I need better hardware! what do i get next?

slevin

Distinguished
May 3, 2009
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18,510
ok first off im pretty new to this.Ive been working on my first build and im not sure where to go next so heres what ive bought so far.
cpu q9650
mobo ECS P45T-A 1.0
memory 4g ddr2 800 corsiar xms2
hd wd caviar black 640
gpu xfx 4870 1g
psu rosewill 650w

so i love the how the 4870 performs and was thinking of going crossfire with another then relized the 8x problem with the p45 chipsets, also im not sure if my psu can handle it. so my question is should i get a new mobo or just run it on the p45? also should i get a bigger psu? also whatever i remove on this one will be added to another build so no biggie to buy new stuff and if anyone has any ideas on other cool things to ad or ideas on upgrades for my hardware let me know
 
First of all, have you already purchased these items, or added them to your list of items you want to buy? If you don't already have those items we can make some revisions.
 

yes i have them but if i need to change some things ill just use the parts in a build for my dad so it still can be revised. also i order my stuff from new egg so id like it if you guys could advise me from ther products
 
the 8x isn't a problem unless you have a two 4870 X2 or GTX 295.

you really didn't think when you bought your build, you should have gotten a q9550 and a better mobo and PSU.

So best idea would be to get a Silverstone 750w PSU and a Gigabyte or ASUS 4 series chipset motherboard, maybe a DDR3 one with ddr3 ram if you want to upgrade to a newer PC later or want to overclock further.
 

i plan to get another 4870. but since you said the 8x in cf wont bottleneck my performance why should i get a new mobo?
 
IMHO, before you worry about Crossfire, you need to buy a better motherboard. ECS are simply the worst of the cheapest, or cheapest of the worst, however you want to look at it. If I was even thinking of dual graphic cards, and ECS motherboard simply does not fit into that class of gaming rig.

PS, The only PC part you could buy that is possibly worse than an ECS motherboard is a Rosewill power supply.

Rosewill and ECS, I certainly do not mean to offend you, but you could not possibly do worse to start a gaming platform with these parts.
 

ok so get a new motherboard and power supply. any other suggestions or is the other hardware good enough?
 
Yeah get a good CPU cooler, you don't need that specific cooler though, there are a lot of good ones out there. Look for these and see if you can afford them, after you buy a new PSU and motherboard: Coolermaster V8, Noctua NH-U12P, Xigmatek S1283 Dark Knight (comes with backplate), Xigamatek HDT-S1283+Xigmatek LGA 775 Crossbow backplate, Sunbeam Core Contact Freezer, Scythe Mugen 2, Akasa Nero AK-967, Thermalright Ultra 120 Extreme.

Now on the MB, Since you want Xfire later, look for a Gigabyte GA-EP45-UD3P or Asus P5Q Pro

On the PSU, look for a ~750W PSU from PC Power & Cooling, Corsair, Silverstone, Seasonic, Thermaltake Toughpower, Enermax, Antec.
 

so just to confirm. since the second pci express is only 8x it wont affect my my performance? also thanks for all the tips from everyone im prolly gonna purchase a couple of these items. im still trying to understand all this like the mobo i bought was compatible with all my parts and said gaming motherboard with crossfire so i just assumed it was good im quickly learning with pc hardware things arent always as they seem but i guess the only way to learn is to screw up a couple times. or i couldve just asked you guys and saved myself some cash lol
 
ok so just a couple more questions. first is my memory good enough? and second should i bother going to 8g? is it that big of a diferance? also i forgot to mention i will be running my games (wheelman,assassins creed, cod5 and crysis) in 1920x1080 res so do i need another 4870 or should i just bye another to future proof? thanks for the help
 
For crysis you will definitely need more than one 4870 at that resolution, those other games will be alright with just the one. Consider 4770's or 4850's in crossfire as well, those would both suffice at that resolution, and going with 4770's instead will save you $160 or so.
 

sorry ive been away. anyways what would you suggest 2 4850's in cf or 2 4770's cf? i can afford either
 
ok last question if i buy a 4850x2 then add another 4850, from the specs i provided can i do that? and 2nd will i get much better performance?
 
At that resolution two 4850's is probably enough, you wouldn't need a third one. You probably wouldn't see the difference because 2 would give you pretty good performance as it is.
 

well the reason i ask is because ive heard many people say the 4850x2 is better than 4850 cf. is that true or is it only by a little?
 
its just barely better by a little. But if you get two separate 4850's you can overclock them because you will have much better cooling for those cards, which would end up with better performance. If you don't want to overclock then you can just get the 4850x2.