CPU/Mobo upgrade

[JE78]

Ok, here's what I'm thinking of upgrading too.

MSI K8N Neo2 Platinum

AMD 3200+ (Venice) 939

I just got a ATI 9800 Pro APG last OCT that i'm not looking to upgrade at the moment, and i'm not worried about PCI-E since they are still making GPU's in APG flavor. I'm not worried about having the best of the best since i've never really had the best. I've always been the person to wait till prices come down some before buying. Here is what i'll be upgrading from.

P4 2.53
Gigabyte GA-8SG667 link
1gb ram 1 512 stick PC2700 generic 1 512 stick 3200 crucial
Enermax 460 watt PSU

I'm not sure if i'll do any OCing on this, I've haven't done any yet but heard AMD and this board OC well. If I do decide to do this will I need to upgrade my RAM to better quality or get another stick of Crucial? Any suggestions on this setups?? Thanks.

 

[JE78]

anyone??

 

[Rike]

Originally posted by: JE78
Ok, here's what I'm thinking of upgrading too.

MSI K8N Neo2 Platinum

AMD 3200+ (Venice) 939

That board is generally considered to be the best OCing 939 AGP mobo board. That CPU will be a good match and should OC well.

The RAM you have should work OK. I would get the mobo/cpu and try the RAM you have with it. If you're not happy with your performance, then you can look into new RAM.

 

[RussianSensation]

Keep the ram. Running ram:cpu ratio will not degrade performance much. 1 gig of ram is a must for smooth gameplay. Besides, your stick of 2700 might overclock to pc3200 so you never know. Use 2.8V for it.

The performance boost will be there especially because 2.53ghz is a 533 mhz cpu without Hyperthreading. Once you get the setup, ask for overclocking help in the cpu forum later.

Now I hate to say it, but selling 9800pro for $100, taking 2.53 cpu and overclocking it to even 2.8ghz and adding $200 you'd otherwise spend on a new cpu/mobo, to get 6800GT will benefit you more in games. Perhaps you could try to sell the p4 cpu and motherboard for $100 to someone to lower the cost of the upgrades though.

 

[Chosonman]

http://www.compu-terra.com/store/product2019.html

Get a 3500 and motherboard for $324 instead.

 

[JE78]

Thanks guys. I'll give some thought to selling the old mobo/CPU and even the 9800.

Chosonman, what core CPU comes with the combo? I can't seem to find it on the site, it just says a 3500+

 

[Rike]

I'll bet is 130nm tech (I forget the core name ). That's part of why you get the deal. However, if you decide OCing is not for you, a 130nm 3500+ will be nice and fast. If you do want to OC seriously on a reasonable budget, stick with the 3200+ Venice.

 

[JE78]

well like I said, i've never done any OCing, is its hard to do? How hard is it to OC a 3200+ to a 3500+? Would I need to buy any additional stuff? I hard of people OCing AMD with stock cooling and everything being ok. Just trying to get some ideas, thanks.

 

[Rike]

It's not all that difficult; I have a 3200+ (2.0 Ghz) currently running at 2.54 Ghz. That's roughly between a 3800+ and 4000+ All the help you need to do something similar (or better!) is here on the forums.

The items you listed in your OP are a good start. You should also have a solid PSU since power trouble will make any OC work difficult to impossible.

My only real warning is that OCing can be addictive. I'm sure many here would back me up on that final point.

 

[JE78]

Thanks Rike, i'll stick with the MSI and Venice then. You think my Enermax 460 watt PSU should be ok for OCing? And your OCing of your 3200+ is that with stock cooling or do you have something other on your CPU? I also have a Enermax temp monitor in one of my 5.25 drive bays so I can monitor the CPU.

 

[Rike]

That PSU will do very nicely. I use a Thermalright XP-90 on my rig, but I'm a bit of a freak about heat and noise. If I had the money, I'd go to water cooled in a flash. With stock cooling, I'd bet you could get 2.4 Ghz without any problem, and plenty more with some tweaking.

You should stop by the other forums and see what others have done. There's a lot of smart people here who like to help. Most of the time, all you have to do is ask.

 

[JE78]

Thanks Rike, you made my decision alot easier. I'm not going to place my order quite yet but now I know what to get forsure. Thanks again and what "other forums" are you talking about? The cooling forum? Or a different OC forum? Sorry for noob question

 

[Rike]

The different categories along the lefthand side of the page.

CPU/PROCESSORS AND OVERCLOCKING
MOTHERBOARDS
CASES & COOLING

Go browsing. There's a lot to learn. I learn stuff nearly every day I'm on.

Just remember that nobody know everything, but some people know a lot more than others.

Happy hunting!

 

[JE78]

Thanks again Rike, all your info was much appreciated.

 

[Rike]

Your welcome.

Here to learn.

Here to serve.

Feel free to PM me if you have more questions later.