr Business Park, Newcastle-under-lyme, ST5 7UF.
Click to expand...

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/support.php
 
Here are the details on the sticker on my Power Supply:


(H.E.C) HIGH-QUALITY EVOLUTION COMMITMENT

HEC-550TD-PTE
_________________________________________________________
AC INPUT:..|...230Vac 50Hz 7A.................................................|
__________|______________________________________________|
DC OUTPUT:|.+3.3V..|..+5V..|...+12V1..|..+12V2.|..-12V...|..+5Vsb.|
__________|_______|______|________|_______|_______|_______|
MAX.A:......|..30A....|.38A....|....18A....|..17A....|...0.3A..|...2A.....|
__________|_______|______|________|_______|_______|_______|
....+5V8+3.3V COMBINED 185W...........TOTAL OUTPUT 550W..........|
_________________________________________________________|

I would put a photo on here but I don't know the URL for it...:confused:

So, as long as I return it within 7 days - with all the parts of course, I can get my money back no matter what? :)
 
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Yeah, it looks like it should be ok, but I can't guarantee reliability or stability.

If I were you I'd probably purchase a new PSU to guarantee peace of mind.

But yes, you have a 7 day returns period, and you will get a full refund (minus postage) as long as the items are complete and not damaged.
 
Thank you very much for your help reflux :)

Other people have said that my PSU will be completely fine. I won't upgrade it because I can't afford it along with the other upgrades.

One more question though: If my upgrades do work, how long will it be until they won't be able to play games at their recommended settings for any longer? (I'm hoping about 2 years...)

Or, do you think they would be able to play Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 at highest settings. (Or at least Call of Duty: World at War on highest).

If not, I might be more inclined to get a GTX 260 card instead.
 
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It's difficult to tell really mate; as obviously standards change and the marketplace develops at an unpredictable pace. However, I bought a GeForce 8800GTS 320mb two and a half years ago, and it would probably still run most titles on medium - of key importance here is resolution - cards are far more taxed at 1920x1200 for example than at 1280x1024. Above you say you run at 1024x768, which is very low, so you should have no bother for a while to come!

There have been no performance details about MW:2 released afaik, but it's based on the COD4 engine, so I wouldn't expect anything massively advanced. Regardless, at only 1024x768 a GTS250 will demolish it :)

I would consider putting a bit of cash towards a bigger screen though - gaming on a big, high resolution screen is much more immersive.
 
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