Motherboard upgrade ... need experts suggestion!

This is gonna be a long post, please don't curse.

I have MSI P45-Neo motherboard. Just last week I opened my cabinet for regular dust maintenance & I noticed my motherboard is dying. Capacitors, circuits are showing signs wear & tear. Also getting sudden BSODs. I am thinking of getting a new mobo in few weeks time.

My current setup:
MSI P45 Neo,
C2D e8400 (no over clock),
4 GB Corsair DDR2 RAM,
512mb of HD4850,
19” syncmaster,
Corsair TX750 (I know this is overkill, didn’t find vx series at that time).

This machine is enough to fulfill my gaming urge. I play action, RPG & RTS games but gaming is not religion for me (family and job comes first!).
Recent games like forgotten sands, GTA IV, Dragon Age, DoW II - all gave me 50-75 FPS at med-high settings and I'm satisfied with my gaming experience. So I really don’t want to throw away my current setup and shell out chunk of money for new rig.

Future plan:
I’ve 2x2GB of Corsair DDR2 RAMS (forgot the model). I might add 2 or 4 GB more RAM and make it 6 (or 8) GB altogether. 4 RAM-slot mobo is a must.

I have C2D e8400 with no over clocking. I might add a decent cooling solution and over clock a bit for the time being. Later I’ll replace it with a LGA775-based Quad core before LGA-775 vanishes from market. It’s still available in market. :mrgreen:

I would also replace hd4850 with hd5xxx in future, since both are PCIex 2.0 based; I think this will be possible.

I want at least a good motherboard which at par with my current mobo, if not better, so that my future plan holds true and I can use this system for few more years before replace it with next gen configuration.

So my question is, which motherboard do you suggest?

What CPU cooling solution you suggest? Remember I’ll buy a C2Q later this year.

Thanks in advance!

u said u'll buy c2q this year?

would u like to go for AMD counterpart?(just a thought)

If I go for AMD, then I've to buy new Motherboard + CPU + RAM, right? Wouldn't that cost me more.

Here's my view: I'm going to change motherboard now, and replace CPU in Oct/Nov. So my total cost to up-gradation will be roughly 10-12K during this time.

Will this budget bring me a better AMD config without changing rest of the setup? I'm open to suggestions!

whats your budget for mobo???

arijit_2404 said:
This is gonna be a long post, please don't curse.

I have MSI P45-Neo motherboard. Just last week I opened my cabinet for regular dust maintenance & I noticed my motherboard is dying. Capacitors, circuits are showing signs wear & tear. Also getting sudden BSODs. I am thinking of getting a new mobo in few weeks time.

My current setup:
MSI P45 Neo,
C2D e8400 (no over clock),
4 GB Corsair DDR2 RAM,
512mb of HD4850,
19” syncmaster,
Corsair TX750 (I know this is overkill, didn’t find vx series at that time).

This machine is enough to fulfill my gaming urge. I play action, RPG & RTS games but gaming is not religion for me (family and job comes first!).
Recent games like forgotten sands, GTA IV, Dragon Age, DoW II - all gave me 50-75 FPS at med-high settings and I'm satisfied with my gaming experience. So I really don’t want to throw away my current setup and shell out chunk of money for new rig.

Future plan:
I’ve 2x2GB of Corsair DDR2 RAMS (forgot the model). I might add 2 or 4 GB more RAM and make it 6 (or 8) GB altogether. 4 RAM-slot mobo is a must.

I have C2D e8400 with no over clocking. I might add a decent cooling solution and over clock a bit for the time being. Later I’ll replace it with a LGA775-based Quad core before LGA-775 vanishes from market. It’s still available in market.

I would also replace hd4850 with hd5xxx in future, since both are PCIex 2.0 based; I think this will be possible.

I want at least a good motherboard which at par with my current mobo, if not better, so that my future plan holds true and I can use this system for few more years before replace it with next gen configuration.

So my question is, which motherboard do you suggest?

What CPU cooling solution you suggest? Remember I’ll buy a C2Q later this year.

Thanks in advance!

with your current system, you can go for any high end card & it'll support (PSU enough). if you don't want Xfire or SLI. simply get some mobo based on P41 or P43 chipset. P45's pricing is still sky high (i think wants die rich).

for CPU cooler, check CM Hyper 212 (not plus). also it depends from where you going to buy.

piyush120290 said:
u said u'll buy c2q this year?

would u like to go for AMD counterpart?(just a thought)

why such a odd question? going for AMD means changing the proccy also. or maybe ram too.

Sam.Shab said:
why such a odd question? going for AMD means changing the proccy also. or maybe ram too.

i know
but lga 775 kab tak saath nibhayega?
he can sold those in NP(there are still stupid vendors who'll pay a good amount of price)

I prefer within 5-6k range but If I get a good deal, I can loose my purse a bit more.

Please let me clarify one thing, my objective with this setup is to replace my dying mobo & add a better LGA-775 CPU (Quad Core to go basically) within few months.

Long term goal will be add more RAM and replace hd4850 with hd5xxx (when becomes more affordable) in next year.

Then my setup will look like C2Q + 6 or 8 GB DDR2 + hd5xxx = decent gaming rig for me.

So suggest accordingly. If someone comes with AMD based solution which will reuse my existing DDR2 RAM, I'm open to it as long as price difference isn't too much!

---------- Post added at 10:26 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:24 PM ----------

piyush120290 said:
i know
but lga 775 kab tak saath nibhayega?
he can sold those in NP(there are still stupid vendors who'll pay a good amount of price)

I'm based in kolkata, can't go to NP. :mrgreen:

Anyway, I have already stated, I'm not a hardcore gamer with 3-screen setup. I'm a decent gamer.

So I think I can still drag this machine at least two years, with correct upgrade.
Isn't it?

piyush120290 said:
i know
but lga 775 kab tak saath nibhayega?
he can sold those in NP(there are still stupid vendors who'll pay a good amount of price)

but performance wise LGA775 isn't too bad. also OP can switch to newer mobo + ram + proccy when the need really arise.

arijit_2404 said:
I prefer within 5-6k range but If I get a good deal, I can loose my purse a bit more.

Please let me clarify one thing, my objective with this setup is to replace my dying mobo & add a better LGA-775 CPU (Quad Core to go basically) within few months.

Long term goal will be add more RAM and replace hd4850 with hd5xxx (when becomes more affordable) in next year.

Then my setup will look like C2Q + 6 or 8 GB DDR2 + hd5xxx = decent gaming rig for me.

So suggest accordingly. If someone comes with AMD based solution which will reuse my existing DDR2 RAM, I'm open to it as long as price difference isn't too much!

so you got 2 options now. either sell off the proccy. get Athlon II X4 + Biostar 790GX AM2+ mobo. DDR2 ram can be used. will allow Xfire also.

also you don't need more than 4Gb ram. 4Gb enough.

or get a cheap mobo based on P41 or P43 chipset.

Thanks to all of you for your replies!
Sam, I think you've read my mind perfectly. Let's continue this discussion a bit further. :mrgreen:

Option 1:
I'll get a P41/P43 mobo now. In 2/3 months time, I'll get a C2Q CPU. Rest setup remains same.

Option 2:
I'll get Athlon II X4 + Biostar 790GX AM2+ mobo, rest of my setup remains same.

Question is "Which option will give me best value for money in long run, say 2 years more?".
I can get rid of E8400, but is Athlon-II X4 a better CPU than C2Q and will this Biostar mobo supports more better CPU in future?

Let us put aside more RAM and new GPU decision. Those will not add anything to this topic.

Nice thread.....i am following it.....Sam always hits the perfect chord.

I couldn't resist myself to do bits of research regarding Sam's options.

Here's what I've found -

If I go by option I - I narrowed myself to two choices: Gigabyte GA-G41M-ES2L and Biostar TP43E XE. Any other suggestions?

These two motherboards will fit my current setup pretty well. Also as per their CPU support page, I can plug-in high-end Quad Cores afterwards. Please suggest any good Quad Core CPU that is worthy replacement of E8400.

If I go by option II - For suggested AthlonII X4, I have zeroed down to Biostar TA790GXBE. This awesome mobo can let me plug-in till Phenom II X4 z965(!!). Any other suggestions are welcome.

1) Which way should I go?

2) What are the price for these combos?

Thanks again.

arijit_2404 said:
Thanks to all of you for your replies!
Sam, I think you've read my mind perfectly. Let's continue this discussion a bit further.

Option 1:
I'll get a P41/P43 mobo now. In 2/3 months time, I'll get a C2Q CPU. Rest setup remains same.

Option 2:
I'll get Athlon II X4 + Biostar 790GX AM2+ mobo, rest of my setup remains same.

Question is "Which option will give me best value for money in long run, say 2 years more?".
I can get rid of E8400, but is Athlon-II X4 a better CPU than C2Q and will this Biostar mobo supports more better CPU in future?

Let us put aside more RAM and new GPU decision. Those will not add anything to this topic.

its hard to say which one will be best. with Athlon II X4, you got scope to upgrade to a DDR3 motherboard in future. say in 2011 you can purchase a 8series AMD chipset based motherboard & DDR3 ram kits if you feel DDR2 not upto the mark. but with C2Q, you will have to change everything.

now coming to performance: Athlon II X4 competes with Core2Quad's 8 series fully & with the 9300 but not anything above it. but you first need to check the price difference. you can get a 630 or 635 for below 5k. if you can find a Q94** or Q95** for 7k, its a good option. anything more, better stick to Athlon II X4. sacrifice 5% performance & save a couple thousand bucks.

but that motherboard (or any other AM2+ motherboard) will support max of present Athlon II & Phenom IIs only. cause the processors released next year will have DDR3 controller only. & so won't be compatible with DDR2 motherboard. AM2+ means DDR2 motherboard. AM3 means DDR3. but Athlon II & Phenom II have both DDR2 as well as DDR3 controllers on die.

now it comes down to this: you need a new mobo. so choose any AM2+ or LGA775 motherboard. now search for Athlon II X4 & C2Q 9*** processor (first give Vedant a visit). find total pricing. and than do the judgement.

PS: i not asking you buy the C2Q now only. but first check the price. cause i doubt the price of C2Q will come down any further. also stocks in many shops are already out, replaced by Core series processors. so now or 3-4-5-6 months later. pricing will be same. this will give you a nice idea about whats best.

also you can settle for 780G or 785G (780G + DX10.1. useless) or even 770 chipset. 790GX will allow you to have Xfire & also the chipset OC friendly. about 770, remember it got no IGP.

fatalcore said:
Nice thread.....i am following it.....Sam always hits the perfect chord.

just got the experience :smile:

myself have came across this kind of dilemma before.

Thanks a lot for your inputs. You have really some great technological knowledge.

I'm thinking about getting AMD now. (I've always been an AMD user since Duron-age.

But C2D models made me switch to Intel first time.)
Anyway, back to the topic.

It seems current AMD offerings indeed very good for decent gamers like us. Those 5-10% performance not much if you plug an hd58xx card.

I guess, with AthlonII X4 635 + 4GB RAM + hd58xx series (when I'll get it) - is good for decent gaming for two more years.

PS: As of 770 chipset, I don't mind as I already have hd4850, current MSI mobo also had no IGP. anyway, I might have to switch to DDR3 mobo if I go by AMD, I might settle for cheaper AM2+ mobo now & save that money for hd5xxx card or DDR3 RAM.

Sam.Shab said:
myself have came across this kind of dilemma before.

You meant p4 n board ? :razz:

@ OP
If you plan to change E8400 then going for LGA 775 socket would be a bad idea.
Forget about it.

Now you have 2 options. AM2+ or AM3

AM2+ boards can even support phenom II X6 also ddr2 compatible so you can keep 4GB DDR2.There is no need of upgrade from HD 4850 in current scenario.

In this case you only need to purchase proccy n board. No ram n No GPU.

Another option is AM3

phenom II X6 and future processors support.More ram speed and capacity upto 16GB.But you will need to sell your 4GB ddr2 to purchase another 4GB DDR3.

ajai5777 said:
You meant p4 n board ?

actually i have thought of upgrading once before; my P4 to Dual Core. also adding a 8600GT (Class 11-12 days) but skipped. & finally got myself Athlon II X4 a week ago. though the wait was a long. over 2yrs.

@ OP
If you plan to change E8400 then going for LGA 775 socket would be a bad idea.
Forget about it.

I thought so.

AM2+ boards can even support phenom II X6 also ddr2 compatible so you can keep 4GB DDR2.There is no need of upgrade from HD 4850 in current scenario.

In this case you only need to purchase proccy n board. No ram n No GPU.

I think this is the way I should go. Can you suggest some good motherboard with DDR2 support? crossfire support isn't a mandatory.

I would buy Athlon II x4 now, later I might move to Phenom II X6. So I need that kinda mobo.

then get gigabyte GA-MA785GM-US2H @ 4.2k

Cheaper solution - Biostar TA785GE 128M @3.7k

Details

Phenom II X6 support with latest bios.

Phenom II X6 support confirmed

4GB ram is more than enough now.Also HD 4850 is still high end.
Try to get phenom II X6 now itself.If you buy X4 630 now, you will need to sell it soon at a lower price to buy X6.

X6 1055 n board mentioned will come @ 13k

Great inputs so far.

X6 1055t is a great CPU. So I need to choose an AM2+ mobo.

Above mobo is very good but one small concern though. If I buy an AM2+ motherboard now, how long I can use (please read above posts about my gaming usage) this motherboard before I really should jump to DDR3 motherboard and RAM?

If the time line isn't that far in future, I should probably stick with 770 based mobo and save that money for future. I have found one such mobo, Biostar TA770E.

What do you think?

the ddr2 combo with a good mobo and x6 1055t should last for atleast 1.5-2 years.....
dont try and get cheapest possible mobo dude..

OK, Jas - I got the point.

It seems, Phenom II X6 1055t + TA785GE 128M + my current setup = decent gaming for next few years.

I will also buy an cooling solution, CM Hyper 212.

One more question: This biostar motherboard has 128MB Radeon HD4200 Graphics Sideport memory. Can I use this memory along with my hd4850 card?

no you cant use sideport memory with dicrete graphics card....
biostar is fine although i would say get the gigabyte one...worth it...

---------- Post added at 11:41 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:37 AM ----------

are you going to oc also?

Jaskanwar Singh said:
no you cant use sideport memory with dicrete graphics card....
biostar is fine although i would say get the gigabyte one...worth it...

are you going to oc also?

Sure, I'll look into that Gigabyte model.

I won't do OC at first, but I'll start doing it few months later.

phenom x6 is very cool running and can be oced to great extent on stock HSF..no need to invest in a cooler now

Guys, I think you forget one thing. In the next quarter, both AMD and Intel are going to lunch their new generation pf processors and their is a little chance that (even for AMD) that these chip-set will be backward compatible with any of the current gen processors (for new mobo) or Motherboards (for future processors).
So just going for a completely new rig is not a very good idea at that time. Even if the Op goes for say Athlon II 630, it needs him a complete system change and there is a good possibility that within 1 year after the release of new gen AMD processors, these will be obsolete.
So getting a LGA 775 based board is a better option.
And my suggestion is even a C2Q is not required. C2D e8400 is a very good processor for normal work and gaming. I'll suggest with a new LGA 775 mobo, wait for few months for the new technologies to be emerged in the market.
What you can do is upgrading your CPU.

Hi Jas, can you tell me what's the price of gigabyte motherboard you've mentioned?

Biostar mobo is gr8 at OCing and cheaper. 4.4k on a AM2+ DDR2 board isnt worth to spend.
The biostar board has got HT3 5.2GTs and 8GB max memory and support for latest X6 proccies.What else you need? Its very much future proof.X6 itself is future proof also some future proccies in AM3 may support AM2+.

Hi Cilus,

I don't follow hardware techs so closely, you may be right.
But here's my point of view.

If I get Gigabyte/Biostar & X6 1055t combo, my current setup will look like somewhat this:

An AM2+ motherboard with two free slots to add more RAM.
Phenom II X6 CPU.
An HD4850 card.

So for getting good gaming experience (apart from regular work I do) at 1440x900 resolution, this is enough. I can replace my graphics card and add more RAM to this setup at any point of time in future. So it'll keep up gaming performance very well.

So isn't this setup is going to be a 'great value for money' setup for few years more?

Just a thought!

Cilus said:
What you can do is upgrading your PSU.

WTH ? man..he has got corsair TX 750.

giga mobo costs 4200 INR

nicely pointed out by cilus

your current processor is good. better wait for new processors to arrive next year..till then save up some more dude...go for a 4k mobo now

---------- Post added at 12:51 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:49 PM ----------

ajai gigabyte one costs 4.2k and not 4.4k

arijit_2404 said:
Hi Cilus,

I don't follow hardware techs so closely, you may be right.
But here's my point of view.

If I get Gigabyte/Biostar & X6 1055t combo, my current setup will look like somewhat this:

An AM2+ motherboard with two free slots to add more RAM.
Phenom II X6 CPU.
An HD4850 card.

So for getting good gaming experience (apart from regular work I do) at 1440x900 resolution, this is enough. I can replace my graphics card and add more RAM to this setup at any point of time in future. So it'll keep up gaming performance very well.

So isn't this setup is going to be a 'great value for money' setup for few years more?

Just a thought!

This is very much future proof.We cant change our rig every time when Intel or AMD launches a new series proccies.

If you need complete futureproofness, sell off your DDR2 and get a AM3 DDR3 mobo.

ajai5777 said:
This is very much future proof.We cant change our rig every time when Intel or AMD launches a new series proccies.

Right.

At least I'm not a guy of that mentality.

AJAI
it will not do not do any harm waiting for new proccys to arrive....
if in gaming it is not worth spending on x6 1055t over e8400 as their gaming porformance is same...

There is an opposite side that cilus pointed out.

E8400,4GB DDR2,HD 4850 its still good at high end gaming.In short, no need to change the proccy now.

You can go for a G41 board @ 2.5k with 2 DDR2 slots and a PCIex 16 slot.Then your problem solved @ 2.5k and you can save the rest of money for a mass future upgrade.

ajai5777 said:
There is an opposite side that cilus pointed out.

E8400,4GB DDR2,HD 4850 its still good at high end gaming.In short, no need to change the proccy now.

You can go for a G41 board @ 2.5k with 2 DDR2 slots and a PCIex 16 slot.Then your problem solved @ 2.5k and you can save the rest of money for a mass future upgrade.

You've made a good point. Do you care to explain which G41 you're referring to? :?:

Jaskanwar Singh said:
in gaming it is not worth spending on x6 1055t over e8400 as their gaming porformance is same...[/B]

Who told you that..? at any thread level E 8400 is no match for X6 1055.It should be compared to core i5 n i7 not E 8400 :razz:

E 8400 got 2 cores @ 3Ghz
X6 1055 got 6 cores of 2.8Ghz 3 of them @ 3.3Ghz in less threaded apps.

For multi threaded games like BFBC2 X6 wins in core number
For less threaded games X6 runs @ 3.3Ghz of 3 cores so again wins

Never ever make such pathetic comments.

arijit_2404 said:
You've made a good point. Do you care to explain which G41 you're referring to?

Asus P5QPL-AM @ 2.5k

It fits your needs.You can add your 4GB DDR2 in it and E8400.HD 4850 in PCIex 16.

Then you can sell this whole setup in future when you need the mass upgrade.

Ajai
first check toms hardware cpu chart and then comment on my post
i am talking of gaming

---------- Post added at 02:09 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:53 PM ----------

X6 is made for multitasking and it excels in that

ajai5777 said:
WTH ? man..he has got corsair TX 750.

Thanks for pointing it out. I was trying to say CPU, but sleep of hand. :-o

Updated my post.

---------- Post added at 02:31 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:17 PM ----------

arijit_2404 said:
Hi Cilus,

I don't follow hardware techs so closely, you may be right.
But here's my point of view.

If I get Gigabyte/Biostar & X6 1055t combo, my current setup will look like somewhat this:

An AM2+ motherboard with two free slots to add more RAM.
Phenom II X6 CPU.
An HD4850 card.

So for getting good gaming experience (apart from regular work I do) at 1440x900 resolution, this is enough. I can replace my graphics card and add more RAM to this setup at any point of time in future. So it'll keep up gaming performance very well.

So isn't this setup is going to be a 'great value for money' setup for few years more?

Just a thought!

For playing games in 1440X900 (19" LCD resolution), even your current config is good enough.
And about your new configuration:
The motherboard you suggested is based on AM2+ platform and just supports new AM3 processors (a lot of advance features like HT 3.0, ACC or advance clock calibration) will be disabled.
For even AMD standard, AM2+ is older platform and AM3 is the current platform. Now very soon, when AMD and Intel going to release their next gen processors and new chip-set based for their motherborad, them your motherboard may face a grave support problem as these kind of motherboards will be phased out. So don't just jump for a premium level upgrade, when your current system is good enough for now.
A good example is DDR2 and DDR3 ram. The performance difference between a DDR2 800 and DDR3 1333 is negligible, but people are going for DDR3 just because, it is a future-proof solution as DDR2 is phasing out.
I will suggest you to get a BIOSTAR TP43E Combo @ 4.2k or Gigabyte GA-G41M-ES2L @ 3k motherboard for now

---------- Post added at 02:44 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:31 PM ----------

Jaskanwar Singh said:
Ajai
first check toms hardware cpu chart and then comment on my post
i am talking of gaming

---------- Post added at 02:09 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:53 PM ----------

X6 is made for multitasking and it excels in that

Ajai, Jaskanwar is right about the gaming. In gaming, although some multi threaded games are released, till we actually don't need more than 2 cores for gaming. In fact Tom's Hardware has an article "Do we need anything above Athlon II X3 430 for gaming?"
E8400 with 3 GHz and a huge L2 cache can perform very good in gaming, compared to some of the entry level quad cores and 6 cores.

Never ever make such pathetic comments.

Ajai, just a request buddy.. don't use these kinda word, it may hurt other feeling. Look, people can make mistakes (althogh Jaskanwaris right here), but using this kind of comment will just discourage them or start a fighting.
what we can do is just show them their mistakes with valid points, not using harsh language.

Cilus said:
For playing games in 1440X900 (19" LCD resolution), even your current config is good enough.
And about your new configuration:
The motherboard you suggested is based on AM2+ platform and just supports new AM3 processors (a lot of advance features like HT 3.0, ACC or advance clock calibration) will be disabled.
For even AMD standard, AM2+ is older platform and AM3 is the current platform. Now very soon, when AMD and Intel going to release their next gen processors and new chip-set based for their motherborad, them your motherboard may face a grave support problem as these kind of motherboards will be phased out. So don't just jump for a premium level upgrade, when your current system is good enough for now.
A good example is DDR2 and DDR3 ram. The performance difference between a DDR2 800 and DDR3 1333 is negligible, but people are going for DDR3 just because, it is a future-proof solution as DDR2 is phasing out.
I will suggest you to get a BIOSTAR TP43E Combo @ 4.2k or Gigabyte GA-G41M-ES2L @ 3k motherboard for now

thanks for your suggestion.

I was bit confused after getting plenty of options in various posts. I had to rethink my own view too!

So, just a new G41 motherboard will be suffice to stay with my current platform and enjoy decent gaming. I think I'd rather add a better cooler and overclock e8400. Ideas are welcome.

I'll later change to new premium platform in due time. :razz:

EDIT: By the way which one of the above mobo is better?

See if you can manage a 2nd Quad. The Q9550 is still retailing at 14K. Its the best in line quad available for the LGA775.

Else, get a decent P45/P35 board, mount an excellent HSF OC that CPU and you should be fine for 2 years. End of this year, slip in a refreshed line GPU. This should be fine if you do not move to HD or greater resolutions. I think it is quite pointless to throw out everything for AMD at the moment. You are just changing sockets of the same era and marginal performance levels.

Else, get a decent P45/P35 board, mount an excellent HSF OC that CPU and you should be fine for 2 years. End of this year, slip in a refreshed line GPU.

This is the way I'll be going.

Now, is suggested G41 motherboard enough? or should I really go for P43/45 motherboard? I do have PCIex 2.0 graphics card.

I'll buying CM Hyper 212 cooler, how much I can safely OC the e8400? 3.5 GHz?

Cilus said:
Ajai, just a request buddy.. don't use these kinda word, it may hurt other feeling. Look, people can make mistakes (althogh Jaskanwaris right here), but using this kind of comment will just discourage them or start a fighting.
what we can do is just show them their mistakes with valid points, not using harsh language.

Sorry to jaskanwar sing n all.I wont repeat it.

But still E8400 cant be compared to X6 1055

Guys, it has got Turboboost so in less threaded applications (up to 3)
the cores will work @ 3.3ghz.In highly threaded applications, core number wins.

3 cores @ 3.3 ghz will beat 2 cores @ 3ghz any day...

Yep just wait for the new proccy's
even i was supposed to get a new rig but i've now delayed it to next year

---------- Post added at 04:27 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:23 PM ----------

8400s not at all that outdated

arijit_2404 said:
This is the way I'll be going.

Now, is suggested G41 motherboard enough? or should I really go for P43/45 motherboard? I do have PCIex 2.0 graphics card.

I'll buying CM Hyper 212 cooler, how much I can safely OC the e8400? 3.5 GHz?

Sorry meant P35/P45. No use of G31, since the PCI.E version is outdated now. Rest is your choice. If you want to retain what you have or go for a ful fledged system change.

I'll go for P45 mobo but this time I'll stick to Gigabyte. Along with I'll buy CM Hyper 212 to do some over clocking.

Can you give some suggestions regarding Gigabyte P45 mobo?

ajai5777 said:
Sorry to jaskanwar singh n all.I wont repeat it.

But still E8400 cant be compared to X6 1055

Guys, it has got Turboboost so in less threaded applications (up to 3)
the cores will work @ 3.3ghz.In highly threaded applications, core number wins.

3 cores @ 3.3 ghz will beat 2 cores @ 3ghz any day...

its okay AJAI....i would like to say a thing that if i give some suggestion to op i have a proof for it okay...games are not so developed to use 6 cores...u can see that athlon x3 better than athlon x4 in gaming...most of them favour clock speeds more..e8400 clocked at 3ghz is a good proccy for gaming...considering turbo core it only increases the performance by 2-8%

here is the proof from toms hardware....

gaming cpu chart
Core 2 Extreme QX6700
Core 2 Quad Q6700, Q9300, Q8400, Q6600, Q8300
Core 2 Duo E8600, E8500, E8400, E7600
Core i3 -530, -540

equals

Phenom II X6 1055T
Phenom II X4 945, 940, 920, 910, 910e, 810
Phenom II X3 720 Black Edition
Athlon II X4 640, 635, 630
Athlon II X3 445, 440, 435

this chart means to say that if you want to upgrade from a processor to another one in the same block (the above shown is 1 block only) then its not worth because the performance will not take a huge jump in gaming

@arijit_2404, now you got to find a P45 or P35 mobo. but take little time & find the total pricing of Athlon II X4 630 + Gigabyte GA-MA785GM-US2H. than check what will be the total value of E8400+ any good P35/P45 mobo. if you X4 630 + the giggy mobo comes out cheap, make the switch. else stick to asigh's recommendation. both way you'll get good result. but yes. if you apply good cooling like Hyper 212, 4Ghz possible. but will require tweaking bios a lot & also fiddle with voltage. same true for the Athlon II X4 chips. so conclusion: get one which is cheaper.

Thanks Sam.
If I stick to E8400 now, I'll have to buy only a good P35/45 mobo.
If I switch to AMD, then I've to buy PCU + mobo (minus money from E8400 sale).

Anyway, I have few weeks on my hand, because my PC is still working fine if I use it extensively not more than 5/6 hours stretch while gaming.
So, I still have some times to decide and buy either a new mobo or AMD cpu + mobo combination.

But thanks to all of you for your inputs.

arijit_2404 said:
Thanks Sam.
If I stick to E8400 now, I'll have to buy only a good P35/45 mobo.
If I switch to AMD, then I've to buy PCU + mobo (minus money from E8400 sale).

Anyway, I have few weeks on my hand, because my PC is still working fine if I use it extensively not more than 5/6 hours stretch while gaming.
So, I still have some times to decide and buy either a new mobo or AMD cpu + mobo combination.

But thanks to all of you for your inputs.

so check price & availability. but one thing sure, in future (1-2yrs) if you want upgrade, you'll have to sell the Intel kit. & so is AMD. cause till than 32-22nm processors will be out along with maybe 8cores for 10k (who knows?). and maybe AMD will discontinue support for Athlon II processors on their motherboard.

IMO there is no need to spend on a 9k combo now for gaming that will just equal the gaming performance of your current system.
Better get a 3k board and wait for next year.

^^rightly said