Upgrading old system for BF3 - advice needed :)

[kinar100]

Hey guys, only posted here a couple times but found the help better than anything i could imagine.

Hoping to upgrade my system now for BF3

My range is about 500-1k depending on what i need.

I have a:

Nvidia Geforce GTX 460 Hawk
CORSAIR DOMINATOR 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800)
windows 7 64 bit
Intel Core i7-920 Bloomfield 2.66GHz LGA 1366 130W Quad-Core Processor
Seagate 7200 300g hd and another 300g hd
ASUS P6T Deluxe V2 LGA 1366 Intel X58 ATX Intel Motherboard
CORSAIR CMPSU-750TX 750W ATX12V v2.2

I'd like to get a better processor, a SDD, maybe another 460 as well and sli it.

Just some upgrades so i could play BF3 at the best settings for the money i wanna spend.

Thanks to all that reply, ill try and check back as often as possible.

 

[x Heavy]

Get a second 460 for SLI.

You might wish to use a few SSD's in Raid 0 to run windows and BF3. You don't really need large space, just enough plus 60% more capacity. Keep everything else for now.

I would stay with that processor for now. I think prices will drop soon when any possible upgrade CPUs are availible for your motherboard to save you a few dollars.

 

[cuecuemore]

The i7 920 is still a great CPU. Instead of replacing it, I'd recommend getting an aftermarket cooler and overclocking it into the 3.n GHz range. Some people can hit 4.0-4.2, but somewhere around 3.0 you should unbottleneck any GPU config you would need for BF3.

You could SLI your 460 (that's what I'm running), but if you have that much money to work with and with new generations of cards just around the corner, I'd sit on the 460 for a bit and then upgrade. This, of course, depends on the resolution you're running. If you're at 1080p or above, then what I said above holds. Below that res, 2x Hawk might be just what the doctor ordered.

 

[Inferno1217]

I would get a nice after market cooler for your i7 and overclock it as it is plenty of processor for BF3. Get a second 460 and a large SSD (256gb).

 

[x Heavy]

I argue against a large SSD. Several SSD's adding up to 256 or slightly less in RAID will be fantastic for the same money.

 

[IntelEnthusiast]

I would start off with an SSD maybe the Intel® SSD 510 120GB or the Intel SSD 320 80GB as a boot drive and then the second video card. I would be careful about spending too much money on the Intel Core i7 processors since they are fading away and the 2nd generation Intel Core processors are outperforming them. Maybe look into overclocking Intel Core i7-920 to get you a little more time.

Christian Wood
Intel Enthusiast Team

 

[kinar100]

Thanks for the quick replies.

Since aftermarket cooling is pretty cheap i can go ahead and grab a fan for my i7. Ive never overclocked before but i bet i could find a good guide somewhere.

I am not familiar with Raid 0 or RAID setups in general but i also bet i could find a guide somewhere (unless someone has a link!) I will probably get 1-2 SDD. Mainly i will only be playing BF3, skyrim and sc2 or something similar but mainly bf3!

Since the 460's are pretty cheap i might go ahead and get another 460 to SLI. I have a rocketfish case and it's almost as big as i am so i have plenty of room although i dont know if the case cooling is as good as i want it.

Any other advice is much appreciated.

 

[x Heavy]

Cooling fan for CPU = two words. Zalman and copper.

That is all you need to know.

Never rely on a stock unit.