Upgrade! HELP!

[migeater0]

My specs are here.

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a275/ ... PS_044.jpg

All comments welcome, TIA.

Nick

[Charlie Bravo]

What is it you want exactly?

[DanKH]

He want to upgrade...

[migeater0]

I'm after a computer that can be used for media and gaming (pretty much the latter). Running FS2004, multilayer is normally between 3-20 FPS, looking to exceed this! Also games such as Counter Strike Source etc.

[Charlie Bravo]

But do you want to add to your existing system or do you want a brand new system?

Also what is the budget that you have available?

[migeater0]

Would prefer to work on this system, £400ish.

[Charlie Bravo]

Ok, you have a number of options available to you.....

Spec 1: Uses a new processor, motherboard, memory, graphics card and hard drive. The motherboard only has 1 IDE port which will be used by your DVD-RW drive hence the new SATAII hard drive.

Intel Core 2 DUO E6300 1.86Ghz
£124.54
Asrock ConroeXFire-eSATA2
£58.74
GeIL 1GB PC5300 667MHz Value DDR2
£93.99
Sapphire X1650 XT 256MB
£93.99
Western Digital Caviar SE 200GB
£50.51
£421.77

Spec 2 : uses a new processor, motherboard, memory and graphics card. Your existing hard drive can be used as the board has 2 IDE ports. The processor is slower than the Core2Duo above but the memory and graphics card are superior.

AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual Core 4600+ 2.4Ghz
£92.81
Abit KN9 nForce Ultra
£51.69
GeIL 1GB PC6400 800Mhz DDR2
£93.99
Sapphire ATI Radeon X1950 Pro 256MB
£126.89
£413.56

Spec 3 : uses a new processor, motherboard, memory and graphics card. Your existing hard drive can be used as the board has 2 IDE ports. The processor is only a single core processor as opposed to the dual core CPU's above but the memory has been doubled and again the graphics card is better than that of spec #1.

AMD Athlon 64 3800+ 2.4GHz
£74.01
Abit KN9 nForce Ultra
£51.69
GeIL 2GB PC6400 800MHz DDR2
£173.89
Sapphire ATI Radeon X1950 Pro 256MB
£126.89
£426.48

Spec 4 : uses a new processor, motherboard and graphics card. Your existing hard drive can be used as the board has 2 IDE ports. The processor is only a single core Socket 939 processor as opposed to the dual core CPU's in spec #1/2 but you will be able to use the memory from your existing PC. The graphics card is better than that of spec #1/2/3.

AMD Athlon 64 3700+ 2.2Ghz
£64.61
DFI LanParty UT RDX200CF-DR
£41.11
Connect3D ATI Radeon X1950 XT 256MB
£164.49
£270.21


Comments

All of the above motherboards will require a 24pin power connector which your current power supply is unlikely to have.

All of the above motherboards are ATX format boards. If your current case is only a M-ATX format case the you will require a new case. The majority of new cases come with 24pin PSU's now.

All of the above hardware may require more power than what your current power supply is able to provide.

Spec #1 is by far the fastest processor but has the slowest graphics card.

Spec #3/4 use single core processors which are becoming yesterdays technology.

Spec #4 uses a Socket 939 motherboard and CPU, both of which have now been discontinued by the manufacturers so you would be buying into old technology.

If you require a new case, I would look at the Antec NSK4400 for £50.51. It comes with an Antec 380W PSU which should be suitable for the above.

[migeater0]

Fantastic CB, thank you so very much!