# Best upgrade(s) for $500?



## paulm (Feb 24, 2009)

Hey!

I currently want to spend $500 on my rig.

What upgrades would leave me with the greatest boost in performance (in general, games, benchmarks, just overall) for under $500?

I know I need to upgrade my video card, and probably my case (but lets not consider that as part of this $500).

I'm happy to overclock for a performance boost, so if you think its worth throwing in a decent HSF, go for it.

I want to upgrade to i7 in the future, but at the moment, its too pricey and I have a feeling it isn't worth it (if I'm wrong, please feel free to shank me and then proceed to broadcast fanboy slogans).

Thanks guys


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## LittleLizard (Feb 24, 2009)

gigabyte ud3p 130 + shipping
xiggy s1283 - 37 free shipping
e8400 - 165 free shipping

use the leftovers for a videocard


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## rizla1 (Feb 24, 2009)

upgrade ur cpu fan and oc like a chapion ,anther hdd 1tb or something similer and and a gtx 260 216 shaders can be had on ebay for £160 or $230 its the best i seen oc it to get gtx280 performance.


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## iStink (Feb 24, 2009)

tax returns or something? lol

Get yourself an OCZ gamerXStream 700w psu, and a gtx285.


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## ShadowFold (Feb 24, 2009)

Get two of these
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814161236
And go i7 down the road. An E6600 is still a pretty powerful CPU for gaming. If do go for a new board get this
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813136051&Tpk=DFI X38


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## paulm (Feb 24, 2009)

Alright, slight change.

For the sake of not wasting money, lets say I get the following:

GPU (Something)
HSF (Capable of mounting 1366 socket in the future, via bolt through kit or otherwise)
PSU (Enough for an i7 rig in the future and to power the GPU(s), doesn't need to be fancy)
Case (I like the HAF 932, but it is on the more expensive side).

How would you budget that to be $500 or under?


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## BrooksyX (Feb 24, 2009)

Honestly if your wanting to spend $500. I would just sell your current setup and go i7. $500 is a lot of money to spend on old hardware.


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## LittleLizard (Feb 24, 2009)

hsf - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103055&Tpk=coolermaster v8
gpu - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814131120
psu - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817703009 
case - keep your for now


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## paulm (Feb 24, 2009)

BrooksyX said:


> Honestly if your wanting to spend $500. I would just sell your current setup and go i7. $500 is a lot of money to spend on old hardware.



i7 920 - $280
DFI DK x58 Mobo - $250

= $530 in addition to whatever else I need to upgrade (GPU, PSU, HSF, Case)


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## LittleLizard (Feb 24, 2009)

read my list, is good


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## dna1x (Feb 24, 2009)

BrooksyX said:


> Honestly if your wanting to spend $500. I would just sell your current setup and go i7. $500 is a lot of money to spend on old hardware.



I'm with him on this. Your current setup is a money pit. Get rid of it while it still has value. I've sold a similar amd system for $300 easy fast cash. You could probably get more if you waited for the right buyer and might even be able to save a bit more at the same time.  I also had the same idea as you where I'd buy a good psu and case and use it as a place holder for a future upgrade but your older hardware will continue to lose value as you are waiting for the prices to drop and funds to become available.  Whatever you decide, good luck and happy shopping.


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## ShadowFold (Feb 24, 2009)

paulm said:


> Alright, slight change.
> 
> For the sake of not wasting money, lets say I get the following:
> 
> ...



GPU -http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814161236
PSU -http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139006
Case -http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119160
Cooler -http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835233029
Almost exactly 500$ 
Wait for that Xigmatek to come back in stock, it comes with the 1366 bracket.


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## MohawkAngel (Feb 24, 2009)

Look at my system spec and you could get it for hte 500$ even less. Sell your Intel and you could get a Phenom quad-core for that and a good video card....3 gigs quad core + 4 gigs 1066 ram + 1 gig video card .....man you will kick some asses!!!


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## paulm (Feb 24, 2009)

MohawkAngel said:


> Look at my system spec and you could get it for hte 500$ even less. Sell your Intel and you could get a Phenom quad-core for that and a good video card....3 gigs quad core + 4 gigs 1066 ram + 1 gig video card .....man you will kick some asses!!!



Why would I want to go Phenom? Waste of money considering I want to go i7 and AMD can't keep up with Intel on anything except price.

I was thinking about just selling my system and going i7, but what will I do while I wait for enough funds?

$800 or so, minus $530 for mobo and i7 920 = $270 - $270 for case and PSU = $0

I still don't have DDR3 memory in that case, and I don't have a new video card. My old case isn't cutting it anymore, and I think there might be a slight bottleneck with a 256MB 7900 GS & an i7 920 (which I can't overclock too much since I lack a HSF).


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## BrooksyX (Feb 24, 2009)

Whats wrong with your PSU? Unless you plan on going crossfire or sli you have plenty of juice to run an i7 rig. You could always upgrade that down the road.


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## paulm (Feb 24, 2009)

BrooksyX said:


> Whats wrong with your PSU? Unless you plan on going crossfire or sli you have plenty of juice to run an i7 rig. You could always upgrade that down the road.



520w is enough to run an i7 920 clocked to 4GHz or so, 6GB of DDR3 1600, a couple of hard drives, and a GTX 285 for example?

I'm thinking that would be cutting it a little close?


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## n-ster (Feb 24, 2009)

cpu+mobo
great RAM
if you really want 6gb
awesome PSU
 about 650$ ... includes i7, mobo, 3gb tri-channel ddr3 RAM and an awesome PSU, 
~700$ with 6gb or ~560$ for cpu+mobo+ram (so no PSU)

add a 4850x2 in your list and that's another 225$

so WITH 6gb of RAM, a bit over 900$ ... another 100$ or so for a case and you've reached 4 digits 

IMO, save another 500$ and buy what I said above... or spend 90$ more for DFI x58 300$ mobo for OCing past 4ghz... IMO, if you want to keep your i7 for long and OC it at 4ghz, you better start WCooling... another 300$?  

IMO, it's still worth it... since WC, RAM, case, PSU are all long term items... as well as mobo, if x58 stays  so save up, I could tell you what I buy buy in what order:

1. 4850x2 (~225$)
2. good case + case cooling etc. (100~200$)
3.  i7 + mobo+ ddr3RAM + PSU together (~700$ or 800+$ if you want to go past 4ghz with DFI x58 or EVGA classified later on) OC to 3.3 or so max then
4. WC setup... best quality possible for 300$

P.S: If I were you, I would buy 4850x2 (since now ATI is doing drivers for it, and not just saphire) and a good case + case cooling ASAP... later on this year, when you'll have money, when prices will go down, and when 38nm comes out or not, You can decide whether to buy an i7 or just buy a 38nm quad or i7 equivalent. 

I think that's pretty good advice now.. no?


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## ShadowFold (Feb 25, 2009)

+1 on the 4850X2. Best performance in it's range for sure.


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## n-ster (Feb 25, 2009)

thank you... but I think we discussed this in another thread... right paulm? Binge was opposed to this idea however, and I was to until I discovered ATI started to support the 4850x2... but there is still a chance that driver support will be abandoned since saphire's the only manufacturer and therefore not many ppl have the 4850x2... Also, another point is that dual GPUs usually end up having problems etc... but I wouldn't worry about that too much... and the bang/buck is so good you just won't mind


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## spearman914 (Feb 25, 2009)

CPU is fine for now. Just grab a 4850x2 or GTX285 and u'll see a huge boost!! If u don't overclock that much then the current board is fine too.


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## DaedalusHelios (Feb 25, 2009)

iStink said:


> tax returns or something? lol
> 
> Get yourself an OCZ gamerXStream 700w psu, and a gtx285.



I second this choice. CPU is alright and since you are getting i7 in the future, this choice carries over to your new i7 build down the road.

Going multi-GPU is always spotty on performance gains. Sometimes you only really get the benefit of one of the GPU's which is very annoying on select games.


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## ShadowFold (Feb 25, 2009)

I haven't found any games that don't utilize Crossfire yet


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## n-ster (Feb 25, 2009)

not that they don't utilize dual GPU...

here I'll quote Binge here... hopefully he won't mind... 



			
				Binge said:
			
		

> With every driver release they are improving the way Crossfire and SLI handle games, but what they can not do is give you any benefit to running crossfire or SLI in an application that is not supported by the driver. For every game that is SLI/Crossfire compatible there is a profile in the driver to support that game with multiple GPUs. I bet you that if you were to run a brand new game like Mirror's Edge or Farcry 2 you would not see much of a difference between your 4850x2 and a 4850. Maybe a little if the drivers are advanced enough but not as much as if you had a game like Devil May Cry 4 which definitely has support on the drivers for the 4850x2. Single GPU uses less power, creates less heat, and you know you're using your gpu even @ idle speeds because it's driving your monitor. If you have 2 GPUs you're wasting energy until you decide to start gaming. It's only a marketing gimick to get people to buy more when in reality they're spending 200% to get 140-150% performance. I'd gave up on SLI, 4870x2s, and 4870 crossfire because in the end all of the problems end up being the same. Heat, power, and lack of support for ALL of my applications.



basically, dual gpus NEED the Drivers... and until drivers get better, you will never get much of a performance increase compared to a 4850... and wtv you use it on, performance increase is 150%, not 200... so driver support, and also heat may be a problem... understand now? there are other things probably, but this is for the main part...


P.S: I would still go 4850x2.... but I just wanted to show there are some disadvantages

P.S.S: just incase... don't start an argument with Binge, since I didn't ask for permission to use this (this was a PM, me asking why...) and also, whether you like it or not... he's right


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## trt740 (Feb 25, 2009)

paulm said:


> Hey!
> 
> I currently want to spend $500 on my rig.
> 
> ...


 
Q9550 and a sapphire 4870 1GB http://secure.newegg.com/Shopping/ShoppingCart.aspx?submit=ChangeItem $484.00 combo deal this cpu will do 4.0ghz and this gpu is equal to a 260gtx 216


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## n-ster (Feb 25, 2009)

hmm.... for that price, I'd prefer to dish a bit more money out for the 4850x2... and why upgrade to Q9550 when he wants an i7 in the near future...


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## kid41212003 (Feb 25, 2009)

The best performance/price vid card is GTX260.

Get that card, and save the rest of the money, it should keep you gaming for another 6 months or more.

When you have more money, it should give you more options, and at that time there will be more options for you to upgrade.


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## trt740 (Feb 25, 2009)

n-ster said:


> hmm.... for that price, I'd prefer to dish a bit more money out for the 4850x2... and why upgrade to Q9550 when he wants an i7 in the near future...



1.4850x2 is a piece of crap video card, that has a horrible fan(loud as hell) , and has driver issues out the ass and about zero game support for one , 2. a Q9550 EO when overclocked is super fast and more than anything he will need for years , plus it has a great resale and will do 4.0ghz 24/7.  Remember you asked


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## n-ster (Feb 25, 2009)

wow let's calm down here... NOT a piece of crap card.... maybe loud fans... but then you can turn them down a bit no? no driver issues... now that ATI has been giving driver support.... game support is basically driver support...

2. i7, for the price now.... >>>>>>>>>>>>>> Q9550


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## trt740 (Feb 25, 2009)

n-ster said:


> wow let's calm down here... NOT a piece of crap card.... maybe loud fans... but then you can turn them down a bit no? no driver issues... now that ATI has been giving driver support.... game support is basically driver support...
> 
> 2. i7, for the price now.... >>>>>>>>>>>>>> Q9550



No one was worked up, someone here needs to be less sensitive, and ATi just started supporting that card with drivers and  good look luck finding games that support it and you cannot turn the fan down, it's not supported in ccc and it is a piece of crap card, because basically all you getting 60 percent of the time is a 4850 with a loud ass fan.


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## lilkiduno (Feb 25, 2009)

GPU
CPU COOLER
PSU
OR
THIS


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## n-ster (Feb 25, 2009)

lol... I thought 4850x2 ran 150% compared to 4850? buying a vga cooler isn't that hard... and I suggested WC later on so....

why do all reviews give 4850x2 a really good mark? waiting for driver support isn't that long.... therefore, MAX 1 month before the 4850x2 stops acting like a 4850 with the new driver support for a game...


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## trt740 (Feb 25, 2009)

n-ster said:


> lol... I thought 4850x2 ran 150% compared to 4850? buying a vga cooler isn't that hard... and I suggested WC later on so....
> 
> why do all reviews give 4850x2 a really good mark? waiting for driver support isn't that long.... therefore, MAX 1 month before the 4850x2 stops acting like a 4850 with the new driver support for a game...



yes the 4850x2 is about 40 percent faster than a 4850, when you can get the drivers to work and a game that supports it and crossfire. However, when that doesn't happen it reverts back to a single gpu 4850.


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## DarkEgo (Feb 25, 2009)

n-ster said:


> wow let's calm down here... NOT a piece of crap card.... maybe loud fans... but then you can turn them down a bit no? no driver issues... now that ATI has been giving driver support.... game support is basically driver support...
> 
> 2. i7, for the price now.... >>>>>>>>>>>>>> Q9550



I don't think so... And neither does anand.


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## paulm (Feb 25, 2009)

Hey guys, lets leave it at:

4850x2 is loud
Multi-GPU is problematic at times
4850x2 is a good card for the price (especially if it is getting more compatibility issues solved)

Sound good?


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## lilkiduno (Feb 26, 2009)

why not get the eVGA 260 (core 216, 55nm die) isn't it the 4850's rival?


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## niko084 (Feb 26, 2009)

trt740 said:


> Q9550 and a sapphire 4870 1GB http://secure.newegg.com/Shopping/ShoppingCart.aspx?submit=ChangeItem $484.00 combo deal this cpu will do 4.0ghz and this gpu is equal to a 260gtx 216



Wont do it on his board...


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## niko084 (Feb 26, 2009)

lilkiduno said:


> why not get the eVGA 260 (core 216, 55nm die) isn't it the 4850's rival?



No it slaps the 4870 in the face.


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## lilkiduno (Feb 26, 2009)

niko084 said:


> No it slaps the 4870 in the face.




wouldn't that be one of the most senseable items to add into a upgrade if you plan to upgrade to a core i7 into the futher

I think I listed a reasonable upgrade package: new gpu, cooler, and psu(both of which would power a dual SLi rig on a i7 set up!)


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## paulm (Feb 26, 2009)

niko084 said:


> Wont do it on his board...



What do you mean?

My board: http://www.intel.com/Products/Desktop/Motherboards/D975XBX2/D975XBX2-overview.htm


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## RevengE (Feb 26, 2009)

Get a 4850x2. I have a 4870x2 and it's amazing at high Res.


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## spearman914 (Feb 26, 2009)

xRevengEx said:


> Get a 4850x2. I have a 4870x2 and it's amazing at high Res.



Get a GTX 285 if you can. Very close performance to a 4870x2.


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## RevengE (Feb 26, 2009)

niko084 said:


> No it slaps the 4870 in the face.



Since when does a 260 slap a 1gb 4870 in the face?


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## spearman914 (Feb 26, 2009)

xRevengEx said:


> Since when does a 260 slap a 1gb 4870 in the face?



http://techgage.com/article/ati_hd_4870_1gb_vs_nvidia_gtx_260216_896mb/3


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## RevengE (Feb 26, 2009)

Thats not really slapping it in the face, they are pretty close. A GTX-295 vs a 4870 1gb would be face slapping.


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## spearman914 (Feb 26, 2009)

xRevengEx said:


> Thats not really slapping it in the face, they are pretty close. A GTX-295 vs a 4870 1gb would be face slapping.



I know. They perform close so not considered slapping. He just said that because he had nothing else to say.


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## RevengE (Feb 26, 2009)

Guess so..well really you cannot go wrong with either card man. The choice is yours now if you will excuse me I have some chipotle to attend to.


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## dna1x (Feb 26, 2009)

niko084 said:


> No it slaps the 4870 in the face.





xRevengEx said:


> Since when does a 260 slap a 1gb 4870 in the face?





spearman914 said:


> http://techgage.com/article/ati_hd_4870_1gb_vs_nvidia_gtx_260216_896mb/3



It's an ancient article where they were using an antiquated driver. The new catalyst 9.2 should improve on that.


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## paulm (Feb 26, 2009)

I'll be getting the GTX 285 (90% sure).

I need to ask:

What is the best DDR3 memory for an i7 build, regardless of price? What DDR3 memory for an i7 build gives the best value?

Would this be the best choice to go with for an x58 mobo, or is there something better for about $300 and under?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813136065

Thanks.


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## lilkiduno (Feb 26, 2009)

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148244

this is the stuff fitseries3 uses in his i7 rig

And why not get the eVGA mother board triple SLi or crossfire


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## paulm (Feb 26, 2009)

lilkiduno said:


> http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148244
> 
> this is the stuff fitseries3 uses in his i7 rig
> 
> And why not get the eVGA mother board triple SLi or crossfire



I haven't heard anything about the EVGA board being better than an ASUS P6T Deluxe or Gigabyte UD5, for example.

I have heard good things about that DFI board, but if I'm wrong, feel free to tell me, since I have no experience with X58 mobo's.


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## lilkiduno (Feb 27, 2009)

paulm said:


> I haven't heard anything about the EVGA board being better than an ASUS P6T Deluxe or Gigabyte UD5, for example.
> 
> I have heard good things about that DFI board, but if I'm wrong, feel free to tell me, since I have no experience with X58 mobo's.



I havn't quite upgraded to the i7 yet, but i hear good things about the eVGA board, plus it's the mobo thats included on  the fastest 3Dmark vantage benchmarks.

Plus i hear good things about nearly all the DFI boards


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## lilkiduno (Feb 27, 2009)

dna1x said:


> It's an ancient article where they were using an antiquated driver. The new catalyst 9.2 should improve on that.



plus thats a GTX 260 (core 216, 65mn die) with new drivers and the die srink i believe the 260 will still be slightly faster then the 4870... now correct me if im wrong because i do not know for sure


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## n-ster (Feb 27, 2009)

ASUS P6T, I've heard only bad things... Gigabyte, I've heard very good thing (well with ud3 ud4p ud5 and extreme at least... don't know if theres others) but the BIOS is extremely confusing... I heard good things with the DFI 250$ and 300$ one... EVGA has some good boards, others not so much... but the classified is bringing alot of hype

IMO, this is a great bang/buck

the RAM... get the crucials...

for the GPU, gtx 285 is a great card even for the buck... but if your willing to take the risk, 4850x2 is the best bang/buck around... you could also go gtx 260

PSU


P.S:

how I suggest you buy your things

1. 4850x2 (~225$) or another GPU at wtv price
2. good case + case cooling etc. (100~200$)
3. i7 + mobo+ ddr3RAM + PSU together (700$~800$) OC to 3.3 or so max then
4. WC setup... best quality possible for 300$ OC to 4hz


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## lilkiduno (Feb 27, 2009)

dosn't he just want to wait for the i7's to drop in price more? and the $500 is for upgrades for his current system. and all of it has to be compatible with a furture i7 upgrade


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