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My upgrade... (UPDATE)

T

TheNiceGuy

Golden Member
Update:
Just wanted to thank everyone again for their help. I ordered the stuff last night, so I'll get it in a few days and put it together. I'll be offline until I can get it working. Will let you know how everything works. It seemed the more I researched the more difficult the decision became - there's always something "around the corner"!
Anyway, I'm happy with my gear. Fits what I wanted well.
I stuck with my original setup below, with the exception of the MB. I chose:

-GA-P31-DS3L
-E8400
-4850 (512)
-4GB Pulsar (Umax) RAM
-Vista 64 bit

Will let you know how it all works out. Thanks again.

------------------------------------------


So I decided to upgrade my system (in sig) by replacing the MB, CPU, GPU, and RAM. I will use all the other components (including PSU). I usualy use my 22" CRT at 1024X768. The purpose is for games.
I was originaly just going to upgrade the GPU to a 8600 for about $100, as I'm more into quality play type games than quality graphics type games. And I really don't want to do a reformat, for a few reasons.
But IIUC, the improvement will not be enough to play most new games anyway. Additionaly, my MB has been riddled with bugs since day one (ie can't conect more than 2 HDs). So it seems that an upgrade is a good idea.
I should emphasise that I want a rock-solid, tried and true system, and am willing to sacrifice performance for stability.
And I want best bang for buck. I don't want to spend heaps more for a small gain in some area. No bottlenecks or wasted hardware.
I have no brand preference, and chose the following as close to the pinned guide as possible.
I don't OC.
I currently live in Japan, so I have to buy all my stuff here:

http://209.85.171.104/translat...=http://kakaku.com/pc/

----------------

-CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 - about $200(¥20,304 )

-RAM: Pulsar DCDDR2-4GB-800 (DDR2 PC2-6400 2GB 2-Disc) - about $88 (¥ 8870)
Gskill was not available and Corsair was about $250. There were many other brands available, this seemed like a good deal. Site here:
http://209.85.171.104/translat...sardcddr2_4gb_800.html

-MB: GIGABYTE GA-EP35-DS3L LGA 775 Intel P35 ATX Intel ? About $120 (12,000 yen)
I believe I found the same board. It?s just listed as ?GA-EP35-DS3R Rev.2.1?. Here is the maker?s web site:
http://www.gigabyte.co.jp/Prod...ew.aspx?ProductID=2652

-GPU: ASUS EAH4850/HTDI/512M Radeon HD 4850 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 - about $290 (¥ 28800)
There were also 9600 and 8800 cards available for about half the price, if this card is overkill with my system.

So what do you think?
And? Thank you!


 
What screen resolution do you run the NEC at, and do you plan to replace it with an LCD soon?

The 4850 is a very good gaming card for resolutions up to 1600 x 1050 / 1600 x 1200. If you only want 1024 x 768 then you could but something cheaper like the 8800 GS.

The P35 chipset is being replaced by the P43 and P45, in the US you can buy a nice Gigabyte P43 motherboard for ~$100 (see newegg.com).

The Core 2 E8400 is a good choice, I just ordered mine yesterday 🙂
 
I plan on using my NEC until it breaks, as it's extreamly stable and more than large enough for me. I don't see any advantage to going more than 1024X768. So I can shave a few bucks with a 8800GT 512?
What's the advantage of the P43/45s?
Thanks again.
 
Yes, an 8800GT will be very good for 1024 x 768.

The P43 / P45 are newer, and from the motherboard forum here I read that Gigabyte's P35 boards have problems they're still trying to fix. P43/P45 both support PCI-E 2.0 which gives more bandwidth to cards if you want to upgrade the video card later.
 
You see no advantage, probably because you haven't tried? I couldn't do without my 20inch widescreen monitor anymore. You should give it a try really. It's awesome for gaming, but also for working with 2 documents next to each other. But if you stick to your 1024*768 screen something cheap would do the trick for sure. A 8800gt isn't much cheaper, if at all cheaper then a HD4850 though. In the end you're probably best of with a HD4850, it will last you a long time on 1024*768, and if you do get a monitor it will still kick ass.
 
My CRT is 22", which I'm happy with. It has a max resolution of 1600 × 1200 (85 Hz). Specs here:

http://www.nec-display.com/pro...l/old/model/fe220.html

So I guess I could try it out at that res with the HD4850. Is there some reason, I'm unaware of, that I should get a new monitor?
Are the P43/P45 boards stable, bug free, and well tested?
And can my current PSU run the new system? I also have a Seasonic dual rail of the same wattage, which I had to shelve for my fussy MB.
So the new system will be about a $700 upgrade. Bit more than the second 6600 GT I was originaly planning to get!

Anyway, thanks again for all the help!
 
Hmm, if you own a 22" monitor then I probably was wrong 😉 No real reason to upgrade, unless you want something that doesn't weigh a ton and takes up a few cubic feet of space 😉

The p35 mobo you picked is just fine btw. Dozens of people used ds3l's in their builds. The only complaint I've heard about was something with a HD that wasn't properly recognized. But from the 100's of ds3l's used, I think very few gave people trouble. Do you have a seasonic s12 430w PSU ? That should be able to run your new rig just fine. The OCZ might run it too, I'd be more comfortable with the Seasonic though.
 
I checked, and the Seasonic is a "400 WATT Seasonic ATX 12v Version2.0". I'm pretty sure the OCZ is better quality, as well as wattage. Cost me a fortune as well, as Japanese tariffs are really high if it isn't made here, as the Corsair RAM shows.
So the p35 is my best option for stability? One of the reasons I am upgrading is I have a spare drive I cannot connect to my MB, at risk of system reformat (been through every possible test - no banana). So obviously I don't want a new MB with drive recognition issues.
And are the RAM specs OK? I noticed CL 5, for example, which seems high. There are many RAM to choose form, I just piced a random popular seller on the site. Any guidelines?
 
If you have a XP license and you don't have money to throw away, stick with XP for a little longer. But sooner or later you'll have to upgrade to Vista anyways. Unless you want to wait for Windows 7.
 
Windows XP will stop being supported ? You more or less need Vista for dx10. Besides, Vista is saver, and runs like a charm, the buggy Vista days are over. Unless you think you can keep using XP till Vista 7 comes out, you should just buy Vista now if you ask me. There's no real reason to upgrade RIGHT now, but if you plan to anyways, why not right away ?
 
OK, I'll order the parts this week.
Sounds like I manage well get Vista as well, since I need to reformat?

And regarding the MB, is this what you mean by "P45"?:

http://www.gigabyte.com.tw/Pro...ew.aspx?ProductID=2843

That runs about $150 here. There are several other Gigabyte (and other brands') boards with the infix "P45". Which is good for my system? And are they possibly buggy compared to the older "P35"s?

And are all the other components a decent fit? Sorry for all the questions, been busy with the kids and work here, so not much time to learn all about new tech! Appreciate your knowledge! Thanks again!
 
Alright, guess we are all busy.
Sounds like a go. I'll order all the hardware I mentioned at the outset, as is. That includes the P35 board, as I wnat stability, which the p45 probably is not. And I'll get Vista.

Thanks again MV and DS for all your help checking my choices!
 
Sorry to bug everyone again, but I held off on ordering at the last minute due to hearing that the 4850 has serious problems. Apparently Asus is only is fixing these issues by changing the HS and fan (and all the other companies are changing the BIOS). So I'm wondering which card to get, and if I can hunt down the "safe" ones here in Japan and see if they are in stock or they are still selling the "bad" cards (it's much harder for me, as it's all long distance phone calls requiring a knowledgable [and willing] translator on my end and competent shop staff on the other end). Available cards here:

http://translate.google.com/tr...%3d40%26Image1%2ey%3d7

Also, I was thinking of changing to the Q6600 quad, as its only a little more.

Will my PSU be able to handle all this?

Thanks again guys for the great help!

P.S. - sorry if this all seems too careful. I'm being very cautious because returns, RMAs, etc are usualy refused here in Japan. So once I order, that's it. Even in cases where a shop would be willing to take it back, my translator refuses to do it out of embarassment. Found this out the hard way.
 
The Asus better cooling will be nice if you don't mind waiting, but if you want to buy now the fan speed fix by setting up a Catalyst Control Center profile works fine. Editing the profile with Notepad is very easy to do.

Also, Asus' own software for their 4850s can supposedly let you set the fan speed directly without editing profiles.

Edit: given the difficulties you mention, waiting for the new Asus may be the best choice for you, or getting a slightly slower 9800 GTX.
 
Thanks a lot Dave. I'll get someone to call the shop and check about wether their 4850 has the Glaciator HS fan or not. I'll wait if need be.
 
Update:
I was able to locate the new 4850 cards, so I can order.
In the meantime I noticed that the MB has no Firewire, which I use with my iPod. Also, I was going to get the Q6600 CPU, as its not much more than the E8400, and shows more promise.

How about the GA-EP35-DS4 Rev.2.1? It has firewire support. Good solid hassle free board that will work with my stuff, including this bargain RAM?

Funny thing is that all the MBs I've considered have way more stuff than I'll use. I can't see myself upgrading parts, just possibly buying a whole new system in a few years again. So I think I only really need 1 GPU slot, 2 RAM slots, enough ports for my DVD drive and current 3 HDs, plus room for mabey another HD or 2 in the future. And a few USB and a firewire port. I like the possibilty for decent sound support and mabey Blueray.
 
Originally posted by: TheNiceGuy
Funny thing is that all the MBs I've considered have way more stuff than I'll use. I can't see myself upgrading parts, just possibly buying a whole new system in a few years again. So I think I only really need 1 GPU slot, 2 RAM slots, enough ports for my DVD drive and current 3 HDs, plus room for mabey another HD or 2 in the future. And a few USB and a firewire port. I like the possibilty for decent sound support and mabey Blueray.
Click to expand...

You may be able to find a micro-ATX board that meets your needs, but there aren't that many that carry firewire anymore (partly because of the license fee, partly because USB2.0 and eSATA have most things covered).
 
ah, I see.
thanks.
I'm quite confused as to what MB to get now! I think I've been looking at this forum too long. I need to just throw a dart at the catalog, and get that one!
 
hey dont go in for a quad now as at present there are no such games or programs which use all the fore core effectively
u choose slow 4 cores or fast 2 cores

no offence buddy

but feel great that ur atleast in japan man iam frm india and the thing is u can buy anything here nd return anything here (we dont have problems in translations as we can speak english (probable becoz british ruled us for 200years))
but the thing is only nice parts are available in big cities (if ur using credit card and ordering stuff online thats different) well iam from a middle size city and these dickwards here dont stock anything i had to wait for abt 3 days to get my e8400
all they say is why are u buying a 3.0 ghz c2d when u can buy a reliable 3.0ghz pentium 4 hahahaha
 
Dave, how's your EP43 working out? I'm thinking I shoud just get that for a MB, and be done with it. Looks like a good fit for me.
 
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