CPU and GPU upgrade

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queenstown3

49 posts

Geek

#57341 10-Feb-2010 12:19

So im looking at a CPU under $600 and a GPU under $600. I'm going to be using for gaming.

I heard the i7 920 and the HD5850 is what to buy for this price range. But is there anything better?

Also will a 500w PSU power them or will i need to upgrade?

garvani

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#297642 10-Feb-2010 13:07

you do realise there is more to buy than just that tho? you will need a new motherboard to go with your I7.. and some ddr3 as well.. for a i7 cpu, motherboard and 6gb of ram your looking roughly at $850...
the hd5850 is a good gpu though, i have recently upgraded to one..

queenstown3

49 posts

Geek

#297653 10-Feb-2010 13:39

yeah i know that. I'm going to be purchasing a whole new rig. As the GPU and CPU are the most exspensive components. I want to know which ones to buy.

samwooff

219 posts

Master Geek

#297656 10-Feb-2010 13:48

Unless you want to run 3 graphics cards the i7 is not worth the extra money for gaming, and with a $600 GPU budget you won't be.
As garvani said as well a new CPU will generally need a new motherboard and ram.
I'd go for the i5-750, decent motherboard from Asus, gigabyte etc and 4gb of ram. Your GPU choice is spot on.
A 500w power supply would run that just fine but safety factor is always nice to have, also ensure it's got the required connectors and enough current on the 12v line for your GPU (40A at least).

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queenstown3

49 posts

Geek

#297657 10-Feb-2010 14:07

I'm not too worried about the price as long as it is under $600. What benefits does the i7 920 have from the i5 750.

I also heard the i7 860 is pretty good but its the same price as the 920 and i heard the 920 is better.

Ragnor

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#297662 10-Feb-2010 14:27

It's pretty hard to give you good advice on which to go for without knowing all the components you need and the maximum you want to spend.

Example: $1500 max budget, parts needed: case, psu, motherboard, ram, cpu, video, dvd reader (resusing existing monitor, keyboard, mouse).

samwooff

219 posts

Master Geek

#297664 10-Feb-2010 14:35

This tom's hardware article has a nice table showing the differences between all the processors.
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/intel-clarkdale-core-i5-661,2514.html
In terms of just the processor all the 920 has is hyperthreading which won't be much benefit in games. It's platform x58 however enjoys triple channel ram and more PCIe lanes. Triple channel provides a small increase in performance in some applications at best and the extra PCIe lanes are only needed if you want multiple graphics cards.
The i7 860 is only worth the extra over the i5 750 if you don't want to overclock or need 8 threads.
90% of people would be better off going for x55 and spending the rest of your money on parts that will make a more reliable system.
If you want tri sli/crossfire and a 6 core CPU in the future then maybe go x58.
+1 to Ragnor

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queenstown3

49 posts

Geek

#297681 10-Feb-2010 15:01

So my budget is around 2.5k. So far this is what im looking for.

6GB RAM
x58 Mobo
i7 920 CPU
HD5850 GPU (HD5870 if the total price can be 2.5k or less in total)
24" LCD Moniter
DVD DL Burner(burn my xbox games lol)
1TB HDD

samwooff

219 posts

Master Geek

#297696 10-Feb-2010 15:46

Thats more like it haha
Well prices have certaintly come down since i built my i7 ><
(These are all from computer lounge so are realistic.)

Asus P6TSE
Intel Core i7 920
Patriot Viper 6gb DDR3-1333 CL7
$1085
LG GH22NS50 - $69
Samsung Spinpoint F3 1TB - $149
LG 246WHX-BN 24" LCD -$489
This leaves you $708 for a GPU enough for the Sapphire HD5870 - $679

However if you went the i5 route...
i5 750
Asus P7P55D-E
Supertalent 4gb DDR3-1600 CL9
$827
saving you $258 for a nice case or CPU cooler or with a bit of a stretch crossfired 5850s :P

queenstown3

49 posts

Geek

#297705 10-Feb-2010 16:22

do those prices include gst? if not gst will be another $250

samwooff

219 posts

Master Geek

#297707 10-Feb-2010 16:27

Yes all those prices are inc GST
eg:
http://www.computerlounge.co.nz/components/componentview.asp?partid=10408
I took the prices from computer lounge mainly cause I know they're legit, other stores may be cheaper or more expensive for various parts but it should be a good indication.

Ragnor

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#297755 10-Feb-2010 18:47

queenstown3: So my budget is around 2.5k. So far this is what im looking for.

6GB RAM
x58 Mobo
i7 920 CPU
HD5850 GPU (HD5870 if the total price can be 2.5k or less in total)
24" LCD Moniter
DVD DL Burner(burn my xbox games lol)
1TB HDD

Yeah that's what I'd be looking at with that budget.

Next I would email Playtech and Computer Lounge and get them to give you a quote for a custom build.

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queenstown3

49 posts

Geek

#297834 11-Feb-2010 00:18

Why did you pic the LG 24" LCD. you can get the Acer LED 24" for the same price

samwooff

219 posts

Master Geek

#297839 11-Feb-2010 01:08

I just chose a generic monitor that would probably be around the price most people pay for a 24" if you want a better panel you'd need to set a bit more aside and skimp on another part of your system.
However, the LG does have the preferred 16:10 aspect ratio compared to the acer and just because the acer has an LED backlight does not make it good, this is coming from someone who owns an LED lit monitor.
They're both still TN panels so there won't be a huge difference between them.

queenstown3

49 posts

Geek

#297966 11-Feb-2010 14:52

so which one will be better?
I emailed computerlounge and they said that, their prices are the best prices they can give me. Does anyone know if they can get me a better price?

The total price is $2471

samwooff

219 posts

Master Geek

#298058 11-Feb-2010 18:16

If you give computer lounge a budget generally they try and pack as much into that budget as possible both cost and performance wise. I don't know their profit margins etc but their prices are usually fair compared to the other retailers even when you don't take into account their knowledge and customer service.
Computer lounge do price match though so if you know a REPUTABLE computer store thats doing a part cheaper ask if they'll match it.

Which what will be better? If it's between the two monitors you want to know, the LG as it has a better resoloution, however out of all the cheap 24s computer lounge sell the samsung 2443bw would be my favourite simply for the excellent stand, the picture aint bad either.
http://www.computerlounge.co.nz/components/componentview.asp?partid=7735