Rollercoaster
-The BlacKCoaT Operative-
Hi all, I build my last system 4 years ago and it has served me well for a lot of time but now it has become the "minimum requirements" of the latest games!
My Current setup is:
Purpose of my Rig: (I am a practical person)
I have been upgrading non core components slowey and Only the core components are outdated. Now I want to upgrade them. I want high performance and longevity but also in a economical package. I have learned that there is no point to get hardware like a high end motherboard supporting SLI if I am not buying 2 Gfx cards with it. As I bought the Asus M2N SLI Deluxe thinking that I will later get another 8800GT but that never happened as it was not available after a couple of years or so.
So I want to upgrade such that I get the most bang for the buck and still be able to comfortably play all games on high res high settings but not have a ton of features that I will never use like SLI. So, From what I can tell based on my research: (I am a bit rusty on the latest and the greatest hardware)
Upgrade Option 1: Upgrade GFX + CPU + RAM + MOBO
This is a simple one. Just need to choose the right components:
I like the feature in Asus Mobos where we can switch between Hi Performance and Low Power footprint and the Switching between intel 3000 onboard GFX and the main PCIx GFX etc as well as the SATA 3.0, BT Go and the snazzy BIOS etc. But there are so many chipsets that I am lost on how to choose the right mobo for me. I want a mobo with useful features and longevity so one of the latest chipsets wold be ideal. I just know too little about the Core i7 world like the chipsets and various cores etc..
I dont need SLI/Crossfire and I have had good experience with Nvidia and Asus so I prefer these brands for the GFX and Mobo but please let me know if another brand offers nice options.
The big disadvantage for this option is it is very very costly and all expenses are bulked together!
Upgrade Option 2: Upgrade the GFX + CPU(AMD) + RAM but not the Mobo
I have been lucky that my Mobo has active support and community so it is able to support CPUs well beyond its original estimate. It is possible for me to upgrade to a Phenom II X4 CPU (max 3.4Ghz 4 cores) but I am not sure how viable it is as the bios update for the motherboard is beta and will always be IMO. A lot of people see success and bugs both with that upgrade.
I addition I can upgrade to 4GB and get one the faster GFX cards like GTX 560 Ti. I know there will be bottle necks (like the GFX-CPU link running slow as the mobo is limited and outdated RAM etc) but I dont know if it is a big enough bottleneck. so I need advice if this option is worth exploring.. It is also very economical to me.
Upgrade Option 3: Upgrade the GFX (MSI GTX 560 Ti) Only (is it even possible?)
This is the most economical but gives me the option to be able to wait a few more months before upgrading to a Core i7 and related components. I know the CPU and everything else will be a major bottleneck.. but if I am able to play Crysis 2 with a OCed CPU (I have good experience) then I can live with that. But I dont even know if There might be any compatibility issues with using such a new GFX with old hardware...
Please help !!
Thanks you.
My Current setup is:
- AMD X2 4400+
- Asus M2N-SLI Deluxe
- Nvidia 8800GT
- 2GB RAM (2 sticks)
- HDD x 3 (1TB + 2x160GB RAID0)
- Corsair TX650W PSU (see here)
- Microsoft X6 / X8 Keyboard & Mouse
- Cooler Master Storm Scout Cabinet Modded with Fans/Leds/Cathodes (see pics, blogpost)
- Antec Lansing Expressionist Ultra Speakers
- Logitech RumblePad 2 + Joystick
- LG 23" LCD Monitor-TV + Samsung 19" LCD
- Numeric UPS
Purpose of my Rig: (I am a practical person)
- Watching HD Movies, Music
- Overclocking in the future (is i7 overclockable?)
- Playing Latest FPS/RPG/Racing/Adventure games at High and Extreme settings
- Some Photo/Video editing with lots of Media Storage
- Low power consumption when High performance not needed. e.g. watching movies
- Multiple connectivity like dual Monitors, Multiple USB, eSata, Wifi/LAN etc
- Be able to do all that for years to come
I have been upgrading non core components slowey and Only the core components are outdated. Now I want to upgrade them. I want high performance and longevity but also in a economical package. I have learned that there is no point to get hardware like a high end motherboard supporting SLI if I am not buying 2 Gfx cards with it. As I bought the Asus M2N SLI Deluxe thinking that I will later get another 8800GT but that never happened as it was not available after a couple of years or so.
So I want to upgrade such that I get the most bang for the buck and still be able to comfortably play all games on high res high settings but not have a ton of features that I will never use like SLI. So, From what I can tell based on my research: (I am a bit rusty on the latest and the greatest hardware)
Upgrade Option 1: Upgrade GFX + CPU + RAM + MOBO
This is a simple one. Just need to choose the right components:
- Core i7 2600K (seems fast and not overly expensive)
- 4GB DDR3 RAM (which brand is speedy and economical?)
- Asus Mobo (P8P67 PRO, P8Z68-V, ... something without SLI.??)
- MSI GTX 560 Ti (one of the Overclocked one)
I like the feature in Asus Mobos where we can switch between Hi Performance and Low Power footprint and the Switching between intel 3000 onboard GFX and the main PCIx GFX etc as well as the SATA 3.0, BT Go and the snazzy BIOS etc. But there are so many chipsets that I am lost on how to choose the right mobo for me. I want a mobo with useful features and longevity so one of the latest chipsets wold be ideal. I just know too little about the Core i7 world like the chipsets and various cores etc..
I dont need SLI/Crossfire and I have had good experience with Nvidia and Asus so I prefer these brands for the GFX and Mobo but please let me know if another brand offers nice options.
The big disadvantage for this option is it is very very costly and all expenses are bulked together!
Upgrade Option 2: Upgrade the GFX + CPU(AMD) + RAM but not the Mobo
I have been lucky that my Mobo has active support and community so it is able to support CPUs well beyond its original estimate. It is possible for me to upgrade to a Phenom II X4 CPU (max 3.4Ghz 4 cores) but I am not sure how viable it is as the bios update for the motherboard is beta and will always be IMO. A lot of people see success and bugs both with that upgrade.
I addition I can upgrade to 4GB and get one the faster GFX cards like GTX 560 Ti. I know there will be bottle necks (like the GFX-CPU link running slow as the mobo is limited and outdated RAM etc) but I dont know if it is a big enough bottleneck. so I need advice if this option is worth exploring.. It is also very economical to me.
Upgrade Option 3: Upgrade the GFX (MSI GTX 560 Ti) Only (is it even possible?)
This is the most economical but gives me the option to be able to wait a few more months before upgrading to a Core i7 and related components. I know the CPU and everything else will be a major bottleneck.. but if I am able to play Crysis 2 with a OCed CPU (I have good experience) then I can live with that. But I dont even know if There might be any compatibility issues with using such a new GFX with old hardware...
Please help !!
Thanks you.
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