$200-300 to spend, but on what?

[Bobsama]

Hmm... $200-300 to spend, no girlfriend anymore, and a want of hardware upgrades. Suggestions?

What I was thinking... and what I could get...

C2D E7200 for $113
Biostar TForce TP45HP for $130
G.Skill 2x2GB DDR2 1000 for $85
Transcend 1x2GB DDR2 800 for $39
Radeon HD4850 512MB for $150-175
Seasonic 500-550W power supply for $66-100

What I have right now...
E2140 @ 3248mhz (FSB406 is max) under Scythe Infinity and using AC MX-2
Transcend 1x2GB DDR2 800
Abit IP35-E Rev1.01
Diamond Radeon HD3850 256MB
Thermaltake Purepower 500W (W0100RU)
WinVista Home Premium 64-bit

So yeah--my most demanding games? FSX and Civ4. I'm a tiny bit disappointed in my E2140, which was $75 about 10 months ago. It clocked well enough (103% over stock), so I don't think it's THAT bad. My IP35-E has been riddled with boot problems for the first 4-6 months it was up. I eventually fixed it by removing all but the most basic USB stuff, but it can still be funky when overclocking. I was hoping that if I get a 4850, I could run CrossFireX with my 3850 for a bit of a boost in some games. If that didn't work well enough (too much power draw, instability or no advantages), I'd just pull the 3850. I'm having some annoying problems with FSX with the 3850--in that it reloads textures every time I change views, to the point that it disrupts my gameplay when I do even the most minute things such as turning a dial or opening a different panel. It's annoying, so there's more reason to buy a 512MB card instead. The graphics card too is basically first-generation. There weren't any 512MB variations for quite a while, and the initial ones were still priced $20+ more. This card was nabbed for about $160 back about 8 months ago.

There's just so many things I want to do with it... as of right now (the end of this write-up), HD4850 + Seasonic S12 Energy Plus 550W + 2GB Transcend.

Thanks,
Bob-sama

[ExodusC]

If I were you, I would hold on to the E2140 a little longer and probably pick up another 2x1GB RAM kit as well as an HD 4850. The performance upgrade from the HD 3850 to the HD 4850 should be substantial, especially if you're running a res around 1600x1200+ or 1680x1050+ due to the 512MB of RAM.

After that if you get some more cash you could worry about upgrading the CPU.

That's just my opinion though, I'm sure someone will tell you upgrade the CPU due to its limited cache.

[updawg]

I vouch for the 4850!

[Bobsama]

If I were you, I would hold on to the E2140 a little longer and probably pick up another 2x1GB RAM kit as well as an HD 4850. The performance upgrade from the HD 3850 to the HD 4850 should be substantial, especially if you're running a res around 1600x1200+ or 1680x1050+ due to the 512MB of RAM.

After that if you get some more cash you could worry about upgrading the CPU.

That's just my opinion though, I'm sure someone will tell you upgrade the CPU due to its limited cache.

I can agree with that. The thing is dual-fold for me... I'm about to go to college. I realize that money will be tight, but I'll also be in a major city. I'm a born procrastinator, so if I spend the money now.... though whatever logic makes sense, that I will have more reason to get a job and then be able to pay for all the goodies I can't afford (or even get a job to afford) in my current small town. I am iffy about the motherboard... I know a good bit about how CFX works, so I'm a little bit afraid my real problem with the 3850--256MB--will be transfered if I try CrossFireX. On the other hand a new board could let me overclock further--before I was capped at 375MHz instead of current 406MHz, but that was because of other issues I somehow fixed.

Off to pizza now--plenty of things to consider and still $300, give or take probably $20-40.

[ExodusC]

I am iffy about the motherboard... I know a good bit about how CFX works, so I'm a little bit afraid my real problem with the 3850--256MB--will be transfered if I try CrossFireX. On the other hand a new board could let me overclock further--before I was capped at 375MHz instead of current 406MHz, but that was because of other issues I somehow fixed
Honestly I don't know if I would bother with CrossFireX if I were you. I would probably try to sell the HD 3850 for something around $100 (could try eBay) and then put that money toward a new CPU.

[Bobsama]

Honestly I don't know if I would bother with CrossFireX if I were you. I would probably try to sell the HD 3850 for something around $100 (could try eBay) and then put that money toward a new CPU.

I was thinking of selling the 3850, but I do want to wait for a bit. It may very well come in handy, in that I can drop it in for physics or just for crunching. I am confident that the Seasonic S12 Energy+ 550W will be able to handle my system with ease, and probably easily transfer over to a DP system when the time comes (20+4 pin and 8-pin, and probably additional 4-pin as well). If all things equal, that means I should get dual octa-core Nehalem for <350W at load.

As of right now, I think I can be very confident with a new power supply and the HD4850. It'll solve at least two of my "problems", though another 2GB of RAM for Vista64 would help a bit gaming, in that I'll have a snappier system and it should game a bit better as well (as Vista64 itself takes a good bit of RAM--not that I'm complaining. 2-4GB is cheap, so why not use it).

Shopping list as of right now...
HD4850
Seasonic S12 E+ 550W
2GB Transcend

On the other hand, with the power supply, I can spend $66 on the SS-500ES, which is an OEM version with only an 8CM fan, though it still has 2x6-pin PCI Express connectors, 24-pin, and an 8-pin, as well as ratings that easily put my TT PP 500W'er to shame. It's actually a shame as well--the power supply I have was $40 when I bought it about 10 months ago. Still, $100 on a good unit that should last me the next 5 years at a minimum, going by Seasonic's warranty.

Frankly I'd like to use both graphics cards on F@H, while using the extra CPU cycles for WCG. Even if it's all I can contribute until Nehalem DP, it's still something I'd like to give. If I can sell my 3850 for $100, I would definitely do so. Perhaps to a folder around here, if not I can drop it into a dedicated cruncher lately (using the TT PP &c).

[SNiiPE_DoGG]

the tx 650 kicks that seasonic in the bum http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139005 and it will last you longer too (80$ after rebate)

[Heretic]

CrossfireX doesn't work across series at the moment. You can just leave the card in and use it for more monitors/folding. I seriously doubt you'll get $100 for it unless you sell it on craigslist or something (and even then it's debatable). 4850+ram+PSU seems to be a good choice right now. You can save a few bucks if you decide to get the Corsair by buying from Provantage.

[philbrown23]

you could donate half or all of it to my "new rig cuz my old one exploded" fund :D

[ExodusC]

CrossfireX doesn't work across series at the moment. You can just leave the card in and use it for more monitors/folding. I seriously doubt you'll get $100 for it unless you sell it on craigslist or something (and even then it's debatable).
Eh, I bet he could get $100 for it pretty easily on somewhere like eBay.

All the more reason I say you should try to get rid of it now and just pick up an HD 4850.

[adamsleath]

HD4850 + Seasonic S12 Energy Plus 550W + 2GB Transcend.
looks sensible; do you really need a new psu?
if that old mboard is annoying you maybe you should look to that:shrug: p45's r pretty cheap
pick up some bucks for the 3850:shrug:
cpu : blah

4850 will give you the most noticeable difference. and ram is cheap. and the psu- 'if it aint broke dont fix it'..same for the mobo.
always handy to have another psu i spose.

or fix the hole that the 300$ is burning in your pocket.

[Heretic]

Eh, I bet he could get $100 for it pretty easily on somewhere like eBay.

All the more reason I say you should try to get rid of it now and just pick up an HD 4850.

$100 - listing fee - ~$8 worth of final price fee - paypal fee of 2.5%+ = he'd be better off just selling it locally or to someone on a forum for less.

[ExodusC]

$100 - listing fee - ~$8 worth of final price fee - paypal fee of 2.5%+ = he'd be better off just selling it locally or to someone on a forum for less.
If that's possible. I find selling stuff locally is hard and not worth it, but it's probably due to my somewhat-rural area.

[RejZoR]

HD4850 and 2x2GB of RAM...

[Bobsama]

the tx 650 kicks that seasonic in the bum http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139005 and it will last you longer too (80$ after rebate)
If all holds, next rig is a DP system. For that reason, I need at least the 2x12, 2x4, and 2x2 connectors so that I'll have the ability to run the second processor. I'm not a GIGANTIC fan of Channel Well OEM units, though yes that looks alright if I were to keep on the SP route.
CrossfireX doesn't work across series at the moment. You can just leave the card in and use it for more monitors/folding. I seriously doubt you'll get $100 for it unless you sell it on craigslist or something (and even then it's debatable). 4850+ram+PSU seems to be a good choice right now. You can save a few bucks if you decide to get the Corsair by buying from Provantage.
Ok. I wasn't sure. Even so, my IP35-E has a single PCI Express 1 x16 slot, so the HD3850 would probably be kept as spare/folder down the road. I would like if I was able to use it for Physics or something like that--same arch so it should work, right? I knew CFX works between HD2900 and HD3800 series, though those were very similar. I don't know if I would be able to sell it as of now--though I did try to pawn it off (as well as board + CPU) to a friend who wants me to build a new rig for him... :rofl: It didn't work though, after I referred him to that Toshiba laptop, the Puma-based one.
you could donate half or all of it to my "new rig cuz my old one exploded" fund :D
I'd love to, but I can't. This money has one real purpose--savings for college. If I spend it, I figure I will be more forced to get a job working with CAD... :yepp: I also don't want to duck too far from the bleeding edge--this is only my second new computer in about 15 of 17 years of life, the prior one I had wasted $100 on a FX5200. :down: So I'd personally like to keep within at least the last generation, though I know my 3850 is going to be equal to some 4600 card. How'd your rig blow up?
looks sensible; do you really need a new psu?
if that old mboard is annoying you maybe you should look to that:shrug: p45's r pretty cheap
pick up some bucks for the 3850:shrug:
cpu : blah
Sort of, yes. The Thermaltake isn't exactly high-quality. I figure grab a good PSU now and use it for this and next system, if not beyond. The ATX standard, in my opinion, isn't going anywhere. And if it does, it's not going to be an overnight storm where the unit becomes useless (like AT units of old)
4850 will give you the most noticeable difference. and ram is cheap. and the psu- 'if it aint broke dont fix it'..same for the mobo.
always handy to have another psu i spose.

or fix the hole that the 300$ is burning in your pocket.
Then there's the other thing--it's either the PSU not delivering on the lower-voltage rails or my board really is borked. Until a few months ago, I was capped at FSB375, until I went to barebones and saw a pattern. Since then I've had to have it setup a bit differently, as apparently a DVD burner with a normal wall-plug, a wireless dongle for keyboard & mouse, a USB hub that hasn't been doing much, a Wacom pen tablet, and a USB joystick all overloaded it, which never happened on my old system which only had a 300W ATX unit (2x10 and 2x2 via Molex). Same setup, new problem on the board.
If that's possible. I find selling stuff locally is hard and not worth it, but it's probably due to my somewhat-rural area.
I'm in a relatively small and lower-middle-class town, so that's not exactly perfect. As it is, a lot of extra money from my own age group is spent on consoles (yuck) or pot.
HD4850 and 2x2GB of RAM...
That's what I was thinking, though I am still undetermined if I want just the additional matching 2GB stick or the 2x2GB kit.

[Source]

If all holds, next rig is a DP system. For that reason, I need at least the 2x12, 2x4, and 2x2 connectors so that I'll have the ability to run the second processor. I'm not a GIGANTIC fan of Channel Well OEM units, though yes that looks alright if I were to keep on the SP routeThe TX650 has Seasonic as OEM, like Redbeard (Corsair Rep) said:
The manufacturer breaks down like this:

VX450 - Seasonic
VX550 - CWT

HX520 - Seasonic
HX620 - Seasonic

TX650 - Seasonic
TX750 - CWT

The TX650 is based on a revision of the S12-II design from Seasonic, with some small component changes and our own cable config (longer cables, fully sleeved, more connectors, etc).http://www.jonnyguru.com//forums/showpost.php?p=31401&postcount=5

[Bobsama]

Ah didn't see that. Well I do suppose I could go without dedicated 2x2 connector, as I do have a molex-to-2x2 sitting around for later. I was also thinking about that Antec Trio 650W. Of the two, which are better? I couldn't compare UL#s (as I was able with some Antec and Seasonic units to double-check) as I couldn't find it on the TX650. So between the TX650 and the Antec Trio 650, which one to choose? :p:

[Source]

TX650.
You could look into a review of the HX620, since (in that topic) it's also said that they're almost identical. (Only, HX620 is Modular).

[Bobsama]

Ok. Only thing is the Seasonic S12 550W is $100, Corsair TX650 is $110-$20 MIR=$90, and Antec Trio 650 is $60.

What I really want in a PSU is a Seasonic-built supply (best overall) that'll work in future DP systems.

EDIT: Also, I'm in NYS so I have to pay sales tax which makes some things more expensive if I'm not careful. Even with huge rebates, I still pay tax on that which could equate to the money "saved".

[RejZoR]

500W PSU should be enough. Besides, you can always buy new one if you notice it's not up to the task.

4GB of RAM total should be way enough for today's standards, so take one extra 2GB stick of RAM and HD4850. That would be very nice upgrade and quiet cheap too.
I'm using 6GB of RAM and there is no game that would actually use it all. Even 4GB is usually not fully utilized. You can buy another extra one later if you find RAM is limiting you...

[perkam]

There is an E5200 45nm 2MB cache 2.5Ghz processor coming later this year for $99. Choose wisely.

Perkam

[Bobsama]

500W PSU should be enough. Besides, you can always buy new one if you notice it's not up to the task.

4GB of RAM total should be way enough for today's standards, so take one extra 2GB stick of RAM and HD4850. That would be very nice upgrade and quiet cheap too.
I'm using 6GB of RAM and there is no game that would actually use it all. Even 4GB is usually not fully utilized. You can buy another extra one later if you find RAM is limiting you...

The biggest problem with my current PSU is it's not exactly the highest quality or longest-lasting. I don't have the money to diagnose everything, though I've found a "stable rut" for my system as it is. I'd just like some upgrades--keep up with the latest generation, if only on the "Pro" parts. $150-200 graphics cards are a lot easier to swallow than $300+ cards. I know it'll do fine in most systems, it's just I'd like to get a good PSU for future rigs as well.

I was also thinking the board + HD4850...

EDIT: Too bad I missed the 4870 for $255... grab that and 2GB RAM and I'd have an EXCELLENT upgrade.

[adamsleath]

"stable rut":hehe:
i like good psu meself. everything depends on it after all and it should last many years with a good one.
hard to say if your existing psu is causing you any difficulty - i would think it more likely it is the mobo, as i always seem to have mobo problems myself...but the psu could be at fault for all i know...
corsair psu's seem to be good for their price.

[Bobsama]

:hehe:
i like good psu meself. everything depends on it after all and it should last many years with a good one.
hard to say if your existing psu is causing you any difficulty - i would think it more likely it is the mobo, as i always seem to have mobo problems myself...but the psu could be at fault for all i know...
corsair psu's seem to be good for their price.

Yeah--I'm thinking it's either board or PSU. Even so, $80 for the IP35-E was a fine deal those 10 or so months ago. The fact that all the USB accessories (which were within the power envelope that should be supplied) says that it is probably the motherboard that's at fault. Even so, I stabilized that problem but want the new PSU.

HD4850 + Corsair TX650 + 2GB more RAM = WIN. Even though the E7200's price drop is attractive.

[xkon]

C2D E7200 for $113
Biostar TForce TP45HP for $130 (has 20 mir now)
G.Skill 2x2GB DDR2 1000 for $85
Transcend 1x2GB DDR2 800 for $39
Radeon HD4850 512MB for $150-175
Seasonic 500-550W power supply for $66-100

What I have right now...
E2140 @ 3248mhz (FSB406 is max) under Scythe Infinity and using AC MX-2
Transcend 1x2GB DDR2 800
Abit IP35-E Rev1.01
Diamond Radeon HD3850 256MB
Thermaltake Purepower 500W (W0100RU)
WinVista Home Premium 64-bit

seems like a good new setup. you seem on the spot with all the parts. looks like the setup i was going for for a while... got 2x2gb of ocz sli instead does 1066, but no higher. and i used to own a seasonic m12 600. not sure about the 500, but very quite. pretty much same psu as the corsair hx620 (seasonic is the oem that makes the 520 and 620 corsair hx series, rebadged m12's). looks like a solid new build to me.

if it was me i'd probably blame it on the psu. thermaltake's high end toughpowers are known to be awesome, but i'm not sure about the purepower series. They aren't even 80% efficiency right? go corsair and you won't have to worry at all. i stick to seasonics. ~500w psu's i'd recommend... seasonic m12/s12, Corsair's VX/HX line, Thermaltake toughpower, Enermax Pro82+ and Modu82+, BFG's new 550w, FSP BluestormII, and maybe xspice kira (if they ever show up).

but you're askin for only $300... so i'd say the vid card, and a new psu. if you upgrade the cpu, you'd have to get a new board as i believe the ip35-e has flaky support with the e7200. if you get the tp45hp, might as well get the e7200 as they are supposed to run really nice together 600+ fsb i think, but the vid card will hold you back a little. if you're gaming the vid card upgrade will see the biggest difference. if you're doing anything else the ram would be a cheap and easy upgrade. if you plan on keeping the 1x2gb of transcend then i think you should just get another 2gb stick and totals up to 4gb. 1x2gb ram + 4850 + psu = about $300
ideally...
e7200 + tp45hp + 4850 + 1x2gb + psu = but that's about $500
sell ip35-e - 3850 - e2140 - purepower = about -$250 ( and it seems not really worth it)...

[Bobsama]

Well some things have come up, Grandpa died yesterday, so I'll be holding off on upgrading probably for a month or more. At this point there are other things to do. College in ~5 weeks and then on out I'll be crunched for money and stuff. Oh well, thanks for the advice everyone. If I get the chance, I'd go with the vx650, 4850, and 2gb more ram for vista.