Need to upgrade :(

[xxdejavuxx]

Hi all,

I am planning an upgrade for my computer at the end of this year. Right now my current specs are:

Gigabyte p965-dq6 rev 1.0
E6400
4 gig ddr2 800mhz ram
GTX 260
Antec 550W power supply.

The graphics card i bought 6 months ago, so that won't be touched. I am really focusing on my CPU as its showing is age now . My motherboard doesnt support 1333mhz CPU's so thats going to have to go. I am pretty out of date with technology now so if you guys could recommend a MOBO and CPU combo that will go with my GTX 260 that would be great.
I dont plan to overclock.

Also, will DDR2 memory work on a DDR3 board? or will i have to upgrade my ram as well. I only really want to get a better CPU atm but if theres anything else i HAVE to upgrade in order to get a new cpu ill do.

Budget isnt a problem, but i dont want the best of the best. Need to save money for a holiday.
I hope i have given enough information and thanks for your time guys.

 

[xxdejavuxx]

Sorry i forgot to mention the games i am wanting to play.

Diablo 3, starcraft 2. I am really only into RPG's and Strategy. I might try demanding games like crysis was but i am not a fan of them.

 

[lilotimz]

Look up for Intel I5's and their respective mobos. Grab 4x2gb of DDR3 ram and a good quality motherboard for around $100 ish. And your set.

 

[sminlal]

will DDR2 memory work on a DDR3 board?

Nope. The position of the notches along the DIMM edge connector is different for DDR2 and DDR3 to prevent you from inserting one type into sockets intended for the other type.

 

[smithereen]

Wait for the i5 shakedown to finish, and build with either a Phenom II 955 (NOT 965, unless it drops in price. The 955 is still a good deal ATM), a Phenom II 720 (a 3-core CPU, the sweat spot for gaming right now, again still a good deal with the possibility of getting price-dropped), or a Core i5.

 

[ohiou_grad_06]

I can agree with the phenom suggestion as you can grab an AM2+ mobo and save yourself $$ on the ram by reusing what you've got.

 

[ulysses35]

I would definately give i5 a look... current benchmarks doing the rounds show it has some very good performance increase over C2D and pretty much everything from AMD too.... give it a month and let the launch prices settle.

 

[sirkillalot]

amd p2 955 x4 is a good 1 its what i just brought last week myself and its cheap
im very pleased with it
it runs at 3.2 mhz and you can over clock it to about 3.8-4mhz

 

[shubham1401]

Have you tried OC your CPU?

 

[megamanx00]

Well it depends on your budget. With a resonable budget I say go with an i5, 4GB of DDR3, and a P55 board that supports SLI. If you're budget is only like $200 though then you can go AMD and get an Phenom II 550 BE and a decent board while keeping your RAM and everything else. Of course I recommend overclocking that 550BE so it would be good to get a cooler if you had the cash for it .

As shumbhan suggested, you may want to try overclocking your CPU a bit for now.

 

[shubham1401]

As shumbhan suggested, you may want to try overclocking your CPU a bit for now.

Hey the name is Shubham