Confused about PC Upgrade

[francisping23]

my specs are:
CPU - Intel Pentium Processor G2030 (3M Cache, 3.00 GHz)
Mobo - MSI H61M-P31/W8
HDD - WD 72Gb - 5400 RPM
RAM - 2 x 4gb Kingston HyperX Fury DDR3 1600MHz
PSU: LC-8600BTX (600 watts) GENERIC

so here are my questions:
1. is my ram compatible to my cpu and mobo? according to this link (http://www.msi.com/product/motherboard/H61M-P31W8.html#hero-specification), it says that it supports DDR3-1666MHz only if my cpu is a ivy bridge processor. according to this link (http://www.cpu-world.com/Compare/288/Intel_Core_i3_i3-3220_vs_Intel_Pentium_Dual-Core_G2030.html), it says that intel g2030 is a ivy bridge processor but when i check bios, it only shows 800/1066/1333. can you guys pls tell me why is this happening?

2. im planning to buy this graphic card (http://www.gigabyte.com/products/product-page.aspx?pid=5619#kf). is it compatible to my cpu and mobo? should i upgrade also my psu or not?

3. im also planning to buy a 120gb ssd but i dont know what specifications should i be aware of? and is it okay if i have a ssd and a hdd with different brands?

 

[smorizio]

my specs are:
CPU - Intel Pentium Processor G2030 (3M Cache, 3.00 GHz)
Mobo - MSI H61M-P31/W8
HDD - WD 72Gb - 5400 RPM
RAM - 2 x 4gb Kingston HyperX Fury DDR3 1600MHz
PSU: LC-8600BTX (600 watts) GENERIC

so here are my questions:
1. is my ram compatible to my cpu and mobo? according to this link (http://www.msi.com/product/motherboard/H61M-P31W8.html#hero-specification), it says that it supports DDR3-1666MHz only if my cpu is a ivy bridge processor. according to this link (http://www.cpu-world.com/Compare/288/Intel_Core_i3_i3-3220_vs_Intel_Pentium_Dual-Core_G2030.html), it says that intel g2030 is a ivy bridge processor but when i check bios, it only shows 800/1066/1333. can you guys pls tell me why is this happening?

2. im planning to buy this graphic card (http://www.gigabyte.com/products/product-page.aspx?pid=5619#kf). is it compatible to my cpu and mobo? should i upgrade also my psu or not?
the gpu should be fine it a low wattage unit. if the pc wont post or your having bsod you may need to replace it.

3. im also planning to buy a 120gb ssd but i dont know what specifications should i be aware of? and is it okay if i have a ssd and a hdd with different brands?
ssd if you can pick up a larger 256g more room for the os and games. if you pick up a 120g look at samsung/intel and sandisk units. with ssd it the firmware that makes or breaks a unit. the ones listed have the best firmware and lowest issue. with your older mb as it does not have 6g sata ports your not going to get the full speed out of the ssd.

http://ark.intel.com/products/74749/Intel-Pentium-Processor-G2030-3M-Cache-3_00-GHz
max speed of the cpu is 1333 you can use 1600 ram but it wont run at that speed as the memory controller max speed is 1333.

 

[francisping23]

ohh. okay, thanks. how about questions 2 and 3?

 

[francisping23]

btw this is the ssd that i was planning to buy. http://pcx.com.ph/components/internal-hdd/ssd/kingston-120gb-ssd-hyperx-3k.html

 

[synphul]

More than the cpu being the issue I would say it's your motherboard which also seems to be limited to ddr3 1333. The power supply may not be the best quality but so long as it has an 8pin pcie power cable it should work with the gtx 950. The 950 will work with your motherboard yes.

Hard drives don't have to be the same brand. An ssd will probably do wonders for you, even a 7200rpm hard drive is much more responsive than a 5400rpm drive. The ssd is even faster yet so the difference should be very noticeable.

 

[francisping23]

how come my mobo is limited to ddr3 1333? so it means that i should replace my psu because i think my psu doesnt have a 8-pin pcie connector. what are the things should i consider on choosing what psu should i buy? how about this hdd (http://pcx.com.ph/components/internal-hdd/seagate-1tb-7200rpm-3-5-sata-st1000dm003.html), is it okay?

 

[synphul]

I don't know exactly, their website does mention ddr3 1600 compatibility with ivy bridge only but the cpu also lists 1333 as the max ram. On newer processors they will often run with slightly faster ram than what's listed on the compatibility specs but maybe that's not the case for that specific cpu. Since the board and cpu both seem to claim 1333 speeds and those are the speeds you're getting you might be better off sticking with it like it is.

The only other thing I can think of is to enter the bios and see if there's a memory setting there like xmp or something that could be enabled for it.

That hard drive should work also. Ssd's are faster than mechanical drives but 7200rpm are also a fair bit faster than 5400rpm drives. Many laptops used to use 5400rpm drives for lower power use and longer battery life. Before ssd's became popular a 7200rpm drive was an easy upgrade. My desktop is currently running a 7200rpm hard drive and it works pretty well.

If your psu doesn't have an 8pin pcie connector it might be time to consider a different psu. Maybe something like this.
http://pcx.com.ph/components/power-supply/antec-vp550p-550w.html

 

[francisping23]

for gaming purposes, what should i upgrade/buy first, second to last? XD haha. thanks!

 

[francisping23]

can someone pls tell me how to buy a good psu for gaming? thanks!

 

[synphul]

Here's a decent guide to point you in the right direction for a power supply. Preferably tier 2 if you can, otherwise tier 3. Tier 1 if you have the money but tend to be premium units and a tier 2 would suit your system just as well usually for less money.

http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/id-2547993/psu-tier-list.html