Upgrading Suggestions

[RCoon]

Originally Posted by LemurHaloEcho

Hey guys, i've been looking around the web for a couple of days, trying to scout out good deals, or parts for good prices, and between sites like Amazon, eBay, and Ebuyer, as well as the links provided here, i think i'm starting to get a good-ish grip on what it is that i need, and what i can afford and need.

Dent1, i'm not actually going to be able to sell off the parts on this PC, as it is still my father's, and will have to be given back to him when i'm done with it, including the disc-drive and HDD, so i'm going to have to try and find another 500gb HDD / disc drive, but on a plus-note, my father DOES have a legitimate copy of Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit which he's said i could use on the new PC, so i'll be operating on a 64-bit system, but will i suffer compatibility issues with my current files / music / stuff by changing from 32-bit to 64-bit?

Ah, and that £10 stack from Ebuyer comes with 0 fans, and i'm not too keen on it to be honest, after looking at used stacks on eBay i've found some pretty good brands going 2nd-hand, like this Antec 902 case - http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/3308240104...84.m1423.l2649 which i think at the right price would be good, maybe £30 including P&P, that's about the most i'll happily spend on a Case.

But i must ask, those two Piledriver CPU's, they're on pre-order at Overclockers, would something else be a better alternative? like a bundle? eg; http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1408500033...84.m1423.l2649

That bundle is pretty good, but dont expect that antec to stay at 99p for long...

Just a couple of thoughts really, as i know i'm going to have to buy a new HDD now so need to price up correctly.

If you live in the UK i have a random 250GB WD 7200 HDD you can have for free in all honesty, depending on the price of postage, i might even send it to you free I also have a 60GB SSD which I'll gladly sell you for dirt cheap, would make a pretty cool upgrade.

I often find bundle's dont always sell you the parts cheaper, just make it easier to buy, 4-8GB ram 1333mhz(minimum) a quad or hex core processor from AMD are dirt cheap and run games better than any other cpu at the same price range. Motherboard doesnt matter much, just an AM3+ chipset that can support 1 PCIE x16 lane and up to 16gb ram.

As for cases, if you have no intentions of overclocking much, i wouldnt be too worried about case design on your budget, you can get a lot of good modular cases for less than £50

EDIT: I'll also mention, if you want to buy everything from the same place, call up overclockers, they price match damn near everything, so if it's cheaper elsewhere, they'll match it, and you can buy it all from one place and save on multiple postage costs! Though in honesty I'm pretty sure everywhere will price match if you call them up nicely tell them how much you'd rather use their services than anyone else

[Dent1]

Originally Posted by LemurHaloEcho

Dent1, i'm not actually going to be able to sell off the parts on this PC, as it is still my father's, and will have to be given back to him when i'm done with it, including the disc-drive and HDD, so i'm going to have to try and find another 500gb HDD / disc drive.

If you cant reuse the case, HDD and optical drives and peripherals. You'll need to up your budget higher than £300. Closer to £400.

Originally Posted by LemurHaloEcho

Ah, and that £10 stack from Ebuyer comes with 0 fans, and i'm not too keen on it to be honest

Fan prices start from £1. Average price £3. You only need 2-3 fans. The design of the case doesn't matter, the priority is to get more performance from the hardware not blowing the budget on cosmetics.

Originally Posted by LemurHaloEcho

after looking at used stacks on eBay i've found some pretty good brands going 2nd-hand, like this Antec 902 case - http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/3308240104...84.m1423.l2649 which i think at the right price would be good, maybe £30 including P&P, that's about the most i'll happily spend on a Case.[/URL]

The P&P is already £20.

Unless you can get it for £30 all in I wouldn't bother. Bid £10 and no more. You can buy a brand new Antec One Hundred case for as little as £43 and the Antec Three Hundred for £50.

The difference between a quad core and a hexacore is £10-15. Getting a more expensive case means sacrificing performance for a box that is going to sit under your desk collecting dust. Don't get me wrong I actually have an Antec case myself, but I had a crappy Cooler Master case for years until I had the money to move up.


Antec One Case | Ebuyer.com
Antec 300 Three Hundred Two Case - with USB3.0 | E...

Ideally something shit so you can get most performance for your build:

Casecom CB-341 Black Mesh Mid Tower Case | Ebuyer....
Casecom KB-7760 Black ATX Midi Tower Case - No PSU...
Casecom Black ATX Mid Tower Case | Ebuyer.com

Originally Posted by LemurHaloEcho

But i must ask, those two Piledriver CPU's, they're on pre-order at Overclockers, would something else be a better alternative? like a bundle? eg; http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1408500033...84.m1423.l2649

Piledriver is AMD's best offering. Those links are the older Buldozer architecture. The bundle price is good but the motherboard isn't too appealing. If you can avoid it I wouldn't recommend a 4 core processor. If you are the type of person whom upgrades after many years you're putting yourself at a disadvantage already.

You'd be better off getting the Bulldozer X6 6100 and finding your own board than the bundle. But ultimately I would recommend the Piledriver, if it's on preorder then wait. Officially these CPUs were released ago, not sure why there is a shortage

[LemurHaloEcho]

@ RCoon, i greatly appreciate the offer, i might have to take you up on the HDD, but i'll see wether or not my father needs the HDD back or not, because i'd hate to leave it when it's a 500gb Seagate, i know that's a pretty damn good HDD in there so.. I'll get back to you as soon as i know mate, i won't dip you around about it.

@ Dent1, i see where you're coming from, cosmetics mean nothing in reality, it's nice to have a nifty-looking case, but nicer to be have the hardware to make the looks mean something! As mentioned before, i'll see if i can actually keep the HDD on here, not sure about the optical drive, he might want that back with the HDD and the rest of it.. but i do own the peripherals, Monitor, Speakers, Mouse, Keyboard.

I've already given up on that Antec 902 case on eBay, brand-new those are £90+, it won't go for £30 total, no way on heaven and earth.

Well i'll be waiting a while for the money to buy the pieces for this stack, so i'll be sort-of buying pieces here and there, assembling it on-the-fly so to speak, so at some point i'll edit the first post in this thread and actually create a final checklist of what i'll be using and buying, along with links, and tick them off as and when.

But now for another question or two.. one being, when i buy this 6-core Piledriver, does it come with a cpu-heatsink like my current cpu has? or are those bought seperately? asking because, well, this is a first-time build, i just don't know these things yet

Second question would be, please tell me only an absolute imbecile could somehow possibly screw-up fitting a CPU to a motherboard?

[Dent1]

Originally Posted by LemurHaloEcho

but will i suffer compatibility issues with my current files / music / stuff by changing from 32-bit to 64-bit?

Your files will stay there same there is no compatibility differences you'll notice.

Back in 2006 when Windows Vista was released Microsoft was pushing 64-bit operating system's heavily but the market wasnt ready. Software packages like Norton Antivirus had issues running in a 64-bit environments but now it's the opposite now 64-bit OS is the norm and not something the average person needs to think about.

Originally Posted by LemurHaloEcho

when i buy this 6-core Piledriver, does it come with a cpu-heatsink like
my current cpu has? or are those bought seperately?

If you buy a retail box it will come with a heatsink. OEM packages don't always come with heatsinks. All the ones I linked are retail boxes.

Originally Posted by Aquinus

Not to be a downer, but if I was really tight on money like you are I wouldn't even consider upgrading my computer. Saving your money and not blowing it just because you have some to spend would be the best option IMHO. That way you can invest more money later or have the extra money in case of an emergency. That's just me, where I tend to be a bit fiscally conservative.

Agree'd these days I'm dropping less money on upgrading. I rather invest my money.

Saying that my system meets my need so I can't justify upgrading if the reward is non-beneficial to me.

[Aquinus]

Not to be a downer, but if I was really tight on money like you are I wouldn't even consider upgrading my computer. Saving your money and not blowing it just because you have some to spend would be the best option IMHO. That way you can invest more money later or have the extra money in case of an emergency. That's just me, where I tend to be a bit fiscally conservative.

[LemurHaloEcho]

@ Aquinus - I realise that in some respect, it'd be smarter to save money these days than spend it, but believe me when i say, it's not being spent needlessly, as you'll have read earlier the thread, the components in this PC are near retirement, albeit superior to my previous Intel Pentium D PC, and so i've got to start looking towards a new PC at some point.

@ Dent1 - Well i'm glad there shouldn't be any compatability issues between my 32-bit files and the 64-bit OS.

I'm still debating a time-frame on this whole build by the way, i've got my father to look into this thread at some point, and give me some advice as well (He's worked with computers for as long as i've been alive near-enough).

As it stands at the moment, thanks to you guys of course, i'm near-enough 100% positive on what i want out of a computer, and what i want to buy, as well as where to buy it from, what i plan on doing now is saving up money, and waiting till Christmas for Diablo 3, at which point i can really determine when i need to do the build.

[Aquinus]

Originally Posted by LemurHaloEcho

@ Aquinus - I realise that in some respect, it'd be smarter to save money these days than spend it, but believe me when i say, it's not being spent needlessly, as you'll have read earlier the thread, the components in this PC are near retirement, albeit superior to my previous Intel Pentium D PC, and so i've got to start looking towards a new PC at some point.

Oh, I completely understand that, but it's still not sensible to spend the only money you have to get an incremental increase in performance when later down the road you can get something significantly better. Not to be an ass, but you should spend less time on the computer and more time earning money to aim for what you really want, which is a half decent, modern, computer rather than upgrading an already aging computer because from the sounds of it, you want to replace the entire thing, not just parts of it. Pardon my being course, but it doesn't make sense to improve your current platform.

[LemurHaloEcho]

Originally Posted by Aquinus

Oh, I completely understand that, but it's still not sensible to spend the only money you have to get an incremental increase in performance when later down the road you can get something significantly better. Not to be an ass, but you should spend less time on the computer and more time earning money to aim for what you really want, which is a half decent, modern, computer rather than upgrading an already aging computer because from the sounds of it, you want to replace the entire thing, not just parts of it. Pardon my being course, but it doesn't make sense to improve your current platform.

Well, to put some personal info into the thread, hopefully between now and christmas i might be getting a job from a friend, which'll be fantastic, but i've been looking to actually build a new computer as opposed to simply upgrading this one, as it's not mine, it's my fathers that he's allowed me to bring with me when moving out, so yes i do want to replace the entire thing and give him back this one, but as i've mentioned before, i more than likely won't be doing this all in one go, it'll be over a period of time, and not only that, but i'm not actually looking to have something that'll run say, Crysis 3 at highest resolution at ultra settings whilst dual-monitoring a video-edit, i'm just looking for a decent all-rounder, that'll play games that i like, nicely, as well as the odd open-beta game here and there, some general computer work, a bit of video browsing, and that's it really.

I know it kind-of sounds like i'm just looking to waste money, but it's more than just having a computer that'll run games and programmes at a decent clip, it's about owning my own computer too, having some independence y'know?

[Aquinus]

Originally Posted by LemurHaloEcho

but as i've mentioned before, i more than likely won't be doing this all in one go, it'll be over a period of time, and not only that, but i'm not actually looking to have something that'll run say, Crysis 3 at highest resolution at ultra settings whilst dual-monitoring a video-edit, i'm just looking for a decent all-rounder, that'll play games that i like, nicely, as well as the odd open-beta game here and there, some general computer work, a bit of video browsing, and that's it really.

I know, I get that. I'm just saying it's the "I more than likely won't be doing this all in one go" bit. What I'm trying to say is since you don't have a platform worth upgrading you should save your money so you can do it all in one go so you get decent hardware for whatever you end up doing. That is all. Starting really low and working your way up ends up wasting money in the long run. The decision is up to you, though.

[LemurHaloEcho]

Originally Posted by Aquinus

I know, I get that. I'm just saying it's the "I more than likely won't be doing this all in one go" bit. What I'm trying to say is since you don't have a platform worth upgrading you should save your money so you can do it all in one go so you get decent hardware for whatever you end up doing. That is all. Starting really low and working your way up ends up wasting money in the long run. The decision is up to you, though.

Ahh right, no i know what you mean, what i had in mind really was basically making up a list on here of the parts that'll suit purpose best, then buy them as and when i can afford them, and build the computer over time, but if better things come out during that time for the same price or less, or i end up with a bigger budget, or any of the other variables (sales etc) then yeah, saving up the money and just buying it all in one go would be a safer approach i suspect

[LemurHaloEcho]

Hey guys! Just a quick update tonight, wanted to let you all know i've gotten a 15hr/week job working with my fiancee, so after christmas i'll be earning an income at long last! So, with that in mind, i'll be putting away a little each month towards a computer, til i reach my target of between £300 - £400 for the whole build.

Now, just as a quick question, i was recommended to get a HD 7770 GPU for my build, but would (if possible when i've saved up my funds) it be better to go for a generation older but higher spec card for the same money / less money? something like a 6870?

Anyway folks, hope you all had a great christmas and have a great new year too!

[Crap Daddy]

It depends on how much you will have to spend and if you'll find a new 6870. Also older gen cards tend to be less supported by newer drivers. Maybe you will be able to afford a 7850.

[LemurHaloEcho]

Hi again peeps!

So, after much consideration and thought, i've begun compiling a to-buy list for this new build, to help me get a clear route to take on this first build of mine and to help me not stray from a sensible and do-able budget

So-far, this is what i've got down:

CPU: AMD FX-6300
(http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showpr...67&subcat=1825)

Motherboard: Asus M5A99X EVO AMD 990X
(http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showpr...03&subcat=2046)

OR

Gigabyte 990FXA-UD3 AMD 990FX
(http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showpr...odid=MB-350-GI)

GPU: Sapphire HD 7770 GHz Vapor-X OC Edition
(http://www.dabs.com/products/sapphir...7Q1.html?src=7)

HDD: Seagate 500GB Barracuda SATA-600 7200RPM
(http://www.dabs.com/products/seagate...89-50410&src=3)

Optical Drive: Samsung 24x SH-224BB DVD-RW SATA
(http://www.dabs.com/products/samsung...94959720&src=3)

Things Missing:

PSU: Unsure what wattage will be needed.

RAM(8GB As will be on Win7 64):

CASE: Idea's atm include - (http://www.dabs.com/products/gigabyt...80000-11&src=3) - (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sharkoon-ATX...859329&sr=1-53) - (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/3707278367...84.m1423.l2649)

As you can see, it's a little bit of a mix and match atm, and looking rather pricey at between £380 and £390, and that's without PSU, RAM and Case! I think it might be driven up in price by the Motherboards i've looked at so far, but i really did like the sounds of the ASUS mobo with it's easy to use BIOS (for future OC-ing) and flashing should ever it need it.

If any of you could perhaps give me some suggestions as per what i'm missing & how to save a little money without compromising build quality, it'd be greatly appreciated at this juncture, i know that like 70 - 80% of your budget should go on CPU & Mobo + PSU + GPU, those being the 4 things not to scrimp money on (especially PSU) but as i've said, it's all a bit confusing!

[Crap Daddy]

For PSU:

http://www.dabs.com/products/corsair...ir%20cx&src=16

I would change the 7770 with this 650Ti:

http://www.dabs.com/products/best-va...50%20ti&src=16

or the overclocked version for one pound more:

http://www.dabs.com/products/best-va...50%20ti&src=16

HDD:

http://www.dabs.com/products/western...q=500gb&src=16

and maybe this case:

http://www.dabs.com/products/corsair...corsair&src=16