Looking for some insight. into new"ish" build.

[TragicMagic81]

I'll start off with a picture.

Thanks to the help of some guys in a few threads I had started. That, in the picture above, is what I've come up with for a basic build.

From my existing Acer M1100 Aspire tower I will be using: 320GB SATA HDD; DVD drive, 9-in-1 card reader, and the after market Thermaltake PurePower 500W PSU that I bought when I upgraded to a GeForce 8600GT a few years ago.

I can see no reason why these components wouldn't be compatible with the new board.

At the moment I have no intentions of over-clocking the CPU. I've never done anything of that nature. I did read, however, that it could be possible with this chip. If I did attempt it somewhere down the road, what would you suggest would be a good target?

This was originally just going to be a simple CPU and RAM upgrade. It's ballooned into something more expensive. I just want to ensure that I'm not making a grave error in judgment with the components I've pieced together thus far.

My last question is in regards to Windows 7. What version should I be looking at buying to replace Vista with? If I buy the OS, will it simply install itself over Vista? I want to ensure that it would work optimally.


Thanks again for all your guidance.

TragicMagic


p.s I was going to post up my CPUID pics so you'd know what I'm upgrading from, but I though better of it. If you want to know what my system in currently, you can find it by viewing my other threads, the info is posted there.

 

[reaper2794]

I would suggest getting a standard ATX build...

 

[gkay09]

^^ I dont see any reason for that 8GB RAM in your post...
But mATX build is fine IMO...
Video card - I would suggest this -
XFX HD 5770 -
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150501

 

[batuchka]

Hell Ranas hit 3.6-3.7 easy...on stock voltage but YMMV
Offical AMD Athlon II X3 Owners Club
http://www.overclock.net/amd-cpus/716746-offical-amd-athlon-ii-x3-owners-36.html

 

[TragicMagic81]

Batuchka, what does YMMV stand for? Would I notice an increase in performance by over-clocking to 3.6 or 3.7GHz? If it could be done rather easily, and without endangering the system as a whole, than I'd definitely consider it.

gkay09, I recently installed 4GB of 800MHz DDR2 PC-6400 in my current setup about two weeks ago. That ram replaced 2GB of PC2-5300, the difference in load times for Windows at start-up, for Photoshop CS3, and loading of games in Civ5, was vastly improved. I paid $114 CDN (before taxes) for that 4GB of Corsair "Gaming Memory".
The fact that 64-bit Windows 7 requires 2GB, was the reason I thought I'd upgrade to 8GB of DDR3. Its costs only $30 more than the 4 gigs I just bought. The mobo and OS allow for it, so I thought I'd incorporate it into the build.

Reaper2794, I am using my existing Acer tower. I don't think its large enough to house a standard ATX board.

I was hoping that the answers I got were detailed with a little explanation. As you know, there's a lot to research, and a endless amount of options and configurations. Adding more option to my list, without a basic reason as to why I would consider them, it gets overwhelming.

 

[mattius92]

For applications like Photoshop, you do want the extra ram. Photoshop eats up ram like crazy.

I say get rid of that GTS 450 and get a HD 5770, its a more powerful card, and it will help with your gaming and editing.

Also I would say get another core, so look into a Athlon II x4. More cores the better when it comes to photo and video editing/encoding, etc.

 

[batuchka]

Batuchka, what does YMMV stand for? Would I notice an increase in performance by over-clocking to 3.6 or 3.7GHz? If it could be done rather easily, and without endangering the system as a whole, than I'd definitely consider it.

Yes u would - for best results and chasing highest clock possible then nab a decent air cooler for the chip ^^ YMMV = Your Mileage May Vary The net is rife with OC guides :lol:

 

[TragicMagic81]

Another package, a different picture.

As you can see, I changed things up a bit. I figure if I get a board that will utilize DDR2 ram, then I can add 4GB to the 4GB I already own. And save $ by not purchasing that 8GB of new DDR3. I shaved a few dollars off the price of the mobo. Put in the video card that has been suggested. And went with a quad-core CPU. What I'll save on the RAM allows for the better GPU and CPU, which is probably a wise decision on my part.

It ends up being a less expensive package, which I like.

Now I'm wondering how these would perform in relation to one another. How would triple-core and DDR3 perform, compared to quad-core and DDR2? The DDR3's, in general, appear to have higher latencies compared to the DDR2. I'm sure there is something the DDR3's possess that makes their higher latency a non-issue...? Anyone got a link that'll point me in the right direction to answer that question?

Thanks again guys.

By the time I have the money available to purchase a new setup, I'm sure I'll be going through this process again, but with new products that have come to market. I'm wondering if there is anything I should wait on?


The ram I put in my "Cart" is probably a stupid choice. Since my existing ram is only 800MHz PC6400, putting in PC2-8500 will be a waste. As I understand it, the mobo will only run ram at the lowest speed it recognizes.