upgrading store bought pc

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theDoItYourselfAmeture

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Jul 28, 2013
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I'm limited for a motherboard because I have a windows 7 OEM and cant get another one, but it has support for sandy and ivy. I am looking at an i3 and want to know witch has better overclocking potential or witch would be better overall (ivy or sand), and cant spend more than $140 on a cpu from Intel with the other parts. Is the i3 a good option for overclocking, or should I get a Pentium 4 or a better Celeron processor.

Current pc
Celeron G540
DH61BF Intel motherboard http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813121753
4gb 1033 ddr3
mid atx store bought case /w 300w psu
Lg dvd reader
gtx 610
320gb 7200rpm HDD
windows 7

Wanted parts
i3 3240
extra stick of 4gb 1033
HD 7770
XIGMATEK Gaia SD1283 120mm cpu cooler
corsair 500w psu
ARCTIC Accelero Hybrid Extreme VGA Cooler-no room for extra fans and a single 120 fan isn't enough
 
Solution
markwp
Ok that answers a couple questions.

You can't really o/c an I3 - the only method is to fiddle the fsb and that can be a pain as it is limited and also o/c's your ram.

The 3220 is 3.3ghz native which should be quick enough for your use. Use your board along with the 3220 and get a good psu and a decent gpu. You can always use the psu/gpu if you upgrade the m/b and cpu.
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markwp

markwp

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Jan 22, 2013
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I'm guessing your pc is a dell or hp? If so, and I3 will not do you any good as your motherboard is not able to overclock - the mass vendors lock down the bios and your are pretty much stuck with what you can upgrade in stock form.

Your psu is also suspect as the generic psus provided by dell and hp are VERY limited - don't let the 300w fool you, they are not that strong.

I understand your dilemma, but the best alternative for you at this point would be buying a better psu and gpu and then upgrading the m/b, cpu and getting a new copy of windows later. If you feel like taking a small risk, your current psu would probably be ok with a radeon HD 7750 gpu. The 7750 is the best card you can get that does not require an additional power connection from the psu. You can get a 7750 for ~100 with 1gb of GDDR5, or ~80 with 2gb of GDDR3. If you go with the $80 card, you can upgrade your psu with THIS Seasonic psu and have room to grow in the future.

Mark
 
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theDoItYourselfAmeture

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Jul 28, 2013
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Sorry, I should have said that I built this myself, thought it was easier to say it was store bought than to say I built it at Ivy tech for free during the summer. Also the wanted parts are the parts I'm going to buy with the new processor so power isn't a problem and I have a gtx 610 already on board and it works fine. I only have around $500 and instead of building a budget gaming pc, might as well start with what I have and save some $$. My motherboard is also capable of overclocking, just checked and I'm able to change multipliers and voltage, so is the i3 ivy or sandy a better overclocked or is my celeron enough to overclock?
 
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markwp

markwp

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Jan 22, 2013
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Ok that answers a couple questions.

You can't really o/c an I3 - the only method is to fiddle the fsb and that can be a pain as it is limited and also o/c's your ram.

The 3220 is 3.3ghz native which should be quick enough for your use. Use your board along with the 3220 and get a good psu and a decent gpu. You can always use the psu/gpu if you upgrade the m/b and cpu.
 
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theDoItYourselfAmeture

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Jul 28, 2013
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thanks Ill do that and sorry for the inaccurate post earlyer
 
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