Advice for upgrade

[Derekkk]

Current build:

CPU: Core 2 Quad Q6600
RAM: 2x1GB Corsair XMS2 DDR2
PSU: OCZ GameXStream 700W (just failed one day after purchase, waiting for RMA), (just previously a shitty 480W random brand)
GPU: 8600GTS...it sucks!
Mobo: Asus P5N-E SLI
HDD: Some WD 320GB, 2x 750GB WD Caviar Blacks in RAID 0
OS: Vista 32bit, soon Vista 64bit or 7

I use a Black Magic Intensity Pro capture card and record 720p with it. I edit in Sony Vegas Pro 9.0 often.



I need to upgrade my video card and something else. Only have about $200 right now what would be the best upgrade? Link me for certain things if you have ideas.

 

[False_Dmitry_II]

What's "and something else"
Frankly, with only that much money just go with a HD 4890. Later add another 2 gigs of RAM and then go 64bit. NOT before.

Really that system is pretty good. It's literally only missing enough RAM and a good graphics card.

 

[Derekkk]

I was just typing lazy haha. That was the "and something else".


What if I were to go between 150-180 price give or take a little. What's the best in there? Do I have to worry about the size of any video card, I have a family member who has a 5850 and I don't think that thing would fit in my NZXT Apollo case. Even overlaps a PCI slot on the mobo it looks like.

 

[False_Dmitry_II]

Pretty much anything I say is going to be dual slot. If you're going to go down in price then it has to be the HD 5770. I don't know relatively about the 4890, but I do know that the 5770 is shorter than the 5850.

 

[megamanx00]

With that budget go with a Radeon 5770 and a good heatsink. A good heatsink will allow you to significantly overclock your CPU and get some more performance out of it, well assuming your BIOS has the options to allow you to do so. A Q6600 @ 3.4 Ghz is still a formidable Processor, and certainly better than it is at stock speeds ^_^

 

[deadlockedworld]

I generally agree with what has been said. Get a 5770 and 2gigs of ram. If you are using an 8600 right now the 5770 is plenty of upgrade to give you a massive performance boost. Its also a smaller, cooler, more power efficient card.

1. ATI 5770--$154.99AR
Sapphire Vapor-X HD 5770 1GB HDCP PCI-E Video Card
Free Shipping after rebate and Coupon Code: VGA114A (Exp 1/21 or while supplies last)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102868

2. Match your corsair ram with 2 more 1gb sticks for $60
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145153&cm_re=Corsair_XMS2_DDR2-_-20-145-153-_-Product

$155+60=$215 If this is too much you could just purchase 1 stick of ram for now (3gb) and bump to 4 at the same time you purchase Windows 7.

3. Get 64 Bit Windows 7. (This is nice but not urgent--your system will run perfectly fine only using 3gb of ram for now)

4. Overclock processor.