PC Upgrade

Saxif · 6275

Saxif

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on: July 29, 2008, 08:28:32 pm
Yo Boffins,

I am thinking about upgrading my pc, so I am looking for advice!!

I have found out that my mobo only supports PCI-E x 16 1.0 (thanks Eko!!) not 2.0, so it limits my gfx card options to some of the 8800's and not the Nvidia 9 series or higher.  I am running a ...

Athlon 64_3500 (not dual core afaik)
XFX 7800GT
ASUS/A8NSli/DELUXE
Corsair Tx PRO 2gig 3200C
36.7 gig WD SATA 10KRPM + 76 gig version
Clabs SB Live 7.1 24 bit
480W Hiper PSU TypeR
Casetek iQ-EYE
XP

I'd like to improve my gfx performance, so is it worth me buying a suitable 8800, or should I shell out for a new mobo - psu - gfx card and if I do that will I need to buy a new cpu also to stop bottle necks?  This is all info I can find out for myself with research but if any of you happen to know this kinda stuff off the top of your heads then it'll save me time, otherwise don't worry :)

Also, although I am very unlikely to buy a expensive geforce 8800 I have seen some going for ?300 still, is this worth the money or is it totally outperformed by a ?200 geforce 9800?  Also, some gfx cards seem to be designed only for vista or is that me reading web sites incorrectly?

Cheers guys,

Sax.


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Saxif

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Reply #1 on: July 29, 2008, 08:31:46 pm
POST COUNT!!!!

Anyone know the difference between GT, GTS, GTX, Ultra?

Sax.

edit - Looking at something like this, it seems it would be a significant upgrade on my current card and I wouldn't have to spend ???

- http://www.scan.co.uk/Product.aspx?WebProductId=545086

The 3dMark05 and 06 scores are higher than my current system gets having looking at them here http://www.theinquirer.net/en/inquirer/news/2007/02/28/xfx-geforce-8800-gts-320mb-is-as-fast-as-billyo - though I am not sure if it is exactly the same card ...

Sax.
« Last Edit: July 29, 2008, 08:36:19 pm by Saxif »

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Saxif

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Reply #2 on: July 30, 2008, 11:11:50 am
Ok, seems that the 2.0 cards are backwards compatible with the 1.0 slots, so I can get a 9800 no problem.

However I am thinking of upgrading my processor but dual core processors use AM2 sockets and I ahve a Am socket, does anyone know if this is also backwards compatible?

Sax.

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Saxif

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Reply #3 on: July 30, 2008, 03:32:47 pm
The AM processor is a 939 pin slot and the AM2 processor is a 940 pin slot, so no.

Its worth an upgrade though as a non-dual core processor acts as a bottleneck for your gfx cards potential.  However you also need DDR2 RAM for a AM2 processor, so I;d have to change RAM also.  Finally the Intel are currently better than AMD with regards cpu's apparently, so Intel is currently the way forwards ...

Hmm, am I going schitzo?

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Shi

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Reply #4 on: July 30, 2008, 04:21:26 pm
when someone writes with himself in a thread is it called ' monopost'?  (analogy to monologue)  ???

 :P

i know nothing bout this stuff, but Cern got a new baby machine lately so im sured he's informed :)



Saxif

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Reply #5 on: July 30, 2008, 04:37:11 pm
I just thought I'd bring closure to this topic :)

Sax.

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eKo

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Reply #6 on: July 30, 2008, 06:06:31 pm
Don't think it's worth upgrading if you don't have a dual core cpu yet as it will indeed serve as a bottleneck. Problem is it will mean new mobo + cpu + ram + gfx. The new ATI/AMD cards (4850 & 4870) are also very good, especially considering their price. As for CPU Intel is the clear winner here (go for a higher clocked dual core over a quad core if gaming will be your main use btw).

Are you sure about PCI Express 2.0 being compatible with 1.0? The info I found seemed to indicate otherwise.

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eKo

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Reply #7 on: July 30, 2008, 06:28:48 pm
Looked some more into the PCIe 2.0, 1.1 & 1.0 compatibility and it's confusing as hell. Seems to mainly depend on the motherboard and gfx card. Some work, others don't. A 2.0 card is more future proof though, but if go for one, get one you can return, just in case :).

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Saxif

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Reply #8 on: July 30, 2008, 06:33:47 pm
Absolutely.

Tbh I wanted a new gfx card so I don't lag in raids e.t.c and I'll get a new mobo/RAM/cpu towards the end of the year for WAR and general pc maintenance.  Even though I'll have a bottleneck I am expecting a decent improvment over what I have, with the full upgrade to follow.

Sax.

p.s - I am thinking of getting the 512MB EVGA 9800GTX+, I was chatting with a guy from Scan.co.uk today and he recommended it and gave me some other advice.

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Cernos

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Reply #9 on: July 30, 2008, 07:12:28 pm
There's a huge price war going on at the moment with new cards launched by ATI (4850 and 4870) and Nvidia (9800gtx+ and 200 series). So it's a good time to buy.

The 8800 series cards are great but getting long in the tooth now, so I wouldn't get one unless your motherboard can't handle the newer PCI-E 2.0 cards. If you do go 8800 series, get a 8800GT (can be had for around ?100 now), the GTS and GTX are overpriced. I don't think your motherboard will have any problems with any of the PCI-E 2.0 cards as I looked the A8N-SLI up and it has PCI-E x16 slots and PCI-E 2.0 cards should all work fine in that slot (from what I've read). However, bear in mind that all these newer cards have high power requirements and some require two six pin PCI-E power leads, so make sure your PSU can handle this and has all the necessary connectors or adapters.

Best bang for the buck currently is between the Geforce 9800GTX+ (note the plus at the end, make sure you get this as they significantly improved the performance and reduced the price compared to the 9800GTX) and the ATI 4850 /4870. Personally I've always been loyal to Nvidia, their drivers are far more stable and their cards run cooler and usually pull less power. The new ATI 4850 and 4870 cards run VERY hot, so you'd need good case cooling if you go that route.

I recently built a new quad core system and put a Geforce GTX 260 in it, which is over the top for what I want to play now but I didn't want to upgrade again for a long time and the price wars meant the price on the 260 tumbled by over 70 quid in a matter of days and it dropped into my budget. The 9800GTX+ wasn't out when I built my system a few weeks ago, but I couldn't wait any longer. I don't regret the GTX 260, it is awesome, but I suspect the 9800GTX+ would have ample and might have opted for that myself.



Lasiien

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Reply #10 on: July 30, 2008, 08:06:34 pm
Learn from Brigh's recent pain and ensure you have enough space to fit whatever card you choose Sax. Also don't forget you'll need to beef up your PSU if you go for a high end card, 480w wont cut it.

My honest advice would be to skip it for now and save for a new machine i think, you should be okay running wow with that for the moment and get something beefy when a game comes out that you really need the performance on (e.g. WAR)

p.s. stop trying to beat my post count !