# Thinking About Buying A New Computer For My Gaming Needs



## Cain (May 15, 2011)

Hi all, I'm currently thinking of buying a gaming computer, to of course, suit my gaming needs. Currently, I feel that my computer (5 years old) isn't up to scratch.
My current system specs:
HP Pavillion
Processor: Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 @2.40Ghz.
Graphics Card: Nvidia 8600GT 1Gb
Ram: 3Gbs
Monitor:1200x1024 75hz
Rate that system for gaming would you 

I'm looking to buy a relatively cheap (ish) gaming computer that can still deliver the goods, say a computer that'll let me run Bad Company 2 at full visuals, etc, without any fps lag or anything like that.

Now onto deciding my price range: 
I'm thinking about selling my PS3-60Gb (I have no idea how much I'll get out if it), 9 Ps3 games (fallout 3, TC's Rainbow 6 Vegas 2, Homefront, RDR, and others), and maybe even my old Xbox PAL (original, still works), with it's about 30 games (PAL), and maybe even the computer i'm currently using.
So I really have no idea (yet) of the price range i'm looking at.

But i've gone onto some of those 'Gaming Computer Builders' and i've come up with some around 1800 pounds (that website was british). Would you recommend me to buy a gaming computer, custom gaming computer, or just buy all the parts and fix it up (unsure if i can do this xD)?

Thanks to all those who answer, and if you need any more info, just ask and i'll edit the OP.

*EDIT: I've decided to build a computer from scratch, and you can see the parts I'm planning to use near the bottom of the thread. Please tell me if i'm missing anything, or some of them arent compatible with eachother. Thanks!*


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## AshleyAshes (May 15, 2011)

Frankly, you have a quadcore, it's not an absurdly fast quadcore but it is a quad core. That in itself is pretty good. That CPU was expensive as hell when you got it and it still has some good legs in it if you'd like. You could easily get away with buying more RAM, to a total of 4GB but 8GB would be better, and a Mid-High or High end graphics card and your machine would play everything you throw at it for another 2-3 years. If you really did buy a Q6600 when it came out in Q1 2007 or soon after, you spent a TONNE on it and you'd might as well keep that investment going.

I'm quite serious too, I built a new machine with a 3.3ghz Quadcore and a midrange graphics card last week, but if you put a high end graphics card in your system you'd easily equal my machine and probably do better.

The upgrade path would only cost you...$250 or so for a Radeon HD 6950 or something similar, and DDR2 can be a bit pricy but maybe $150 to get yourself to 8GB. (You with 3GB, I don't know how much of that you'd have to remove to make room for larger sticks) But then you could also recoup some costs by selling any removed RAM and the older graphics card.


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## Cain (May 15, 2011)

Well gee thanks!
Maybe I won't have to spend too much xD
One question:
The Radeon HD 6950 requires: "PCI ExpressÂ® based PC is required with one X16 lane graphics slot available on the motherboard" With the Nvidia card gone, will my motherboard be able to fit the Radeon in? Motherboard: Property	Value
Manufacturer	PEGATRON CORPORATION
Model	Benicia
Version	1.01
Serial Number	X312345678

North Bridge	Intel P35/G33/G31 Revision A2
South Bridge	Intel 82801IR (ICH9R) Revision A2

CPU	Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Quad CPU Q6600 @ 2.40GHz
Cpu Socket	Socket 775 LGA

System Slots	4 PCI

Memory Summary	
Maximum Capacity	4096 MBytes
Memory Slots	4
Error Correction	None

That's under the motherboard section from the SIW program.
Property	Value
SHEAMUS-PC (HP-Pavilion KN460AA-ABV m9280.me)
Memory Summary
Maximum Capacity	4096 MBytes
Memory Slots	4
Error Correction	None
DRAM Frequency	400.0 MHz
Memory Timings	6-6-6-18 (CL-RCD-RP-RAS)
Device Locator	Slot 1
Manufacturer	Samsung
Part Number	M3 78T2863QZS-CF7 
Serial Number	814D840F
Capacity	1024 MBytes
Memory Type	DDR2 (PC2-6400)
Speed	400 MHz (DDR2 800)
Supported Frequencies	266.7 MHz, 333.3 MHz, 400.0 MHz
Memory Timings	4-4-4-12-16 at 266.7 MHz, at 1.8 volts (CL-RCD-RP-RAS-RC)
Memory Timings	5-5-5-15-20 at 333.3 MHz, at 1.8 volts (CL-RCD-RP-RAS-RC)
Memory Timings	6-6-6-18-24 at 400.0 MHz, at 1.8 volts (CL-RCD-RP-RAS-RC)
Data Width	64 bits
Manufacturing Date	2008, Week 11
EPP SPD Support	No
XMP SPD Support	No
Device Locator	Slot 2
Manufacturer	Micron Technology
Part Number	4HTF6464AY-800E1  
Serial Number	DA23E8B8
Capacity	512 MBytes
Memory Type	DDR2 (PC2-6400)
Speed	400 MHz (DDR2 800)
Supported Frequencies	266.7 MHz, 333.3 MHz, 400.0 MHz
Memory Timings	4-4-4-12-16 at 266.7 MHz, at 1.8 volts (CL-RCD-RP-RAS-RC)
Memory Timings	5-5-5-15-20 at 333.3 MHz, at 1.8 volts (CL-RCD-RP-RAS-RC)
Memory Timings	6-6-6-18-24 at 400.0 MHz, at 1.8 volts (CL-RCD-RP-RAS-RC)
Data Width	64 bits
Manufacturing Date	2008, Week 9
EPP SPD Support	No
XMP SPD Support	No
Device Locator	Slot 3
Manufacturer	Samsung
Part Number	M3 78T2863QZS-CF7 
Serial Number	814D8411
Capacity	1024 MBytes
Memory Type	DDR2 (PC2-6400)
Speed	400 MHz (DDR2 800)
Supported Frequencies	266.7 MHz, 333.3 MHz, 400.0 MHz
Memory Timings	4-4-4-12-16 at 266.7 MHz, at 1.8 volts (CL-RCD-RP-RAS-RC)
Memory Timings	5-5-5-15-20 at 333.3 MHz, at 1.8 volts (CL-RCD-RP-RAS-RC)
Memory Timings	6-6-6-18-24 at 400.0 MHz, at 1.8 volts (CL-RCD-RP-RAS-RC)
Data Width	64 bits
Manufacturing Date	2008, Week 11
EPP SPD Support	No
XMP SPD Support	No
Device Locator	Slot 4
Manufacturer	Micron Technology
Part Number	4HTF6464AY-800E1  
Serial Number	DA23E8B6
Capacity	512 MBytes
Memory Type	DDR2 (PC2-6400)
Speed	400 MHz (DDR2 800)
Supported Frequencies	266.7 MHz, 333.3 MHz, 400.0 MHz
Memory Timings	4-4-4-12-16 at 266.7 MHz, at 1.8 volts (CL-RCD-RP-RAS-RC)
Memory Timings	5-5-5-15-20 at 333.3 MHz, at 1.8 volts (CL-RCD-RP-RAS-RC)
Memory Timings	6-6-6-18-24 at 400.0 MHz, at 1.8 volts (CL-RCD-RP-RAS-RC)
Data Width	64 bits
Manufacturing Date	2008, Week 9
EPP SPD Support	No
XMP SPD Support	No

	And that's under the Memory section from the same program. Would I need to remove all the sticks to put in: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231182

Or just put in a new one or something? How can I tell how many slots there are in my computer for RAM?


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## sunandshadow (May 15, 2011)

I built my current gaming box for $600 (did not include monitor, mouse, keyboard, etc. but did include a copy of Windows which was $100 or so all by itself.  My friend built a slightly lower-spec box (half the ram of mine, no graphics card, no windows needed, again did not include monitor, mouse, keyboard) for his dad's desktop two weeks ago and it was under $400.  So I think you'd still be looking at $500 for building a nice new box if you don't recycle any bits.  (We bought all the hardware from newegg.)


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## Runefox (May 15, 2011)

Uh... Ashes... Not exactly.
Just by virtue of it being a quad core CPU doesn't exactly make it in any way comparable to your system, and in fact, the Q6600 is several generations old now. The Sandy Bridge 2500K CPU's are twice as fast in some cases.

As for the computer, your RAM slots are full (you have four of them). You have 2 1GB sticks and 2 512MB sticks, and quite honestly, I'd remove all of them if you were going to toss in the G.SKILL RAM. In addition, if you were going to add a video card like the 6950, you'll almost definitely need a new power supply, as well.

EDIT: Full system specs. You will DEFINITELY need a new power supply for this if you do upgrade. HP is also one of those companies that from time to time likes to swap leads on the power supply connector for the motherboard, so that's a bit of a roulette.


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## AshleyAshes (May 15, 2011)

Runefox said:


> Uh... Ashes... Not exactly.
> Just by virtue of it being a quad core CPU doesn't exactly make it in any way comparable to your system, and in fact, the Q6600 is several generations old now. The Sandy Bridge 2500K CPU's are twice as fast in some cases.



Uhh... Where did you read that I said it was equal to my 2500k?


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## Cain (May 15, 2011)

Runefox said:


> Uh... Ashes... Not exactly.
> Just by virtue of it being a quad core CPU doesn't exactly make it in any way comparable to your system, and in fact, the Q6600 is several generations old now. The Sandy Bridge 2500K CPU's are twice as fast in some cases.
> 
> As for the computer, your RAM slots are full (you have four of them). You have 2 1GB sticks and 2 512MB sticks, and quite honestly, I'd remove all of them if you were going to toss in the G.SKILL RAM. In addition, if you were going to add a video card like the 6950, you'll almost definitely need a new power supply, as well.
> ...




So any tips for the power supply?


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## Runefox (May 15, 2011)

AshleyAshes said:


> Uhh... Where did you read that I said it was equal to my 2500k?





> I'm quite serious too, I built a new machine with a 3.3ghz Quadcore and a  midrange graphics card last week, but if you put a high end graphics  card in your system you'd easily equal my machine and probably do  better.




Anyway, I recommend Corsair for power supplies. I'm not sure what you have access to in the UAE, but the Corsair TX650 should be a good place to start, or if you want to go a little less expensive, the CX600. Other brands that are good are Antec, SeaSonic,  and PC Power & Cooling.


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## Cain (May 15, 2011)

Runefox said:


> Anyway, I recommend Corsair for power supplies. I'm not sure what you have access to in the UAE, but the Corsair TX650 should be a good place to start, or if you want to go a little less expensive, the CX600. Other brands that are good are Antec, SeaSonic,  and PC Power & Cooling.


 

I think ashes meant that my system would e better than/equal to hers after I upgraded the graphics card and ram.

And I think availability isn't really a problem cause most likely I'll just buy the things off newegg, and have em shipped over.


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## Runefox (May 15, 2011)

After considering your current system's specs, I'm really not too sure that upgrading would be the best path to take, and there are multiple reasons for that:



Your power supply is far too weak and needs to be replaced.



A replacement power supply may or may not fit in HP's proprietary case design. HP has a history of using odd form factors for power supplies.



A replacement power supply may or may not work with the motherboard. HP again has a history of switching the wiring pinouts from the standard.



The motherboard specs report a maximum RAM capacity of 8GB. It might not actually be able to support 4GB modules like those used in that 8GB G.SKILL kit.



Your CPU, while not terrible, is going to hold back a high-end video card quite a bit. Checking the 3D Mark results site, even the least overclocked Q6600's listed with high-end cards (running at 3.35GHz, a ~1GHz overclock) report around a 33% lower speed overall than more modern CPU's. A stock Q6600 like yours will likely drop to the 50% mark.



A high end video card will have trouble with heat in that system because the case is not designed for airflow. Even if it uses a dual-slot cooler, heat that is not immediately blown out the case through the cooler will rise and affect other components as well.



A high end video card may or may not actually fit into that case. Cards like the 6950 are very long, and may interfere with the drive bays in that case. Additionally, the motherboard has a limited number of slots, and the cooler for a card like that will obstruct one more of your slots because of its size, which may also be a concern.

I'm fairly sure that in order to achieve what you want to achieve (Bad Company 2 maxed out with no lag), you're going to want to think about putting together something new. However, you definitely don't need to spend 1800 British pounds, and I'm guessing you got that figure from a "boutique" computer place. I'd really recommend getting the parts and putting it all together yourself, or getting someone you know who's capable, or even paying a little extra for assembly either by Newegg (probably not a great idea for shipping overseas) or by a local shop. As for what I'd recommend, that really depends on what your budget will be.


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## Ames (May 15, 2011)

I wouldn't recommend buying any sort of pre-built computer labeled as a "gaming machine."  They are well known for being absurdly overpriced considering the hardware they're packing.

If you want a capable gaming rig customized to fit your needs at a relatively low price, look into building one yourself.  It's not nearly as difficult as you may think it to be.
Just do a little research before buying your parts, and you should be fine.  If a 10-year-old me could do it, so can you. :3c


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## Cain (May 15, 2011)

Oh alright. Well I've been looking on newegg, and founda some good parts that I want:
Hard Drive:http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822145298
Motherboard:http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130565
Case: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129042
Memory:http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145345
Processor:http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103808
Graphics:http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150530
Do I need any fans and or heatsinks? If so please recommend!
Power:http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139020
Any other essentials I need?


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## InflatedSnake (May 16, 2011)

Jagged Edge said:


> Oh alright. Well I've been looking on newegg, and founda some good parts that I want:
> Hard Drive:http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822145298
> Motherboard:http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130565
> Case: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129042
> ...


Yes, you will need heat-sinks if you wish to play BC2 at max with those specs, the graphics card will get really hot otherwise.
Personally I can't recommend any heat-sinks but I'm sure another member of the community will be able to help you out.


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## Cain (May 16, 2011)

Okay, in addition to the parts in my last post,
And this heatsink: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103065
Are they all compatible? And am I missing anything?


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## InflatedSnake (May 16, 2011)

Jagged Edge said:


> Okay, in addition to the parts in my last post,
> And this heatsink: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103065
> Are they all compatible? And am I missing anything?


 Don't forget your thermal glue!


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## Cain (May 16, 2011)

InflatedSnake said:


> Don't forget your thermal adhesive!


 
Whaaaaaaa


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## InflatedSnake (May 16, 2011)

Jagged Edge said:


> Whaaaaaaa


 It's what you use to glue the fan to the processor, you have to be careful when handling it though and use gloves as it's poisonous.
Or you can use other tools like the nice man in this video did.


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## Sarcastic Coffeecup (May 16, 2011)

It helps the heat flow from Cpu to the heatsink.


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## Cain (May 16, 2011)

Oh, so I actually have to glue stuff? :V
TBH, I actually thought it was mostly just plugging in things and slotting things in


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## Runefox (May 16, 2011)

Uhh... No?

The processor will come with a heat sink/fan with thermal _grease_ already on it, so it really is just a matter of plugging and slotting it in. Thermal _glue_ or _cement_ (what thermal paste actually refers to, but the term is incorrectly used for grease) is practically never used anymore except in places where the heat sink isn't ever expected to come off.

As for the graphics card, notice how it's really thick (two slots) and has this really big plastic thing on it? That plastic thing is covering a heat sink and fan. The card itself is actually pretty flat. Virtually all its weight and size comes from the cooler attached to it. Adding a different CPU cooler really won't do anything to influence the video card, and your Antec Three Hundred case should come with decent airflow out of the box.


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## Cain (May 16, 2011)

Runefox said:


> Uhh... No?
> 
> The processor will come with a heat sink/fan with thermal _grease_ already on it, so it really is just a matter of plugging and slotting it in. Thermal _glue_ or _cement_ (what thermal paste actually refers to, but the term is incorrectly used for grease) is practically never used anymore except in places where the heat sink isn't ever expected to come off.
> 
> As for the graphics card, notice how it's really thick (two slots) and has this really big plastic thing on it? That plastic thing is covering a heat sink and fan. The card itself is actually pretty flat. Virtually all its weight and size comes from the cooler attached to it. Adding a different CPU cooler really won't do anything to influence the video card, and your Antec Three Hundred case should come with decent airflow out of the box.


 Oh really? Hurrah! 
xD So I dont need to spend that little bit extra after all!


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## Cain (May 16, 2011)

One more question, I'll need to buy a windows installation disk, right? And doesn't it need to be 64bit to acknowledge the 8gbs of ram or something?


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## Runefox (May 16, 2011)

Jagged Edge said:


> One more question, I'll need to buy a windows installation disk, right? And doesn't it need to be 64bit to acknowledge the 8gbs of ram or something?


 Yes and yes. This is what you want to get.

On that note, a few things I might suggest are:


Hitachi aren't exactly known as quality drives. They're not terrible, but they're primarily used by OEM's. More reliable (and speedier) would be Western Digital Caviar Blue or Black.
If you have the extra cash to spend, I'd really suggest getting an Intel Core i5 2500 or even 2300 rather than a Phenom II 955. Both would outperform it by a fair bit, and if you're set on AMD, they are soon releasing their new line of CPU's, codenamed Bulldozer, so what you're getting with a Phenom II is a generation old now.
I'd recommend ASUS or Gigabyte over MSI for the motherboard regardless of the CPU used, but MSI is fairly decent if you do decide to go with them. It's sometimes a matter of preference, but I rank ASUS and Gigabyte at the top of the pack when it comes to consumer motherboards.


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## Cain (May 16, 2011)

Runefox said:


> Yes and yes. This is what you want to get.
> 
> On that note, a few things I might suggest are:
> 
> ...


 
hmm. I'll take another look at the list and decide. Might get an intel now. Would you recommend any any specific model motherboard?
And I'll probably look for another harddrive.


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## AshleyAshes (May 16, 2011)

There are advantages to the Intel i5 2500k...


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## Cain (May 16, 2011)

AshleyAshes said:


> There are advantages to the Intel i5 2500k...


 
Hot damn! xD


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## AshleyAshes (May 16, 2011)

Jagged Edge said:


> Hot damn! xD



While stable at 4.4ghz, it's also hot as hell at 90'C, which just isn't safe.  I'm going to be getting a new cooler for the CPU so I can run it at 4.4ghz as it's normal operating speed.  The stock cooler just doesn't cut it for 4.4ghz. >_>


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## Ames (May 17, 2011)

AshleyAshes said:


> While stable at 4.4ghz, it's also hot as hell at 90'C, which just isn't safe.  I'm going to be getting a new cooler for the CPU so I can run it at 4.4ghz as it's normal operating speed.  The stock cooler just doesn't cut it for 4.4ghz. >_>


 
You should never push a cpu that hard on stock cooling.

>.>


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## Azbulldog (May 17, 2011)

As is already mentioned you should definitely look at Western Digital hard drives, as well as what is left of the Samsung drives. 2TB drives are also considered a bit unstable from what I recall. You could probably pull back to a 1TB and be fine, just anything that's 7200 RPM and with a decent sized cache. Also look at a solid state drive if you can afford it. 

MSI is a great brand and is definitely up there with ASUS and Gigabyte so you won't have to worry. My current motherboard is MSI and it works fine. I only dislike the fact that the second PCI Express x16 slot, as with most dual slot motherboards, runs at x4 speed which hinders Crossfire and SLI. The Phenom 955 is _perfectly adequate_ for now, I have a nearly identical 965 and it runs great but I would also recommend the Cooler Master 212 with it because I use one as well, it's cheap, and runs very cool allowing for more overclocking to push it further. For games it will come down mostly to the video card anyways. Depending on the motherboard it _could_ also be receiving a BIOS update to allow it to also be compatible with the upcoming bulldozer CPUs so you could still upgrade in the future. I also have the slightly less awesome Radeon 6870 compared to the 6950 you posted, and it runs everything I've thrown at it recently on full so Bad Company will definitely run smooth.

Of course if you did want some extra horsepower _now_ then you of course could get a second gen Intel Core motherboard and CPU combo instead. Any motherboard will do as long as it has the appropriate CPU socket (LGA1155) and is a good brand. Since you're getting a graphics card you can skip over any ones with embedded graphics (Intel H61/H67 chipsets). The rest comes down to the ports and features you like. I would still recommend the Cooler Master heatsink as well, just because it will be a bit better than the stock ones.

Also make sure you have a functioning DVD drive to install Windows. You could use the one from your current computer just be aware that if it is IDE (I doubt it is) that newer motherboards may not support it anymore and you may have to get a new SATA one anyways. You can find a card reader to slip in as well if you would like one.

Speaking of using stuff from your old computer I'd suggest a new widescreen monitor for gaming, and still use your old monitor for web browsing and such on the side. You'll be able to keep your current hard drive, and you can also keep your Nvidia 8600GT and use it for PhysX on the side if there's a second PCI Express x16 slot, but I can't really recall the importance of such anymore. You would just have to find the hack to allow it to run alongside an ATI/AMD card. If your computer has a wireless card you can probably still use it too. Of course after all that it would be difficult to sell.

I think that's all I can think of for now.

Also yay for me for buying an additional 4GB RAM on Saturday on sale for $30 after rebate.


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## AshleyAshes (May 17, 2011)

JamesB said:


> You should never push a cpu that hard on stock cooling.
> 
> >.>



I'd say that temperature is the only factor.  The Sandybridge is actually quite remarkable, namely in that it ONLY reaches 90'C on stock cooling at 4.4.  Most CPUs before it would have blown a gasket.  In addition to that, I got to 4.4, stable, without even needing to adjust the vcore voltage.   It's a remarkable little demon of a CPU, really.


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## Cain (May 17, 2011)

*UPDATED LIST*
I've decided to switch the motherboard to an Intel, Swapped the Processor with an Intel too. And I've changed the Harddrive to a WD 1TB one. 
Also, Don't I need an audio card or something to use my usb headphones? Don't I need some sort of way for my computer to get a wired internet? Or do those two just go into the motherboard? And I need a DVD drive too right? Any recommendations for these? (If they are essential)
Case: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129042
Motherboard: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128423
Graphics: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150530
Power Supply: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139020
Processor: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115072
RAM: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145345
Hard Drive: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136284
*Puh-Lease Tell me if any of these parts aren't compatible with eachother!*

*EDIT:* I'm pretty sure I need a CD/DVD drive/writer, so I found this: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827135204

*Double Edit:*I saw that the Intel Processor I'm thinking about requires a LGA1155 CPU socket type, but the motherboard has a LGA1366. Is this a problem? Just In case, here's a motherboard that's compatible with the Processor I'm getting: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...3131716&cm_re=lga_1155-_-13-131-716-_-Product

*Triple Edit:* Also, it seems that the motherboard mentioned in double edit, has DDR3 1333/1066, while the RAM I want is DDR3 1600. Again, is this a compatibility problem? If so, new RAM: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...231311&cm_re=DDR3_1333-_-20-231-311-_-Product
Thanks to the people who frequently respond to this thread <3


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## Runefox (May 17, 2011)

You don't need a sound card, no, nor a network card; Both of these will come built-in. Your USB headphones additionally wouldn't need one anyway, because they have their own soundcard. You will need an optical drive, but it's no exaggeration to say any DVD-capable drive will do.

Now, as for the processor/motherboard, you will have issues. You need to match the socket to the processor. The second motherboard you chose would work, but would also be quite a bit slower, since it's using a lesser chipset with integrated graphics (which you don't need). I recommend the ASUS P8P67, but the Gigabyte GA-P67A-UD3 is a little less expensive and has similar features.

As for the RAM, no, that isn't a problem. RAM is rated to its maximum performance, not what it's meant to run at. Every stick of RAM comes with settings for each speed (SPD), usually with tighter timings and lower power usage at the lower speeds. There are people out there who buy RAM rated at a faster frequency for the sole purpose of lowering it to achieve that.


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## Cain (May 17, 2011)

Runefox said:


> You don't need a sound card, no, nor a network card; Both of these will come built-in. Your USB headphones additionally wouldn't need one anyway, because they have their own soundcard. You will need an optical drive, but it's no exaggeration to say any DVD-capable drive will do.
> 
> Now, as for the processor/motherboard, you will have issues. You need to match the socket to the processor. The second motherboard you chose would work, but would also be quite a bit slower, since it's using a lesser chipset with integrated graphics (which you don't need). I recommend the ASUS P8P67, but the Gigabyte GA-P67A-UD3 is a little less expensive and has similar features.
> 
> ...


 
Oh, alright. So I don't need to change from the first Ram before the edit, right? All I need it the motherboard? Okay!


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## Azbulldog (May 17, 2011)

When looking at motherboards get one with SATA III (6gb/s) because
Western Digital sells a slightly different hard drive for the same price but with a larger cache. That's a free upgrade to the hard drive you have above, it just needs SATA III instead. SATA III is also now being used with newer solid state drives you could be interested in, in the future. You can also look at USB 3.0 which is pretty much standard in all new motherboards, unfortunately almost nothing manages to use them right now. 

Runefox's two mentions above both support these.


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## AshleyAshes (May 17, 2011)

Runefox said:


> the Gigabyte GA-P67A-UD3 is a little less expensive and has similar features.



I'd say the GA-P67A-UD3 is pretty feature rich for it's price point.  It covers almost anyones need so long as their system is only intented for one graphics card.


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## Cain (May 17, 2011)

Okay, I'll look into getting the 6gb/s WD harddrive.


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## Cain (May 18, 2011)

*New Super Duper Updated List*

Okay, I'm pretty sure all these parts have no compatibility issues, and that nothing hinders another in terms of performance, but if they do, please say so.

Hard Drive: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...cm_re=Caviar_Black_1TB-_-22-136-533-_-Product
Motherboard: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131705
DVD drive: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827135204
Case: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129042
Graphics Card: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150530
Power Supply: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139020
Processor: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115072
Ram: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145345


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## Cain (May 18, 2011)

And also, ^ is most likely the final list, unless there are some compatibility/hindering issues.


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