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Need advice on upgrading

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I built my first computer 3 years ago and it no longer handles newer games. I dont know much about building computers and winged it the first time. Any advice on what components I should upgrade would be appreciated. I dont need the latest and greatest but something that gives me good bang for the buck.

I was thinking of an i7 but im not sure if thats a good choice or what else needs upgrading and wanted to keep it under $1,000.


Current Build

CPU
1 x Intel Core 2 Duo E6600 Conroe 2.4GHz LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor BX80557E6600
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...
1 x ZEROtherm CF900 92mm CPU Cooler

Mother Board
1 x ASUS P5B Deluxe LGA 775 Intel P965 Express ATX Intel Motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

RAM
2 x OCZ Platinum Revision 2 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model OCZ2P800R22GK
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

Graphics Card
1 x EVGA 256-P2-N624-AR GeForce 7900GS 256MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16 SLI Support Video Card
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

Case
1 x APEVIA X-Infinity ATXB6KLW-BK/420 Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

Power Supply
I upgraded the power supply in the case but I cant remember with what

Hard Drives
1 x Western Digital Caviar Blue WD5000AAKS 500GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
2 x Western Digital Caviar Green WD10EADS 1TB SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive

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Homebuilt system Expert

Wait for a few more days to check out the range from Intel.

But to be honest, you already have a very decent system. The only reason your system can't handle newer games is your GPU. Just get a GTX 4xx depending on your budget and that should be good enough.

OC your CPU if you want to. Plenty of guides on the net.

You could overclock your processor quite easily. There are plenty of guides that will help you do it and you already have an aftermarket cooler. I have that same processor and have it running at 3.4GHz. I have had it up as high as 3.55GHz.

The thing to upgrade is the GPU. What resolution is your monitor. I have at gts 250 and I have no problems gaming at 1680x1050.

I would recommend the HD6850 for under $200. specifically, this one with the rebate and promo code
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

If you want a whole new computer, we can advise you on that and easily spend your $1000. However, I don't think you will be unhappy with a mild overclock and a 6850.
Homebuilt system Expert

jedi940 said:
If you want a whole new computer, we can advise you on that and easily spend your $1000. However, I don't think you will be unhappy with a mild overclock and a 6850.
Actually, he'll get the same fps as a 1000 dollar PC by just OC'ing a bit - not go to 3.4 necessarily - and getting a new GPU. No need at all to waste money :) 

@ OP, Whether you want the 68xx (6850/6870) or the GTX 4xx (460/470/480) depends on your preference for AMD/Nvidia - and also to some extent on the games you play, or are planning to play.
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Wow thanks guys I thought I needed a whole computer overhaul. This will save me alot of money.

As far as the graphics card goes which one should I get?
Im looking on newegg.com and each card come from multiple manufactures (gigabyte, EVGA, MSI, ASUS and more). Their is a big price difference between manufacturers and I dont know which one to choose.

Also depending on the card it can go from: ($90 for a GTX 450) to ($229 for GTX 470) is it better to buy 2 of the lower end or 1 of the higher?


I thought about overclocking before but was to scared to try it ill take a look at the guides and see if i can figure it out.

You are going to need one higher card. Your motherboard is configured to run 2 slots as x16/x4. This will hurt your performance if you try to use crossfire. I would recommend a gtx 460 1gb version
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

or this HD 6850 which is currently $155 after rebate and promo code.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

Also, you could probably just adjust your memory multiplier and bump your processor up to 2.8-3.0 without even touching voltages. Read up on overclocking and this will make sense.

Here is a link to overclocking the Core 2 Duo series. It explains everything quite well.
Core 2 Overclocking Guide
Homebuilt system Expert

What GPU you should get really depends on your resolution and what games you wanna play at what settings.

It'll be easier for me to tailor recommendations specifically suited for you if you were to provide those info - resolution, Games, desired settings.

And yes, as Jedi said, around 15% OC is really easy and hassle free, 'coz you may not even have to touch the vcore :) 
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