Upgrading CPU

[davienr]

So yea, im looking to upgrade my CPU finally.

I kinda have no idea about computer hardware so im hoping some ppl in the guild might be able to help me out.

My problem is that i dont really know what CPU's my mobo can support.

Im using hhttp://www.gigabyte.com.tw/Products/Motherboard/Products_Overview.aspx?ProductID=2851

at the moment with a Intel E8400 CPU, but its the 2.66ghz one, not the 3ghz one.

So what im wondering is, im looking to spend a max of $400 and am wondering if you guys have any advice on what i should get.

Cheers.

 

[welshmousepk]

for that price id recommend getting a new mobo and processor.

a phenom II 955 and compatible mobo can be had for a good price. and if you get an AM2+ mobo you wont even need to buy new RAM.

for the full budget though:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103808&cm_re=phenom_955-_-19-103-808-_-Product

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128398&cm_re=gigabyte_am3-_-13-128-398-_-Product

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231283&cm_re=ripjaws-_-20-231-283-_-Product

BTW, the there is better RAM out there. g.skill ripjaws to be specific. my internet is playing up atm though and loading a newegg page is taking 10 minutes a time. ill update this with better links asap.

EDIT: there we go. fairly great upgrade there.

and just realized, newegg will throw in MW2 for free when you buy the bundle including that CPU and mobo. not a bad deal.

 

[davienr]

Will my current mobo support a AMD Phenom II X4 Quad Core 965?

Also, i updated my Mobo link in the first post, wasnt working before.

 

[welshmousepk]

no, your current mobo is old and will only support last gen intel processors.

but as linked above you can afford a new mobo and ram as well as one of the best quad cores on the market for less than 400 dollars.

 

[davienr]

Will my mobo support Intel® Core™2 Quad Processor Q9505?

 

[welshmousepk]

Will my mobo support Intel® Core™2 Quad Processor Q9505?

yes, with a BIOS update it should be fine with that CPU.

but that CPU is still old tech and not much of an improvement over what you have now.

what do you use the system for? if you aren't doing anything to tax the extra cores, you won;t be gaining any performance at all from that quad.

 

[davienr]

Well at the moment i use it mainly for desining (using photoshop, illustrator and indeisgn) and gaming.

Been looking around and was thinking of

http://www.austin.net.au/ProductList/ProductDetail/tabid/104/ProductCode/MBGAMA79XTUD4P/Default.aspx

+
http://www.austin.net.au/ProductList/ProductDetail/tabid/104/ProductCode/CPU-AM3P2-965/Default.aspx

or

Gigabyte GA-P55A-UD3 + Core i5 750

So, my question is, is it really worth it? Is this sort of upgrade worth the money im spending and will i notice a significant difference?

And if so, which would you reccomend out of the two?

 

[welshmousepk]

ah, you are in aus?

didn't even realize that sorry.

for graphic design a good processor would be very helpful. weather its worth the money is something only you can decide.

in that case, dont get an AM3 mobo, get a socket AM2+ mobo that way you can re-use your current RAM. if you get AM3 you'd also need to buy ddr3 ram.

the site you linked doesn;t have a great selection, are there any other sites that you could use? the motherboard in my signature is a great AM2+ board, so if you can find that at a good price coupled with the 955 processor you can get a pretty nice upgrade.

if you still want to keep the cost down, an Athlon ii 620 processor should do very well also. but is much cheaper. and compatible with the same motherboards.

 

[davienr]

Um, http://www.ple.com.au/?p=products&category_id=19 is another site.

I dont really wanna buy the stuff online so im kinda limited to where i can go.

So what do you think about the Gigabyte GA-P55A-UD3 + Core i5 750 route?

 

[welshmousepk]

yes, thats also a good choice. the i5 750 is an excellent processor. but you end up having to spend considerably more that way. not only is the processor itself much more expensive, but the motherboards are too. plus you have to buy DDR3 RAM as they do not support older ddr2.

why do you not want to buy online? you are severely restricting options that way. and you'll end up paying much more for the sake of waiting an extra day or two for something to arrive.

 

[Panna]

Pretty sure that motherboard he linked has DDR3 slots, so he already has DDR3 and can use it with a new mobo.

 

[davienr]

I dont have a credit card and my parents dont like me using theirs .

Also, I can get both for $388 which is under what i was predicting a good CPU would cost me.

Plus id rather pay a bit extra for something i wont have to upgrade in a year or so.

Also, i believe my current RAM is ddr3.

I tihnk this is what im going to go with, i appreciate the advice and your speedy replys.

 

[welshmousepk]

sorry, my mistake. hadn't even checked to see if you were using ddr3.

but yes, the 750 is a great proc so it should do the job well.

 

[geofelt]

So yea, im looking to upgrade my CPU finally.

I kinda have no idea about computer hardware so im hoping some ppl in the guild might be able to help me out.

My problem is that i dont really know what CPU's my mobo can support.

Im using hhttp://www.gigabyte.com.tw/Products/Motherboard/Products_Overview.aspx?ProductID=2851

at the moment with a Intel E8400 CPU, but its the 2.66ghz one, not the 3ghz one.

So what im wondering is, im looking to spend a max of $400 and am wondering if you guys have any advice on what i should get.

Cheers.

I do not think there is a 2.66ghz E8400. Is it possible that you have a counterfeit E6600 that has been made to look like a E8400 which should be 3.0?

On the web site you linked to , clock on the cpu supported area to get a list of supported cpu's for your motherboard. The fastest is the QX9770. You should be able to buy a QX9650 on e-bay for <$400.

Anything stronger will require a new motherboard.

But... How certain are you that a stronger CPU will do what you want? Activate the task manager and run your jobs. See how cpu bound you seem to be. As a test, in windows power management, reduce your maximum cpu% to something less than 100%. Perhaps to 70%. See if your throughput reduces accordingly. If it does, then a faster cpu is in order. If it does not, then look to your hard disk configuration. Consider the new WD velociraptor 600gb drives if you think you are held back by the hard drives.

 

[saaiello]

I would just try and find a Q9550 or 9650 they will perform just about as good as a Phenom II x4 955 you can find Q9650's on ebay for around $250 that would be your best option. And since you dont have a credit card you can go to supermarket and buy an ebay gift card and use that.