BleepingComputer.com: Your opinion on my upgrades

Upgrading my gaming computer...

I use my PC mainly for gaming and internet. BUT, I don't need to run Crysis at full graphics and huge resolution, just normal games at a decent performance rate. So, below is what I plan on picking up to get me going for a few years hopefully. Just wondering if any of you see any major problems with the specs or think I'm getting ripped off on the stuff.

Also, I have all the other components already, I'm just upgrading my single core processor to the new one, which requires a Mobo upgrade.


Mobo: ASUS M3N-HT Deluxe/HDMI AM2+/AM2 NVIDIA nForce 780a SLI HDMI ATX AMD

CPU: AMD Phenom 9600 Agena 2.3GHz

RAM: G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500) Dual Channel Kit

Video Card: XFX PVT84JU1D4 GeForce 8600GT 256MB 128-bit GDDR3 This is what I have currently and don't have the funds right now to upgrade. I know it needs help, but that will have to come later. I will probably now be referring to it as my weakest link.


So let me know what you think or any other questions you need answered. Mainly hoping these are all compatible and that I didn't miss something.

The nVidia boards aren't that great (I have a 790i so that's not bias talking, wish I had known more and bought something different). Why not try say a 780G board for a lot less cash?

You don't need 4 cores unless you are rendering video, so why not spend a couple of bucks more and get a faster X3 CPU?

The RAM is fine, but if you can get 800MHz for cheaper, may as well do that. The 1066 will overclock better, but if you aren't over clocking and the 800 is cheaper, they perform the same.

LOL I was about to say the GPU is junk but then i read again and you said it's what you have and can't upgrade it right now. That's cool.

Why don't you read this and see if it helps?

I agree with the previous poster in that you don't need a nvidia-based motherboard unless you are planning to use SLI. That site is good, but there are different philosophies when it comes to building PC's. Some aim for high performance regardless of cost, some want a PC that will not be too obsolete in a few years, some want the best value for performance, and others want something cheap that runs. You are correct in that your GPU is the weakest link in that setup, I suggest upgrading it whenever you have the cash.

Motherboard: ASRock M3A780GXH/128M AM3 AMD 780G - This board is not as expensive as the previous one. You will also benefit with having the ability to Crossfire, should you get an ATI card and want to game. This is one of the newer boards that can support DDR3. $89

RAM: G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 - This RAM is more expensive than the one originally selected, but the savings you're getting from a different motherboard offset the increased price. $64

CPU: AMD Phenom II X3 720 2.8GHz 3 x 512KB L2 Cache 6MB L3 Cache Socket AM3 95W Triple-Core Black Processor - Unless you're planning on gaming, you generally don't need a quad core processor. This triple core CPU will work well for your tasks. If you're on a tighter budget, the AMD Phenom II X3 710 2.6GHz will also work for about $20 less. $119

Total Cost: $273

Why do you need a quad core for gaming? To the best of my knowledge there is ONE game that will use 4 cores, other than that, the only thing 4 cores is good fo ( that 99% of people would do) is editing video. The jury WAS still out on the DDR3 Ram, but just damn, $64.99 for 1600? LOL I paid $279 for each 4GB's of my DDR3 and it's only 1333: and that was only about 15 months ago. I knew it would drop in price, but not that much. As cheap as that is, I certainly think it makes up in the little performance gain. I'd go out and get some now but what the heck, other than a stress test, I've never used more than 50% of what I have now................. I'm still waiting for the 1600 MHz quad's to jump out of the 1000 buck range (not that I need one, I just WANT one lol).

About two years ago, I was looking for a new PC and looked at DDR3. The price was astronomical so I went with DDR2 instead. Some games do scale with four cores, but not very well. In many games, you will still get better results with a higher clockspeed as opposed to more cores at a lower speed. The library of truly quad core coded games is quite small. Buying a quad will allow you to take advantage of the quad core enabled games when they are released over the next couple years. Several game engines do offer multicore support at varying levels, such as the Source Engine, Gamebryo Engine, and the CryEngine 2. As developers become more accustomed to multicore coding (which I hear is very difficult) more quad core optimized games will appear, eventually.