possible upgrade...need ideas...thx

[looper]

This computer is our family gaming machine: (from April 2007- nothing over-clocked):

*Asus P5B Deluxe/WiFi (old Bios)
*E6600 cpu / 1066fsb / 4mb L2 / 2.4ghz
*Corsair / 2 gig / XMS2 / 6400 C4 (4-4-4-12) 800mhz
*nVidia BFG Geforce 8800GTS vid card (640mb)
*Seagate Barracuda HD /400gig /
*PC Power & Cooling PS / Silencer 610 EPS:
+3.3v = 24A +5 v = 30A +12V= 49A
*Creative Labs X-Fi sound
*D Link DIR655 Router
*Win XP Pro
*Lian Li case: PC-A16 A SIL RT

Considering doing some upgrading, and would like your ideas please...and check out my questions...

*Have another 1 gig stick of the Corsair memory coming in...3 gig is
all I can run w/ that OS, correct?
*Would it be worth it to go to Vista 64 bit? And, could I install it over
XP? If I do this...can then run 4 gig of memory, correct?
*At the Asus site, it lists the various cpu's that will run on this board...
what is the fastest & best-value cpu to get... and...
*I will have to update the BIOS...scary for me...many of Bios' listed
say "beta"...should I be afraid? Which one?
*Worth getting the nvidia GTX 280 or 260 video card? And, will
this MB "run" that video card w/ my PS?

Any other thoughts... THX, folks...

Brian in RI / USA

 

[brencat]

First off, your system is terrific. The first thing I would do is OC that CPU to a very easy/simple to do 3.0ghz by simply changing the FSB to 333 from 266 in bios. I bet you'll be able to do that on stock vcore as well and the stock cooler should be able to handle the temps just fine. At 3.0ghz, you won't bottleneck your vid card, nor even a GTX260. I wouldn't think of upgrading the CPU until you try OCing first.

Depending on the games you play, and the resolution you play at, your vid card I'll bet is fine for 95% of what's out there today (I have the SSC version of your card with 112 sp and I've got it OCed even further). It's still a great card -- faster than an 8800gt at stock, not quite as fast as an 8800gtx.

Your PSU is excellent and one of, if not the best brand. I just built a PC for my brother and put that exact PSU into his PC.

Yes, 3gb is the max addressible RAM with a 32-bit OS. Yes you can buy the Vista upgrade but then if you ever want to wipe the HDD clean and start over, you have to spend hours installing XP first, then the Vista upgrade. Personally, I'd spend the extra money and cut right to the chase with Vista SP1 -- you'll have to format and reinstall but it'll be over in 45 mins or less.

Don't worry about flashing the bios unless you're going with a 45nm CPU like an E8400. If you do decide to flash, use a floppy or USB drive. DO NOT flash from within Windows using Asus's utility. Many an Asus owner has learned this the hard way.

So...I've given you some options. Personally, if I were in your shoes, the only thing I'd do would be to OC the CPU and then the vid card (with Rivatuner). Save your money and take out the girl instead! :wine:

 

[looper]

brencat...

If I OC... you don't think heat will be an issue...and how would I keep track of the temp I want to be at? ...in an easy way...

Thx, so much...if you think of anything else, let me know...

How 'bout the question of going to Vista 64 bit to get the 4 gig memory capability...worth it, or no?

 

[brencat]

See my edits after you posted.

Check temps on a 65nm CPU with most recent version of Coretemp:

CoreTemp 0.99.3

Keep that window open while running a stress testing program like Prime95 or OCCT. Get those here:

Prime95 v25.6

OCCT 2.0.1

Keep temps under 67c under full load. If you fail the OC at 3.0ghz, bump up vcore 1 notch and retry the stability program again, keeping an eye on temps. Higher vcore = higher volts = higher temps.

Like I said, I'll be you can do 3.0ghz and be fully stable (12 hrs Prime95, 2hrs OCCT) on stock vcore.

 

[looper]

Thx...

How about my Vista questions?


NEVERMIND................DUH....you did answer me.... I HAVE TOO MANY WINDOWS OPEN NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!



But, if I go Vista... I might lose my favorite game... Links 2003 golf game... an oldie...may not be compatible under vista....

 

[brencat]

Originally posted by: looper
But, if I go Vista... I might lose my favorite game... Links 2003 golf game... an oldie...may not be compatible under vista....

lol -- A 5 yr old golf game?? Hey we all have choices to make in life...

Personally I love Vista. It's a much more stable operating system IMO than XP, and faster too due to SuperFetch. At the same time, it's also a bit more 'nannyish' since it was designed for regular folk as much as the power user. I've turned off UAC, switched to "classic view", changed updating to "notify but don't download without user OK", and a few other things and I love it.

I also went with Vista 32 because I didn't want the hassle of using signed drivers or compatibility with older hardware and software, and the fact I had 2x512 RAM sticks laying around I didn't want to go to waste (I use 2x1gb +2x512 in my system for 3gb total). However, many of my concerns with Vista 64 have been addressed in the year I've had my PC, so if you wanted to go Vista 64 I wouldn't worry.

 

[looper]

Just the thought of formatting the HD and going Vista... just to get access to another 1 gig of memory for gaming... not worth it, is it?

Think I'll just OC the cpu...and go from there, as you said...I won't get a huge bump-up in speed if I upgrade the vid card to the gtx260?

 

[Idontcare]

Originally posted by: looper
Just the thought of formatting the HD and going Vista... just to get access to another 1 gig of memory for gaming... not worth it, is it?

No its not worth it. The game itself still can't utilize >2GB even if you go Vista64.

Adding more ram with Vista can increase the overall experience because of things like superfetch, but if you aren't jazzed about the idea in advance then you aren't likely to suddenly become jazzed about it when the wife and kids are nagging you to figure out why their favorite application xyz no longer works in exactly the same manner that it use to.

Stick with what you are comfortable doing and with what you are comfortable risking. You stand less of a chance of having buyers remorse later on when you look back on the experience.

 

[brencat]

Originally posted by: looper
Just the thought of formatting the HD and going Vista... just to get access to another 1 gig of memory for gaming... not worth it, is it?

Think I'll just OC the cpu...and go from there, as you said...I won't get a huge bump-up in speed if I upgrade the vid card to the gtx260?

If you're sticking with XP, I think 2gb RAM is fine. If you go Vista 64, then I'd consider going to 4gb. You can buy a 4gb set of Corsair for $25 shipped AR right now, FYI:

Corsair 2x2gb @ Newegg -- $25 AR shipped

You will get a bump in performance going with a GTX260 for sure, but you will bottleneck that card a bit with the CPU at 2.4ghz. At 3.0ghz, not so much if at all. So OCing the CPU, either way, is the smartest move for you.

Here's the thing:

Vista-32/64 -- $225 for full version
GTX 260 -- $200 - 225
E8400 -- $165
2x2gb RAM -- $25 (negligible)

That's serious money for any one of those components except RAM. You have a great system. OC the CPU and the vid card, then come back to us and tell you how you like your system then. I'm all for saving people money if I can.

 

[flxnimprtmscl]

I'm with brencat on this one. There's a ton of untapped performance in your system. More than enough for what you'll be needing. Overclock what you have now and save your money for an i7 upgrade down the road or something worthwhile like that.

 

[looper]

God, I love it when my thoughts are confirmed... OC the cpu, and I'm waiting for delivery on the Corsair ram today.

I just got back from GameStop...picked up our pre-order of the new "Call of Duty5: World at War" game...of course, it is for my son who requested it..... so my wife thinks...I hope. We have been playing "COD4" for about 8 months now.

When we play the "single-player" version, I run the game at 1600x1200 resolution...awesome graphic detail. When we play online "multiplayer", I turn it down to 640x480 for a better frame rate. It seems to help.

Thx, guys... I'll keep you posted.

Brian

 

[BTRY B 529th FA BN]

I would get that extra gig to make it 3Gb of memory - today's games might tap out 2 and even if you are sorta against the idea; man, its real cheap for DDR2 these days... but its up to you. And I would also do what everyone is telling you. Overclock the CPU and save some money from a CPU upgrade and put it towards either a 280 or a 4870 .

EDIT: opps, didnt' see the rest of the posts, hehe :beer:

 

[looper]

I will OC the CPU, and the additional 2 gig of Corsair is in my hand right now, to bring the mem to 4 gig...@ 3 functioning....


Considering now what I have for a vid card...GeForce 8800GTS(640mb), ...what video card would be a good improvement for the money...best value?


Edit... hey, 500 posts...only took me 8 years!!

 

[Tempered81]

Originally posted by: looper
Considering now what I have for a vid card...GeForce 8800GTS(640mb), ...what video card would be a good improvement for the money...best value?

4850, 9800gtx+, 9800gt ultimate, gtx260, hd4870

 

[BTRY B 529th FA BN]

9800 GX2 is a good card if you like Nvidia or I would also recommend a 4870 if you prefer ATI/AMD (great driver support btw).

 

[brencat]

Originally posted by: looper
We have been playing "COD4" for about 8 months now.

When we play the "single-player" version, I run the game at 1600x1200 resolution...awesome graphic detail. When we play online "multiplayer", I turn it down to 640x480 for a better frame rate. It seems to help.

I lol'd when I saw this. You do NOT need to do that with the card you have. I play COD4 online nearly everyday @ 12 x 10 on a 10yr old IIYama VisionMaster Pro 19" CRT with everything maxed and get 74 - 91 fps with my system.

Now since you use a flat-panel, max useable is 60 fps. Trust me, OC your CPU, then use Rivatuner to OC your vid card core to around 620 -- hell, just copy the settings in my sig (default for the core is 515 mhz I believe) and you will see a big difference.

You should be ashamed of yourself running any game in this day and age at 640x480, and with your system no less!

 

[looper]

Well, I'm glad you had a laugh....and I'll be ashamed of myself if it makes you feel good.

I'll OC the cpu, and go from there. Then I'll give the BFG 8800GTS a kick in the pants.

Thx for the ideas/suggestions.

 

[leonard619]

I just skimmed the tread, so if someone mentioned this already, I apologize.

As far as your question about upgrading to Vista 64, depending on how much room you have left on that 400gb hard drive, you can always create another partition and set up a dual boot for vista w/o affecting your current xp operating system. That's what I did. Just google "dual boot vista and windows xp. You'll find dozens of sites that explain how to do it. It's very easy to do.