Upgrading to Conroe...any thoughts?

[Techie22]

I am thinking about upgrading to conroe this thurs/fri...

My current rig is:

p4 530J
abit ag8 mobo
Corsair ddr400 XMS 2x1 GB
WD Raptor 74GB
Maxtor Maxline III 300GB
WD Caviar 160GB
Sapphire x800pro pci-express
Sony DVD-ROM
NEC DL DVD Writer
Antec 500 watt PSU
Creative SoundBlaster Audigy 1 ES

I'm thinking of getting:

Core 2 duo E6600 - $316
Abit AB9 Mobo - $147.99 (LINK)
Corsair DDR2 800 2x1GB - $178 (LINK)
XFX 7900GT - $234.99 (LINK)

A few questions:
1) Is it worth it? Will I notice a difference? I am going to get Elder Scrolls: Oblivion and play it on high quality settings (1280x1024). I do a lot of video editing projects. Also, I make DVDs and CDs.
2) Option B: Should I just upgrade the CPU/Mobo/RAM and leave out the graphics card, or just go with the graphics card?
3) Should I wait for another product coming in the future that will allow me to see even more of a performance boost...?
4) Any components that should be changed? (maybe to minimize cost)

 

[gudodayn]

I think thats a significant enough of an upgrade from your current system.......you'll definitely notice the difference if you do a lot of video editing stuff!!!

 

[Techie22]

Thanks for the replies guys. I am wondering though, to save a hundred bucks, would it be better to go with the E6400? I have heard that the cache makes a fair amount of difference in video editing, but not in games and other applications...?

 

[BaronMatrix]

Thanks for the replies guys. I am wondering though, to save a hundred bucks, would it be better to go with the E6400? I have heard that the cache makes a fair amount of difference in video editing, but not in games and other applications...?

YEs cache does help for video editing, but unless you're constantly burning DVDs you won't really see a big difference.

 

[Da_Banig]

Thanks for the replies guys. I am wondering though, to save a hundred bucks, would it be better to go with the E6400? I have heard that the cache makes a fair amount of difference in video editing, but not in games and other applications...?

Overall performance between 2MB cache vs 4MB cache is about 3-4% difference. But for video editing it can go up to 10%

 

[Techie22]

Thanks for the replies guys. I am wondering though, to save a hundred bucks, would it be better to go with the E6400? I have heard that the cache makes a fair amount of difference in video editing, but not in games and other applications...?

Overall performance between 2MB cache vs 4MB cahce is about 10% difference.

So its worth the extra cash? I think that I would probably see a difference in video editing if its 10%.

 

[Da_Banig]

Thanks for the replies guys. I am wondering though, to save a hundred bucks, would it be better to go with the E6400? I have heard that the cache makes a fair amount of difference in video editing, but not in games and other applications...?

Overall performance between 2MB cache vs 4MB cahce is about 10% difference.

So its worth the extra cash? I think that I would probably see a difference in video editing if its 10%.

I edited my post, I really mean can go up to 10% for video editing but overall is really 3-4% difference.

You are getting the E6600 right? It will come with 4MB cache. The E6400 & E6300 comes with 2MB cache

http://www.anandtech.com/cpuchipsets/showdoc.aspx?i=2795&p=4

 

[RichPLS]

Intel Core 2 Duo E6300 & E6400: Tremendous Value Through Overclocking

Best value is the E6300 or E6400 if you overclock, it outperformes the FX-62 in all benchmarks, closely matching E6800 performance, and is stable; stress tested for days meaning will be stable for 24/7 operation...

 

[Da_Banig]

Intel Core 2 Duo E6300 & E6400: Tremendous Value Through Overclocking

Best value is the E6300 or E6400 if you overclock, it outperformes the FX-62 in all benchmarks, closely matching E6800 performance, and is stable; stress tested for days meaning will be stable for 24/7 operation...

No doubt, and it only costs $183 hehe... love AMD --> love Core 2

 

[Techie22]

Intel Core 2 Duo E6300 & E6400: Tremendous Value Through Overclocking

Best value is the E6300 or E6400 if you overclock, it outperformes the FX-62 in all benchmarks, closely matching E6800 performance, and is stable; stress tested for days meaning will be stable for 24/7 operation...

Very interesting article rich. I think that I might get a 6400 and overclock as they did with my zalman cnps 7700cu. I bet I could reach 2.88 on air.

 

[Da_Banig]

Intel Core 2 Duo E6300 & E6400: Tremendous Value Through Overclocking

Best value is the E6300 or E6400 if you overclock, it outperformes the FX-62 in all benchmarks, closely matching E6800 performance, and is stable; stress tested for days meaning will be stable for 24/7 operation...

Very interesting article rich. I think that I might get a 6400 and overclock as they did with my zalman cnps 7700cu. I bet I could reach 2.88 on air.

Gotta love paying a $183 CPU to outpreform a $900+ CPU

 

[RichPLS]

That seems very reasonable to expect... and from other reports and this article at AT, that nearly every 6300/6400 should reach these levels stable on stock air cooling... more exotic cooling surely will untap more performance still...

 

[Lamy]

in that anandtech article they reached the 2.88 on stock cooling, dare i say that it would be reasonably easy to reach 3 on an aftermarket cooler ... and i think i just got alittle aroused by thinking what it could do on liquid 8O

 

[RichPLS]

Our goal wasn't to reach the absolute highest overclocks using high end cooling, but rather the maximum stable overclocks easily attainable with a stock Intel heatsink/fan. Undoubtedly we could have reached higher frequencies with more elaborate cooling, but we were more interested in the bare minimum of what was attainable - and we weren't disappointed.
also they did it at stock voltage...
So yes... there is alot of potential still left untapped from that review!

 

[Techie22]

I have a question about my original post...

When I put in a new mobo, cpu, ram, and graphics card, do I have to wipe my windows HDD (the raptor) and start with a clean install? Do I have to wipe my backup hardrives?

 

[ParoXoN]

I have a question about my original post...

When I put in a new mobo, cpu, ram, and graphics card, do I have to wipe my windows HDD (the raptor) and start with a clean install? Do I have to wipe my backup hardrives?

You'll probably have to do a clean install of Windows. Windows rarely likes it when its basic hardware is yanked out from under it and replaced with something new. Failure to reinstall the OS will likely yield FATAL STOP (blue screen) errors on boot.

As for your data/backup drives: leave them as is. Your data won't need to change to accomodate the new system ^.^

 

[Techie22]

alright thx. I guess I'll wipe the Raptor before I upgrade then set it as the new main one.

 

[RichPLS]

When you go to install XP, you can select then to format... no reason to do it before in prepartion...

 

[Techie22]

When you go to install XP, you can select then to format... no reason to do it before in prepartion...

\

So just take off the files I need and format it when installing xp pro?