Upgrade time, got a few questions

[imported_microbe]

Hello all. I like to make my upgrades the best bang for the buck and last as long as possible. For that to happen I do a lot of research and look too the best communities for advise, so here I am.

Three years ago for the first time I came across a good mainstream boxed (Bestbuy exclusive) computer I couldn't build for cheaper. It was the gatway fx7024 and It has served me well.

$999
c2q6600
g33 chipset
3072 MB ddr2 pc2 5300 duel channel
500 GB HD 7200rpm SATA2
evga 8800gt OC (oc more to 670 / 1.1)
400watt psu
Vista home pre 32bit

Here is the plan, I am currently waiting on a Asus 5850 to come into stock at newegg. Checking email every 30 min lol.

I'm pretty sure I'll be needing a new psu so I tried using the eXtreme Power Supply Calculator Lite v2.5, but it said all I needed was 300watts. If you'd like my psu stats ask and I'll postem. Doesn't seem right, or is it? If I need a new one, read on and tell me what you think. I'm looking into the Corsair CMPSU-650TX here: http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16817139005 is that overkill?

I know the cpu will be a bottleneck and this proprietary mobo will not over clock (not that I know how to oc even if I could), so I plan on getting the best cpu for this mobo which is the c2q9650 @3 ghz. Before I go on I should mention that I'm still on a 19" crt for the most part, but on the weekends I pull the sony brava 46"LCD out of the beadroom and plop it on my desk for 1920/1080 HD gaming... it's awesome. I'll be getting a new monitor in the future and will prolly look to a 1680/1050 rez for better max settings longevity. Problem is I noticed last week the price for this cpu jumped from 319.99 to 329.99 at newegg with similar price jumps everywhere else. Is this cpu EOL? Will the price come back down or keep going up?

I keep reading contradicting stories on Vista 32 supporting over 3 gigs with a patch. Will it, or do I need to jump on the win 7 64bit bandwagon in order push up to 4 gigs? mobo supports 8 gigs max.

I'm looking for at least another 2 years out of these upgrades. Your help is much needed and much appreciated.

 

[cusideabelincoln]

Go ahead and post your specs for the PSU. I would advise, though, that you do get a new one that's 80 Plus Certified. The Corsair 650W is definitely overkill. The 5850 doesn't use that much more power than your overclocked 8800GT, probably only 10-20W more if that.

CPU wouldn't be a major bottleneck, but upgrading would get you a bit more performance. First you need to make sure that motherboard will support newer chips. It may not support the 45nm Core 2 processors, or it may not even provide a BIOS update. But don't waste money on the Q9650. If the motherboard supports it, go for the Q9550 which should be much cheaper than the Q9650 and it will basically perform the same.

Vista 32 will recognize up to 4GB of RAM, but you won't be able to use all of that. If you put in a 1GB video card in a Vista 32 system your system will actually only use less than 3GB of RAM. So go 64-bit as soon as you can.

 

[imported_microbe]

Thanks for the reply. My stats are:

400watts max

+12v1 / 16a max
+12v2/ 16a max
+5v/ 14a max
+5vsb/ 2.0a max
+3.3v/ 20a max
-12v/ 0.3a max

+5v & +3.3v output can't exceed 140watts
+5v & +3.3v 140watts
+12v1 & +12v2 combined current can't exceed 30a
+12v1 & +12v2 30a

Not sure how to go about finding if there is support for the newer chips. Here is a link to my spec page if this helps: http://support.gateway.com/s/P...229R/1015229Rsp2.shtml

The q9550 is over $100 bucks cheaper and would speed up me getting a new moniter, indeed a plus.

 

[VirtualLarry]

Download and run CPU-Z, and look under the Motherboard tab, and see what the mobo model string is. Google that, and perhaps you can find a CPU compatibility list.

 

[MrK6]

OP, I'm looking at your post as a bang-for-your-buck mission, am I correct? It would help the most if you would state your budget so we know what we have to work with. Without knowing your budget, there's a couple of pathways you could take. The cheapest would be to pin mod the Q6600 to 3.0GHz (really simple, see here: http://www.tipidpc.com/viewtopic.php?tid=98439&page=1 ), throw in a 5750 and overclock the hell out of it. That will cost you ~$130 and you can sell the 8800GT to make half of it back .

If you have a bigger budget, you have more flexibility. As far as priority goes, the Q6600 is actually one of the strongest parts in that system, and I would replace it last to be honest (same as the HDD). The only thing limiting your Q6600 is your DDR2-667 speed RAM, if you replace that with 4GB of performance RAM (DDR2-800 or higher), you should also get a new motherboard which would help with overclocking. What size is your case and what size motherboard does it take (I'm guessing the smaller micro ATX with only 4 expansion slots), as you may run into cooling issues in smaller OEM cases. The PSU would also be something to consider replacing, as the generic brand PSU's aren't always of good quality. I would definitely consider replacing the PSU if you were looking at getting a 5850.

If your budget is big, I'd salvage the HDD and Q6600 and rebuild from the ground up. Something like this:
Gigabyte P43-UD3L - http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16813128380 $80
Muskin 4GB DDR2 - http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16820146692 $65 AR
Corsair 550W PSU - http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16817139004 $60 AR
HD5850 - $260
Case - $40

That'll cost you a little over $500 with shipping, but it'll really unlock the performance of the Q6600 and give you a bitchin' new video card ;.

Any way you go, definitely pick up Windows 7 and definitely get the 64-bit version.

 

[imported_microbe]

OK, it seems as though my mobo does indeed support the newer chips as listed here: http://support.gateway.com/s/M...194R/4006194Rsp2.shtml

Learning to OC should save me around $80, I just need to do it!

Also listed in the link is my case, microATX: 9.60 × 9.60 inches, and yes, I have run into cooling issues already. I've had the side panel removed for a month now to let the 8800gt's OC breath a little better, so I do need a new case.

My budget is pretty tight with xmas looming and all, but I have at least decided on an upgrade path. I will be ordering the Corsair 550w psu at the same time I get the 5850, when ever the Asus model gets in stock that is. That will cap me out for now. Next will prolly be win7, then ram, and then mobo & case. Thank you for your help guys. The waiting will kill me

 

[cusideabelincoln]

That 400W PSU looks pretty decent. I think it would handle the 5850 just fine. The only downside is that it probably isn't very efficient.

 

[imported_microbe]

Just for the hell of it, and with efficiency out the window, what if I was to take the psu money and go grab a 5870. Do you think my current psu could handle that?