Advice on a little upgrade

[Vinka]

Hi

I want to buy a SSD, but I still use Windows XP (my machine is a i7 920). So I thought that I may need a little more memory and upgrade to Windows 7, and later next year buy a new motherboard, memory and processor.

Now I have two options:

Buy a Samsung 840 and 16GB Corsair Vengeance

OR

Buy only a SSD (Samsung 840 PRO, Samsung 830) and wait until next year to buy a motherboard, CPU and memory (and a new video card only if I really need it).

Also, would you advice me to upgrade to Windows 7? Which version (pro or Ultimate) and what platform (32 vs 64 bits)? I have no doubts about the software that I use for work, but for gaming I’m not so sure. I’m worried about compatibility with older games.


1. What YOUR PC will be used for. That means what types of tasks you'll be performing.

Working (Visual Studio, Sql Server, I use remote desktop and connect to my work network) and gaming IF I have a little time (The Sims, and RPGs like The Witcher, Oblivion, Fable, The Last Remnant and every now and then I like to play really old games like Caesar 3).

2. What YOUR budget is. A price range is acceptable as long as it's not more than a 20% spread
USD 350

3. What country YOU will be buying YOUR parts from.
US, ONLY from Amazon. I live outside USA and can’t shop on NewEgg.

4. IF you're buying parts OUTSIDE the US, please post a link to the vendor you'll be buying from.
--

5. IF YOU have a brand preference. That means, are you an Intel-Fanboy, AMD-Fanboy, ATI-Fanboy, nVidia-Fanboy, Seagate-Fanboy, WD-Fanboy, etc.
I prefer Intel

6. If YOU intend on using any of YOUR current parts, and if so, what those parts are.
My current PC is:
Antect Nine Hundred Two
Asus P6T vers. 1
Intel Core i7 920 + Cooler Master RR-B10-212P-G1 Hyper 212 Plus
PC Power and Cooling S75QB Silencer 750W Quad
OCZ DDR3 PC3-10666 6GB Platinum XTC Triple Channel Kits
HD 4890 + Scythe MUSASHI
Caviar 500 GB
Caviar Black 1 Tb
LG L227WTG and a 32” 1080p Samsung TV
Windows Xp Pro

7. IF YOU plan on overclocking or run the system at default speeds.
No overclocling

8. What resolution, not monitor size, will you be using?
1680x1050, 22”

9. WHEN do you plan to build it?
I can buy the SSD and the memory next week

X. Do you need to purchase any software to go with the system, such as Windows or Blu Ray playback software?
MAYBE Windows 7 (which I’d buy locally).


Thanks

 

[lehtv]

Do you know for a fact that you need more RAM? On LGA1366, memory is used in triple-channel mode so you'd want modules in multiples of three. It'd be better to upgrade to 2x8GB of dual channel RAM simultaneously with the motherboard and CPU.

I'd probably upgrade to Windows 7/8 and add an SSD, then leave the CPU+mobo+RAM upgrade for when Haswell is released (April 2013 probably). If it's critical you need more RAM now, buy three 4GB Samsung modules for $20 each. You can then move that RAM over for your Haswell upgrade and add one more module for 16GB in total.

 

[riversend]

+1 to lehtv's recommendation. I would shy away from the 840s, they seem to be experiencing growing pains. 830 if you can find it, or Crucial M4 or Intel 330 are great choices.

 

[Vinka]

Thanks to both. I'll just buy an SSD now and upgrade the rest later next year.

Any hope for my PC to run games like Oblivion or The Witcher on a virtual machine on Windows 7? Would it be terribly slow?

 

[mfenn]

Do you know for a fact that you need more RAM? On LGA1366, memory is used in triple-channel mode so you'd want modules in multiples of three. It'd be better to upgrade to 2x8GB of dual channel RAM simultaneously with the motherboard and CPU.

I'd probably upgrade to Windows 7/8 and add an SSD, then leave the CPU+mobo+RAM upgrade for when Haswell is released (April 2013 probably). If it's critical you need more RAM now, buy three 4GB Samsung modules for $20 each. You can then move that RAM over for your Haswell upgrade and add one more module for 16GB in total.

Agree.

Any hope for my PC to run games like Oblivion or The Witcher on a virtual machine on Windows 7? Would it be terribly slow?

No and yes in that order.

However, why the hell would you want to do that??? They both work fine on 7.

 

[Vinka]

However, why the hell would you want to do that??? They both work fine on 7.

Those two games were an example (a very bad one, I give you that point).

I have only used dosbox to play really old dos games and I was just wanted the feedback of people here who ran games like those on XP virtual machines when they don't work on Windows 7.

Thanks anyway for taking the time to answer

 

[Rockinfella2k]

I have a Samsung 840 Pro 256GB and it is freaking awesome....Buy it!!!! If I would have known it was this awesome I would have gotten the 512 model!

 

[lehtv]

Samsung 840 Pro 256GB is $270, while an Intel 330 240GB can be found for $155.. the Samsung is definitely not 75% better, more like 10% better

 

[Vinka]

Samsung 840 Pro 256GB is $270, while an Intel 330 240GB can be found for $155.. the Samsung is definitely not 75% better, more like 10% better

Regretfully I only can buy the SSD on Amazon, and the price of a 256GB 830 is $255 vs $178 for a 840 ($ 270 for a 840 Pro)

 

[mfenn]

Those two games were an example (a very bad one, I give you that point).

I have only used dosbox to play really old dos games and I was just wanted the feedback of people here who ran games like those on XP virtual machines when they don't work on Windows 7.

Thanks anyway for taking the time to answer

I think that you'll find that the set of games that work on XP but don't work on Vista/7/8 is very very small. Most that don't work out of the box can be made to run with a combination of compatibility modes (not virtual machines), Run as Administrator, and config file tweaks.

 

[lehtv]

Regretfully I only can buy the SSD on Amazon, and the price of a 256GB 830 is $255 vs $178 for a 840 ($ 270 for a 840 Pro)

Intel 330 240GB is $180 on amazon...

 

[riversend]

Take that Intel 330 while it is still there.

 

[Vinka]

I just bought the Intel 330, thanks everybody for your suggestions