Upgrade kit

[Nebor]

I'm looking at ordering this next week: Link

My desktop is currently:
Evga 650i motherboard
e4400 processor
4gb memory
PNY gtx295 SL8
2tb hard drive
X-fi gamer
Sonota III Case
Etasis 1000w power supply

I'm thinking I can just replace the motherboard, processor and memory and add the SSD. Load Windows 7 on the SSD as my boot drive and still have all my music\photos\games on the 2tb hard drive.

So I have two questions:
1. Is there a better upgrade kit available out there?
2. Will a new Windows 7 install on the SSD be able to access all of the data stored on the 2tb hard drive?

 

[Spikesoldier]

looks good you should be able to hit 4.2 with that setup.


edit: you should be rocking and rolling when the win7 install on the ssd is done. if you tried to boot from the hdd you should BSOD.

 

[mnewsham]

Buying parts individually would probably be cheaper as you don't need a 2600 and a 2500k with a p67 motherboard and a vertex 2 ssd with some cheap ram would be better.

 

[Nebor]

Buying parts individually would probably be cheaper as you don't need a 2600 and a 2500k with a p67 motherboard and a vertex 2 ssd with some cheap ram would be better.

The extra clicking aside, I lack the mental capacity to match up ram speed with whatever the new platforms require. I couldn't tell you the ram speed in my current desktop setup.

 

[Nebor]

looks good you should be able to hit 4.2 with that setup.


edit: you should be rocking and rolling when the win7 install on the ssd is done. if you tried to boot from the hdd you should BSOD.

But I should be able to just install Steam and have it "find" all my games on the hd, right?

 

[mnewsham]

The extra clicking aside, I lack the mental capacity to match up ram speed with whatever the new platforms require. I couldn't tell you the ram speed in my current desktop setup.

2x4gb or 4x2gb of ddr3 1333mhz CL9 1.5v RAM

 

[mnewsham]

But I should be able to just install Steam and have it "find" all my games on the hd, right?

I would say make a backup of everything you want to keep (except the OS) and when you install the SSD just reformat the hdd too and install windows to the ssd.

 

[Spikesoldier]

But I should be able to just install Steam and have it "find" all my games on the hd, right?

i dont know about that one but since steam is cloud based your savegames and configs should be ok

 

[Nebor]

i dont know about that one but since steam is cloud based your savegames and configs should be ok

Only a few games utilize the Steam cloud.

 

[mfenn]

But I should be able to just install Steam and have it "find" all my games on the hd, right?

You'll likely have to move your steamapps folder out of the way, reinstall Steam on the HDD, and then move the steamapps folder back. But yes, you should be able to avoid redownloading all the games. You will need to manually move you save games over though.

 

[mfenn]

Buying parts individually would probably be cheaper as you don't need a 2600 and a 2500k with a p67 motherboard and a vertex 2 ssd with some cheap ram would be better.

This. :thumbsup:

OP, here's what you should buy:
i5 2500K + Gigabyte GA-P67A-UD3 $335
Mushkin DDR3 1333 4GB $38
OCZ Vertex 2 60GB $100 AR
Total: $473

Over $100 cheaper, and with a more appropriate motherboard.

 

[Davidh373]

This.

OP, here's what you should buy:
i5 2500K + Gigabyte GA-P67A-UD3 $335
Mushkin DDR3 1333 4GB $38
OCZ Vertex 2 60GB $100 AR
Total: $473

Over $100 cheaper, and with a more appropriate motherboard.

Fully agree

 

[Nebor]

Fully agree

Aside from the processor having two less 'i's (which seems bad?) why is the motherboard more appropriate. The first one seems to have everything I want. And the second board doesn't seem to support SLI?

 

[mnewsham]

Aside from the processor having two less 'i's (which seems bad?) why is the motherboard more appropriate. The first one seems to have everything I want. And the second board doesn't seem to support SLI?

The first board was an H67 board which is for the use of integrated graphics (IGP) the second board which is better suited for you is P67 which allows you to overclock your CPU but doesnt allow the use of the IGP (which wont matter because you have a dedicated graphics card)

And the i5-2500k vs the i7-2600k the i5 is equal in performance in almost every game out there, the only thing the i7 adds is a faster stock speed (negated once you OC the i5) and hyper threading (not important for gaming or much else besides some virtualization stuff, rendering, etc...) so save the 80 bucks and go with the i5.


EDIT: Also you will never go SLI, if you dont start with SLI there is about 98% chance you will never need to use it. (by the time you are going to upgrade to SLI there will be a single card that is better for the same price)

 

[Nebor]

Well I don't want to overclock, and I'm pretty sure I want the i7. (Plus bragging rights, what with the additional 'i's.)

I doubt I'll ever use SLI because I think it's a tad silly. If only the bundle came with the Gigabyte motherboard instead of the MSI.

 

[mnewsham]

Well I don't want to overclock, and I'm pretty sure I want the i7. (Plus bragging rights, what with the additional 'i's.)

I doubt I'll ever use SLI because I think it's a tad silly. If only the bundle came with the Gigabyte motherboard instead of the MSI.

.... what are you doing with your computer that you need the i7 for? (besides e-penis)

Also to overclock the i5-2500k you go into the bios and change the multiplier from 33 to 38.... DONE!

 

[Nebor]

.... what are you doing with your computer that you need the i7 for? (besides e-penis)

Also to overclock the i5-2500k you go into the bios and change the multiplier from 33 to 38.... DONE!

Play Borderlands. I noticed it slowing down a lot on the Zombie Island DLC.

The last time I went in the bios, to defragment my ram, my computer got all messed up.

 

[Davidh373]

Well I don't want to overclock, and I'm pretty sure I want the i7. (Plus bragging rights, what with the additional 'i's.)

The only people you'll be bragging to are the people who don't know better than to waste an extra $70 on a feature they'll never use.

And the second board doesn't seem to support SLI?

You either go SLI out the gate (with something like a 570 or 580) or you won't ever. Single cards perform fine, consume less power, and allow you to save money on the Mobo, PSU, and in some circumstances the case, as well as your energy bill. If you want a big idiotic e-penis, fine, but I don't think anyone here thinks that's a good thing (since it only seems to be bigger than everyone else's for about 3 months). Graphics cards get doubled in performance and features in about a year to a year and a half. Don't be fooled into thinking it'll be a money saver either... it won't...

 

[Davidh373]

Play Borderlands. I noticed it slowing down a lot on the Zombie Island DLC.

... I get 60+ fps in that game on my 9800GTX...

 

[mnewsham]

Play Borderlands. I noticed it slowing down a lot on the Zombie Island DLC.

The last time I went in the bios, to defragment my ram, my computer got all messed up.

the new motherboards (besides Gigabyte currently) have UEFI (a graphical interface for the BIOS, also any board you get will come with an OC tool...)

And borderlands isn't all that hard of a game to run the difference in borderlands between the i5 and i7 is maybe 3-5% is that worth a 20% gain in price?

 

[mnewsham]

... I get 60+ fps in that game on my 9800GTX...

It is a console port so that makes sense :awe:

OP if you are getting that low Fps in that game with that GPU then you might have a bad GPU D:

 

[Davidh373]

OP if you are getting that low Fps in that game with that GPU then you might have a bad GPU

Or it could be his 2.0Ghz processor...

 

[mnewsham]

Or it could be his 2.0Ghz processor...

oh, didn't think people kept those things at stock...

 

[Nebor]

Or it could be his 2.0Ghz processor...

I reckon that's it. The person I play with gets better performance with a Q9650 and an 8600GT.

 

[Nebor]

The only people you'll be bragging to are the people who don't know better than to waste an extra $70 on a feature they'll never use.

So... everyone I know. Cool.

I'm with you on the SLI though. I'm pretty set on the i7 however. Money is not a big issue here. Especially talking about a difference of less than $100.