Upgrading store-bought system

[tom151515]

Will these components work together?

PSU: Thermaltake toughpower 600w
RAM: Corsair Value Select 1024Mb DDR2 667MHz
GPU: BFG 320Mb nVidia Geforce 8800 GTS
MOBO: MSI G965M-FI (not sure about this mobo, any other decent Micro-ATX motherboards for around the same price?)

CPU: Intel Pentium D 940 on stock cooling

So, would there be any problems/conflictions with these parts? I know there would be a bottleneck on the GPU, i plan to upgrade my processor to a core 2 duo fairly soon.

I am upgrading everything in my system apart from the CPU and drives, due to lack of upgradeability with my current setup. How would i go about taking the CPU out of my current motherboard, and putting it in the new one?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[tom151515]

Could anybody help me? I want to make sure that it will all work, and i plan to order it tomorrow.

 

[Mondoman]

The MB you have listed, like many current ones, only has 1 IDE/PATA connector. Since you shouldn't mix optical and hard drives on the same IDE/PATA cable, either your hard drive or your optical drives will need to be SATA, or you will need to add an IDE controller card.

To remove the CPU, just do the reverse of the install instructions in your MB's manual. Don't forget to clean the old thermal compound off of it. This post may be helpful: http://forumz.tomshardware.com/hardware/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&p=1184072#1184072

 

[tom151515]

Is it entireley neccasery to remove the thermal grease, since it will be using the same heatsink/CPU just in a new motherboard? If so, what is the easiest/best/cheapest way to do it?

 

[Mondoman]

Check out the link in my post above.

 

[tom151515]

Ok, i see it is. Is it a difficult process? I know that you have explained it in the guide, but i was wondering how difficult you wuold rate the procedure?

 

[reader850]

It isn't difficult, just takes a bit of time and effort. Used parts may look discolored; resist the temptation to scrape them with a knife or other metal tool, as scratches make the surface uneven and do more harm than good. I use cotton balls (100% real cotton, not synthetic) and 90% rubbing alcohol from the supermarket, cleaning the CPU and heatsink several times. For the final cleaning, use part of a coffee filter (they are lint-free) instead of a cotton ball. Don't touch them after they are clean - even your fingerprints will reduce the effectiveness of the Artic Silver 5 or whatever you use.

 

[reader850]

Why are you doing the upgrade in stages? IMO it is too much trouble to install a new motherboard, only to take it out again soon to install a different CPU. If your current rig works, just wait and do it all at once.

 

[tom151515]

Sorry, i probably didn't explain this very well. I plan to swap my current motherboard and all the other components listed at the same time.
EDIT: Oh, sorry, (I'm tired ^_^) i dont plan to get the core 2 duo very soon, probably in a few months. And i really want improved (to say the least) performance....well, now! So, i would rather get them in 2 stages.

 

[alcattle]

Your plan should work, the big catch is the size of the MB and GPU. You also did not say the rating of your power supply. That video card used a lot more Amps then most cards.

 

[tom151515]

http://specialtech.co.uk/spshop/customer/product.php?productid=2514

That is the PSU i plan to buy.

Also, i have measured the inside of my case, and i think there would be enough room for the GPU if i move a few wires out of the way. Anyone know how much bigger exactly it is than the XFX 7600GT XXX?