Looking for upgrade advice

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Kraeoss

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Jun 7, 2014
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Good morning fellows, i'd like to ask for some assistance in upgrading my motherboard from a asrock Z68 motherboard for something better i currently have a i5 2500k processor... and 8 gb ram 2(4gb) i'd like to probably go for a crossfire setup in the coming year, so once again can you guys help me choose a couple bang for buck candidates.


Thanks !
 
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Y


If you're currently seeing 75*C. during gaming, then I would NOT OC further unless you get a better cooler. I have thee Noctua NH D14 and it consistently scores at the top in cooler reviews. Highly recommended!



Don't we all?!!

Yogi

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Kraeoss

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Jun 7, 2014
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this is pretty much a planning excercise. i'd like some candidates that are affordably priced (sub $150) and offer a bit of expansivity when comes to external devices, it's going to be mainly for home entertainment (gaming, movies, music streaming) but i'd also like to be able to use it as a VM lab host machine too... so i may need over 4 SATA ports and probably a couple expandable ports. however i know that this may run me over $200 so i'm just enquiring before i make my $ goal to get this item. i'm doing a lot of reading but it's been a while so some assistance is appreciated to help me make a good decision.
 
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Aspire77360

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Oct 10, 2013
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I think this would be the best one.
Gigabyte GA-Z68X-UD5-B3
 
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Y0GI

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Jul 22, 2013
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I would expect a decent Z68 mobo + an i5 2500K to be a pretty capable combination. Where do you find it lacking?

Just swapping mobos is not going to provide much benefit nor increased performance. To really "upgrade" will require a new, 4th generation mobo + a Haswell CPU, which will blow your stated budget.

Additionally, Xfire is generally not a good idea because the 2nd GPU is typically limited to PCIe X4 speeds, which restricts performance. Xfire will also require a new PSU, unless you already have 750 Watts. A much better option is to e-bay your current GPU and put the money toward a better single card solution.

What is your current GPU?

Yogi

 
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Kraeoss

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Jun 7, 2014
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This is my current board or should i just focus on getting a better cooler (i have a coolermaster hyper 212 cooler) and push up cpu OC. i have a XFX AMD 6870 card 1GB version.

i'd have liked to get more Slots for SATA devices though, but is it wise to invest in SATA expansion cards ?

As for PSU i have a Thermaltake 750w.
 
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Y0GI

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Jul 22, 2013
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That mobo has 6 SATA ports: 2 SATA III and 4 SATA II, which should be adequate. A spinning HDD's sustained transfer rate cannot saturate a SATA II connection, much less a SATA III. If you need more SATA ports, an expansion card is definitely an option, but isn't 6 ports enough for your current objectives?

Cooler Master makes several variants of the Hyper 212. If it is the EVO, it should be capable of cooling a 4.3 or 4.4 GHz OC, it may just need to have the dust blown out of the fins with a can of compressed air.

Here is Tom's Graphics Card Hierarchy which will give you an idea of where your GPU stands in relation to the latest tech: http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/gaming-graphics-card-review,3107-7.html
And here are the recommended solutions in your price range: http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/gaming-graphics-card-review,3107-3.html

You may need to stretch your $150 budget to get a meaningful upgrade in GPU capability.

Your TT 750 W. PSU should be adequate, except for MAYBE Xfire. For that we would need the specific model #.

Yogi



 
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Kraeoss

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Jun 7, 2014
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well i have 3 500 gb and a Tera and an 80GB which pretty much takes up all the slots... and well the optical drive. so i really should just get two 2TB hdds and raid them ? man making an upgrade on a system sometimes brings out so much alternative ways to increase the performance. i think that the cooler i have if i can recall is the actual first model of this cooler line the original Hyper 212. i wanted a cooler that could get me to sustain 4.5GHz at sub 65c (im in the caribbean with no ac) currently i am @ 4GHz but run a bit hot around 50c idle to 65c - 75c with load applied.
 
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Y0GI

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Jul 22, 2013
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It's time to consolidate your storage. That old 80 GB HDD is prolly slow as molasses.

Why RAID, and which one are you thinking of? How are you backing up your system? And RAID is NOT a good backup if that is what you're thinking.

Have you considered an SSD? A good SATA III SSD can breathe new life into an older system. Really speeds up the OS and critical applications stored there. More to consider: http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/ssd-recommendation-benchmark,3269.html

If you are seeing 75*C. currently under normal usage and your cooler is not clogged with dust then clearly you are at the limits of the capability of your current cooler and an upgrade is in order. If that 75*C. is only during stress testing like Prime 95, then you MAY have room to OC further. Please clarify under what circumstances you are seeing the max. temps and if this is with a dirty cooler.

Yogi

 
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Kraeoss

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Jun 7, 2014
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yeah it's pretty much at 50c on normal load, cooler is cleaned once a mth and the room isn't really that dusty, it goes up to 60-75c when i'm gaming tho so not sure if it's wise to increase my oc without better heat reduction. also i'll look into getting that ssd and consolidating my Storage. lol... i think all these things are a sign i need to earn more $.
 
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Y0GI

Splendid
Jul 22, 2013
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24,960


If you're currently seeing 75*C. during gaming, then I would NOT OC further unless you get a better cooler. I have thee Noctua NH D14 and it consistently scores at the top in cooler reviews. Highly recommended!



Don't we all?!!

Yogi

 
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