Dell XPS 720 w/ Dual Core, upgrade to Quad worth it?

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Erikir Dieterich

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Jun 20, 2013
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I have a Dell XPS 720, it has an Intel Core2 CPU 6400 2.1 Gh.Z and I'm running a GTX 470. I'm going to be using it to play FFXIV and was wondering if there would be an noticeable difference if i upgraded the CPU to the Q6600/6700 (2.4-2.6 Gh.Z) for $45?

Not looking to completely buy a new system, I know it's outdated. But it'll play better than a PS3 right?

I know FFXIV specifically makes use of multiple cores, or so I've heard.

Not going to be overclocking anything, either.

Also, does the BIOS have to be updated to run it, or do I just put it in?
 
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8350rocks

8350rocks

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Mar 14, 2013
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This is what I would do if I were you:

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/18nuV
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/18nuV/by_merchant/
Benchmarks: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/18nuV/benchmarks/

CPU: AMD FX-6300 3.5GHz 6-Core Processor ($119.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: MSI 970A-G43 ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Crucial Ballistix 4GB (2 x 2GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($31.82 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Toshiba 500GB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Gigabyte Radeon HD 7790 2GB Video Card ($158.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: Raidmax Tornado (Black/Red) ATX Mid Tower Case ($19.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair Builder 500W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V Power Supply ($29.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: LG GH24NS95 DVD/CD Writer ($14.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $487.74
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-06-20 09:09 EDT-0400)

The stuff in bold would be required to do this upgrade and could cost you about what you can likely find a Core 2 Quad for these days. The stuff in italics would be worth considering, because it's newer technology and will contribute to better system performance.

If you just did the bolded items...The CPU + MB is under $200. Adding in the memory and GPU takes you to $380 for the upgrade.
 
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Erikir Dieterich

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Jun 20, 2013
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It's actually a Dell XPS 700, not a 720. And after further research it seems people are using Q6700s quite fine with the 1.4.1 BIOS update.

Also, overclocking isn't allowed through BIOS. I did some research on nTune and no one has anything nice to say about it apparently, since BIOS>nTune. Would it be that terrible to use just for a slight CPU speed increase?
 
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AdemC

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Apr 15, 2013
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I think u should do what 8350rocks suggested because it is a really good setup but u could save money with that same setup but just with a few things missing. now if u wanna keep ur case that ur using right now u save $20, u could also do this with ur optical drive. but I would recommend checking to see if u could keep ur gtx 470 as long as it has a sli bridge (its usually on the the side of where the metal bracket is. Now if it has a sli bridge u should buy one off of amazon for cheap and get another gtx 470 which will require a update on the bios definitely. ohh and try looking on amazon for some cheap gpu's or graphic cards cpu's and other pc accessories and that type of stuff. u most likely already know this, just saying in case.
 
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hang-the-9

hang-the-9

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Mar 25, 2010
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I don't mean to overclock the CPU to 3 gig, I meant try to find a 3 gig CPU to use instead of the 2.4 or 2.6

Your video card is pretty good, and will keep up with a faster CPU, you want to match the two closely to keep from "wasting" speeds.
 
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8350rocks

8350rocks

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Acutally...no...the GTX 470 isn't faster.

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/radeon-hd-7790-bonaire-performance,3462-4.html

Avg FPS in Crysis 3 with:
HD 7790: 42.2 on medium settings
GTX 560: 42.2 on medium settings (GTX 560 ~=GTX 470)
GTX 650Ti: 37.6 on medium settings

Also Min FPS:

HD 7790: 31.0
GTX 560: 17.0
GTX 650Ti: 11.0

Frame Time Variance:
HD 7790: 1.2/1.2/2.4 (ms)
GTX 650Ti: 2.4/1.2/3.4 (ms)
GTX 560: 2.3/1.3/7.4 (ms)

Also, this comparison shows the GTX 470 would fall between the HD 7850 and HD 7770 in performance...which is remarkably where the HD 7790 falls.

http://www.guru3d.com/articles_pages/crysis_3_graphics_performance_review_benchmark,6.html
 
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