Not sure where to turn

[shaneinsane]

Hi , I was not to sure if this was the appropriate place to post but I was looking for some feedback.

Hey everyone I'm planning to upgrade my current PC rig. I have been looking around for the longest time and always get different feedback of course that's normal but I just need to know before I make everything final.I strictly game on it at resolutions as high as 1680x1050 that's about all I do is game. In the process of upgrading I need some opinions on any ideas.

My current rig contains

asus p5k se Motherboard

core 2 duo e6750 overclocked at 3.2 GHz

evga 9600 gt 512mb videocard

2gb(2x1) ddr2 800 mhz ram

500 watts cooler master extreme psu

windows xp

Now as of right now I'm going to get my self a new case because the one I have is cheap and parts broke off. so I was considering the antec 900 it has great airflow and should keep my system cool.

Also I'm not sure if I should stick to my motherboard and its one video card slot, Or should I go to sli or crossfire I have been thinking about it for awhile now. I have heard about the new x58 boards with the 1375 socket and the i7 cpu's I was thinking to my self would it be better to save money. Or should I just go for a very nice video card?

also I was going to upgrade to windows vista 64 bit and get a corsair 750 or 1000 watts psu. I always want to run the latest games and be future proof and I'm not sure if I should add another 2 gigs if I notice the newer boards have ddr3 I'm just confused. ;(

If any one has advice id greatly appreciate it thank you again.

[Chris Linder]

Well it just so happens that I have that processor , I'm using an ASUS commando board. The way I look at it. If your playing your games with no issues. Why the need to spend all kinds of $.
Iv overclocked my processor to 3.2 also. Just so I don't need to worry about heat I installed a liquid cooling system. Although keep in mind you dont need a water cooling system to not worry about heat, I'm just crazy. It really just adds to the over all maintenance to your computer. If your worried about video just get the new ATI 4870. Its nuts on powering video. Also if you plan on installing Vista. I would upgrade to 4Gs of ram. DDR2 is a very reliable and stable ram for now. I wouldn't jump to DDR3 for no reasons.


Take a look at my system
http://i511.photobucket.com/albums/s...4/CIMG2543.jpg

http://i511.photobucket.com/albums/s...4/CIMG2544.jpg

Whats yours look like

[Doom]

I have an Antec 900 and you can't go wroing with it. I also really really like the Cooler Master 690. Check out the CM 690 NV at newegg...kind of a cool case if you like nVidia.

For gaming... I think you'll get the most out of a new video card. I have 2x 9600GT in SLI and didn't see a huge improvement in performance... so for the money you'd spend to get a new mobo and a second card, you'll probably do better to upgrade to a GTX 260. It will fit in either the Antec 900 or the CM 690.

Ram is a very good and cheap way to boost performance and will be an absolute necessity if you go to Vista. I don't know if anything will give you the bang for the buck than the GPU upgrade.

For myself...I'm going to upgrade video card in the next year and save my dough to make a more substantive upgrade to the new i7 chip in a couple years. Same strategy may work well in your case also. Cheers.

[David M]

If you really want more bang for the buck then go with an nvidia GTX 260 graphics card. I am seeing them down in the $230 to $280 price range on PriceGrabber. Its hard to beat that.

I keep hearing about higher maintenance with water cooling. What higher maintenance? I have water cooling and all I ever do is change the radiator coolant maybe once every 18 months and blow out the dust perhaps every six months, which you have to do with an air cooled machine anyways.

So, where is the higher maintenance with water cooling? People make it sound like water cooling is this huge maintenance hassle. In my experience it is just the opposite. Additionally, it certainly is quieter than having 10 fans running on a typical overclocked air cooled machine....including graphics cards fans which are usually the noisiest fan in the computer.

[Chris Linder]

well its not really necessary to have liquid cooling to get just about the same results as a high performance heat sink will do. Its more for looks with me. I guess its more like your adding more that can go wrong. More risk involved with water cooling. On the maintenance side I just change the coolant get the dust out the fan , I take it as fare as changing the tubs. I don't know that's just me. If your willing to deal with the extra risk of leaks , ya maintenance is simple.

[David M]

I have never had a leak...period. If you do things right then you won't. If your not the type who likes to read the instructions and prefers to buy cheap inferior parts then don't watercool your computer. I like the quiet and the ability to overclock more than with any air cooled heatsink.

To me that's your perfect computer...very fast and very quiet.

[Chris Linder]

I can agree with that. I had my mom stop by one day and she used my computer for something. She was blows away how when you click on the mouse the computer responds instantaneously. something most home computers don't do. That reaction from her felt good.

[not important]

If it ain't broke...............
Get a case you want and maybe a better graphics card. More RAM is always good.