PC upgrade time - Need expert advice

B

billybob

Disciple
Hello all,

I'm all ready to upgrade my current PC. This would probably be the last upgrade for this PC as I'm going to build a complete new one later this year (in 4-6 months maybe).

1) My budget:

Rs. 14k - Rs. 20k (if makes sense)

2) My existing hardware configuration:

1. CPU - Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 @ 2.4GHz

2. Motherboard - MSI P35 Platinum Combo

3. GPU - MSI OC 7600 GT

4. RAM - 6GB Transcend 800MHz DDR2

5. Monitor - 2x BenQ 2420 (1080p x 2)

6. PSU - Some CM 500W

7. Cooling - CM Aquagate S1 (though not installed right now)

8. HDD - Around 5-7 WD and Seagate (not all are connected)

9. Speakers - 2 Massive Pioneer Floor Standing Speakers + additional satellites for 5.1

10. Case - CM Stacker 830

11. Logitech G15 + G9x

3) Hardware that I'm going to upgrade:

1. GPU

2. PSU

3. Cooling

1. GPU - I've never upgraded since I got the MSI 7600 GT back in 2008. TBH it works just fine on all types of usage. But now I think its about time I upgrade it.

I have a secondary PC which is only missing a GPU right now. So the 7600 will make its place there and the new card will go into my primary machine.

My options:

1) MSI 430 GT

- Why?

Its going to cost about Rs. 4200/- and I will still get a good upgrade to the 7600 GT. My only reason to buy this would be to upgrade the card again when something like a 560 GTX becomes more reasonable (under Rs. 10k).

2) MSI 450 GTS

- Why?

This is my budget right now (Rs. 7200/-) for which I will get a really good upgrade. But I don't think this is that future proof. I guess the DX11 support would be useless as I would need to turn everything down along with the resolution to play a game in DX11. Which doesn't make sense. I prefer native resolution over graphic quality.

Here's the main dilemma:

Should I just buy a cheap MSI 430 GT right now and wait for the prices of the new generation cards to come down? (i.e. the 5xx series).

OR

Buy a MSI 450 GTS and then most probably never upgrade to a newer card (for this PC)?

I also considered the MSI 460 GTX. But again with the 560 Ti already around I am definitely sure a few months from now the 560 Ti will become cheaper. And I don't want to invest on a 460 for this one reason.

PS: Any prediction on when the 560 Ti will come down to around Rs. 10k?

2. PSU Upgrade:

I'm going to upgrade the PSU to at least 700W. I had decided to go with the CM 750W GX but I was told at Nehru Place that they are receiving a lot of failures for this model and instead advised me to go for the Silent Pro M700.

I run a lot of hardware on my PC and don't want it to be stressed. That is why I'm going for the PSU upgrade along with the other upgrades.

Do you guys think the Silent Pro M700 would be a good and future proof upgrade? I know the difference between M700 and GX 750 is only of 50W. But I get modular setup on the Silent Pro. The only concern is that I'm not sure if 700W is enough to run 7-8 HDDs plus the rest of the setup (and maybe even SLI in the future)?

Also, is it really true that the GX 750W is unreliable? I don't want my motherboard to die as it is (or about to) run out of warranty. Which is the only reason why I've considered the Silent Pro series.

3. Cooling Upgrade:

I'm not running the Aquagate S1 right now because its out of liquid (for about a year now lol).

But instead of reinstalling it (after refill) I'm thinking of getting a CM N620 for my primary PC. This will enable me to fit the side fans on my Stacker 830 which don't fit when I install the Aquagate S1.

Then move the Aquagate S1 on my other PC which is a Core 2 Duo 1.8GHz and OC it to 2.2GHz. Its only used for light online gaming and other basic PC usage.

So along with the CM N620 I will also get 2-3 120MM fans and fit them on the side window of the Stacker 830.

To sum up:

I'm only confused about the GPU and somewhat about the PSU.

Should I go for the cheap 430 GT and later upgrade to a 560 Ti. (this will also mean that the 430 will then move to my other PC).

Or get stuck in the middle and go for the 450 GTS which is nether cheap nor very future proof (for high resolutions).

I want to go for the 430 GT personally (only if its not really crap or if it is not going to make much difference). But if it is possible to hold on and wait for the 560 Ti then I guess this would definitely make sense.

Or buy the 450 GTS and forget about a later upgrade. This is possible if you guys think that the 450 GTS will turn out to be a good all rounder and future proof (at least 1-2 years).

PS: If you've not guessed by now, I'm not really an ATi guy.

I will buy all my stuff from SMC.

Look forward to your suggestions guys!

Thanks!
 
Your favoritism for nVidia will cost you a good deal the HD 5770 sits pretty and trashes the GTS 450 at that price point (and to let you know it is no longer ATi it is AMD Graphics Division). Bench - GPU11 - AnandTech :: Your Source for Hardware Analysis and News

You heard right the GX series by Cooler Master is overpriced junk -- http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/article/Cooler-Master-GX-750-W-Power-Supply-Review/917/10

I'm not that much into cooling I use a Cooler Master Hyper 212+ with my Phenom II and I'm satisfied. Rest assured you better sort out the Aquagate before its components rot :bleh:.

Hope this helps.

--- Updated Post - Automerged ---

Your favoritism for nVidia will cost you a good deal the HD 5770 sits pretty and trashes the GTS 450 at that price point (and to let you know it is no longer ATi it is AMD Graphics Division). Bench - GPU11 - AnandTech :: Your Source for Hardware Analysis and News

You heard right the GX series by Cooler Master is overpriced junk -- Cooler Master GX 750 W Power Supply Review | Hardware Secrets

I'm not that much into cooling I use a Cooler Master Hyper 212+ with my Phenom II and I'm satisfied. Rest assured you better sort out the Aquagate before its components rot :bleh:.

Hope this helps.
 
Hey guys thanks for the quick replies! Really appreciate :)

I admit the AMD cards are as good as nVidia but I would personally prefer to run nVidia due to it's Cuda technology which would suit my media work.

I read the reviews of 450GTS and noticed what everyone had mentioned that nVidia were too late with this model. I'm already thinking of dropping this one out.

How about this:

Get 430 GT right now and later upgrade to 560 Ti once its around Rs. 10k?

I did seriously consider 460 GTX. But my heart is set on the 560 Ti which is the main problem. Just don't want to regret the purchase (of 460 GTX) a few months later once the 560 becomes more reasonable. I think its a very good future proof card.

Also, I think I'll go with CM Silent Pro M700. I ran the calculation on their site and it came to around 600W. So will definitely need 700W to be on the safe side.

Thanks!
 
Well I guess both 430 and 450 are out of consideration then! Thanks for your help :)

I'm willing to give ATI a try. What would be the best ATI and nVidia card for around Rs. 6000 (+ - Rs.1000)?

On the SMC site I can only find a DDR3 240 GT for Rs. 5k. But then ATI 5670 looks more worth. Not sure if not having CUDA and PhysX on the ATI makes any difference? (graphic editing mostly)

Thanks again!
 
DarkAngel said:
If you are still adamant on Nvidia get a GT240 GDDR5 card
Click to expand...
Yes, if u decide to stick with nvidia and your budget for gpu is <5000 then GT 240 would be a nice choice.

For PSU you may also consider iBall Black Stallion range. 774w model will cost you around 7000/-. it's 80 plus certified (the 80 Plus specification requires SMPS to be at-least 80% efficient at 20 load, 50% load and 100% load for systems ). Other features are Active PFC, Modular design (so no mesh of wires in side cabby)
 
What is your general usage for the GPU? CUDA apps/gaming/HD movies/rendering/????

If CUDA apps is your priority then most of the suggestions here will be useless as they will be considering gaming benchmarks.
ATI/AMD GPUs have the Stream technology for GPGPU applications and also supports OpenCL. What apps do you use and have you checked any benchmarks for your regular usage?

Regarding the PSU, they are most efficient when working at around 80-90% load. If your system is not going to use that much power, you will be wasting the extra amount spent and also losing out on power bills due to the inefficieny. If you are going to use this PSU with your next build then plan accordingly. For your current build, Darkangel's suggestion will be more than enough.

-edit-
Also, I think I'll go with CM Silent Pro M700. I ran the calculation on their site and it came to around 600W. So will definitely need 700W to be on the safe side.
Click to expand...
Can you link to the site where you calculated this? Your current config should not require this much power unless you are OCing and/or planning to SLI/Crossfire.
 
Since you're buying a GPU to sell it in very near future, you can go for a second hand purchase. This way, you wont lose much, as Purchase price(used)-Sell price(5 months further used) would be quite low. Also, this will open some exotic powerful options like the GTX 260 216c (~6k), Cheaper GTS450 (~6.5k), which will drive the 2x(1920x1080) at native res without dropping many frames. So, when you sell it at 1k-2k loss, you will still have ample money saved for the GTX 560 Ti. Moreover, the upgrade steps would make quite alot of sense => 7600GT > Used GTX260 > New GTX 560 Ti.

As for the PSU, a VX550 is the perfect choice. Shear quality, not a vicitim of the recent Corsair cost cutting.

So, my opinion:

PSU (4.8k) + GFX Purchase GTX260 (6k) - GFX Sale GTX260 (5.5k) + GFX Purchase 560ti (Less than 10k) = Around 15k

If looking for a new purchase only, then following is recommended:

PSU (4.8k) + GFX Purchase GTS450 (Lower performance than GTX 260) (7.2k) - GFX Sale GTX260 (5.2k) + GFX Purchase 560ti (Less than 10k) = Around 17k

Assumption: OP wants Nvidia only
 
Thanks for the feedback guys!

My general usage for this PC is mainly Adobe Creative Suite, home entertainment and moderate gaming (mostly online which don't require massive GPU power. Like the BattlefieldPlay4Free, rFactor, NFS World etc.)

I do feel having CUDA and PhysX on the nVidia would make up for the performance difference with the ATI cards. Maybe its a more complete package to go with nVidia?

I again tried to convince myself for a 460 GTX but reading the reviews online I think 560 Ti is definitely worth the wait (for the prices to come down). So right now I am only looking for a temporary solution.

Also, I'm not going to sell the card which I will buy right now as it will move down to my secondary PC once I get a 560. Or maybe I will get the 560 GTX with the new PC I will build later in the year. In which case the card I will buy right now will remain in my current PC. I guess any card right now would be a good upgrade to the 7600 GT lol :p

Name one nVidia or ATI card you guys would buy with a budget of Rs. 5k - Rs. 6k if you were in my shoes?

I am open to a used card if it's less than 6 months old. But I guess it will also depend on the current availability? I personally prefer to buy all my stuff from SMC.

PS: My current PSU is 500W and I think it runs pretty much at its max potential. Also my PC runs at least 16 hours a day (music, work, surfing etc.) so I want to upgrade to a good quality highly efficient PSU which the Silent Pro seems to be (and its modular).

Stacker 830 can take in a lot of fans and hardware. I'm hoping to use the full potential of it's design. Want the cooling fully sorted now that the Delhi summer is around the corner.

Pretty much decided on the PSU now. Any suggestions for the CPU cooler? Budget is max Rs. 3000/- and I am currently planning to go with the CM N620.

Cheers!



EDIT:

@pr0ing: http://www.coolermaster.outervision.com/

I also considered the upgrades I have planned for the PC. Its saying around 600W

@sato1986: I just dropped the 450 GTS from the list. At this price range I am willing to consider ATI as well. Only on the higher range like the 560 Ti that I will prefer to go with nVidia for its CUDA and PhysX support. But at the lower end ATI looks more VFM.

I do want DDR5, but it doesn't matter if there is DX 11 support or not (for nVidia).

PS: Any idea how much a slightly used MSI 460 GTX would come for?
 
The wisest thing for you to do right now is to not upgrade your GPU at all. upgrade to the required card when you have enough money rather that buying a smaller card then a bigger card a few months down the line. If you are OK with you current card, you have no reason to upgrade a particular component in increments.
 
You are absolutely right. The main reason for an upgrade right now is to move my current card on to my other PC which is only missing a GPU. We really need that PC to be running now for general PC usage (and some co-op gaming).

So its a must right now to get a new GPU. But the 560 Ti looks so good that I don't want to invest in the 460 anymore. That is why looking for a temporary solution in the range of Rs. 5k - Rs.6k.

I'll be purchasing everything tomorrow.

Thanks again guys!
 
Update:

I am thinking of getting a slightly used 460 GTX. If anyone can recommend me someone who's selling one then that would be great!
 
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