What should be my upgrade priorities considering this system?

Discussion in 'New Build / Upgrade Advice' started by daishi55, Mar 21, 2010.

  1. daishi55

    daishi55 Geek Trainee

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    Ok, here's my current build:
    4gb OCZ 800 DDR2
    Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 @2.4GHz
    Gigabyte GA-P35-DS3R (handles DDR2/DDR3)
    Antec 650w PSU
    64gb patriot SSD (+1TB HDD)
    *No GPU - it died*
    So my question is, with a budget of $700-$750, what should I do to maximize gaming performance? My first thought was just to buy a 5970, and overclock my Q6600 (which I've heard is an excellent overclocker). But how much of a bottleneck would my other older components be? Is it a better option to go with a less powerful GPU, and instead upgrade to DDR3 RAM (my motherboard has slots for DDR2 and DDR3)? The end goal is to maximize FPS in games, any thoughts? Thanks!
     
  2. jaredc

    jaredc Geek Trainee

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    It may be useful to use some of that budget to buy a nice CPU cooler in order to OC your processor and not burn up its life.

    I would go with a less powerful card, then upgrade to 6gb of DDR3 for now.

    -get a CPU cooler
    -New GFX Card
    -6gb DDR3 (make sure to leave room for future expansion).

    keep in mind that this way, if you run into money later you can SLI/Crossfire and get even more performance.
     
  3. daishi55

    daishi55 Geek Trainee

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    Ok, thanks. So are you thinking like a GTX 285? 275?
     
  4. jaredc

    jaredc Geek Trainee

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    It all depends on how much of your budget you have left.

    I have the 275 gtx and am very happy. You would probably notice a big difference between the 275 and 285, so whatever you think you would need.

    I wish you luck with the upgrade!
     

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