New Builder Looking for some feedback please

[Wiley72]

Hi all,

I am looking for some advice on my system. I am having trouble figuring out how well it stacks up to the newer systems out there. I don't need top of the line but I don't want to keep putting money into this system if it isn't worth it. On the other hand I don't want to spend a lot of cash on a new system to find out that I didn't really gain that much performance.

I am mostly interested in playing online games, primarilly MMO's and while I run most of the older ones fine I am not happy with the peformance in newer games and it is painful running Warhammer Online. I did update all my drivers and reduced settings etc for the game but now I am not sure if it is just the game being new/unstable/etc or if my system is just dated.

Thanks for any and all tips/advice.

AMD Athlon 64 X2 4200+ 2.42GHz
ASUS A8N-SLI DELUXE ACPI BIOS Revision 1016
ATI Radeon HD 4850 512 DDR3
3.0GB RAM DDR PC3200 400MHz
OS Windows XP Home Edition SP3

Wiley72

 

[Proximon]

Yep you just need a CPU/MB/RAM upgrade for WAR. You video card is fine.

You couldn't really upgrade any on that MB... 939 is obsolete now.

Here are my specs, and I have fantastic performance in WAR:

Resolution: 1680x1050.
Video card: 8800GT (slower than yours, I am in the process of upgrading but not for WAR)
CPU : E8400 overclocked to 3.6Ghz.
4GB RAM @ 800Mhz
ASUS P5Q-E (not terribly relevant to speed here, except that it's a good overclocker)
Vista 64 bit

- You could keep your OS, although upgrading to Vista64 might give you some advantages.

If you made a build like mine, you would also need a good cooler... the whole thing would be about 350-400.

Some general advice:
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/257075-31-what-parts-choose

And a few parts to consider:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128358&Tpk=UD3P
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115036
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820146731

 

[Wiley72]

Thank you Proximon - great info this is exactly what I was looking for and thanks for the other info links --- fantastic stuff!

I just had a couple of quick follow up questions, a friend had suggested an E8400 3.0Ghz also but he said to make sure that it is E0 stepping with a product code of SLB9J. I couldn't find specifically where the E8400 or E8500 that you recommended say that they were E0 at NewEgg.

As far as the MOBOs all three you recommended look really good. The same friend coincidently recommended the Asus P5Q-Pro but you mentioned that the P5Q-E is an upgrade and the GIGABYTE GA-EP45-UD3P LGA 775 Intel P45 ATX Intel Motherboard may be better - could you elaborate a bit please?

I guess I couldn't go wrong with any of them I am just curious now.

Thanks again!

 

[Proximon]

As others have noted, ASUS has good quality and lousy service.

The UD3P is very similar to the P5Q-E, but it's less money, and Gigabyte has better customer support over all.

The UD3P is a second generation motherboard as well. P5Q-E and Pro have been around since the launch of the P45 chipset.

The P5Q-E is basically a deluxe build from ASUS at a moderate price. It's a robust design and will overclock better than the P5Q Pro, although the Pro is a fine board that may well be the most recommended and highest selling P45 board.

Regardless, my recommendation today stays with the Gigabyte. Second gen + price puts it over the top.

Yes it's the luck of the draw at newegg on stepping.
Tigerdirect actually lists stepping... maybe this is a rare instance when I send them some business:
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=3574211

 

[Wiley72]

Thanks again Proximon - I will go with the UD3P.