What would you do? Old FX-53 System, $1k budget

[SDSUMarcus01]

Edit: This build has changed a lot, please scroll down to see more.

First, let me give you the background on my old PC from Dec 2004 (I actually haven't used it for about 3 years since I've been out of the country):

AMD Athlon FX-53
Corsair DDR 400 1 gb (1 X 512)
MSI K8N Neo Platinum 2 (Nforce 4, Socket 939, AGP, NO PCI-E!!!, Sata 1.5 I believe)
EVGA Nvidia Geforce 6800 Ultra AGP
Western Digital 500 GB 16 MB Buffer SATA 3.0
Western Digital 250 GB 8 MB Buffer SATA 1.5
Creative Sound Blaster Audigy 2
Antec True Blue 480 W Power Supply (NOT ATX 2.0, so I've only got a 20 pin, 1 4pin, 5 molex, and 2 sata)
Some DVD burner combo I can't remember, it might even be SATA... most likely IDE.

The case got busted up when it was shipped cross country 3 years ago so my parents put it into an antec 300. I believe at the moment that it's also running Windows 7 RC 64 bit but I have no idea how well it runs it. Worst case scenario I can go to 32-bit W7RC or back down to Win Xp (shudders).

Anyways...

APPROXIMATE PURCHASE DATE: The end of June

BUDGET RANGE: $1000 [strike]Max[/strike] (but please see my options below)

SYSTEM USAGE FROM MOST TO LEAST IMPORTANT: gaming (left 4 dead, bioshock, mass effect, fallout 3), movies, surfing the internet, video editing, office applications, photoshop

PARTS NOT REQUIRED: Keyboard, mouse, headphones (and anything else you would re-use from above)

PREFERRED WEBSITE(S) FOR PARTS: New egg

PARTS PREFERENCES: Intel and Nvidia, but I can be persuaded otherwise

OVERCLOCKING: Yes, on air, but nothing extreme

SLI OR CROSSFIRE: No

MONITOR RESOLUTION: 22" 1680 x 1050 or 21.5" 1900 x 1080 (help me decide)

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: Need to leave room to buy an additional 2-3 120mm case fans for the antec 300


Anyways... my options as I view them:

1) Buy a good monitor and just wait until next year or later this year for windows 7, office 2010, core i5, gtx 300, whatever heck else comes out.
2) Do a cheap upgrade ($500 or less with monitor)
3) Do the $1000 upgrade (with monitor).

So which option would you choose, which parts would you replace (and ebay) and which parts would you buy?

 

[xthekidx]

I would go for the 22" 1680x1050 monitor because 1. It will be cheaper most likely; 2. It won't require you to get as good of a GPU to play your games well, or alternatively your games will play better with the same GPU due to the lower resolution; 3. I think that 22" is too small for 1080P resolution, things are just really small on the monitor and you need to lean in close to see them.

I would just do the full upgrade now, spending $500 will feel like a waste because you will end up needing to replace those parts soon. You will get more for your money if you actually spend more right now.

Reuse the Antec 300 Case, and buy everything else new.

Here is what I would do:
CPU: AMD Phenom II X3 720
Motherboard: GA-MA790XT-UD4P
GPU: 2x HD 4770's in crossfire (if you can find them...)
Ram: G Skill 4GB DDR3 Ram
HDD: WD6401AALS
Optical: LG Sata DVD Black Drive
Cooler: Sunbeam CCTF or Xigmatek HDT-S1283
PSU: OCZ StealthXStream 600w
Use Windows 7 RC for now. You can get the 64bit version...don't get 32 bit its a waste. Its free until March of 2010, and then you will have to do a reinstall.

The ATI/AMD choices are opposite of what you said you wanted, but these are the best value currently for a gaming system. The Phenom II X3 720 is an excellent CPU, and is roughly equivalent to the E8500 from intel in gaming, in many other multithreaded apps its better. The 4770's offer exceptional performance for the price and are the most efficient GPU's on the market due to their new 40nm manufacturing process.

 

[batuchka]

O/T

I help upgrade and repair rigs and some are slightly dated and what some peeps on 939 do:
try to get a cheap 2nd hand mobo with PCIe and maybe slot in something like a HD3450/4350 HDMI and u have a HTPC there ..or just sell it off to recover some dough i guess ^^

 

[3lvis]

I would go with a Gigabyte G31 motherboard (its an older chipset, but does everything you need):$52.99

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128357

either E8400 or an E7400 CPU:$167.99 - $119.99

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115037

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115206

4 GB ram:$59.99

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231209

For GPU either 4850 or 9800gtx (aka 250gtx):$119.99 - 129.99

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150337

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130339

Dump the rest of you money into an LCD TV to get the biggest bang for your buck......something like this:$449.99

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16889112024&nm_mc=EMC-IGNEFL052209&cm_mmc=EMC-IGNEFL052209-_-LCDTV-_-L0B-_-89112024

 

[aford10]

I would go with a Gigabyte G31 motherboard (its an older chipset, but does everything you need):$52.99

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128357

either E8400 or an E7400 CPU:$167.99 - $119.99

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115037

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115206

4 GB ram:$59.99

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231209

For GPU either 4850 or 9800gtx (aka 250gtx):$119.99 - 129.99

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150337

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130339

Dump the rest of you money into an LCD TV to get the biggest bang for your buck......something like this:$449.99

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16889112024&nm_mc=EMC-IGNEFL052209&cm_mmc=EMC-IGNEFL052209-_-LCDTV-_-L0B-_-89112024

That's a good board for the e5200, but a bit low end for the e8xx cpu.

Also I think the 4850 and the 9800 gtx is a bit low end to support the resolution of a 32" monitor.

 

[aford10]

+1 to xthekidx suggestions. The e8400/e8500 is probably the best cpu for current gaming. But as games start to utilize more cores, the phenom x3 will become a better gaming cpu.

 

[SDSUMarcus01]

See... my thing is, I have this nasty feeling that by the end of this year or early next year some really good tech is gonna come out...

 

[aford10]

There is always new tech coming out. But when it does, it's ungodly expensive.

 

[SDSUMarcus01]

There is always new tech coming out. But when it does, it's ungodly expensive.

Yeah. I used to always get the most expensive stuff. Hell that athlon fx-53 was like $700 when I bought it.

Now I don't feel like taking the hit. Everyone talks about future-proofing too... but by the time I get to the point where I want to update, the socket I have is already out of production and they've got some new video card slot specification.

That's why I was leaning towards even a $500 upgrade. I mean if a $2k system lasts me at most 4 years... then $500 every year would net me a better system at the end.

 

[SDSUMarcus01]

Ok... so now I'm leaning heavily towards the upgrade. But I have a new question... is a core i7 build worth the $200 premium over a core 2 duo build?

 

[AKM880]

Personally I'd take the Core i7, I heard that the LGA775 socket is pretty much dying.

 

[Shadow703793]

Imo, I would wait till mid July. The i5 CPUs should (supposedly) be out then.

 

[xthekidx]

The core i7 could be worth it, but it depends on what you do. For gaming, no its not worth it at all.

 

[aford10]

Personally I'd take the Core i7, I heard that the LGA775 socket is pretty much dying.

It's not dying. There's newer sockets out now, big deal.

The best cpu has to be based on the tasks the user performs.

 

[AKM880]

aford10, you do make a real good point however.

 

[xthekidx]

As long as the CPU's for LGA 775 get the job done, the socket will keep going, which will be for some time to come as the Core 2 CPU's are still quite potent. The best Phenom II processor still cannot match the best Core 2.

Core 2 will be around for a while yet, it will most likely be occupying the budget/mainstream market in the next year or two, as Core i7 and core i5 take the midrange to high-end market.

 

[SDSUMarcus01]

After doing some research... I think I'm going to jump into a core 2 build. I don't need a core i7, a high-end dual core should be fine for me, especially if I overclock it

Anyways the build I am considering is this:

ASUS VW224U Black 22" 2ms(GTG) Widescreen LCD Monitor - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824236050

EVGA 896-P3-1255-AR GeForce GTX 260 Core 216
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130434

CORSAIR CMPSU-650TX 650W
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139005

mushkin 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820146785

ASUS P5Q Pro Turbo
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131377

Intel Core 2 Duo E8500 Wolfdale
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115036

Noctua NH-U12P 120mm SSO CPU Cooler (gonna add an extra fan for push pull)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835608002

I will reuse the DVD drive (I almost never burn anything anyway), the sound card, and the hard drives... although I am considering a caviar black or a velociraptor.

 

[aford10]

I recommend the cpu that fits the people's needs. It doesn't need to make sense to you.

If it's a budget build for general use, AMD is probably the way to go.
If it's a gaming machine, dual core is the way to go.
If it's a higher end, all purpose PC, i7 is the way to go.

 

[SDSUMarcus01]

Again, why would yo spend $190 for a dual core 3ghz processor when you can get a quad core 3ghz Phenom 2 for the same price? Makes no sense.

Not to mention the Phenom 2 system would be upgradeable to newer processors where the s775 would only be upgradeable to currently available quads.

Also the memory I linked has the same specs and is over $30 cheaper than what you selected....also dont forget, Athlon 2 and Core i5 will be released in a few months.

I thought the core 2 was faster clock to clock compared to the phenom 2.

Edit... after doing some research... the phenom 2 940 is looking pretty interesting...

 

[xthekidx]

Yes socket 1366 has been out for a while, socket 1156 will be out in 2 months, yet your still recommending s775 which are way overpriced....makes no sense to me

Why do you think they are overpriced? I think they are priced well, considering how fast the architecture is and the tremendous gains you can get out of the by overclocking. Just cuz they are older doesn't mean they are outdated, they are still faster than anything that AMD has come up with. The Phenom II 940 is a good deal, but you can't compare a 3.0ghz Phenom II to a 3.0ghz Core 2. The Intel chip stomps the AMD chip all over the board.

Just because Phenom II has more processors that will come out for that socket means he will take advantage of that either, that argument is only valid for those people who upgrade their CPU's on a yearly basis. Most people will get one CPU and use it for 4-5 years and then just build a new PC. If you don't upgrade the CPU every year, by the time you are looking to upgrade the CPU, the new processors that are out will be running on a new socket, AM4 perhaps and would be bottlenecked by an old AM2+ motherboard. Sockets have about a 2 year life-span usually.

 

[smithereen]

Not directly, but they're close. I'm not sure who'd argue that a $190 dual-core that OCs into the low 4Xs is better value than a $190 quad core that OCs comfortably into the high 3.Xs, and performs only slightly better per clock per core, even with more-expensive DDR3.

 

[SDSUMarcus01]

Just because Phenom II has more processors that will come out for that socket means he will take advantage of that either, that argument is only valid for those people who upgrade their CPU's on a yearly basis. Most people will get one CPU and use it for 4-5 years and then just build a new PC. If you don't upgrade the CPU every year, by the time you are looking to upgrade the CPU, the new processors that are out will be running on a new socket, AM4 perhaps and would be bottlenecked by an old AM2+ motherboard. Sockets have about a 2 year life-span usually.

Yeah, I usually upgrade after 3-4 years (I guess in this case almost 5) so I end up being unable to re-use most of the old parts (like this situation now). The ONLY thing I could possibly see myself upgrading is the gpu in a year or two.

So I don't care if it's AM2 or 775 unless it'll bottleneck the processor I plan to buy today. The only thing I care about now is how well this computer will handle today's applications. By the time tomorrow's applications are optimized for quad cores and I start noticing a slow down, it'll be at least 3 years down the road... so future-proofing for me doesn't do much.

I mean I got a 64-bit cpu pretty much right after they were first released... and almost 5 years later, I still haven't had a chance to use it in a 64 bit environment. I bought a few $500 graphics cards in my day and while the first time I did it, I saw a HUGE jump in performance, my biggest shock came when I upgrade from a ti4600 to a 6800 ultra and saw that 3dmark 05 still kicked the ultra's ass. To make things worse, since I used v-sync, I didn't see an improvement in any of the games I played. To add more insult to injury, 3-6 months after I bought those video cards, a bigger and better card would come out and my video card's price would be cut in half. I guess all of that is the reason I set my budget down to $1000. Could I afford a $4000 core i7 965 with a gtx 295 system... probably. Would it be a good purchase? No.

Err... yeah, I guess I should get off my soap box. LOL. I guess you can see how bitter I am about spending $2500-$3500 for systems (just the towers!) in the past. Add in the monitors and I guess I was paying $3k-$4k. Ugh.

So... basically, I'm really hesitant to pay a premium for a piece of hardware with functions i won't use. Do I need a dual core? Yeah, that's pretty much a given. Do I need a quad-core? More than likely, probably not... especially since the C2D is so damn fast. So after I do more research on the phenom, if the C2D really outshines the p2 in the apps I use, I'll go C2D. If the difference is small, I'll go p2... since quad core apps ARE coming within the next year or two.

 

[smithereen]

I'm not sure about that. The difference between a quad-core and a dual-core will get alot more evident a few years from now. Right now, the e8X00 is better in dual-threaded games well OC'd. Right now, even the old Phenom II 9950 outperforms the e8400 in quad-threaded games.
http://www.pcgameshardware.com/aid,669595/GTA-4-PC-CPU-benchmark-review-with-13-processors/Reviews/?page=2
Bottom line is, I'm alot more sure a 940 won't bottleneck you in three years than I am about an e8X00, 4gHz or no.

 

[SDSUMarcus01]

Well, now I'm leaning more heavily towards the AMD platform...

If I get a

AMD Phenom II 940
Gigabyte GA-MA790X-UD4P (790x based, not fx or gx)
Sapphire Radeon 4970 1gb

it's about $4 cheaper than a

Intel Core 2 Duo E8500
Gigabyte GA-EP45-UD3R
EVGA Nvidia GTX 260 Core 216

I would use the same PS, RAM, monitor, and heatsink for both builds.

Decisions... decisions.

Edit: After looking at these benchmarks, I'm pretty much sold on the p2 platform.

 

[SDSUMarcus01]

Ok... so I've decided to go for the Phenom II 940 but with a GTX 260 core 216 instead.

Any ideas on what I should do for the hard drive? Splurge on a velociraptor? Get a caviar black? Or just stay with the 500 gb WD I've got now (it's 16 mb and SATA 3.0 anyway).