Advice on upgrading

[stefan888]

Hey guys,

Im debating whether my system needs a little upgrading since I recently started playing BC2
Its currently:
Asus M3N HD/HDMI
AMD Phenom X3 8650 oc'd to 2.5 ghz
OCZ 4 gigs ram 1066MHz DDR2 5-6-6-18
2x EVGA 8800 GT in sli
windows 7 ultimate 64bit

I am wondering if getting another 4 gigs of ram, or an AMD phenom X4 at ~3.0 GHz , or if replacing the 8800 GT's with a single GTX 285 would allow me to see a difference in games as high end as BC2? Or is my system good enough as it is? It currently runs BC2 well on low settings (50 fps), decent at medium (30-40Fps), and poorly on high settings (20 fps)

Thanx for a second opinion,
Stefan

 

[tecmo34]

What is your budget??

I would recommend upgrading to an AMD Phenom II X4 955, if your motherboard will support it with BIOS updates. This will give you a nice improvement in your performance. With running two 8800 GT's in SLI, you still have decent graphics power, so I wouldn't upgrade GPU's unless you are making a jump to a new platform (AM3 or i5/i7).

 

[stefan888]

my budget is max 400. I wont be jumping to a new platform yet. I think i agree, my mobo can handle AM3 so i think a new X4 would be nice and they seem affordable now. Is 4 gigs of ram for a 64 bit gaming rig enough?

as awesome as a 285 would be...i think ill save my $$ for Fermi

 

[MadAdmiral]

You have enough for a new platform.


CPU/Mobo: X4 955 and Gigabyte GA-790XTA-UD4 $265 after rebate
RAM: G.Skill Ripjaws 2x2 GB 1600 mhz CAS Latency 7 $115

Total: $380.

That give you a great CPU, excellent board with great futuring proof features (USB 3/SATA III), and some very fast RAM. And yes, 4 GB is enough for a 64-bit gaming build.

 

[tecmo34]

For gaming, you don't need more than 4GB of RAM on a 64-bit OS. I agree the GTX 285 isn't worth it at this time (Fermi release).

 

[tecmo34]

You have enough for a new platform.


CPU/Mobo: X4 955 and Gigabyte GA-790XTA-UD4 $265 after rebate
RAM: G.Skill Ripjaws 2x2 GB 1600 mhz CAS Latency 7 $115

The only issue with this recommendation is the OP is currently running SLI, which isn't supported with that MOBO. Running only one 8800 GT will not get it done with BC2 He would need to upgrade to either an ATI card or a single GTX 470|480, which puts him way over budget.

 

[MadAdmiral]

Fair enough. Here's a replacement board: MSI NF750-G55 for $100.

 

[tecmo34]

New board looks decent enough & still within budget... Good suggestion.

 

[stefan888]

wow thanx a lot! mobo and cpu look good

 

[megamanx00]

You have a 780a based SLI board, so you don't need to buy a new board yet. The NF750 is a 750a based board so you would actually loose a little performance as each slot would only be 8x PCI-E lanes instead of the 16x you currently enjoy. You're board can support a 965BE C3, with a BIOS update of course. I say you just get that, some more RAM, and be happy.

 

[stefan888]

thats a good point, thanx, cpu seems like the best upgrade. Is there anything special about the BIOS update? like where i get it from? Or is a simple download the latest bios version from asus drivers?

 

[tecmo34]

You download from the ASUS website and follow the instructions from ASUS on how to flash your BIOS. Flash your BIOS and your MOBO will support your new CPU.

 

[stefan888]

do i update my bios after or before the cpu change?

 

[tecmo34]

Before you put your new CPU in the system.