Upgrade System for $500

[timarp000]

I have $500 and i want to upgrade my system...

I was thinking of a second video card, gaming keyboard, gaming mouse and headset... Also 2 Noctua 140mm fans... I also want to add a side panel windows to my case(I will have to mod it)

System Specs-
Processor- Intel 3770
Motherboard- Asus P8Z77 V Pro
RAM- 8GB Corsair Vengence
Power Supply- Corsair HX650
Video Card- Asus GTX 660 Ti DC2
Case- Corsair 500R
Optical Drive- LG DVD Writer
Storage- Seagate 1TB 7200rpm 64mb cache
Monitor- Samsung 21.5'' 1080p LED

 

[bak0n]

I'd add either an SSD or a SanDisk ready-cache drive first and foremost. You can also add 8GB more ram and create a RAMDisk for increase speed while in the os. I wouldn't want to SLI the 660 Ti on a HX650. You'd be better off selling yours and getting a 670 or such.

 

[timarp000]

I'd add either an SSD or a SanDisk ready-cache drive first and foremost. You can also add 8GB more ram and create a RAMDisk for increase speed while in the os. I wouldn't want to SLI the 660 Ti on a HX650. You'd be better off selling yours and getting a 670 or such.

Ive posted on forums and people say the HX650 is enough... If i add SSD i will have to do clean install i dont want to...

 

[djangoringo]

Yes, it will do for two 660 ti, easily.

 

[timarp000]

Yes, it will do for two 660 ti, easily.

IF i cache my HDD with an SSD, will i have to reinstall windows?

 

[cuecuemore]

Yep, you can run SLI 660ti's on an HX650. I'd do that and an SSD.

 

[timarp000]

IF i cache my HDD with an SSD, will i have to reinstall windows?

 

[djangoringo]

You have to re-install the windows.

 

[Outlander_04]

Id buy a 27 inch monitor , and an SSD

 

[swifty_morgan]

there's a difference between a cache drive and an SSD.

 

[timarp000]

there's a difference between a cache drive and an SSD.

i know!
I dont want to do clean install
Can i make an exact copy of C: drive on the SSD and will everything work fine?

 

[swifty_morgan]

it's not something I would ever try nor have I ever tried it. someone else would have to opine. I would do a fresh install. Why not try a small cache drive first? it should speed things up ( most used things ) and you won't have to do anything but install a little software for it.

 

[sanilmahambre]

How about one more 21' monitor and 660ti 2 way SLI

 

[camohanna]

I would buy a ssd and a second 660ti, but only if you feel that your gaming performance is too slow. You can also get a new keyboard and mouse and headset if you have enough. Good idea to buy case fans, just fill up those gaps

 

[swifty_morgan]

gaming mice are good. gaming keyboards are a waste of money. gaming headset ( headsets ) seem to be very hot and uncomfortable... ??? just my take on them.

you haven't listed a reason why you would need a second card.

I think by the time the 660 becomes useless the option of sli-ing would become moot because the new cards that would be out ( single card ) would be much better than sli-ing.

the suggestion of a new monitor ( bigger ). learned a long time ago in this regard bigger is better. nothing like a lot of real-estate in front of your eyes while gaming. That was a good suggestion.
But I would get a 16:10 monitor ( 1600x1200 or 1920x1200 not a 16:9 MONITOR ( 1080P ) the wide screens suck. they look like the tops of everything have been cropped and the picture is unnaturally stretched. bet I'll hear a lot of BS about that summation.

adding windows to the case ( if i see the right one ) , if it has a screen with a fan in it I would leave it alone. don't know why you would want a window.

 

[timarp000]

it's not something I would ever try nor have I ever tried it. someone else would have to opine. I would do a fresh install. Why not try a small cache drive first? it should speed things up ( most used things ) and you won't have to do anything but install a little software for it.

So i dont have to re-install windows for a cache drive?! Then ill go for it!

 

[timarp000]

How about one more 21' monitor and 660ti 2 way SLI

My desk is too small to house anything over 24''... forget about dual monitors

 

[timarp000]

gaming mice are good. gaming keyboards are a waste of money. gaming headset ( headsets ) seem to be very hot and uncomfortable... ??? just my take on them.

you haven't listed a reason why you would need a second card.

I think by the time the 660 becomes useless the option of sli-ing would become moot because the new cards that would be out ( single card ) would be much better than sli-ing.

the suggestion of a new monitor ( bigger ). learned a long time ago in this regard bigger is better. nothing like a lot of real-estate in front of your eyes while gaming. That was a good suggestion.
But I would get a 16:10 monitor ( 1600x1200 or 1920x1200 not a 16:9 MONITOR ( 1080P ) the wide screens suck. they look like the tops of everything have been cropped and the picture is unnaturally stretched. bet I'll hear a lot of BS about that summation.

adding windows to the case ( if i see the right one ) , if it has a screen with a fan in it I would leave it alone. don't know why you would want a window.

I dont need a keyboard and mouse... I need a headset though... I really want to add a window! I improved on my cable managemnt so i want to add a window and mayby some lights

 

[timarp000]

Migrating OS to SSD seems very easy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SxNyDBSBNxg

I have partitions my 1TB drive into 3 parts... OS-200GB, Video-300GB and Games-500GB... SO i can just move my OS drive, right?

Also i had to reinstall windows recently and Windows made another partition call System Reserved which is 100MB. Will i have to migrate System reserved too?

Also the software used on the video is from Intel, so do i need and intel drive to use it? or can it work with a Crucial or an OCZ?

I dont want to cache my HDD as a 30GB Corsair Accelerator drive is $65! Its a waste! I can get 128GB SSD for $100

 

[burritobob]

IF i cache my HDD with an SSD, will i have to reinstall windows?

Most people's answers here are WRONG, NO YOU DO NOT HAVE TO REINSTALL, Source: Typically moving to SSD storage drives expose users to large loss of storage capacity due to the higher cost of SSDs per gigabyte. Even with SSDs under a dollar per gigabyte, these can hardly compete with spinning disk drives which hover around pennies per gigabyte. By dynamically taking the most frequently accessed "hot" data and placing it on a small SSD, users can accelerate their large HDD, and in this case multiple HDDs, without the loss of any capacity. Not bothering with re-installation of the operating system is also a huge plus, making the process relatively pain-free.

 

[burritobob]

I dont need a keyboard and mouse... I need a headset though... I really want to add a window! I improved on my cable managemnt so i want to add a window and mayby some lights

I would recommend a Razer Carcharias, VERY comfortable great sound, sweet mic, cannot go wrong, though most razer products are over priced this one hit the sweet spot for sure.

EDIT: Adding a window is not very easy depending on your case, plus a window does not do much, It's cool for the first month, not really worth the cost/benefit. Also, if you aren't using the maximum amount of fans you can get LED fans that way if you really want lights otherwise some noctua or cougar fans are pretty sweet.

 

[spursfann07]

Most people's answers here are WRONG, NO YOU DO NOT HAVE TO REINSTALL

Ummmmm.... Yes you should. You are correct, it is not strictly required. Unfortunately, because of the difference in index position (64/0) where SSD/HDD begin placing addressable information, if you do not re-install Windows you will essentially negate the performance increase you paid for.

You can get software that enables you to move you current OS install over properly but it is inefficient and often costs $$$. Plus from what I read they never do it quite perfect so you are always limiting your SSD slightly.

Just get an external HDD (you should have one already....) back up the necessary files, then do a wipe and re-install. You are kind of making it out to be a bigger deal than it should be. I do a complete format of my build and re-install the OS every year or so. It helps with organization and seems to speed things up a bit by clearing out all the trash that accumulates over time.