System Upgrade

[syaped]

Hi, I'm looking to spend around $500 upgrading my CPU and mobo. RAM too if needs be. This is my current system,

Cpu - Core2 Duo 6600 2.4Ghz
Mobo - EVGA NF66, nForce 650i Ultra
RAM - 4GB G.Skill DDR2 (PC2-6400)
Vid - GF8800 GTS 320MB
PSU - Corsair HX520-W

As usual when it's time to upgrade I found I'm out of the loop again and have no idea how the current tech measures up! I was going to follow TH's system builder guide but it's a few months old and I wanted to see what others think. I'm also worried that my PSU might not be sufficient?

I do a lot of heavy work in 3dsmax, Photoshop and After Effects. Not sure if that'd affect CPU and mobo choice.

Any help much appreciated

 

[Why_Me]

Your psu, ram, etc...is fine. These are the only things I would change out. Infact if you don't game, I wouldn't bother changing your vid card.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128348 $119.99 ($99.99 after $20.00 Mail-In Rebate)
GIGABYTE GA-EP45T-DS3R LGA 775 Intel P45 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115131 $219.99 Free Shipping*
Intel Core2 Quad Q9400 2.66GHz 6MB L2 Cache LGA 775 95W Quad-Core Processor - Retail

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814143155 $178.99
BFG Tech BFGEGTX260MC896OCE GeForce GTX 260 896MB 448-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail

 

[syaped]

Sounds good to me! Thanks for your input. What kind of performance jump would I see from my C2D to this Q9400? Also what do you think of the included HSF? Everyone seems to recommend upgrading to a 3rd party cooler, I won't be oc'ing however.

 

[Why_Me]

Sounds good to me! Thanks for your input. What kind of performance jump would I see from my C2D to this Q9400? Also what do you think of the included HSF? Everyone seems to recommend upgrading to a 3rd party cooler, I won't be oc'ing however.

Seeing how the programs you use utilize multiple threading, the difference should be like night and day not to mention the extra cache this quad comes with is nice.

Good call on the after market HS. This one down below is fairly new to the market. It's big brother the 120mm sold like hot cakes, and I'm sure this one will also. It's on the cheap right now, and it comes with an excellent thermal compound (TX-2).

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835207006 $29.99 ($19.99 after $10.00 Mail-In Rebate)
Sunbeam CR-CCTF92-4 92mm Core-Contact Freezer CPU Cooler W/TX-2 - Retail

 

[syaped]

Thanks for all your help Why_Me, I have a few more questions if you don't mind

I'm looking at that motherboard and it seems great, but running the big clunky programs I use I experience plenty of crashes. So I'd say a rock solid, steady mobo would be my priority, how would you rate that Gigabyte in that regard? Would there be anything else you recommend in that price range?

Also, is it worth burning $100 to jump up to 3.0GHz with the Q9650? Q9400 looks like the best bang for buck to me. Is an extra 0.36GHz that noticeable? Doesn't quite seem worth an extra $100.

Thanks again for your help