Computer Upgrade Advice

Hi, it's been a while since I cared too much about cutting edge performance, but I think it's high time I bought and upgrade... What with sexy new games like Supreme Commander coming out. (24fps on all low, woohoo!)

I've got £560. I can of course save for a few weeks and push past that.

This is a rough list I put together;

Intel Core 2 Duo E4300 1.86ghz Socket 775 FSB800 2MB Cache Retail Boxed Processor
109.01 Inc. VAT

Gigabyte GA-965P-DS4 Socket 775 Onboard Audio SATA ATX
101.81 inc VAT

OCZ (OCZ2A8002GK) 2Gb PC2-6400 DDR2-800 4-4-4-12 ATI Certfified Dual Channel kit (LifeTime Warranty)
169.98 inc VAT

EVGA 8800GTS 320MB GDDR3 DVI TVO PCI-E
£199.95 inc VAT

TOTAL; £580.75

So the questions I have;

- Can I get the same performance for cheaper?
- Is anything on that list incompatible?
- Should I just wait until Q2/Q3 when vista induced hardware is in full swing and I have more money?

Hi Cap' sounds like a good upgrade to me!!! is the modo sli enabled?? are you also upgrading to vista??

Hi. No it's not SLI enabled, and I doubt I ever would need an SLI setup. As for vista, I'm waiting for a service pack or two before I get that.

Thinking this through some more I really think I'm going to take the plunge.

The E4300 1.86ghx processor can be overclocked to E6600 speeds.
The 8800GTS 320MB performs at the same speed as it's 700MB brother unless you play your games at ridiculous resolutions.

So all I need to know really is if all that hardware is compatible.

Hmm, nice general specs. For ideas on designing a new system, you should check out cyberpowerPC. It's US only I think but you can check the parts/compatability/general prices. You're specs look about what I plan on getting when I get the cash. As for the processor... E4300? Do you mean the E6300? 1.8Ghz and can be overclocked pretty damn well, depending on cooling and RAM.(a friend of mine got it to 3.2Ghz) If you're not a serious gamer, the G80 series might not be for you. I have an Nvidia 6800 and I can still play the latest games with little to no ill effect. The 7 series could help you cut cost. You're right about the 8800GTS performance. The only difference is Anti-Aliasing and antritropic abilities. Most reviews say the difference is only by 1 level or so. If you are a serious gamer, you should leave room for SLi in case you decide to go for it someday. An SLI compatable mobo isn't really much more. Gigabyte is pretty good, I prefer Asus motherboards though. Lets see.... £560 is a little shy of $1100 USD. If that's without a Monitor, you should be ok. On another note, has anyone had any problems posting new topics? When I try, I keep getting "Error" and a link to the board homapage.

Originally posted by DemonicAngelZero
As for the processor... E4300? Do you mean the E6300? 1.8Ghz and can be overclocked pretty damn well, depending on cooling and RAM.(a friend of mine got it to 3.2Ghz)

That's interesting. I did mean the 4300 which can be overclocked to the same effect; www.anandtech.com...

If you're not a serious gamer, the G80 series might not be for you. I have an Nvidia 6800 and I can still play the latest games with little to no ill effect.

I have a 6800 also. I want an awesome card just so for once, just for a month or so... I can really play games with the beauty they deserve.

If you are a serious gamer, you should leave room for SLi in case you decide to go for it someday. An SLI compatable mobo isn't really much more. Gigabyte is pretty good,

If I ever got to the point where I could afford another card I would buy a newer one, in effect. A replacement.

Ah, I see. Never heard of the E4300 till now. Did a little reading and it doesn't look to bad. Newegg shows only a $10 difference in price between 6300 and 4300.The 4300 is a part of the Allendale core instead of the Conroe Core and has a lower FSB of only 800mhz as opposed to 1066mhz. But some people say the E4300 is easier to OC. Other than that, they look about the same. But something you might want to consider, the E6300 is getting a facelift sometime soon, E6320, with a 4MB L2 cache. (something to consider when it's released) As for video card, I can see what you mean about just buying an upgrade. If you play high resolution with maxed out settings, SLI would shine, otherwise not that much. Good luck on your System. The E6320 will probably be released by the time I get the money I need. (I think it was supposed to be second quarter) The E6420 is also supposed to be released then. Some interesting reading from December. www.hkepc.com...

Hi DemonicAngelZero, thanks for the replies by the way. The news of the E6320 and the 40% price cut is quiet annoying for buying in Q1 But I guess sometimes you just have to suck it up. Since the 6300 is only £10 more I'm giving it some consideration, I will read up about it for a bit. This is my current sketch up;

Intel Core 2 DUO E4300 "LGA775 Allendale" 1.80GHz (800FSB) - Retail
112.79

Gigabyte GA_965P_DS3 (Socket 775) PCI-Express DDR2 Motherboard
88.11

GeIL 2GB (2x1GB) PC6400C4 800MHz Ultra Low Latency DDR2 Dual Channel Kit (GX22GB6400UDC)
117.49

BFG GeForce 8800 GTS OC 320MB GDDR3 HDTV/Dual DVI (PCI-Express) - Retail
193.86

TOTAL = 512.25

no problem, just a techno geek who loves to talk about hardware he can't afford

[edit on 16-2-2007 by DemonicAngelZero]