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ctorres1211

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Jun 1, 2012
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I currently own a system of

1045t Phenom x6
8gigs of memory
MSI 520 GT
350w PSU

Do you think I am better off starting new or replacing my PSU and GPU for gaming in the next couple of years?
 
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nekulturny

nekulturny

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the 1045 isnt the best Phenom II for gaming, but its sufficient. The GT 520 on the other hand is a weak video card, it was weak when it was brand new.

For gaming, a better video card would be a must. I would consider something such as a 6870, they cost around $170 bucks, very decent video card. A better power supply would be a good idea as well, I would consider something like a Corsair CX 500v2, about $60 bucks from Newegg.

The 1045T has a locked multiplier, but I *think* you can clock it up some via the reference clock. You should be able to push it up to about 225 without issue, giving you about 3GHZ, maybe higher.
 
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nekulturny

nekulturny

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Good choices on the video card and PSU, but what Mobo do you already have? Chances are your motherboard is fine, if anything I would be considering a CPU like a Phenom II 965 Black Edition, but I'd see how much I could get out of the 1045T at the reference clock before I went that route.
 
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jasont78

jasont78

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Feb 25, 2009
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add some aftermarket cpu cooling too if your overclocking, as long as you dont spend mega bucks on a video card and push multi monitors or big resolutions your cpu overclocked should be fine, your psu has to go it must be a quality one id be suprised if a cheapo 350watt could handle much more than the phen2x6
 
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nekulturny

nekulturny

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Okay.. well for the price you're willing to pay for that board, you could do better.

Open Box Asus Sabertooth 990FX (HELL OF A DEAL- I have one of these as you can tell by my sig, Asus will honor the warranty on open box items as I understand it, and it comes with 5 year standard)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131736R

Or if you want the piece of mind of a new in box, you could go with this:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131757
 
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nekulturny

nekulturny

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Honestly, I would try to see what you can get out of that 1045T overclocking it before buying a new CPU. But a new mobo would be a good idea, since cheapo motherboards may not be as supportive over overclocking. Assuming you can get a decent overclock on the 1045T it is a 6 core processor afterall.

And if you did go with a 975, I would just get the 965, its cheaper and the same CPU just a different clock speed, since both CPUs are fully unlocked, theres little point in paying more. This was something I didn't fully appreciate when I did my build.

If you have money for a motherboard and CPU, why not spend more money and get an even stronger video card than the 6870? Maybe you could go for the 7850? For gaming, your video card matters the most. (I'm assuming gaming is your primary goal here, correct me if I'm wrong)
 
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jasont78

jasont78

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if your going to go to the effort of getting new mobo and cpu you should consider the intels
 
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nekulturny

nekulturny

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Worth considering, but theres no way I would advise a dual core i3 over a quad or hex core. The bottom line recommendation I personally would make is an i5 which starts at $180 for the cheapest.
 
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jasont78

jasont78

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multi-role compu yeah i would start with a quad but honestly the i3's match the phenoms under 'most' circumstances and even beat them with alot of game scenarios but personally as nekulturny said i wouldnt go less than a i5, 2500k's are great, will easily beat heavily overclocked amd's even at stock speeds most of the time in my experience and now ivys out they may get cheaper, also 77 chipsets out so alot of 68 will be going eol and the 67 already is so you may pick up a bargain i got my board in my sig for 70 bucks less about 6 months ago when it went eol
 
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nekulturny

nekulturny

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Well, my problem with the dual core i3s is that while most games today still only use 2 cores, this can change any time without warning.

I don't think you'll see Ivy's getting cheaper, Intel doesn't drop the prices of their CPUs, they can afford not to considering they outsell AMD 5 to 1. That being said, most of the benches I've seen of Phenom IIs vs i3s in gaming, the "difference" is purely on paper, actual gameplay its zero.

I can vouch for this with personal experience as my significant other's rig has an i5-2400 ($190 dollar quad core) in it with a GTX 460 vs the rig in my sig they can both play the same games in the same settings.

You may find the boards drop in price as the chipsets go EOL, but not the CPUs. Not to go far off topic, but Jason, you might want to take a look at this article I came across. I found it quite interesting:

http://www.overclock.net/t/1210060/fx8120-vs-2500k-benchmark-results


 
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ctorres1211

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Jun 1, 2012
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Hmmm so many choices, but I'm starting to think the only salvageable part of this OEM HP is the RAM, Disc Tray, and the HDD.

Also though I could just get a 7850 or something around there as a GPU and a better PSU and probably manage well for games.
 
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nekulturny

nekulturny

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Feb 9, 2012
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Nah, your CPU isn't a lost cause, you can overclock it, you just have to do it with the reference clock and not the multiplier. This limits how far you can push it, but you can definitely get a sizable bump out of it. (My CPU is overclocked purely at the reference clock, I didn't touch the multiplier, I pushed it 400mhz over stock, I would get the 212 Evo cooler I recommended to you, the motherboard, and the best video card you can get with whatever budget is left over.
 
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jasont78

jasont78

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dunno where you found that looks like setup by amd fanboys as it generally goes against anything and everything that any major tech site will say about the two setups including this site we are all on. each to there own though anyway im not in the mood for an amd vs intel fight i just dont see the point of old mate buying a new mobo and amd cpu!
 
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nekulturny

nekulturny

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Me neither, I thought we were having a pleasant discussion while helping someone find something that fits them. But that article comes complete with screenshots, major tech sites show graphs created with Excel. All of the major tech sites have sponsors, and Intel has FTC and EU fines to prove they've engaged in Anti-trust activities. I'm content to leave it at that, either the guy forged his benches (which seems absurd and elaborate for an individual on a forum being paid by nobody to purchase products and test them), or something else is going on.
 
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jasont78

jasont78

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not starting fan boy fight but a devote amd (particularly bulldozer fan boy) will do whatever it takes to make it look good, including forgery, personally i would rather a phen 2 i liked the old school amds. like i said it contradicts everything else out there on the net on sandys vs bulldozer even amd themselves say they are pulling out of the speed race (not that pure cpu speeds everything i do get that!!) besides the guy couldnt even overclock the 2500k past 4.4 wtf i can do 4.3 without even bumping the voltage. yup we'll leave it at that!
 
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