Is this okey??pls help

[baytisoy88]

my rig is athlon II X2 240,mobo asus m2n68-am se2 2gb ram ddr2...im planning to buy hd 6850 and a 500w power supply will this be okey??pls help im buying soon

 

[alvinyang]

Right off the bat, your CPU and RAM bottlenecks your video card.

Here's my suggestion.

Get a least a Athlon II X3 445 or Phenom II X4 925.

Get at least 4gb of RAM and don't settle for DDR2 (this is more expensive and slower than ddr3)

Get a better motherboard. There are really cheap ones like the asus you like. Models like the Asrock N68C-S or Biostar N68S3+

 

[baytisoy88]

huhu too bad i think im gonna cancel my plans for now.

 

[jjb8675309]

just go for something like a 5770 and upgrade your RAM/psu until you can build a new system

 

[baytisoy88]

i should go 1st with a new mobo, would a Asus M4A88T-M 880G/V/S/GL/ddr3 be ok for my gaming needs? my plan for now is to transfer my athlon x2 240 and i will just buy 4gb Genesis (1600C9D3X2K2/4G) ram and will just settle for my old 9500gt 1gb..pls tell me gurus if my plan would be ok till i can buy a faster cpu and my planned 6850
btw... i think im gonna go for the athlon II x3 440(or would i stay with my athlon II 240?)..and now ill only have to bear with my 9500gt..till i can buy the 6850..

below would be the thing im buying
Asus M4A88T-M 880G/V/S/GL/ddr3
4gb Genesis (1600C9D3X2K2/4G)
athlon II x3 440

 

[dalauder]

It's not worth the money to buy new DDR2 RAM. If you OC that Athlon II x2, it should be able to handle the 6850 in plenty of situations, but that really depends on your resolution. If you're gaming at less than 1680x1050, you really may as well be using a 5770.

I'm assuming you already have the rig you mention up above? If so...then it'll depend on your monitor, like I said. And I'd say 5770 is a good match for your CPU.

With the PSU--what do you have now? A good 450W can handle that system with the 6850 no problem. But make sure you buy your PSU from a good brand (Antec, Corsair, Seasonic, XFX). Or look up the product line here: http://www.eggxpert.com/forums/thread/323050.aspx

 

[dalauder]

Don't buy anything. Just give me your budget and what you want to do, then we'll start talking about your options.

EDIT: If you want to help your performance in gaming, don't upgrade your motherboard. Here's what matters in gaming:

1) Your Graphics Card
2) Your CPU (speed, cores, & architecture)
3) The Resolution you game at

6) Other stuff in no particular order, mostly your RAM. This is #6 because there's a gap in importance between the first three and everything else.

The worse thing you can do is spend money to side-grade. That would be like an attempted upgrade that's actually not better and gets pretty much the same performance.

EXTRA: Find out if your motherboard is Rev 2.00 or not. That affects your CPU support. Unfortunately, your board only has two RAM slots. It's probably not worth buying DDR2 to upgrade to 4GB--so just assume 2GB will get the job done. Do you have a 1x2GB stick or 2x1GB sticks? What speed is your RAM? How big is your case? Could it fit an ATX motherboard? Is it a retail ATX/mATX case or a proprietary Dell/OEM case?

 

[baytisoy88]

gotcha sir..so my board is fine to run the 5860??my monitor is a flat screen,14inch maybe..dont know the reso..my ram is 1 stick 2gb i think its 800speed..my case is a mid tower size...will my current cpu do the job??
reason for upgrading is to play bf3 and mw3 with no stutter..coz in my experience playing my nba 2k11 in high settings using a 9500gt along with the mentioned specs ..it gives me the headache even though it gives 50fps and btw im playing at 800 reso only

 

[dalauder]

There is no 5860. Your motherboard can run the 6850. I don't know if your CPU can handle it. Your resolution can be found by right-clicking your desktop and choosing "Properties" or "Screen Resolution", depending on your operating system. It's on one of the menus that pop up.

If you have a 14", I can pretty much guarantee you that it's 1024x768. I assume it's not widescreen. That means most games will be CPU limited. Unless you're planning on buying a newer monitor or gaming on an HD TV, a 6850 is overkill for that resolution. You'd be impressed with the improvement from a 9500GT to a 5770 or even a 5670. And a 5670 wouldn't require a new PSU so you could save towards a better monitor.

Your current CPU is very mediocre for modern games. If you overclock it, it'll run all games "okay" or better. Right now, it's actually the strongest part of your system though. But it will cause newer games to hit low minimum framerates (20fps) now and then.

You could probably play Battlefield 3 merely by upgrading your graphics card.

What's your current power supply? Look at it's label. How many amps are on the +12V rail? Don't just buy a cheap replacement--the brand matters immensely. You could go buy a Logisys 600W PSU that is much weaker than an Antec 380W.

I still insist that you should give me your budget if you want any really helpful recommendations. You're making this much harder on both of us by not doing that.

 

[baytisoy88]

oki sir ..i think its 350 wats psu. my budget would be 10k pesos maximum..im planning to buy a psu if im gonna replace my video card...and ya your correct on my screen reso..how can i overclock my cpu??

btw..i still want the 6850 hehehe ..wat if i buy a new cpu the athlon x3 440 and psu of 500wats and the 6850?? or if possible ill just overclock my current cpu and still go for a new psu and the 6850??

reason why i go with the 6850 sir is so i could go a long way with it for years to come

 

[dalauder]

PSU: How many Amps are on the +12V rail?

My computer at work uses 375W Logisys PSU with 16A on the +12V rail (16A x 12V = 192W). Total wattage is typically about 20 to 40W more than +12V wattage on good PSUs, that would put this "375W" at 220W. So I'm guessing yours is a 200W PSU.

Good overclocking basics: http://www.overclockers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=263753

A 6850 at 1024x768 is kinda pointless--I really think you should upgrade your monitor to a 22" 1920x1080 or at least 21" 1680x1050 monitor. Your money would be much better spent on a US$80 5770. But like I said earlier, if you've got US$225 to spend, you should get a US$65 5670 and a US$130 22" monitor.

Do not confuse an Athlon II with an Athlon. There is no Athlon x3. You currently have an Athlon II x2. That would be an Athlon II x3. The upgrade would provide a minimal performance increase, but be a big waste of cash. If you're upgrading your CPU, try to find a Phenom II x3 720BE for less than US$75. A new AMD processor is coming out very soon, so I strongly advise you not to upgrade your CPU until that one comes out so that prices drop as lots of people sell off their old CPUs to upgrade.

If you want your graphics card to go a long ways for years to come, your budget is pretty small...but it's your money. Personally, I think a decent monitor does a lot more for day-to-day satisfaction with a computer than a great video card compared to a good one.

All this talk of what to buy depends on where you're buying from and how much parts are. Do you buy from a retail store or online? Online is typically cheaper. You are in the Philippines, right? Are you buying there or buying through a relative in the states who ships stuff to you? Do you have any friends/relatives maybe somewhere like Guam that would bring stuff back to you? I don't know what your system is, but let me know how you're buying so I can figure out what's in your budget and what parts are available.

 

[baytisoy88]

ill pm you sir the complete info of my psu..sir i have 1 samsung monitor tv i think its 4 14inches combined monitor i think i can use that..ya im from the philippines and im planning to buy here specifically at pc express branches..now can i use the 6850 sir?hehehe

 

[dalauder]

You never PM'd me your PSU specs. Feel free to just post it here. I can't tell you whether it's safe or smart to use the 6850 until you tell me that.

On the PC Express website ( http://www.pcx.com.ph ), the Enermax power supply is the only one I'd recommend. For example, this CoolerMaster EX 460W is really only a 340W PSU: http://www.pcx.com.ph/index.php/components/power-supplies/coolermaster-ex-460w.html
Sadly, that may be your best alternative to the Enermax--but I can't recommend it.

If you look at graphics card rankings here: http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/best-graphics-card,2964-7.html

You'll see a 9800GT would be a huge upgrade to your 9500GT. It would be like 3-4 times faster and is 3,300 pesos here: http://www.pcx.com.ph/index.php/components/graphic-cards/palit-9800gt-512ddr3-256bit-hdmi.html
A 9800GT would provide nearly identical performance to the 6850 at that resolution. If you are getting a better monitor though, it may be worth it to aim higher.

Where did you see the 6850 and how much is it?

DELETED this sentence

EDIT: Oops, I used that website incorrectly. You have a bunch more options than I saw. I'll make a new post.

 

[dalauder]

I've listed some PSUs and graphics cards in order of preference within your budget, more or less.

PSU:
FSP Aurum 400W will do, or 500W if you want http://www.pcx.com.ph/index.php/fsp-aurum-series-80-gold.html

FSP Epsilon http://www.pcx.com.ph/index.php/fsp-epsilon-600w-80plus.html

FSP Everest http://www.pcx.com.ph/index.php/fsp-everest-600w-80plus-modular.html

Silverstone ST50F 500w http://www.pcx.com.ph/index.php/silverstone-st60f-600w-modular-cable-1.html

Graphics:
The GeForce cards are heavily overpriced. I found 5670, 6770's, and similar cards at reasonable prices. When picking a card, make sure to check if it's DDR2, DDR3 or DDR5. 1GB is better than 512MB--and so long as prices are close, these memory speeds matter. Refer to here to compare cards: http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/best-graphics-card,2964-7.html

PowerColor HD6770 1gb ddr5 5,500 http://www.pcx.com.ph/index.php/components/graphic-cards/powercolor-hd6770-1gb-ddr5-hdmi.html

PC HD5670 1gb ddr3 3,350 http://www.pcx.com.ph/index.php/components/graphic-cards/pc-hd5670-1gb-ddr3-128bit-hdmi.html
The 5670 will not require a new power supply

Palit 9800GT 512 ddr3 3,300 http://www.pcx.com.ph/index.php/components/graphic-cards/palit-9800gt-512ddr3-256bit-hdmi.html

PowerColor HD6750 1gb ddr5 4,900 http://www.pcx.com.ph/index.php/components/graphic-cards/powercolor-hd6750-1gb-ddr5-hdmi.html

PowerColor HD6790 1gb ddr5 6,300 http://www.pcx.com.ph/index.php/components/graphic-cards/powercolor-hd6790-1gb-ddr5-hdmi.html

I'd go with the 5670 since the other cards will barely show improvement on your monitor. 10,000 pesos can't include graphics, a PSU, and a monitor. So I suggest you either get a 5670 and be happy you spent so little, or save up enough money so that everything is useful.

 

[dalauder]

Monitor:
This 6,500 Samsung 21.5" full 1080p LCD looks pretty good http://www.pcx.com.ph/index.php/peripherals/monitor/21-5-samsung-b2230-1920-x-1080.html

With that screen, you could very much use a more powerful graphics card. But...
Monitor (6,500) + PSU (3,100) + 6770 (5,500) = 15,100

And that's way over budget. If you could tell me your PSU, maybe you could just get the graphics and monitor and keep your current PSU. It would be less over budget.

 

[baytisoy88]

sir i already have a samsung lcd(our tv.hehehe) i think its 4 14inch combined(dont no the exact size)



sir is that enermax a good psu than the others you recommend or its the same with some of them?(i just wanted a psu that will not break and can provide the power to run my planned videocard)

sir before my option is the 6790 but read bad comments on it so i decided to go instead with the 6850..pls enlighten me.

 

[dalauder]

What does 4 14 inch mean? I know what 14 inches means.

That Enermax isn't really better than the FSP's, but it does cost more. The 3,100 FSP Aurum 400W would be good. The 3,400 FSP Aurum 500W would be really good for anything.

I don't know a lot about the 6790, I'll look up some info and get back to you.

 

[dalauder]

Why won't you give my your PSU info? I need it. If it's a decent PSU, you can run a 6790 off of it without upgrading.

The 6790 is a much better card than I initially thought: http://www.anandtech.com/show/4260/amds-radeon-hd-6790-coming-up-short-at-150/15
It tends to be overpriced--but that is not the case for you. 6,300 is a very good card for it's performance.

Btw, I looked at every PSU on that website. I gave you links to the ones that are the best value while still being reliable.

 

[baytisoy88]

ahehehe sori sir ill update you on the my psu as soon as i get to my second house 30 minutes away from where i am now..and nextweek ill go there and ill post my psu ok.

about the 4 14 inch..wat i mean by that is four 14 inches monitor combined (i dont know the real size)

 

[dalauder]

k. I'll need the Amps on the +12V rail(s).

 

[baytisoy88]

ill post as soon as i got home sir

 

[baytisoy88]

oki sir its a 230watts psu and i have a samsung LCD 22 inch

 

[dalauder]

22 inch! Well, that's a good monitor. 230 watts is not a good PSU. So you'll be getting a PSU and a graphics card.

I suggest the 3,400 FSP Aurum 500W along with the 6790 for 6,300.

That's the best you can get in your price range. The cheapest PSU you could get would be the 3,100 FSP Aurum 400W and $6 is worth the upgrade to 500W...more or less, unless you can spend it to improve your graphics. But the next card up that's better is the 6850, which costs substantially more.

From the link I gave you above, you can judge for yourself whether a 6850 is enough better to justify the price increase. If you can find a 5850 for under 8,000, it is significantly more powerful than the 6790--about 6870 level.

 

[baytisoy88]

oki sir tnx now i know what to buy ill be getting the 6850..i can still manage to squeeze my budget just enough.more power

 

[baytisoy88]

Best answer selected by baytisoy88.