Updating Machine...any suggestions?

Dufran3

Dufran3

CAGiversary!
I was wanting to update my current machine...here are my current parts with links...I would like to replace my HD, Proc, video card, and memory with faster and better parts, of course with out breaking the bank. Any suggestions

Here are my current scores in Windows 7



And here are my current parts:

Proc> Intel Core 2 Duo E8500 Wolfdale 3.16GHz 6MB L2 Cache LGA 775 65W Dual-Core
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115036

Mobo> DFI LP DK P45-T2RS PLUS LGA 775 Intel P45 ATX Intel
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813136053

Memory> OCZ Platinum 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model OCZ2P10664GK
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227298

Video Card> SAPPHIRE 100242L Radeon HD 4850 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102747
 
those all look pretty good. like SOSTrooper said, maybe upgrade to the 5850. And did you plan to order the graphics card from newegg? because it is deactivated there..

If ordering from Newegg, Remember to use bing! for an extra 2% back, which is about $10!
 
budget?
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Budget is about $400 probably. Around there, maybe a little more or less. I was wanting to up my CPU because it was scored the lowest...I kno my HD is crap, so I didn't list it.

those all look pretty good. like SOSTrooper said, maybe upgrade to the 5850. And did you plan to order the graphics card from newegg? because it is deactivated there..
Click to expand...

What do you mean that the card is deactivated from newegg?
 
You already have some pretty decent hardware there. The only thing that stands out for a potential upgrade is the video card. The Radeon 5870 that just came out is pretty solid, at least based on initial reviews. It's pricey, though, at about $380. A 1 GB Radeon 4890 would be all right, too, and checks in at about $200.

If you're not dead set on ATI, the NVIDIA GeFroce GTX 275 would be another good choice. They range in price from $220 (for an 896 MB card) to about $300 (for 1792 MB). If you wanted to dump all $400 into a single card, the GeForce GTX 285 2 GB is great--I'm running one in my system right now. I previously had a GTX 295 and was really disappointed with it.

Put in a faster video card, then overclock your system, and it'll be like having a brand-new machine. Put a decent CPU cooler on, and you should be able to get 3.6 GHz or more with little fanfare.
 
Well the 5850 isn't really deactivated, its just that there is no stock yet. Maybe by the end of the week they'll have them stocked.

So you're upgrading because Windows 7 is telling you some random numbers and you're assuming you need an upgrade? Your PC is perfectly fine. It wouldn't be wise to spend money on upgrading the CPU/RAM because newer Intel sockets are out (1156 and 1366). I don't know what games you play, but if you play games like Crysis and max out your settings and play at 1920x1200 then you should get the Radeon 5850 and a faster hard drive like the WD Black or the Seagate 7200.12 series. The 4850 you have is still good, but you can upgrade that if you are complaining it being slow and jerky when playing games. But I'm hoping you're upgrading because you want the PC to run games more smoothly, and not because Windows 7's arbitrary numbers.
 
Put in a faster video card, then overclock your system, and it'll be like having a brand-new machine. Put a decent CPU cooler on, and you should be able to get 3.6 GHz or more with little fanfare.
Click to expand...
I currently have a third party cooler on my proc. and also a third party cooler on my Video card. I may end up getting a faster HD and a video card. What app. do you use to overclock? Or do you just do it in the BIOS. I'm always a little nervous about overclocking, because I don't want to ruin the parts I have.

So you're upgrading because Windows 7 is telling you some random numbers and you're assuming you need an upgrade? Your PC is perfectly fine. It wouldn't be wise to spend money on upgrading the CPU/RAM because newer Intel sockets are out (1156 and 1366). I don't know what games you play, but if you play games like Crysis and max out your settings and play at 1920x1200 then you should get the Radeon 5850 and a faster hard drive like the WD Black or the Seagate 7200.12 series. The 4850 you have is still good, but you can upgrade that if you are complaining it being slow and jerky when playing games. But I'm hoping you're upgrading because you want the PC to run games more smoothly, and not because Windows 7's arbitrary numbers.
Click to expand...

I play games like TF2, COD4 and soon to be COD6, and just want the games to run smoother. That's why I'm trying to get some upgrades in here. Also want my computer in general to run faster.
 
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[quote name='Dufran3']I currently have a third party cooler on my proc. and also a third party cooler on my Video card. I may end up getting a faster HD and a video card. What app. do you use to overclock? Or do you just do it in the BIOS. I'm always a little nervous about overclocking, because I don't want to ruin the parts I have.[/QUOTE]

You should always overclock through the BIOS. I don't know about DFI, but eVGA offers a utility that allows for overclocking from within Windows, specifically for testing settings without needing to constantly boot into the BIOS.

There are lots of overclocking guides on the web, and there probably are some that are specific to your motherboard. Modern PC hardware is very fault tolerant; most of the time, if you push your system too far, the worst that will happen is a BSOD or spontaneous reboot. You don't need to push 4 GHz. You can probably get a couple hundred extra MHz without needing a voltage increase by slightly increasing your front-side bus. You'd probably have to lock down your RAM speed to 800 MHz, but that's easy enough on most enthusiast-grade boards.

Believe me, I was pretty nervous about overclocking, especially since I dropped a good chunk of change on a Core i7 system. My current clock speed of 3.55 GHz is not nearly as far as others have pushed their machines, but I'm more than happy with the results. The key is to take it slowly and test settings thoroughly using things such as 3DMark and Prime95.
 
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