Help with minor Upgrade

[somniloquist]

Hi to all you great folks out there....

1. What YOUR PC will be used for.
- Games ( Mafia2, BF3 (Hopefully ), and any recent new games). I've not been able to play a lot of games out there. So i would like to catch up. I'm COD MW2 old
- 24/7 Download Rig
- Normal PC Usage ( Nothing too major or intense)

2. What YOUR budget is.
~20k

3. What country YOU will be buying YOUR parts from.
India, Bangalore

4. IF YOU have a brand preference.
Love nVidia. But AMD proves me wrong. So i am ok with both

5. If YOU intend on using any of YOUR current parts, and if so, what those parts are.
CPU, Board, RAM

6. IF YOU have searched and/or read similar threads.
Yes.

7. IF YOU plan on overclocking or run the system at default speeds.
No.

8. What resolution YOU plan on gaming with.
I've a Dell ST2410. So 1920 x 1080

9. WHEN do you plan to build it?
Ready to go

10. Don't ask for a build configuration critique or rating if you are thin skinned.
I am not thin skinned


I need suggestions on GPU, PSU and Case - And i've checked out a few
I need suggestions whether the build is feasible or not.

GPU
----------
HD6850 - 2GB or 1GB? Diff is around 2.5k
550 ti or 560

My Reqt: Wanna play recent games with atleast high settings and not stutter

PSU
----------
Seasonic S12II-620 620 Watts - Kinda firm on Seasonic.
If a higher wattage is needed, let me know.
I will upgrade the CPU and Board to the z68 in a year
(Unable to find the modular one in India)

Case
----------
Rosewill Blackhawk - Love it
Corsair 400R
Antec Three Hundred
Antec Nine Hundred
Corsair 500R
CM Elite 370
Bitfenix Raider
Bitfenic Merc Alpha

My Reqt: USB 3.0,Cable Management, Black Interior, Side window probably, Top Fan, SATA Dock Preferably, Big so that it can house the GPU and be roomy
I am not able to get proper price ranges for some of the Cases here.

Questions:
1. Any Suggestions on the GPU, PSU and Case
2. Will it work on my existing CPU and Board
Which is:
CPU - Intel E4400
Board - Intel DG965RY
Will i be able to get all the connections properly like the HDD connections and so on

I was using a 8500GT with the unit until recently and it died. So i am planning to go with a minor upgrade.
I have plans to upgrade my CPU and Board in a year or so as the money well dried up.

Now, Will some kind souls help me with their inputs.
I am more than happy to answer any other questions that will help you guide me along.

Somniloquist

 

[Ken g6]

~20k Rs ~= $400. So trying for a cheap upgrade.

For these GPUs, that PSU is overkill. I just installed the 520W version, to go with a GTX 460. A CORSAIR Builder Series CX430 V2, for instance, should work OK with a 6850. What is your current PSU? Another option might be to get a 7750, if you can find one, and no new PSU.

Do you really need a new case? I expect that if your existing case is a mini-tower, it could fit most 6850s.

Given these changes, could you afford an H61 board, G530 or G620, and a few GB DDR3 RAM? I think you would find them very helpful.

 

[somniloquist]

Thanks for the response Ken
I would still like to call it a minor upgrade though.. ..

The PSU is an upgrade for the future.

I've a local 450w that is already shorting out when i start.. Its a cap in it that does it when i checked on the inside..
I am planning to get through this upgrade in stages as i cannot afford the funds for it as real life needs attention.
I am using a Iball Gamer Case. I would like a change in that so that only the CPU, Board and RAM are the ones that i need to get later.

I use the iball Gamer from 2-3 years back and i would like a new one for all the requirements mentioned earlier...

I've zeroed in on the i5-2500k and the gigabyte UD4 z68 board and corsair vengeance RAM. But it will take time.

So, If people can help me with the rest that i've posted, it should sure help me a lot.

 

[somniloquist]

I would love some help in these things specifically.....

PSU
GPU
Case
to work with my existing config of
CPU - E4400
Board - DG965RY
And should work with a
i5-2500k
Z68 Board after some time....

 

[janas19]

My advice is, unless you need an ultra silent, fanless PSU, don't pay extra money for the Seasonic. A Seasonic PSU is kind of like the Cadillac of PSUs. They are luxury when all you really need is a Corsair or Coolermaster.

A bad capacitor is replaceable, if you have soldering gear.

Again, as the esteemed Mfenn has noted, a case is just something to hold the components. Decide what you need: mATX, ATX, how many fans, and front ports - then pick the cheapest one. Right now, I am using a generic, no-brand case that I got for free. It holds my mobo, has front panel connectors, and 2 case fans, and that's about it. It's worked like a champ so far - I haven't wanted anything else out of my case. I think people tend to overthink cases when choosing a mobo/CPU is the most important part.

 

[somniloquist]

Thanks for stopping by janas19..
I need a bit of quiet now on the unit. But i did not know the seasonic was good at that..
I've changed out my SMPS 4 times in the past 1.5 years... That is the reason i want to go with a good one. My GPU conked for the same reason i think..

I am looking for a new case coz with the one i have now, i am not able to route cables properly with even a simple GPU in it.

 

[Ken g6]

Meh, cable routing is overrated. Unless the cables hit fans or completely block airflow, you're fine. I have a 9-year-old mATX case that until today I had a Corsair 450W PSU in - with extra-long cables. It worked for four years or so. I had cables folded away in places you wouldn't believe. Your case and cable routing can't be worse than that.

I still suggest trying to manage an H61 board, G530, and 4 GB DDR3 RAM. (Cheapest possible 1.5V RAM really is fine with Sandy Bridge.) Why start with this? Because aside from being a significant upgrade from what you've got, it allows modular upgrading. When you get some more money you can get the 2500k first, plug it in, get a boost; then get the z68 later (with an aftermarket CPU cooler), overclock, and get even more boost.

But let's start with the stages that you seem to need to get anything working. Do you have a working PSU? How powerful? If it can support the 6850 I'd go for that. Then see how much money you have left over.

 

[somniloquist]

I just powered on my unit today ( After a week). The PSU is officially dead now...

I agree with your recommendation Ken. However, I really really need help with the PSU, GPU and the Case. I would like to work with what i have now and i can upgrade in a few months or an year on both the CPU and the Board. I can still try to work with the existing case. But i want to seriously start gaming..

So,
Can i stick to the Seasonic 620 or go to the 430?..
I did some checks and i feel the HD6850 looks good for me. Should i go for the 1GB or the 2GB. If i get the 2GB, will there be a noticable difference in the games i play or not?..

I do not want to buy another PSU or GPU once i get the new board and the processor......

Thanks..

 

[mfenn]

If you've gone through 4 PSUs in the past year and a half, you've either been buying really terrible PSUs or you have really dirty power. I'd suggest getting a UPS if you don't already have one.

Apart from that, the 6850 and 430CX would be a good upgrade from what you currently have. That should cost around $200, leaving you with another $200 to get a Core i3 2100, H61 mobo, and 8GB of DDR3 RAM. Since your budget is tight, don't bother with getting a new case unless physically cannot fit the new parts inside the old one.

 

[somniloquist]

Thanks mfenn.. Its dirty power. Or, Power cuts...

So, I ordered the HD6850 2GB and the Season 620 and a Philips Headphone for 17k total.
I know i might have been hard headed with the PSU but i need it to power...
1. HD 6850
2. 3-4 HDDs
3. 2 ODD
4. 2-3 External HDDs/USB Devices

Now the question is:

I've the existing Case which is a top mounted PSU style. The PSU i got now is a bottom mounted type. Do i just turn it around and fit it?.. or what do i do here?...

Thanks for all the help till now.. Need a few nudges more to get out of this heap...

 

[mfenn]

A 430-500W will power all the stuff you have listed and then some. Better to buy a less expensive PSU and have some money left over for the UPS.

Anyway, there is no such thing as a top or bottom mount PSU. The case will have holes drilled so that you can mount the PSU with the fan facing the appropriate direction.

 

[somniloquist]

Thank you for all your help mfenn and all the others..
I will keep you posted on how it goes..

Thanks

 

[somniloquist]

Hi All
Back with a few updates......

Got the Sapphire HD6850 2GB
Seasonic 620w
Corsair 400R
Already have the Dell ST2410

I assembled everything up, wiped my HDD out and installed windows 7 64 bit.
Then started installing software. Installed the AMD Drivers fresh off the website. It detected the card, resolution went up all that jazz. After a few mins of usage, the screen goes completely black ( its black but its lit.. not dead). I uninstalled the drivers completely and worked with the standard vga adapter. Worked fine. Installed the software. Issue occurs again.
I've it connected directly do the DVI Port on the Graphics Card.
Any thoughts?


Edit: I am not sure if this needs to directed to a new thread or area. I am not sure how the forums work in that regard.
GPU-Z was running in the background and i was at around 45c when this happens. I restarted the unit. Go to event viewer. It says Kernel Power with event ID 41. I am posting from another computer and the buggy one does not give me time to even launch and go to event viewer most of the times...
Is it the Driver or the card?.. or something else?..
More abt the specs
E4400 CPU
DG965RY Board. Works great(for me)

 

[janas19]

Few obvious troubleshooting tips to help you, OP: does the 6850 require an additional 6-pin power source? Is it connected properly?

 

[somniloquist]

Hi. Yes. It does. And its properly connected.. Thanks.

 

[T_Yamamoto]

Hi. Yes. It does. And its properly connected.. Thanks.

Unplug it and plug it back in

 

[mfenn]

Hi All
Back with a few updates......

Got the Sapphire HD6850 2GB
Seasonic 620w
Corsair 400R
Already have the Dell ST2410

I assembled everything up, wiped my HDD out and installed windows 7 64 bit.
Then started installing software. Installed the AMD Drivers fresh off the website. It detected the card, resolution went up all that jazz. After a few mins of usage, the screen goes completely black ( its black but its lit.. not dead). I uninstalled the drivers completely and worked with the standard vga adapter. Worked fine. Installed the software. Issue occurs again.
I've it connected directly do the DVI Port on the Graphics Card.
Any thoughts?


Edit: I am not sure if this needs to directed to a new thread or area. I am not sure how the forums work in that regard.
GPU-Z was running in the background and i was at around 45c when this happens. I restarted the unit. Go to event viewer. It says Kernel Power with event ID 41. I am posting from another computer and the buggy one does not give me time to even launch and go to event viewer most of the times...
Is it the Driver or the card?.. or something else?..
More abt the specs
E4400 CPU
DG965RY Board. Works great(for me)

You need to decouple the VGA vs. DVI and the drivers installed vs. not installed issues. Try it with the VGA port and the drivers installed.

 

[somniloquist]

I installed COD Black Ops and played it for a couple of hrs. No issues. Happens when i have minimal usage generally.. I installed the version from the disc coz its one version before. Its a bit better than before but it still happens....
I will try reconnecting and reseat the card as well and report back in a few hrs on how it goes.
The Card does not have a VGA Connection. It has 2 DVIs, HDMI and DP. I have only DVI Cable for connection.

 

[mfenn]

OK, so by "standard VGA adapter", you mean the name of the driver in Windows?

If it only happens when the card is at a low load, that indicates to me that the voltage is dropping too low at idle. Try using Afterburner to increase the voltage and see if that helps.

 

[somniloquist]

Hey mfenn.. I feel tis voltage itself.. It stays at .9v sometimes... It crashes when im gaming as well.. sometimes... Should i use MSI Afterburner?.. What settings do i keep it at?..
I need to get this sorted out within a few days so that i can RMA the card or PSU. I think its the card. lets see how it goes.
Thanks for everyone taking a look in..

 

[mfenn]

If it crashes while gaming, as well I'm betting the card is the problem. If you're going to RMA though, you might as well do both the GPU and the PSU. Better to get two replacements in parallel than to have to wait to do one after the other.

 

[somniloquist]

Ok. Wil do. Will be back to report....

 

[somniloquist]

Hi All. Got the card replaced and the issue persists!!!!
I am feeling so depressed now...

I ran furmark the moment i got the card and it ran to up 75% with no issues. Then i closed it, watched a movie and then, on the desktop, it hung. fading white vertical lines...
I am flabbergasted.. What else do i do?..

 

[janas19]

Try taking the card out and wiping the connector pins with isopropyl alcohol. This helps with finicky RAM, it can help you too. Make sure it is firmly seated on both ends, sometimes one end can be loose. You can try removing your GPU heatsink and manually applying some aftermarket thermal paste. It may be one of "those" chips that just runs hot. Make sure you wipe off the old paste clearly with alcohol.

Try swapping out the 6-pin connector. Doubt this is the issue, but you never know. Make sure your BIOS configuration matches your card's specs. Try installing the latest stable driver - u r not using a beta driver by accident no? Try rolling back to an earlier driver.

If all that doesn't work, you can try overvolting very slightly. Sometimes this can help stabilize finicky stuff, although you should be very careful. And I don't know exactly how to overvolt a GPU, never felt the need for high-end graphics.

Hope it works out for you.

 

[mfenn]

Hi All. Got the card replaced and the issue persists!!!!
I am feeling so depressed now...

I ran furmark the moment i got the card and it ran to up 75% with no issues. Then i closed it, watched a movie and then, on the desktop, it hung. fading white vertical lines...
I am flabbergasted.. What else do i do?..

What about the PSU, did you get that replaced as well?