Upgrade opinion - Stages

A

AARGH!

Gawd
Joined
Jun 13, 2003
Messages
766
Upgrading in stages (or not if I win the lottery) from system in sig to below:

1. EVGA 122-CK-NF63-TR LGA 775 NVIDIA nForce 680i SLI ATX Intel Motherboard
2. EVGA 512-P3-N802-A3 GeForce 8800GT Superclocked 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 HDCP Ready SLI
3. Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 Kentsfield 2.4GHz LGA 775 Processor Model BX80562Q6600
4. (2x) Western Digital Raptor WD1500ADFD 150GB 10,000 RPM Serial ATA150 Hard Drive
5. ASUS 20X DVD±R DVD Burner with LightScribe Black SATA Model DRW-2014L1T
6. CORSAIR Dominator 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory
7. Antec TruePower Quattro TPQ-1000 ATX12V / EPS12V 1000W Power Supply

Same case, same display.

Stage 1 - Video Card/DVD
Stage 2 - Power Supply
Stage 3 - Hard Drives
Stage 4 - MB/CPU/MEM

I've fallen behind on CPU and motherboards for the past year, so looking for opinions here. My current motherboard has lasted me for 3 years, would like to do the same again if possible.

Thanks,

AARGH!
 
First, ditch the Dominators. They do not offer any kind of performance increase to warrant it's substantial increase in price. Nor is that a good price for 2GB DDR2 RAM considering that you can get 4GB of RAM for considerably less:
G.SKILL F2-6400CL5D-4GBPQ 2 x 2GB DDR2 800 RAM - $110

Second, ditch the PSU. You do not need a 1000W PSU especially since a good quality 550W PSU is all you need. In fact your current PSU would be enough for your planned build. Though if you want something new, I recommend any of these PSUs:
Corsair 650TX 650W PSU - $137
Corsair 620HX 620W PSU - $140
Corsair 750TX 750W PSU - $154
Silverstone SST-ST75ZF Zeus 750W Power Supply - $160
PC Power & Cooling Silencer 750 Quad -$161

Third, are you planning to upgrade to the new Penryn CPUs when they come out in Q11 2008? If yes, ditch the 680i mobo. The 680i chipset does not support the quad-cores Penryns.
 
Fourth, if you plan on OC'ing a quadcore, the NF63 won't do it. For a Q6600, your best SLI boards are the NF68-A1/T1 or the NF67-A1/T1. The problem is, neither of those boards support the new Yorkfield CPUs. You should wait for the new nForce chipset, which will hopefully support Yorkfield.

Fifth, since your CPU upgrade is stage4, you might want to consider the new Yorkfield CPUs that are coming out in January -- unless stage4 comes before January. The new chips are 45nm, so they require less voltage and therefore run cooler. Less stock voltage and cooler running chips are conditions for great overclockers, just like like its predecessors.

Sixth, raptors aren't worth their price premium.

Avg Transfer Rate, Access Time: HDD info, Price
112MB/s, 13.2ms: RAID0 'cuda's, 600GB total, $120 (ICH9R on P35-DS3R)
78MB/s, 08.2ms: WD Raptor WD1500ADFD 150GB, $160
76MB/s, 13.7ms: WD Caviar SE16 WD7500AAKS 750GB, $150
72MB/s, 15.4ms: Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 ST3250410AS 250GB, $65
68MB/s, 13.3ms: Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 ST3320620AS 320GB, $60
65MB/s, 13.7ms: Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 ST3320620AS 320GB, $80
65MB/s, 13.2ms: Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 ST3300620AS 300GB, $60
63MB/s, 13.4ms: WD Caviar SE16 WD5000AAKS 500GB, $100
62MB/s, 15.3ms: Samsung HD501LJ 500GB, $105
52MB/s, 14.0ms: WD Caviar SE16 WD2500KS 250GB, $70

As you can see, the 'cuda is twice the size and half the cost, for nearly the same performance. Stick them in RAID0, and you've got an even more cost effective solution. Though, the seek time of the Raptor can't be beat. If you have cash to burn, do so on a Raptor if you really want it. Otherwise, there are better cost effective solutions.
 
Seventh, if you see an 8800GT being sold at or below it's MSRP, GET IT! Those cards are reaching $300 now. Though some of them do include a game or two.

And finally Eighth, if you're planning on overclocking be sure to get a very good HSF, especially with a quad-core, not matter what stepping. I recommend any of these HSF to cool down an OC'd quad-core:
Cooler Master GeminII RR-CCH-ANU2-GP HSF - $30
Scythe SCNJ-1100P Ninja HSF - $36
Tuniq Tower 120 HSF - $45
Thermalright Ultima-90 HSF - $46 & Panaflo FBA09A12M 92mm Fan - $3
Thermalright Ultra-120 Extreme HSF - $57 & Scythe S-Flex SFF21E 120MM Case Fan - $14
 
Thanks for info guys, which pointed out a couple of things I should have mentioned:

1. I'm not an overclocker, I don't have the patience for it, when I have tried before. I really wish I could, but usually don't have time or mental control for the zillion tweak/test/reboot repeat sequences it requires. I admire those that do though! :)
2. I did some research and when I first built this system with this m'board, it was nearly two years before I upgraded the CPU (prev. 3800+). But I upgraded the video about every 6 months (single 6800GT, then 2nd added, then replaced with 7900GT, then 2nd added).
3. Current drives are in RAID 0 configuration, and would probably do same for new build.
4. I tend to stick with brands I know that have been proven in my 9 systems in my house. Which is why my build choices are what they are. Takes alot of great reviews to get me to stray, but it has happened. The original MSI board in the current system for example was first one ever after sticking to ASUS and Abit forever.

One question, how much headroom does my current PSU gives me if I added another 8800GT later? It may be easier to get the PSU now than trying to get $$$ for it later if I need it for 2nd video card.

Let me look at your suggestions more closely and come back, but wanted to throw this info out there as well, in case it changes anything.

Thanks!
 
Probably not that much headroom after that second 8800GT.
 
Stage 4 won't be until Q1 2008 at earliest. These are also more purchasing stages than implementations (except for video card and DVD).

FYI, I usually do not buy the "latest and greatest" as I'm not big on paying a huge premium just to have it first. I assume the new Penryn falls into this category, and possibly the new NForce chipset it will take to support it? If I get the 680i will I pretty much be tapped out as far as upgrade potential (incl. clock speed) from day one? Like I said earlier the K8N I've had for 3 years now.

Is the days of having a motherboard with that much longevity long gone? Though I'm sure for alot of folks it ended much sooner, than it has for me.
 
1) OC'ing is MUCH easier on a Core2 chip than it is on AX2/Opteron chips. What took me a week to do with my Opty165 only took less than a day with my Core2. Even a modest OC is simple and easy, and will still yeild noticeable results, depending on what you do with your system.

2) In that case, wait for the GTX replacements.

3) Thats fine, but raptors still aren't worth their price premium.

4) Which brand are you referring to here? G.Skill vs Corsair? Just know that you're wasting your money with Corsair Dominators.

I doubt you can do 8800GT's in SLI with your current PSU. While it may work for a while, I'm guessing that it would give out sooner more than later.

Q1'08? Then go with a Yorkfield -- you'll have no choice with the board if you want to keep SLI, nForce is your only choice. Since current nForce boards won't support Yorkfield, you'll have to wait for the new chipset, due out soon.

Intel Penryn family CPUs (Yorkfield for quadcores) will debut at competitive prices -- actually, they'll replace current Intel offerings at respective price brackets -- so no need to worry about the first-kid-on-the-block-tax unless you buy within the first 2 weeks or so. Now, with the mobo, you may have to pay that tax, lol. Boards last as long as you want them to, but CPU tech is changing so fast that, personally, I see no need to buy an expensive board now and hope it lasts a while. I'd rather buy a very affordable board now, and another one later.
 
Dang, looks like I'm waiting till 2008 then. Or guess I could get the Evga card and do the step-up program if it looks like new cards will be out in 90 days.

thanks for all the great info guys!
 
Wife let me order an upgrade for my PC for my birthday yesterday, so I went and got an EVGA 8800GTS 512MB.

Looks like for my Xmas present will be hard drive replacements, which I will use to kill two birds with one stone, will order a single 1TB drive to replace two of the 320MB drives in my fileserver that are relatively new and move them to my PC.

So with all the delays on the motherboard CPU front, any thoughts from previous suggestions on cpu/mb?

TYIA
 
Go for two 500GB (~$100 each) or two 750GB (~$150 each) drives instead -- you get better price per gigabyte. Also, thats a whole lot of eggs in one basket. ;)
 
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