View Full Version : Time to upgrade or wait?
aspekt9
08-25-2007, 08:37 AM
Currently I'm running:
ASUS A8N5X socket 939
AMD x2 3800
2 GB OCZ DDR2 400
Radeon x1900XT
Raptor 150GB
I'm looking to possibly upgrade before I go to college in a week. Do you think I should wait to upgrade? What are some of the upcoming processors that would be worth waiting for? I'd really only like to spend around $200 on a processor and around $100 on a motherboard. So I'd need the most performance for a buck. If I decide to upgrade now, will my DDR 400 memory be compatible with the new DDR 800 motherboards and just run at DDR 400 speed? Thanks for the input.
I myself am waiting until the end of the fall semester to upgrade my computer just to get the most out of my college budget. If your computer is fine now, maybe you should wait for more price drops. Black Friday is also coming up, and that should be a good time to look at some parts.
Emerica
08-25-2007, 08:59 AM
If I were you, I wouldn't wait. The prices are already so low on quads you might as well just get an X3210 or Q6600 depending on your budget and a P35 board to go with it.
aspekt9
08-25-2007, 09:02 AM
And what of my memory issue? Could I keep my current memory until I have the money to upgrade?
Emerica
08-25-2007, 09:05 AM
And what of my memory issue? Could I keep my current memory until I have the money to upgrade?
You will have to upgrade to DDR2 memory.
aspekt9
08-25-2007, 10:07 AM
Now if I went with the quad core, could I run DDR2 1066 if I wanted to?
Asgard_thor
08-25-2007, 10:59 AM
yes, most boards support it stock
Alik4041
08-25-2007, 07:58 PM
Now if I went with the quad core, could I run DDR2 1066 if I wanted to?
DDR2-1066 is unnecessary with a q6600 (http://hardforum.com/showpost.php?p=1031354618&postcount=2)
zanzabar
08-25-2007, 08:10 PM
i would untill rite after christmass u can accrue some extra funds and get some shinny new hardware, and ddr3 prices are supposed to drop to $300 for a 2gb kit of 1600 cas 7, and ati and nvidia are both going to have a new grafix line with pci-e 2
adamsleath
08-25-2007, 08:40 PM
for budget board plus cpu; ?
there's always more new stuff coming out.
i think you will have to jump onto ddr2 sometime (if you want to buy budget)
ddr3 is far from being budget.
most people will tell you to buy c2d.
it may be worth waiting for phenoms ...but it looks like they will be expensive (not sure)
Q6600...will the price drop further when Penryns arrive? - possibly - i dont know.
http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=80864&prodlist=pricegrabber
P35 motherboards :shrug:
Gigabyte DS3R
http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=80864&prodlist=pricegrabber
If you are prepared to wait, then wait; if not, then work to your budget:
http://www.mwave.com/mwave/skusearch.hmx?SCriteria=BA23929 - Abit Ip35-E $90 bucks with rebate.
http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=10005522&prodlist=pricegrabber - e6750 for $200 bucks
http://www.mwave.com/mwave/skusearch.hmx?SCriteria=BA24051
wait a little; save a bit more and see what happens around christmas.
or buy second hand ...that could save you some dough.
http://channel.tomshardware.com/2007/08/25/cpu_charts_channel/ - more blurb.
zanzabar
08-25-2007, 10:24 PM
phenom will retail for $$310 for the lowest model but the socket l motherboards are $300 rite now
aspekt9
08-26-2007, 01:28 PM
Does the quad core outperform the x2 6000 by a lot? Is it worth the extra money? If I got the 6000, would I be able to run DDR2 1066?
Alik4041
08-26-2007, 01:42 PM
Please don't go AMD. I beg of you lol. Intel is a God among mortals:worship:
/sarcasam
But really, the only reason to go AMD is power saving not POWER!
aspekt9
08-26-2007, 01:47 PM
What motherboard would you recommend for the quad core? I'd like to spend around $100 or so. I'd prefer to buy ASUS.
nn_step
08-26-2007, 01:49 PM
take the $300 you have saved up for a new cpu/mobo and just upgrade the graphics card http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150171
$$M!KEV$$
08-28-2007, 10:17 AM
You have a pretty good system right now to run most games pretty well. I would wait until the new dx10 cards and the new quad core processors come out.
Treize2
08-28-2007, 11:04 AM
DDR2-1066 is unnecessary with a q6600 (http://hardforum.com/showpost.php?p=1031354618&postcount=2)
(CPU Multiplier) x [Base FSB speed] = CPU Clock speed
2 x [Base FSB speed] = RAM speed
4 x [Base FSB speed] = Effective FSB speed
2 comes from Dual Channel, right? What about the 4? What's the difference between Effective and Base FSB speed?
Alik4041
08-28-2007, 11:29 AM
2 comes from Dual Channel, right? What about the 4? What's the difference between Effective and Base FSB speed?
Effected FSB in CPU-z would be the Rated FSB. Rated FSB for example would 1333mhz or 1066mhz. It's the Rated FSB of the CPU. Q6600 1066mhz, QX6850 1333mhz. Rated FSB:Base FSB speed (Actual FSB) is 4:1. Hope this helps :)
k0rn_h0li0
08-28-2007, 08:03 PM
if you think about it everyones upgrading month after month. when you come up with the money upgrade. you can sell your stuff and then upgrade or save money sell your computer and then upgrade to the very latest. were not all rich people here although people who are benefit more than we do cause their in the working world and totally older than some of us :D
Alik4041
08-28-2007, 08:47 PM
if you think about it everyones upgrading month after month. when you come up with the money upgrade. you can sell your stuff and then upgrade or save money sell your computer and then upgrade to the very latest. were not all rich people here although people who are benefit more than we do cause their in the working world and totally older than some of us :D
I see it a different way. Say you buy a 8800gts 320mb for $250 right now #rebates. You can sell it when the g92 arrives for about $200 or so and put it into buying a new generation gpu
OR
you can keep the 8800gts and wait a year and try selling it when it's worth $140 or so.
You're not always losing money when upgrading, sometimes you SAVE money because you sell your product while it's still worth something. Kind of like the stock market ;)
This is why people need to plan, it makes things MUCH MUCH easier.
k0rn_h0li0
08-29-2007, 08:12 AM
yeah. prices drop rapidly after you get em and something new comes out. like the e6600 is like what 175? and its going down more and more also motherboards are becoming cheap from what i've heard from 200 down to 150 and lower for really good mobo's so you can catch that although don't downgrade my friend keeps doing that ionno why -_-