upgrade from AMD 939 socket to (insert your recommendation here)

[JimKiler]

Hi everyone i need to upgrade my old socket 939 mobo since it just died, I just bought a new PSU enermax inifiniti 720w so my current parts i will be keeping are:

I have:
PSU enermax inifiniti 720w
Hard Drives 1 WD 10K SATA drive, old but works
3 various SATA I drives ~250GB each
Graphics Asus 4850 Top

So I need
mobo - want to have onboard audio and LAN
CPU - i lean AMD but if the price is right will go Intel
RAM - DDR2 or DDR3?

I want quality parts and am willing to buy via rebate for a cheap price.

Are there AMD mobo's with onboard graphics that I can use in crossfire with my Asus 4850? I know this would not be a huge jump in performance but if it works and is supported sounds like something i would want. I thought i read that but I am married with a kid on the way so it is hard to stay on top of all the cool tech these days.

I know the Phenom II CPU's are out. Am I correct in understanding with the right mobo I can use DDR2 or DDR3 with it? Is there limitations to the memory? I thought newegg had an asus Am2/AM3 board that said something about only single channel RAM with DDR3 but that was removed later. I would like DDR3 but i want to upgrade on the cheap.

Goal is to play games with this rig and my budget is under $500.

Let me know if I am missing anything.

 

[heyheybooboo]

AMD Phenom II X3 710 2.6GHz 3 x 512KB L2 Cache 6MB L3 Cache Socket AM3: $129

GIGABYTE GA-MA790X-UD4 AM2+/AM2 AMD 790X: $105 With Promo Code EMCLNMV36 valid till 02/23

G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066: $55


If you want to run with the big dogs check out this combo

 

[Blain]

Why be an AMD Fanboy when there are solid Intel CPU/MB combos out there?

 

[JimKiler]

Originally posted by: Blain
Why be an AMD Fanboy when there are solid Intel CPU/MB combos out there?

that is why I said I am willing to go with Intel. I can be an AMD fanboy but buy intel, at least I think so.

"CPU - i lean AMD but if the price is right will go Intel "

 

[Blain]

A true fanboy can never "cross over", no matter how good the other's components are.
That irrational loyalty is what defines a fanboy of any company or component.

 

[JimKiler]

Originally posted by: Blain
A true fanboy can never "cross over", no matter how good the other's components are.
That irrational loyalty is what defines a fanboy of any company or component.

I guess I am not a very good fanboy then.

 

[Blain]

Originally posted by: JimKiler

Originally posted by: Blain
A true fanboy can never "cross over", no matter how good the other's components are.
That irrational loyalty is what defines a fanboy of any company or component.

I guess I am not a very good fanboy then.

Most of us aren't.

 

[JimKiler]

I found some info on the hybrid crossfire, where i can use the integrated graphics to reduce power consumtion in 2D, but the AMD site is not udpated or it only supports the 3000 series of ATI video cards. Anyone know if my 4850 will work with hybrid crossfire?

this page http://ati.amd.com/technology/hybridgraphics/index.html says:This AMD platform technology enhances the user experience by combining an AMD 780 Chipset with integrated graphics and a discrete ATI Radeon? HD 3000 Series or ATI Mobility Radeon? HD 3000 Series GPU

 

[JimKiler]

Originally posted by: heyheybooboo

If you want to run with the big dogs check out this combo

I like this combo link, thanks. What makes that mobo worth $225? I would expect integrated graphics at that price.

 

[Denithor]

The X3 710 is a good value and would be considerably faster than your old rig.

An e8400 setup would rival it in most tasks & run cooler but is a bit more expensive.

Neither are as fast as a C2Q or i7 but cheaper.

Decision really depends on budget.

 

[JimKiler]

Originally posted by: Denithor
The X3 710 is a good value and would be considerably faster than your old rig.

An e8400 setup would rival it in most tasks & run cooler but is a bit more expensive.

Neither are as fast as a C2Q or i7 but cheaper.

Decision really depends on budget.

instead of the X3 I am thinking Phenom 2 X4 for $200.

I know i7 tech is the newest and best but what is difference between Core2Quad and e8400? I have to really brush up on my technology. I used to know all this stuff when I was in college and had more free time.

Thanks for the help everyone, I am not trying to be lazy but everything is overwhelming, newegg has 3 flavors of DDR3 @ 1333, but i think the speeds are different. Guess i have to check out a resource on RAM too.

 

[JimKiler]

Anything wrong with this Gigabyte besides lack of Crossfire.

GIGABYTE GA-MA790XT-UD4P AM3 DDR3 AMD 790X ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail

Also how closely do I need to follow the Gigabyte recommended DDR3 list on their website.

DDR3 list

 

[heyheybooboo]

Originally posted by: JimKiler
Anything wrong with this Gigabyte besides lack of Crossfire.

GIGABYTE GA-MA790XT-UD4P AM3 DDR3 AMD 790X ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail

Also how closely do I need to follow the Gigabyte recommended DDR3 list on their website.

DDR3 list

You may Crossfire on the GA-MA790XT @ x8x8 Gen2. More than enough bandwidth ...

Originally posted by: JimKiler

Originally posted by: heyheybooboo

If you want to run with the big dogs check out this combo

I like this combo link, thanks. What makes that mobo worth $225? I would expect integrated graphics at that price.

It's a 790FX with sb750 for $100 in a combo with a Phenom II 940.

'FX' = Crossfire @ x16x16 Gen2 = massive bandwidth (think something like an HD 4870x2 2Gb with an HD 4870 1Gb in Crossfire) for higher gaming resolutions and tweaked settings

You could actually run your HD 4850 in tri-Crossfire @ x8x8x8 Gen2 (or quad-Crossfire for that matter but you would need to research the points of diminishing return in tri- and quad-Crossfire in the games you play). Generally speaking, the higher the resolution the greater return.

It would be sweet with a 1080p LCD (at 1920x1080) when you add that second HD 4850 for $140.

I try to follow memory QVL lists though it is no always 100% necessary. There is so much memory out there they cannot test it all. Going with DDR3 and that Gigabyte mobo will not show a performance gain for the money you would spend. It's not really cost effective and a higher quantity of slower ram at faster timings will generally always win over a lower quantity of speedy ram at slower timings.

You will be limited in video card selection in any IGP/discreet 'hybrid' Crossfire because of the differences in architecture. The Radeon HD 3200/3300 IGP is based upon a die-shunk HD 2400xt chip that has a 64-bit memory bus. To get everything to play nicely in 'hybrid' mode I'm guessing that the discreet video card would also need a 64-bit memory bus.

 

[JimKiler]

Thanks for the help here is what I bought and my rationale:

GIGABYTE GA-MA790XT-UD4P AM3 DDR3 AMD 790X ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail

Patriot Viper 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory - Retail

AMD Phenom II X4 810 2.6GHz Socket AM3 95W Processor - Retail

I went AMD cause my budget was $500 or less so Intel's i7 was too expensive. That leaves the previos gen intel stuff which is just as good if not better than Phenom II but it is not going to last as long as i7. Same with AMD AM2 chipsets and CPU's it's roadmap will end before AM3 does.

I went Gigabyte since my current Asus had issues. My current Asus is Nvidia chipsets so I should blame that before I blame Asus. I know both are quality and the asus was the same price and had onboard video but i already have 3 PCI Express video cards so i have no need there. I do not need SLI either.

I went with Patriot RAM since it runs at 1.5 volts like the gigabyte website said the mobo uses for RAM. Also buying this mobo and RAM was a newegg combo deal saving me $20. So before rebate I had $430 including shipping.