Please advise on new gaming rig, BFBC2 specifically!

[Davidh373]

I guess part of my concern is that my MOBO (965P-DS3 Rev 3.3) doesn't officially support the 9550, so if I have any issues I'd have to spring for a new mobo anyway, at which point I'd be shelling out another $100 or so bucks.

The page for purchase on newegg says it supports the Core 2 Quad just fine.Your motherboard should not need to be replaced.

if you are going to buy a new chipset, you may as well get a 1156 board and an i5 if you are planning on $400. This platform would grant you many upgrades in the future.

As for the Phenom II x4, it is yet to be seen if AMD leaps to another platform for it's next big processors. Wikipedia says it will be AM3r2 for it's 6 and 8 core processors coming this year, but then what?

 

[NTAC]

The page for purchase on newegg says it supports the Core 2 Quad just fine.Your motherboard should not need to be replaced.

if you are going to buy a new chipset, you may as well get a 1156 board and an i5 if you are planning on $400. This platform would grant you many upgrades in the future.

As for the Phenom II x4, it is yet to be seen if AMD leaps to another platform for it's next big processors. Wikipedia says it will be AM3r2 for it's 6 and 8 core processors coming this year, but then what?

You make a good point...Like the i5 750? What board would you suggest?

 

[MisterDonut]

Gigabyte UD2/UD3P. Shouldn't worry about CFX capabilities because 1366 is better at running multiple GPUs. I'd just get a faster single GPU rather than CFX.

 

[batuchka]

Well now I'm having second thoughts.

The 9550 is $250, which is a nice chunk, and kinda sounds like a dead end architecturally speaking, unless I"m reading things wrong.

Bout $200 and reuse your DDR2 RAMs? Clock down the road ^^ The AM3 socket Integrated Memory Controller (IMC) can talk to both DDR2 and DDR3 and thats some nice juicy 4GB of perfectly fine DDR2 u have there hehe

 

[GullyFoyle]

PS: Someone suggested that I can just plug this guy into my current MOBO: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...D=3332167&SID=

That would certainly be cheaper, but would it accomplish my goal? How much better is DDR2 ram vs DDR3?

What revision of your motherboard do you have? There's 1.0, 2.0, and 3.3. Only 3.3 suports the CPU linked (and probably requires a BIOS update).

MB link: http://www.gigabyte.com.tw/Support/Motherboard/CPUSupport_Model.aspx?ProductID=2456

If your version rules this option out, so be it. If not, seems like the the cheapest, most effective option.

Compare CPU's here: http://www.cpubenchmark.net/cpu_list.php

Some comparison numbers from there (lowest to highest):

CPU....... CPU Mark Rank
e8500..... 2385.....216
9550...... 2514.....207
Q8400..... 3669.....123
i5 750.... 4214.....101

Is this the NTAC I know?

 

[NTAC]

What revision of your motherboard do you have? There's 1.0, 2.0, and 3.3. Only 3.3 suports the CPU linked (and probably requires a BIOS update).

MB link: http://www.gigabyte.com.tw/Support/Motherboard/CPUSupport_Model.aspx?ProductID=2456

If your version rules this option out, so be it. If not, seems like the the cheapest, most effective option.

I do have the 3.3, but I was thinking that if I dump $250 on the 9550 why not just spend $150 to move up to a more upgradable architecture? I'm basically setting myself up with a budget of about $400 on this upgrade, so I'd like to get the most out of it presently speaking and looking into the future.

Plus I have someone that is willing to buy my 965P-DS3 rev 3.3 / e4300 / 4 GB DDR2 setup. BTW, what is a fair price for this? I was thinking of charging about $200ish...

Compare CPU's here: http://www.cpubenchmark.net/cpu_list.php

Some comparison numbers from there (lowest to highest):

CPU....... CPU Mark Rank
e8500..... 2385.....216
9550...... 2514.....207
Q8400..... 3669.....123
i5 750.... 4214.....101

So seems that I'm on the right track with i5 750...

Is this the NTAC I know?

No, probably not... this is more of a clan handle me and my friends use when we play FPS games (No Talent Ass Clowns), I'm not even sure why I used it here

 

[GullyFoyle]

Sorry, I made a mistake in my chart. The 9550 I had was the AMD 9550 Phenom quad core. I have added the number below for the Q9550 Intel chip...seems basically equivelent to the i5 750.

Compare CPU's here: http://www.cpubenchmark.net/cpu_list.php

Some comparison numbers from there (lowest to highest):

CPU....... CPU Mark Rank
e8500..... 2385.....216
AMD 9550.. 2514.....207
Q8400..... 3669.....123
i5 750.... 4214.....101
Q9550..... 4305.....99

 

[Davidh373]

You make a good point...Like the i5 750? What board would you suggest?

Yes, the i5 750, I tend to like evga boards. This one http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813188063&Tpk=evga%20h55 seems nice

 

[NTAC]

Yes, the i5 750, I tend to like evga boards. This one http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...Tpk=evga%20h55 seems nice

Hmm... I think I want something a bit more robust then that... I'd like to do Crossfire if possible or at least have an option for it.. that board seems a bit limited. I don't mind spending $200 on a board if it covers all my present and future needs for 2 or so years...

 

[Davidh373]

Hmm... I think I want something a bit more robust then that... I'd like to do Crossfire if possible or at least have an option for it.. that board seems a bit limited. I don't mind spending $200 on a board if it covers all my present and future needs for 2 or so years...

Why do you need to do crossfire?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813188055&cm_re=p55_sli-_-13-188-055-_-Product

 

[NTAC]

Why do you need to do crossfire?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-055-_-Product

The 260GTX is not mine exactly, I'm borrowing it from work because we currently don't have a big enough case to fit it But it'll probably go back at some point at which time I would like to have my options open.

I might never do SLI or Crossfire, but if the prices are right and it ends up being a cheaper solution then it would be nice to just have that option.