[CPUs] Upgrading my PC but confused about compatibility

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shishodia

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Hi, This is my first post here. :hello:

I am looking upgrading my system and I need experts view on it .

My current specs are
Core 2 Duo E4500 2.2 GHz
2 GB DDR2 Ram
p5g4ic-M LX Mobo
9500GT
PSU (I don't know but need your help in getting a better one.)

Looking to change( keeping Mobo same)
Core 2 Quad Q8300 2.5 Ghz
4GB DDR3 RAM
Asus ATi Radeon EAH6670 - 1GB DDR5
PSU (Please recommend)


Is my new hardware compatible with existing Mobo?
Also, will I be able to play game Max Payne 3, Black Ops 2, Skyrim, Battlefield etc.. ?

Every help is appreciated :love:
 
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Hmmm... Nice step up on the graphics card. I think you should be pretty happy with a 2GB Radeon 7850 HD.

I usually prefer to get dual channel kits instead of two individual sticks. Kits have been tested and verified to run in dual channel prior to packaging. For example: the G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory...

fun500

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You should be able to upgrade to that processor and graphics card fine, but your motherboard only supports DDR2 RAM.

EDIT: I now see the motherboard has slots for both DDR2 and DDR3
 

nebrethar

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I'd like to expand on what fun said, the ram types aren't compatible because ddr2 is a different memory system completely.

Also, I would recommend

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139028&nm_mc=KNC-GoogleAdwords&cm_mmc=KNC-GoogleAdwords-_-pla-_-NA-_-NA

As a power supply because you have plenty of power and room for expansion. But if you have less of a budget than me, go for something higher wattage like 750 or 850 because that way you have to buy less further down the line. :p

Oh and I have a setup with a little better processor, 6 gigs of ddr2 ram and a radeon 4850 card and I can play skyrim on the highest settings without lag, as well as left4dead2, portal 2, crysis etc. so you might want to even things out a bit. That card is way above the rest of the setup you're looking at.
 

shishodia

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what can be done to play the new games at good settings?
 


You'd need to scrap the motherboard. It holds back your CPU options, which hold back your graphics card options (mobo also holds back memory and storage options).

Most important thing there is the graphics card though, and I'd recommend a GTX660 or better for what you're after. Do you play at 1080p?
 

shishodia

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Looks like I will just put another 2GB DDR2 ram sticks :(
What is your processor and motherboard?



Resolution is not the problem. I can play in lower settings/resolutions too, just want to complete these games :p
 

nebrethar

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I apologize, I was thinking duo, and didn't see the quad. That processor is actually past mine, haha.

So your only concern would be getting more ram, if you wanted to.

The standard in gaming these days is 8g ram, but you can do just about anything running just the game with 4 gigs, and it can always be upgraded.

And I couldn't find a motherboard model for the life of me, but it is a pos compared to the rest of my gear. One pcie 16x, one pci slot, two pcie 1x slots, am3 processor slot, ddr2 ram compatibility, and standard everything else. It's pretty old school.

Oh and I forgot to mention my hdd. I have a seagate 750g, and it's about in the middle in read speed.
 

shishodia

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Core 2 Duo 2.2 GHz is still good as I have played below games on it:

High Settings:
Half Life 2 + Episodes
Hard Reset
CoD MW, MW2, world at war
Lost Planet 2
Fallout 3
Far Cry 2
Crysis 1

Medium Settings
Black ops
Sniper Elite
etc.. :bounce:
 

Isaiah4110

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To answer your first question: Yes, the new hardware is absolutely compatible with your motherboard, assuming your motherboard model is actually the ASUS P5G41C-M LX (note the change from 4i to 41). Here is a link to the ASUS specifications page for that motherboard.

Those who told you that you cannot upgrade to DDR3 RAM are wrong. I'll to highlight the memory specifications from ASUS website below:

2 x DIMM, Max. 8 GB, DDR3 1333(O.C.)/1066/800 Non-ECC,Un-buffered Memory
2 x DIMM, max. 8 GB,DDR2 1066 (O.C.) / 800 / 667 MHz Non-ECC, Un-buffered memory
Dual Channel memory architecture
"*DDR3 and DDR2 memory can not be used simultaneously
Use DDR3 memory modules on the black slots and DDR2 memory modules on the blue slots."

** Refer to www.asus.com or user manual for Memory QVL (Qualify Vendor List)
*** When installing total memory of 4GB capacity or more, Windows® 32-bit operation system may only recognize less than 3GB. Hence, a total installed memory of less than 3GB is recommended.

A couple other notes: Keep in mind that you will have to reinstall Windows when you upgrade the processor. If you are keeping the same version of Windows, and if that version is 32-bit then you definitely want to stick with only 4 GB of RAM. If however, you are changing to a 64-bit version of Windows, or if that is what you already have, then I highly recommend upgrading to 8 GB of total RAM (get a 2 x 4 GB kit instead of a 2 x 2 GB kit). I like the Patriot Gamer 2 Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) Memory Model PGD38G1333ELK for an 8 GB kit and CORSAIR 4GB (2 x 2GB) Memory Model CMV4GX3M2A1333C9 for a 4 GB kit. Neither of those kits is listed on the MB "QVL list", but that list actually doesn't include any 1333MHz DDR3 memory modules, which ASUS does say can be used with the MB. QVL lists are never all-inclusive.

Make sure you are up-to-date with the Current BIOS (version 0702 according to ASUS website) as that most recent update has improved the memory compatibility.

With regard to the video card you have chosen: Is this the card you are planning on purchasing? ASUS EAH6670/DIS/1GD5 Radeon HD 6670
If so, and assuming you are spending ~$100 on it, then you might want to consider switching to something like the XFX FX-775A-ZNP4 Radeon HD 7750 or ASUS HD7750-1GD5-V2 Radeon HD 7750 for roughly the same price. They are newer cards that should give you better overall gaming performance. They are PCIe 3.0, but I don't think that should cause any compatibility issues with your motherboard. Check this link for further evidence others have had success with backwards compatibility.
 

shishodia

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thanks for this wonderful feedback... can you please also confirm about the psu i should go for...

 

Isaiah4110

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Sure, I completely forgot about that part. I think something along the lines of the XFX ProSeries P1-450S-X2B9 450W PSU should do alright for you. I usually like to recommend slightly more powerful products, but I'm not entirely sure of your budget.

On that note, what is the max you are looking to spend on these parts and from where are you planning on purchasing them? If you have a little more than these recommended parts cost then I might recommend a slightly better video card as well to maximize your performance.

Lastly, are you hoping to transfer any of these parts to a full rebuild in the near future?
 

shishodia

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bugdet is not the problem as I am going to buy these parts slowly one after another. This will be my last upgrade because next time, I am gonna build new pc from scratch. :sol:
 

Isaiah4110

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Excellent. Then I would probably recommend bumping up the PSU to the XFX Core Edition PRO550W (P1-550S-XXB9) 550W PSU or OCZ ZT Series 550W PSU Model OCZ-ZT550W. I hate pushing the limits of power supplies as their are at their most efficient when they are close to 50% power utilization. Pushing them harder also generates more heat.

I actually just built a PC with that OCZ PSU and really like it. It is a little longer than your standard ATX PSU, so you'll want to make sure you have the clearance for it, but the fact that it is fully modular helps make up for that. I was able to fit it into a jam-packed HP mATX mid-Tower computer case without any major struggles. Additionally, Newegg has a promo code right now (good through 12/4) that drops the price after rebate to just $56.49. That's not a bad deal at all. I was also very surprised at how quiet it runs.
 

shishodia

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Awesome! Just one more thing.
Below are the updates I am gonna do in the rig.

Cooler Master Hyper TX3 EVO Cooler ( to overclock a little :D )
Sapphire AMD/ATI HD 7850 HDMI OC Edition 2 GB GDDR5 Graphics Card (As I heard some games are GPU dependent)
G.Skill Ripjaws DDR3 4 GB (1 x 4 GB) PC RAM (F3-12800CL9S-4GBRL) (Total 8 GB)

Will I be able to play new games?
 

Isaiah4110

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Hmmm... Nice step up on the graphics card. I think you should be pretty happy with a 2GB Radeon 7850 HD.

I usually prefer to get dual channel kits instead of two individual sticks. Kits have been tested and verified to run in dual channel prior to packaging. For example: the G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9D-8GBRL is a package containing two of the individual sticks you picked out but saves you $2. Check out the product comparison here. Something like the Patriot Viper 3 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model PV38G160C9K set is even a little cheaper ($37 instead of $40) and still great quality/performance. Of course, $3 doesn't matter too much if you have a brand preference unless you are pinching pennies.

If it fits in your case then I would consider spending a little bit more and getting the Hyper 212 Plus. It is a bit larger, but cools better and runs quieter. Check out this product comparison page. It looks like the Hyper 121 EVO doesn't work with a socket 775 CPU, or I would have actually recommended it over the 212 Plus.

I'm not sure exactly which card model you are looking at getting, but is it the SAPPHIRE 100355OCL Radeon HD 7850? If so then you might want to consider either the XFX Double D FX-785A-CDFC Radeon HD 7850 2GB or the XFX Black DD FX-785A-CDBC Radeon HD 7850 2GB. Minor price increase, but each comes with a lifetime warranty. Especially if you are not planning on increasing the OC yourself (immediately voids most manufacturer warranties), paying an extra $5-15 for a lifetime warranty is well worth it in my opinion. Additionally, the factory OC on the XFX Black Edition card is a little faster than that of the Sapphire card.

For ease of comparison, here is another product comparison page.


Anyway, yes, I think you should be able to game very well with that setup. You *might* not be able to max out all settings in every game at 1920x1080, but I would be surprised if you had to run anything below medium settings.
 
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Isaiah4110

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Sure, I don't have a problem with that. I'm not on the board every day, but I'll keep my eyes open for PM's and respond when I see them.
 
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