Help with PC upgrade

[Chad]

I'm going to use this PC mainly for new, heavy duty, 3d gaming and internet, email, etc, but also with AutoCAD 2008 though the dwg's are simple 2d stuff.

I will be buying from the United States and preferably online through either newegg or amazon or another major reputable dealer.

I prefer Intel and nVidia though I'm not locked down to either.

I haven't searched or read hardly anything. Work has me so busy, so I will read this thread with great interest and trust the popular opinion given within.

I do not plan on overclocking INITIALLY, but in the future I will not doubt do so again when the need arises and I have more time to investigate it all and buy the proper cooling parts. For now I just want to get the system together and enjoy its fruits.

I have anywhere from $800 to $1000 to spend on an upgrade, but that doesn't mean I want to spend that much. Basically what I want is the best "bang for your buck" parts. Here's what I have so far and I would love to salvage as much as possible. I've built my last three systems myself but I'm a bit rusty and out of the game so to speak.

I know this stuff is salvageable:

32-bit Windows XP Pro [I want to stay with this]

Dell 21" wide-screen monitor [1680x1050 native res]

Keyboard

Microsoft Laser Intellimouse

Lian Li mid-tower aluminum case

Pioneer 16x16 DVD/CD burner combo

3.5" Floppy drive

Western Digital 10,00 rpm 74 gig Raptor SATA HDD [main drive]

Seagate 320 gig 7,200 rpm SATA HDD [storage drive]


Is any of this salvageable (?):

A total of 2 gigs of ram as follows ..
2 sticks of OCZ PC3700 512MB Dual CH Gold Edition Rev. 2 [2.5-3-3-7] Ram
2 sticks of GEIL PC4000 512MB DDR 500 [CL=2.5-7-4-4]

Thermaltake Silent Purepower 480watt


I know this stuff isn't salvageable:

Intel Pentium 4 2.8 @ 3.03

ASUS P4CE-800 Deluxe Motherboard [I use built in sound & network from this]

AGP GeForce 6800GT

...taking all this into consideration, what advice do you have on an upgrade path? If you can tell me the part name I can order it on newegg.

 

[chinaman1472]

The memory is not salvageable for the new system, the power supply is. Seems all you need is the CPU, Mobo, RAM, and GPU.

Here's the basic recommendations all over the forum for your budget, Newegg price estimations, around $800.

CPU - Intel E8400 - $240
Mobo - Gigabyte GA-P35-DS3L - $90
RAM - G.SKill 2x2GB DDR2-800 - $90
GPU - nVidia 8800GT - $230
HDD - 500GB of your choice - $105-115 (optional if you have enough space)
OS - Windows Vista 64-bit - $120
HSF - For an aftermarket heatsink for overclocking, the Arctic Freezer 7 Pro at $30 can do wonders for mild-medium OC, while the Tuniq Tower or Thermalright Ultra 120 at $65 are the champs for heavy OC.

If you need more features on the motherboard, step up to the Gigabyte GA-P35-DS3R for about $130. The DS3L only has one IDE port, allowing only 2 IDE HD/DVD drives. You *might* want to step up to the 8800GTS 512 at $260 AR if you game on really high resolutions, otherwise the 8800GT should be enough. Get the eVGA card if you're unsure and use the Step-Up Program if the 8800GT is not suffice for your needs.

 

[Chad]

wait, i don't think i want 64 bit cpu and OS. i made a mistake in saying that CPU i think. i definitely want to stick with my regular Windows XP Pro.

no Vista for sure.

 

[chinaman1472]

Vista 64-bit allows you to see over 3.5 gigs of RAM. If you're going to buy a new OS, get it. If you're going to use your old copy of XP, then save the $120. The CPU will work on XP or Vista.

 

[Chad]

ok thanks. i will definitely be sticking with my 32 bit Windows XP. I don't really care to have more than 2 gigs of ram at this point.

what about the CPU you recommended, I see it supports 64 bit. I think I am really confused, are you saying it's also a 32 bit CPU? i definitely want to avoid 64 bit and all the driver woes that go with it, not to mention i don't want to change from 32bit Windows XP. so that leaves me unsure of the CPU again.

 

[tynopik]

Originally posted by: Chad
what about the CPU you recommended, I see it supports 64 bit. I think I am really confused, are you saying it's also a 32 bit CPU?

yes, it will run XP 32bit perfectly

 

[chinaman1472]

It should work fine with XP 32-bit. Vista 64-bit has virtually no driver problems unless you're running extremely old hardware/software that doesn't/wasn't updated for 64-bit. XP 64-bit didn't have much support, but Vista does if I'm not mistaken. Tons of members here run Vista 64-bit with no problems for more recent hardware/software. RAM is so cheap there's almost no reason not to get a 4GB kit if it's not within the budget.

 

[Roguestar]

Originally posted by: Chad
ok thanks. i will definitely be sticking with my 32 bit Windows XP. I don't really care to have more than 2 gigs of ram at this point.

what about the CPU you recommended, I see it supports 64 bit. I think I am really confused, are you saying it's also a 32 bit CPU? i definitely want to avoid 64 bit and all the driver woes that go with it, not to mention i don't want to change from 32bit Windows XP. so that leaves me unsure of the CPU again.

All modern desktop processors by AMD and Intel can run 64-bit and 32-bit instructions perfectly.

 

[Chad]

ok, thanks. the only problem is that CPU is out of stock almost everywhere.

this is what i have so far though...


GIGABYTE GA-P35-DS3L LGA 775 Intel P35 ATX All Solid Capacitor Intel Motherboard - Retail
Model #: GA-P35-DS3L
$89.99

EVGA 512-P3-N801-AR GeForce 8800GT 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail
Model #: 512-P3-N801-AR
$237.99

Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 Wolfdale 3.0GHz LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor Model BX80570E8400 - Retail
Model #: BX80570E8400
$239.99

G.SKILL 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model F2-6400CL4D-2GBHK - Retail
CAS 4 High Quality
$69.99

[I didn't see the need for the Hard Drive you recommended so I left it out]

Subtotal: $637.96

 

[Roguestar]

For $90 you can get 4GB in two 2GB sticks:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16820231122

 

[Chad]

i didn't think that worked right with windows xp (?)

 

[DSF]

Originally posted by: Chad
i didn't think that worked right with windows xp (?)

You won't see all 4GB, but it won't cause any compatibility issues. Inside Windows, rougly 3-3.5 GB should be usable.