Hello all,
First off, my current specs are:
Intel Core2Quad Q9550 OC'd @ 3.4GHz
Gigabyte EP45-UD3P
2x HD 5870's in xfire
750W PC Power&Cooling PSU
CoolerMaster v8 CPU cooler
So I will be upgrading my mobo/cpu/ram to:
Intel i5 2500k
Gigabyte Z68XP-UD4
8GB Kingston HyperX DDR3 1600
I'm buying this from a local Microcenter which has the i5 at a great price of $179.99, and if you buy that you get $60 off the mobo of your choice. Which puts my total to $386.10. Not bad for such a large upgrade.
So here are my questions:
1. I am also thinking about buying a good, cheap SSD for the OS only (W7 Pro off MSDN for free =D). I currently have a 500GB WD Green drive as my primary OS drive (slow), and a 1TB WD Black for games. What exactly will I need to do when I want to install the new OS on my SSD (or, if I don't get a SSD, what should I do so none of the files are wiped from either drive)? I've never really had to re-install anything ever, so I feel a fresh install will speed up the computer a good bit. Can I just plug in the drive, run the CD, install the OS, and then delete the old OS off the green drive? Or is there some other way to do that?
2. I have a CoolerMaster V8 CPU cooler, but I don't have the bracket to attach it on the new 1155 motherboard (should be the same bracket for the 1156). I have searched damn near everywhere on the internet and all the retailers have discontinued it for some reason. What the hell can I do about this other than just buying a new cooler (which I don't want to do)? I don't really want to OC a processor with the crappy stock fan.
Any answers to these questions will be greatly appreciated.
First off, my current specs are:
Intel Core2Quad Q9550 OC'd @ 3.4GHz
Gigabyte EP45-UD3P
2x HD 5870's in xfire
750W PC Power&Cooling PSU
CoolerMaster v8 CPU cooler
So I will be upgrading my mobo/cpu/ram to:
Intel i5 2500k
Gigabyte Z68XP-UD4
8GB Kingston HyperX DDR3 1600
I'm buying this from a local Microcenter which has the i5 at a great price of $179.99, and if you buy that you get $60 off the mobo of your choice. Which puts my total to $386.10. Not bad for such a large upgrade.
So here are my questions:
1. I am also thinking about buying a good, cheap SSD for the OS only (W7 Pro off MSDN for free =D). I currently have a 500GB WD Green drive as my primary OS drive (slow), and a 1TB WD Black for games. What exactly will I need to do when I want to install the new OS on my SSD (or, if I don't get a SSD, what should I do so none of the files are wiped from either drive)? I've never really had to re-install anything ever, so I feel a fresh install will speed up the computer a good bit. Can I just plug in the drive, run the CD, install the OS, and then delete the old OS off the green drive? Or is there some other way to do that?
2. I have a CoolerMaster V8 CPU cooler, but I don't have the bracket to attach it on the new 1155 motherboard (should be the same bracket for the 1156). I have searched damn near everywhere on the internet and all the retailers have discontinued it for some reason. What the hell can I do about this other than just buying a new cooler (which I don't want to do)? I don't really want to OC a processor with the crappy stock fan.
Any answers to these questions will be greatly appreciated.