hello, I'm thinking of buying a new pc since my old one is finally starting to give up on me.. I'm not very good at all the pc gadgets and stuff but i do love to play games.. mostly rpg and rts like WoW, RFO, WC, and the total war franchise. Well this is my old pc (i mean old i'm only buying a new one since new games are probably not going to work anymore)... motherboard: ECS G3IT-M7L CPU: Intel Core Duo E4500 Video Card: Inno3D GF7300GT Memory: Transcend 1GB DDR2 I dont really need a top of the line pc just something i can have fun with.. I'm thinking of buying a new pc piece by piece so i'll probably start with a new motherboard. I read about the new MSI Eclipse and the P6T or should I go for a cheaper board. I'm not sure the old parts would be compatible though. I'd really like to have the old parts installed in the board before buying the other parts but I'd like a board that could really be upgraded after some time. Any advice?
Now, based on your post your interested in the MSI Eclipse, this board will not work with your current Processor or Memory but it will work with the other things you have listed, basically the MSI Eclipse is an x58 motherboard (priced at around $349.99 USD) which uses the new i7 Processors (which are still more expensive then say Q6600's, etc and are still first generation). Basically based on the games you play I don't imagine you'll be needing an x58 system unless you want to be an early adopter and get the First Generation i7 CPUs / x58 motherboards. (The P6T is the same way) In simpler terms you'll be spending anywhere between 600 - 1500 on the CPU, Ram and motherboard alone if you go the x58 / i7 way. If your going to start buying a PC Piece by Piece what are some of the specific pieces of hardware you'd like to see in your Computer, personally this is what I imagine you'd like based on what some of your post says. I don't know if you prefer nVidia or ATI but I prefer Intel and ATI. (Note: Links to Newegg.com) Motherboard: GIGABYTE GA-EP45-UD3P CPU: Intel Core2 Quad Q9400 2.66GHz / 6MB L2 RAM / Memory: OCZ Reaper HPC 4GB (2 x 2GB) Power Supply: CORSAIR CMPSU-750TX (750 Watts) Video Card: SAPPHIRE Radeon HD 4870 1GB GDDR5 Hard Drive: Western Digital Caviar Black WD6401AALS 640GB Keep in mind this system will be able to run all of the new games, heck I'd even say it's a tad future proof until i7 replaces LGA775 Quad-Cores. You'll most likely need a new case, the 4870 is huge, I'd go as far as saying if you want extremely great Cooling Performance you should go with a Full Tower that has a lot of fans, like the Antec 1200, Xclio Windtunnel, etc I have no idea what your really interested in, from what it seems you want an i7 build but you don't have a lot of experience with all the new technology so it's probably better to go with the tested and working way rather then the new and perhaps buggy way.
None of your old hardware will work if you move to an X58 motherboard. So unless you want to do it all at once, you'll need to look fore something more along the lines of what Infection recommended. If you've got the budget, I don't see a reason NOT to go with a full on i7 build. The hardware is great (if not a bit pricey), and will be more future proof (triple channel DDR3, LGA 1336, etc). However, if you just want to go a bit at a time and don't have the budget for a full build now, a good Core2Quad build will last you a good while, and will be relatively cheap - but I'd recommend getting new RAM asap, since DDR2 prices will probably start going up again in the nearish futures, since DDR3 production is ramping up.
Have you considered the AMD Phenom II. There are two models and their performance is roughly similar to aQ9400. Both the cpu and supporting motherboard are priced competitively.
actually I'm only interested in being able to play good games on my PC. I guess the i7 processors aren't really a priority since I've only got about 800 USD in my budget. I just want a solid computer that will last a few years. Thanks for the links and I'll definitely look into them. Is the board in the links compatible with my current hardware and if not which parts should I upgrade first?
If you would get another GB ram and a better gpu, thinking about a 4830 you would allready have a masive upgrade. If you want to invest some, Q6600 OCZ Vendetta 2 cooler Radoen 4850 Asus P5Q Pro 4GB G.Skill 800 4-4-4 ram 550W Corsair PSU 750GB HDD would be about 740$ so still 60$ away from your limit.
After looking at all the threads i've read and the stuff that's for sale on my local pc shop this is the specs ive come up with. Mother Board: Asus P5Q CPU: Intel Q6600 Memory: (2) Corsair 2GB XMS GPU: Inno3D 9800 GT 1GB ddr3 256bit Its around $520 here is the price ok since i still need to buy new accesories after selling my old pc. Any advice?
if i were you, i would look to the new phenom II ... they just drop the price by 20% ... and they will kick ass at that price tag
An 9800GT is a bit underpowered. I'd get a 4830 or 4850. And make sure to get 2x2GB sticks of RAM, and not 4x1GB.
The board is compatible with all of your current hardware, the memory may give it some issues so you might have to upgrade to some DDR2 800 / 1066 memory if you want it to work. Start thinking about a 4850, they're cheap (I Believe priced nearly the same as a 9800 GT) and offers slightly more performance, Read this Benchmark (SUM of FPS Totals) to get a grasp on what kind of performance you'd be getting, basically both are good but the 4850 is better but only by 5fps - 6fps in most games. PS: The 9800 GT is Equal to the 8800GT so look for that graphics card in the benchmark list.
Thanks all for the advice. I'm just thinking if I were to by a new board and new memory can I keep my old GPU and CPU? That way I'll just buy them at the end of the year.
You can, with two caveats. 1) If you plan on going SLI in the future, you need a board based on nVidia's nForce 680i/750i/780i chipset. If not (or if you feel like getting ATI and going Crossfire later), a board from Intel's P45 series is what you're after. If you plan on sticking with a single GPU no matter what, a P43-based board should work just fine. 2) Since you'll have to remove the CPU's heatsink and reseat it on the new board, you'll probably need some third-party thermal grease. Arctic Silver 5 is highly recommended by basically everyone, although OCZ Freeze is also a fine choice. - Diosjenin -
well I'm thinking of buying the Asus P5Q since it's got a P45 chipset. I'll be buying (2) 2GB memories along with the board and as for the installation I'll just probably pay my retailer to assemble the parts. Will the motherboard be good enough for future CPU and GPU upgrades though, and if it is what CPU and GPU should I buy? (Probably late this year). Thanks.
I have no clue what Intel are going to do with LGA 775 now that they have LGA 1366 with the i7s, but they'll likely support it for at least one more generation of new processors... You're safe. The P5Q uses the PCI-E 2.0, so you'll be fine with upgrading your video card for the next few years... How long did AGP last? Read the rest of the thread, video cards have been recommended. ATI 4830/50/70 or GTX 260 are your good choices.
