Upgrading a rig for ~500$

[BarbaricSoul]

Here is some examples of the CPU heatsinks/fans they are talking about.

http://www.newegg.com/Store/SubCategory.aspx?SubCategory=574&name=CPU-Fans-Heatsinks

 

[spearman914]

http://arstechnica.com/reviews/hardware/ati-4800-series-review.ars Review 4850 vs 4870

 

[AltecV1]

Sa võiksid videokaardiks valida selle!http://www.arvutikeskus.ee/index.php?pid=0&id=11&menyy_id=11&action=look&lookid=65553
mul oli endal 7600GT ja uuendasin HD4850 peale ja olen väga rahul!!!!!

 

[Mustkunstn1k]

hi Mustkunstn1k.

To answer your question about OC'ing, is it neccasary? No, not really.Does it help with gaming performance, most definently. Easiest way I can explain this is, take your 2 1/2 year old 1.8 dual core cpu, OC it to 3 gigs(this may be farther than you'll be able to acheive) and your 1.8 dual core is running at the same speed as my $165 higher end E8400 dual core cpu at stock speeds.

Your motherboard isn't gonna cause any bottlenecking in your system, but your cpu at 1.8 gigs will most definently bottleneck a 1 gig 4870. Doing a moderate OC, say for instance taking your CPU from 1.8 to 2.6, is actually pretty easy. And the increase in frames per second in gaming will make it all worth it.

Oh, one last thing, I almost forgot. OC'ing is more performance FOR FREE

Well, as i understand i need to buy a cooler? 1.8->3.0 would be pretty awesome. Specially that it's two cores, if it means soemthing.. And do i OC both Mobo and CPU or just CPU?

I found that coolers are sold, but first i would prolly have to choose what kind..

AMD Socket A
AMD Socket 754
AMD Socket 939
AMD Socket 940
AMD Socket AM2
Intel Socket 370
Intel Socket 423
Intel Socket 478
Intel Socket 775
Intel Socket 603
Intel Socket 604

Sa võiksid videokaardiks valida selle!http://www.arvutikeskus.ee/index.php?pid=0&id=11&menyy_id=11&action=look&lookid=65553
mul oli endal 7600GT ja uuendasin HD4850 peale ja olen väga rahul!!!!!

Ainult 512mb.. Ma vaatan rohkem 1GB poole.

 

[BarbaricSoul]

You need a socket 775 compatable heatsink for your current system. After you pick one out, before buying it, I suggest you ask us about the model and brand on heatsink you pick.

Well, as i understand i need to buy a cooler? 1.8->3.0 would be pretty awesome. Specially that it's two cores, if it means soemthing.. And do i OC both Mobo and CPU or just CPU?

I found that coolers are sold, but first i would prolly have to choose what kind..

AMD Socket A
AMD Socket 754
AMD Socket 939
AMD Socket 940
AMD Socket AM2
Intel Socket 370
Intel Socket 423
Intel Socket 478
Intel Socket 775
Intel Socket 603
Intel Socket 604


Ainult 512mb.. Ma vaatan rohkem 1GB poole.

 

[Binge]

For folding, use a GTX 280. For gaming, rock it with the HD 4870X2. You might need a new board.

For folding get a GTX280. For gaming get a GTX280. lol I'm never going back to red after the 4870 series. 4850s aren't so bad but they need to optimize the usage of DDR5 in the 4870/4870x2.

 

[Mustkunstn1k]

BarbaricSoul - But still, do i need it to overlock it a little bit (so it wouldn't be a bottleneck)?

Binge - What does foldig actually mean (i know what it means if your talking about folding paper or something). And i think GTX280 is too expensive.

 

[silkstone]

Folding is a program - It stresses the CPU and Graphics card - Kinda like SETI@HOME which searches for aliens but folding for the GPU and i think it maps DNA.

RE: your previous question, you Overclock the CPU not the motherboard.
You do this by increasing the FSB (Front side bus) frequency - The settings for this are in the bios (press del when you turn on your computer).
It's very easy to do. You need to find the setting (Ask us) and the increase the frequency from 200 to 250mhz (for a 25% overclock) or 200 to 300mhz for a 50% overclock, and so on.
You may also increase the voltage, but not too much, and you really should get a new heatsink (cpu fan) anything with a 120mm fan attached should be good to go, but ask here first.

 

[Mustkunstn1k]

Folding is a program - It stresses the CPU and Graphics card - Kinda like SETI@HOME which searches for aliens but folding for the GPU and i think it maps DNA.

RE: your previous question, you Overclock the CPU not the motherboard.
You do this by increasing the FSB (Front side bus) frequency - The settings for this are in the bios (press del when you turn on your computer).
It's very easy to do. You need to find the setting (Ask us) and the increase the frequency from 200 to 250mhz (for a 25% overclock) or 200 to 300mhz for a 50% overclock, and so on.
You may also increase the voltage, but not too much, and you really should get a new heatsink (cpu fan) anything with a 120mm fan attached should be good to go, but ask here first.

And what do you really good you get from folding? I'll also check out the fan thing then.

 

[crazy pyro]

The point of it is that you're aiding research into diseases caused by the misfolding of proteins, these diseases also include cancers, can't remember other diseases. Idea is that you're benefiting the wider world. Quote from folding.stanford.edu
Moreover, when proteins do not fold correctly (i.e. "misfold"), there can be serious consequences, including many well known diseases, such as Alzheimer's, Mad Cow (BSE), CJD, ALS, Huntington's, Parkinson's disease, and many Cancers and cancer-related syndromes.

 

[Mustkunstn1k]

Okay. But if i get a new fan do i attach it to the old one or something. Or do i replace it? I'm thinking i will prolly replace it, but what's the point? Stock one is weaker and older (i'm guessing it's not 120 mm then).

 

[BarbaricSoul]

the new heatsink would replace the stock heatsink, you can't use both of them at the sametime.

A stock heatsink is only adequate for cooling a CPU at stock or close to stock speeds. The aftermarket heatsinks have alot greater cooling efficiency, thus keeps your CPU running cooler, thus allowing it to run harder and still keep cool.

 

[BarbaricSoul]

BarbaricSoul - But still, do i need it to overlock it a little bit (so it wouldn't be a bottleneck)?

to get a high enough OC to have as little as possible bottleneck, I would recommend getting one. Currently these are about the best heatsinks available today-

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835233003

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835154001

 

[Mustkunstn1k]

If i can find any of those here then which one? The more expensive one seems to be universal, but the cheaper one only goes for my CPU?
Anyway, i'll just think that i'll see how much can i do without the heatsink first.

 

[Mustkunstn1k]

So before i get to all that overclocking i need to choose the version of 1GB 4870.. Here are some links that show what is sold:

Name is in the blue box, price is in EEK and there can be some extra info down too:

http://www.minupood.ee/product_info.php?cPath=1855_1770_1780&products_id=39759

http://www.minupood.ee/product_info.php?cPath=1855_1770_1780&products_id=40599

http://www.minupood.ee/product_info.php?cPath=1855_1770_1780&products_id=41039

http://www.minupood.ee/product_info.php?cPath=1855_1770_1780&products_id=38757

http://www.minupood.ee/product_info.php?cPath=1855_1770_1780&products_id=38218

Here are also some links (even though it's not English i think you can get how powerful everything is. The price is behind "Hind:" way down").

http://arvutikeskus.ee/index.php?action=look&lookid=71260

http://arvutikeskus.ee/index.php?action=look&lookid=61565

http://arvutikeskus.ee/index.php?action=look&lookid=71701

 

[Mustkunstn1k]

Since i haven't gotten a response i took the time to write them all out.

Still don't know which one to get.

1GB GDDR5 PCIE16 HD4870/D.SL 11133-04-20R SML SAPPHIRE (Mem clock: 1800 MHz
GPU clock: 750 MHz) for 3800.-

More info: http://www.minupood.ee/product_info.php?cPath=1855_1770_1780&products_id=39759 (it's not in English, but i think you guys can make out what the spefications are etc).

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1GB GDDR5 PCIE16 HD4870/GV-R487D5-1GD GIGABYTE (Mem clock: 3600 MHz GPU clock: 750 MHz) for 4100.-

More info: http://www.minupood.ee/product_info.php?cPath=1855_1770_1780&products_id=41039 (it's not in English, but i think you guys can make out what the spefications are etc).

---

1GB GDDR5 PCIE16 R4870/R4870-T2D1G-OC MSI (Mem clock: 3600 MHz GPU clock: 780 MHz) for 4400.-

More info: http://www.minupood.ee/product_info.php?cPath=1855_1770_1780&products_id=38757 (it's not in English, but i think you guys can make out what the spefications are etc).

---

ASUSTEK - gigantic 1gb memory on board with enthusiastic 4 heat-pipe dark knight cooler + hdmi 1.3 output support (CPU clock: 750 mhz Mem Clock: 3.6 ghz) for 3700.-

More info: http://www.arvutikeskus.ee/index.php?action=look&lookid=71260 (it's not in English, but i think you guys can make out what the spefications are etc).

---

CLUB 3D hd 4870 oc edition (CPU clock: 800 mhz Mem Clock: 3.7 ghz) for 3800.-

More info: http://arvutikeskus.ee/index.php?action=look&lookid=61565 (it's not in English, but i think you guys can make out what the spefications are etc).

---

Then there is this one, which seems to be the same MSI one above: http://arvutikeskus.ee/index.php?action=look&lookid=71701 .

---

I'm thinking either the OC edition of Club3D or ASUTEK...

 

[BarbaricSoul]

I'd get the ASUSTEK. All the cards you listed are capable of running the same clock speeds(some may go alittle higher than the others). ASUS is a good company. Only brand I believe I would pick over ASUS would be EVGA, but they make nvidia cards, not ATI.

 

[crazy pyro]

What about XFX barabaric?

 

[Mustkunstn1k]

What about XFX barabaric?

That's a version of 4870 1gb ?! Anyway they don't seem to sell them in my country.

 

[crazy pyro]

Ah right, I'm sure they had one listed on scan last time I went to stare at them in desire.
Not very helpful but here's evidence of their existence: http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/1GB-...R5-GPU-750MHz-800-Cores-2x-DL-DVI-I-HDTV-HDCP

 

[Mustkunstn1k]

Hmh, okay - but they still don't sell it here. Anyway about the ASUTEK vs Club3D. I mean i don't know how to overclock and Club3D seems to have higher clock rates, what about that?

 

[crazy pyro]

Overclocking my HD 4850 has been easy as hell, Up the fan speed to 100% (I'm not a silence freak) and then move the sliders up in 20 MHz increments in the overdrive section of CCC, caused no problems for me and it's 100% stable so far, although my card is running very cool at ~23 degrees at idle (it goes up to 30 in warmer weather, depends on the ambient temp in my office.) and 34 while playing TF2 with everything maxed running dual monitors.

 

[Mustkunstn1k]

I actually looked in to some 216, since people say that the GTX 260 SP216 is better than 4870.. What do you think?

ATI ASUTEK 4870 1GB for 3700.-

or

NVIDIA PALIT GTX 260 SP216 PCI-E 896mb for 4000.-

or

CLUB 3D GTX 260 SP216 PCI-E 896 MB GDDR3 for 4200.-

I really don't know how much better the 216 one is, but it costs more and there is less memory (but that prolly doesn't matter anyway).

 

[Mustkunstn1k]

Hey guys. What do you think of this one? Shipping frres are a little high but it is definetly the cheapest one: http://www.pixmania.com/ee/ee/1637125/art/sapphire-technology/radeon-hd-4870-1-gb-gddr5.html

The problem also is that if it's anything like this (but the pictures are different), then it only has 1800 mem clock instead of 3600 of ASUTEK:

http://www.minupood.ee/product_info.php?cPath=1855_1770_1780&products_id=39759