Need some advice

[mgrove91]

Hello all,

Here is my setup:

AMD Athlon 64 X2 5600
Radeon HD 4890
4 Gb Patriot DDR2 RAM
Kingwin 730W PSU
Windows 7

I will be ordering some new parts shortly and I'm trying to increase my performance, obviously.. lol. I will be purchasing a Phenom 975 X4 and a new mobo setup. I'm very interested in the idea of Crossfiring my 4890 with another, but I'm worried about buying a card used. I found this on ebay:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Sapphire-ATI-Radeon-HD-4890-1GB-Memory-/160588199545?pt=PCC_Video_TV_Cards&hash=item2563cd7679

He says just slightly used and it's at a decent price for a used 4890 - plus, the seller is 100% positive. Does this seem like a fair purchase? If this is a bad idea, where should I look to find a 4890 used?

Also, would my 730W PSU be powerful enough to support a higher end processor AND two 4890s?

Thank you very much for the help. Any opinions are appreciated!

 

[reprotected]

730w doesn't look too safe to handle two 4890s with your Phenom II X4 975, but it looks probable, not worth to risk though. http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/radeon-hd-4890,2262-13.html
As you see there, one card consumes about 300w, two would be around 500w, (http://www.tweaktown.com/articles/2704/ati_radeon_hd_4890_in_crossfire/index11.html) and remember that your processor can load around 200w at heavy loads (http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/phenom-ii-940,2114-8.html), which in total consumes about 700w, and with other components working together as well, it will consume around or even exceeding 730w.

As for the seller, the seller does not look like a scammer, and the price looks OK. Just remember that you need a Crossfire bridge, but get a better PSU, 850w by Coolermaster with 80+ PLUS efficiency at least.

... though a better idea is to get another computer.

 

[curryj02]

I second reprotected's advice about the PSU. Coolermaster make some good PSU's, also have a look at this, not a bad buy:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139022&cm_re=corsair_tx850-_-17-139-022-_-Product

In terms of your overall upgrade though, it is worth considering the fact that AMD will be launching a brand new platform on June 20th. If you can wait that long then you will not only get the latest processor tech, but the latest mobo socket for future upgrades. Also consider that this intro should push the prices down of competing intel CPUs (and earlier AMD models, such as the 975). Check this out for the details:
http://www.xbitlabs.com/news/cpu/display/20110313113629_Four_AMD_Bulldozer_Chips_Incoming_Details_Revealed.html

Also remember that once you have upgraded the ram (which you will need to do, to DDR3), mobo, CPU and PSU, you are just a few steps away from a whole new computer. $99 might seem attractive for an extra 4890 now, but have you considered a complete system rebuild and selling off (or using as a backup/server/HTPC/LAN rig) your old rig? ebay works both ways ya know

 

[mgrove91]

Thanks a lot for the reply. This is depressing news.. haha. I didn't want to have to go lay another $150 on a new PSU as well. Maybe I'll look into just upgrading to a DX11 card.

 

[mgrove91]

Honestly, I pretty much am rebuilding the entire system. The only things I'd like to keep right now are the hard drives, PSU, and case.

I know I'll have to upgrade the mobo, RAM, CPU, and probably the video card.

I'll be making this purchase right about June 20th, so maybe I'll wait until after, but I have a few questions about the bulldozers: I'm on a very limited budget here.. do you think that any of the bulldozer lines will be under $200? Also, how smart is it to go with a processor that literally was just released. I'd be afraid that not enough people have tried them and such.. I don't know.. haha.

 

[mgrove91]

Best answer selected by mgrove91.

 

[Mousemonkey]

This topic has been closed by Mousemonkey