Upgrade now, or later?

[jtehlert]

Hey guys,

Im looking to upgrade my Desktop some point. I want a new system, but I dont HAVE to have it right now. So should I upgrade now, on black friday when everything is incredibly cheap, or wait for newer stuff to come out? I'm not a hardcore gamer, by any stretch, but I would like to run games pretty well. Oh and I would really like to try the hackintosh thing (I do a lot of work on macs, and prefer to stay on the same system).

Current Desktop:
Phenom ii x6 2.7 GHz
8gb Ram
HD 6870
1tb WD Green

What I would like to upgrade:
CPU and cooler
Motherboard
GPU
SSD

 

[amuffin]

Wait.

 

[LordHaHa]

As far as upgrading...aside from the Apple stuff, which is not my province, what programs do you run with your machine that you feel need an immediate hardware improvement? By all accounts, aside from not having the *absolute* latest and greatest parts (which is no crime), your build is quite satisfactory for the tasks you wish to perform.

If you wish to upgrade for elective reasons rather than as a necessary act, wait until Black Friday or whenever you see a set of components that are being offered at a fantastic deal. Off the top of my head, I'd focus on a SSD for C: and/or a Sandy/Ivy Bridge CPU (in the i5 range) with a compatible motherboard...although what motherboard would be best for your purposes specifically depends on a range of things as well. Do you want to overclock your processor...do you want to run SLI/Crossfire...how many SATA ports do you need...etc.

LordHaHa

 

[Mousemonkey]

This topic has been moved from the section CPU & Components to section Systems by Mousemonkey

 

[jtehlert]

As far as upgrading...aside from the Apple stuff, which is not my province, what programs do you run with your machine that you feel need an immediate hardware improvement? By all accounts, aside from not having the *absolute* latest and greatest parts (which is no crime), your build is quite satisfactory for the tasks you wish to perform.

If you wish to upgrade for elective reasons rather than as a necessary act, wait until Black Friday or whenever you see a set of components that are being offered at a fantastic deal. Off the top of my head, I'd focus on a SSD for C: and/or a Sandy/Ivy Bridge CPU (in the i5 range) with a compatible motherboard...although what motherboard would be best for your purposes specifically depends on a range of things as well. Do you want to overclock your processor...do you want to run SLI/Crossfire...how many SATA ports do you need...etc.

LordHaHa

I's like to oc the processor, but I would definitely need a new motherboard for that. Truth be told, the motherboard, processor and ram are actually out of a pre built HP desktop that I had, and since have upgraded it with a few things.

I really just want a faster system (via SSD), that is also a lot quieter. Right now the stock cooler on the cpu and the 6870 just get really loud, even in a case with decent airflow and noise dampening foam. Which is why I was kind of looking at a different gpu.

 

[kishagi]

what are the brands of the parts that you have listed?
what hp desktop model did you have?

yea get a different motherbard if you're going to OC. a 890fx/970/990x/990fx mobo is good.

i personally say get an ASUS Crossfire IV because of your CPU and because it looks cool, but cheaper alternatives may be more to your liking.

as for the cpu fan/cooler/what the funk ever there are mny great ones. the Coolermaster Hyper 212+ is very popular since its cheap and works well. i believe the EVO is better though for about $4 more

keep your graphics card and get another one (preferrably the same model since it looks better) and put them together in crossfire

get a case like the Fractal Design R4 Define to keep your system quiet

a Corsair TX 750w power supply

an OCZ Revodrive 3 240gb (or Mushikin Chronos 120gb ssd)

Seagate Momentus XT 750GB hybrid drive

dont bother upgrading your cpu unless you can find a phenom ii x 6 1075T/1090T/1100T or a phenom ii x4 970/980

 

[LordHaHa]

a Corsair TX 750w power supply

dont bother upgrading your cpu unless you can find a phenom ii x 6 1075T/1090T/1100T or a phenom ii x4 970/980

Those are some solid parts, but of course do your own research as well to find components that will fit your needs the best. Of course I have some caveats on the two above points.

First off, the TX 750W is a formidable supply and I do in fact recommend it; I have it in my primary machine myself. However, two editions of the supply in question have been released. While both are good, the electrical noise generated by the 12V rail on the V1 was a bit wild. I would recommend you get V2 of the TX-750, where this issue has been rectified. Of course, since I've had a V1 for two years in said primary build and nothing bad has occurred due of it, so it's not the end of the world if you get a V1 and not a V2. I only mention this as you may yet see the older models being sold in some places.

Also, the CPU upgrade information is correct, but that's assuming you want to stick with AMD. Intel chips with good OC characteristics at a good price include the i5-2500k or the i5-3570K. The former is Sandy Bridge and a bit cheaper now, the latter is Ivy Bridge and about 5-10% faster clock-to-clock vs the 2500k plus has native PCI Express v3 support. Look at the reviews for these processors here and on AnandTech - along with price comparisons on NewEgg, Micro Center, Amazon, eBay, etc. (all the usual suspects) - and compare their characteristics to determine what would be the best route for you to go down if you choose to upgrade in the near future.

And since the subject of Sandy/Ivy Bridge has been brought up, there's the issue of motherboards if you chose to go that route. The Gigabyte G1.Sniper 3 is a solid Socket 1155 board and it is a recent offering, but it is priced at $260 on NewEgg; if cost is a major concern you might want to look elsewhere. The ASRock Extreme4 and ASUS P8Z68-V Pro are older solutions, but they are sound, reliable devices that offer some performance and are a bit cheaper than the Sniper 3. Of course, you should again do some of your own research a determine what fits your needs the best.

LordHaHa