PC build thread

[Ziggy]

Do you by chance have an Amazon card? They also offer 6 or 12 months no financing on orders over X dollars.

[SpaceBooger]

Now you guys have me thinking... I want to build and upgrade. I would rather build for reasons you stated... I just had a defeated attitude.

So let's start with what is salvageable and what should be upgraded first. Here is my current specs from my 2011 rig:
AMD FX-Series FX-6100 3.3GHz AM3+ 6 Core
8GB DDR3 1333
NVIDIA Geforce GTX 560 2GB
PSU 700W
Motherboard: GIGABYTE GA-M68MT-S2P

Would just upgrading the GPU be enough? Processor? Faster Hard Drive?
Thanks in advance for all the help.

Lets see what we can do with $1000 - I already found a great deal on a GTX 960 for $275

[noiseredux]

if BB gets some 1060's in stock, you can get one of THOSE for $250.

Or for $280 you could get a 970 from BB right now.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/evga-geforc ... Id=2496109

[SpaceBooger]

if BB gets some 1060's in stock, you can get one of THOSE for $250.

Or for $280 you could get a 970 from BB right now.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/evga-geforc ... Id=2496109

So what do you think, just replace the GPU? My processor isn't too bad, but it's not the best. If I only have to replace the GPU I will be ecstatic!

There is a 980 for $275 too. I'm thinking of getting it before it sells out... unless I'm going another route.

[noiseredux]

honestly Fred, I'm not up on AMD stuff enough to answer that. I mean it looks good "on paper," but someone who knows AMD should really answer.

If you have $ to spend on upgrades, and keep the CPU/mobo then I'd suggest you double the RAM and get yourself an SSD as well.

EDIT: a 980 for under $300 is a good deal - though that's probably because the 1060 is going to be widely available soon.

[SpaceBooger]

EDIT: a 980 for under $300 is a good deal - though that's probably because the 1060 is going to be widely available soon.

I cant fine a definitive answer on how much better a 1060 is than a 980. I think I may wait for the 1060 6gb > 4gb has to be an improvement.

[Ziggy]

I wouldn't worry about the CPU unless it's actually under spec for a game you want to run. The longer you wait, the cheaper a better CPU for that socket will be.

[Ziggy]

I just pulled the trigger on a new CPU. A Core i7-965 for $73 shipped with a 30-day money back guarantee. This CPU was a little over $1,000 in 2009 when I bought my i7-920. I remember looking at it and thinking, "GEEEZ! Who spends the money on that? One day I will buy it on eBay for cheap." It makes me laugh a little that "one day" is now. My guess was 10 years, but I guess 7 is close enough.

This is the second best CPU I can get for my mobo (1366) next to the 975, but as far as I can tell the 975 only has a 130Mhz higher clock speed than the 965, everything else being the same.

Technically, I could get a Gulftown i7, which are beefed up a little more (the 980 has the same clock speed but more L3 cache, 6 cores and an unlocked multiplier) which is the same socket. But I have an earlier X58 mobo and the last BIOS updates adds Gulftown support but it's a beta release (this is the final BIOS revision) and the specs don't list the Gulftown CPUs as compatible. I don't want to mess with that. The 980 is also $200+ on eBay. The 965 was part of the first gen of i7's, so I wont even have to update the BIOS.

So really all I'm gaining with the 965 is the faster clock speed and faster QPI. But I already have a monster CPU cooler, so I plan to overclock the 965. Apparently I can get over 4Ghz on air.

I'm not looking forward to swapping the CPU. Because of the aftermarket CPU cooler, I'll have to remove the mobo from the case. That's always a pain in the ass. That's why I wanted to make sure the seller offered a good return policy, as I wont be able to test it as soon as it comes in. 30 days should be enough time.

[SpaceBooger]

If I get a ssd that is greater or equal to the one I have. Can I just clone the old one or do I have to do a fresh install?

[noiseredux]

you can clone.