Who knows anything about upgrading computers?

Apium · Post by **Apium** » Tue Jan 02, 2007 5:56 pm

Keep your wimpy upgrading ram comments to yourself too. I'm going hardcore this time. New motherboard, new processor, and new video card. I have a gig of ram I'd rather not throw away, so my motherboard needs to be of the PC2700 ram type. I don't see that happenign though. I have no idea what I'm doing. I've been reading guides for the last two hours and frankly I'm overwhelmed. Someone help me.

I also keep seeing things about GPUs and MCPs what am I looking at there?

Dragonus · Post by **Dragonus** » Tue Jan 02, 2007 6:23 pm

be more specific... do u want sli ready?
its easy to set everthing up although when putting in motherboard ul need to be extra carefull.
also what processor do u want? AMD or Intel

tell us wat type of comp u want (like uses) so we can help u pick out parts better

lol btw RAM ! is cheap anyways 1g goes for $30 =D

gpu is the type of motherboard its like cpu but like nvidia has its own motherboard that are compatible with a type of their own made graphic cards with will result in better visuals (correct me if im wrong)

Dragonus · Post by **Dragonus** » Tue Jan 02, 2007 6:45 pm

assuming u want sli and want to keep the gig stick heres what i found

SLI ready Motherboard YESS it supports PC2700 ram type

http://www.shop.com/op/~ATX_NVIDIA_nFor ... urceid=298

as for video cards since idk how much ur willing to spend and assuming ur gonna get 2 for the sli feature i would recomend this one cheap and good

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications ... 2&NoMapp=0

im not a good with AMD processors so il stay out of recomending one (i like intel =D )

Monthigos · Post by **Monthigos** » Tue Jan 02, 2007 7:32 pm

I've built two computers so I know a few things. I can tell you where I shop, what brands I personally like and what brands I tend to avoid. I'm up with AMD processors and nVidia cards, but not so much with ATi or Intel anymore.

Apium · Post by **Apium** » Tue Jan 02, 2007 8:44 pm

Heres what I'm looking at right now.

Motherboard:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6813131142

The problem comes with the processor there are four I'm looking at:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6813131142
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6819116238
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6819116239
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6819116255

I'm looking for best performance for the price of course. I know there is a best card in there, I just couldn't tell you which one it is.

Ram, drag you said there was cheaper right? If I'm buying new ram I want the ddr2 800 stuff:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6820227126

And my friend is giving me a nvidia 7600 for free so I'm set there for now.

And then I need suggestions for fans and power adaptors. I'm going to need both considering my cpu is well over 100 degrees F right now.

Dragonus · Post by **Dragonus** » Tue Jan 02, 2007 9:04 pm

dont sleep on dat board!!!!!!!!

as for processor i would go with the 3rd one

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6819116239

well i didnt take into account the ddr2 800 ram when i said cheap lol
i would put 3g's of 533 into the whole thing and maybe when i really want speed and x-treme sht going into it i would consider putting down dat much for ram

Apium · Post by **Apium** » Tue Jan 02, 2007 9:15 pm

the motherboard isn't good?

I don't want to spend much over 200 on a processor, but if you have any other suggestions im still open.

Dragonus · Post by **Dragonus** » Tue Jan 02, 2007 9:42 pm

umm as a sneakerhead .. "dont sleep" \means u should get it and not wait!!!

but idk since i am a intel fan i would get it b/c of the processor =D but if u want to wait for more suggestions for AMD people its up to u.

Monthigos · Post by **Monthigos** » Wed Jan 03, 2007 6:59 am

Ok, here's my thoughts:

First of all, I don't like ASUS. I bought one at the beginning of 2006 and had problems with it from the get go. It took me forever to figure out the mobo was faulty due to the randomness of the errors. To be completely honest I wasn't even quite sure the mobo was causing the problems until I put a new one in. I ended up getting a DFI - they are built for overclocking and can be somewhat complicated to setup. Plus, they are picky about memory settings (mine wouldn't even post more than once unless the memory timings were spot on). But after that? No problems.

You said you were getting a video card from your friend. Find out if it is AGP or PCI Express, because you're going to need a mobo that supports it. AGP is all but dying and its a better investment to get PCI Express so here's to hoping the card you are getting is PCI.

As far as processors go you will get more bang for the buck if you go with an AMD processor. Not to mention that AMD processors run a lot cooler because they run at lower speeds than Pentiums. With computers getting hotter and hotter, its important to cut the temperature when and where you can.

As far as RAM goes, you could try looking at Corsair but I think it runs around the same price as OCZ. Corsair is pretty reliable stuff. I've got some stick in this computer that have been running for the last four years with no problems. They are also fairly inexpensive. And I definitely recommend getting two gigs instead of one, even if means getting memory with a slightly lower bus speed. The lack of capacity is what's going to get you in the end when all the games in 2007 are coming out.

Fans? You should be fine with two case fans. Make sure you have an intake in the bottom of the front and an outtake at the top of the back. That's optimal for airflow. You can also put a side fan on the processor - a lot of cases have then these days. I have a Coolermaster Centurion 5 and I'm pretty happy with its setup.

PSU is probably the most overlooked component of the computer, and the thing that f*cks people up more than anything else. Don't skimp out! I've done A LOT of research on this particular subject, and I highly recommend this PSU if you can afford it:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6817711002

I have one in my gaming rig. Seasonic is also another reliable brand. I have a Seasonic in this rig.

That's about it for now. If you need more specifics I can do a little research.

Apium · Post by **Apium** » Wed Jan 03, 2007 7:14 am

Monthigos wrote:Ok, here's my thoughts:

First of all, I don't like ASUS. I bought one at the beginning of 2006 and had problems with it from the get go. It took me forever to figure out the mobo was faulty due to the randomness of the errors. To be completely honest I wasn't even quite sure the mobo was causing the problems until I put a new one in. I ended up getting a DFI - they are built for overclocking and can be somewhat complicated to setup. Plus, they are picky about memory settings (mine wouldn't even post more than once unless the memory timings were spot on). But after that? No problems.

You said you were getting a video card from your friend. Find out if it is AGP or PCI Express, because you're going to need a mobo that supports it. AGP is all but dying and its a better investment to get PCI Express so here's to hoping the card you are getting is PCI.

As far as processors go you will get more bang for the buck if you go with an AMD processor. Not to mention that AMD processors run a lot cooler because they run at lower speeds than Pentiums. With computers getting hotter and hotter, its important to cut the temperature when and where you can.

As far as RAM goes, you could try looking at Corsair but I think it runs around the same price as OCZ. Corsair is pretty reliable stuff. I've got some stick in this computer that have been running for the last four years with no problems. They are also fairly inexpensive. And I definitely recommend getting two gigs instead of one, even if means getting memory with a slightly lower bus speed. The lack of capacity is what's going to get you in the end when all the games in 2007 are coming out.

Fans? You should be fine with two case fans. Make sure you have an intake in the bottom of the front and an outtake at the top of the back. That's optimal for airflow. You can also put a side fan on the processor - a lot of cases have then these days. I have a Coolermaster Centurion 5 and I'm pretty happy with its setup.

PSU is probably the most overlooked component of the computer, and the thing that f*cks people up more than anything else. Don't skimp out! I've done A LOT of research on this particular subject, and I highly recommend this PSU if you can afford it:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6817711002

I have one in my gaming rig. Seasonic is also another reliable brand. I have a Seasonic in this rig.

That's about it for now. If you need more specifics I can do a little research.

thanks man. I have a lot to figure out. I don't have the money to buy all of those at once so I'm going to do it little by little.

Dragonus · Post by **Dragonus** » Wed Jan 03, 2007 5:38 pm

Hmm guess il give a thanx to Monthigos as well. I thought ASUS was good.. idk what motherboard i have and i was really planning on buying that type of board when i upgraded which should be soon as well since me and bro gonna put half and half into the upgrade..

and Apium like monthigos said you should find out the card type.. i used to have AGP and it was bad.. not horrible but bad, since pci x 16 came out its the must have.

Crossair ram seems good but is it really the best?

Apium · Post by **Apium** » Wed Jan 03, 2007 5:42 pm

the slot type is one of the easiest things to find. Right now I have an AGP card, the 7600 im getting is of course PCI-E.

Monthigos · Post by **Monthigos** » Fri Jan 05, 2007 8:58 am

I wouldn't say ASUS is bad. Every mobo manufacturer has lemon boards. I've read a lot of good stories from owners of their SLI boards. Its just that whenever I get a defective piece of computer hardware I tend to switch to a different brand and stay with them until they give me trouble.

ogewa · Post by **ogewa** » Fri Jan 05, 2007 6:00 pm

ya ive done that in the past as well , i tend to go with amd processors since they gave more bang for bucks compared to Intel, and i switchd to ati then back to nvida , im in the process of overhalling my pc and so far ive got a abit motherboard (havent decied but ive got my eye on a few) , 2gb xms cosair ram and nvida (either the bfg 8800gtx or the xfx 7950 ) gpu as well as a tagan or seasonic psu and a amd proccessor (possibly the 64 x2 4600) in mind

Monthigos · Post by **Monthigos** » Sat Jan 06, 2007 7:41 am

Ogewa is a person after my own heart in regards to computer brands. haha - I like XFX too - first graphics card I've had in a while that didn't have a really shitty fan on it.