need help in getting a new video card/upgrades etc

[DjUnternull]

Temporarily I am using http://www.newegg.com/product/produc...82E16814130082 because my other video card here

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-043-_-Product

has lost one of its fan blades and is on its way to being replaced by galaxy.

I came across
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...2E16814127476R

and was wondering if picking up two would be better than what i had in the long run?

Also the last time i upgrades my system hardware wise(Mobo/ram/processor) was back in 07 and shes in need of an upgrade.

I was wondering what new motherboard would be compatible with the new i7 processors and would handle ddr3 ram ?

What i have now
asus p5b(plain jane p5b)
2g ddr2 ram
500g hard drive
880gts 320 mb
e6420 dual core(overclocked)

I figured id like to future proof myself for the next 2-3 years
core i7
4-6g of ddr3
same HD
^those video cards above or some recommendation without paying rediculous prices!

I respect everyones opinion and would love recommendations!
thanks

Also if anyone has any of the above for sale^ cheaper than what i see retail and has a bundle that would be awesome!

 

[cusideabelincoln]

and was wondering if picking up two would be better than what i had in the long run?

A single HD 5770 is twice as fast as a GT240 DDR3. So two of them would be even faster, and obviously would last longer as far as performance goes.

I was wondering what new motherboard would be compatible with the new i7 processors and would handle ddr3 ram ?

Well there are two versions of the i7 and their respective motherboards. You could go with socket 1156 or socket 1366. If you want to go with 1156 then you'll need to get a board that has the Intel P55 chipset. For socket 1366 you need to get a board with the Intel X58 chipset. If you want i7, though, your best bet is to go with socket 1366 and get the Core i7 930.

 

[DjUnternull]

can you recommend a motherboard that will fit my needs as far as those two^ 5770's and the i7?

also i have heard of MSI but have not purchased msi ever how are they as far as a company?
how would two of these cards stack up against the newest cards on the market?

 

[cusideabelincoln]

This one looks good:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-423-_-Product

 

[RussianSensation]

Intel Path:

I would get Core i5 750 instead of Core i7 930/i7 860 and save $100 (unless you can get it at Microcenter in which case I'd probably go for the 920/930/860). There is also no benefit in 6GBs of ram in games at the moment; so why pay extra today? Ram prices will probably continue to fall in the next 2-3 years.

A 1156 Gigabyte board will cost less than the board linked above $165 vs. $205: http://www.ewiz.com/detail.php?name=...TX-Motherboard

Adding up the savings:
Core i7 750 vs. Core i7 920/930 = $100
1156 vs. 1366 Gigabyte Board = $40
4GB of ram vs. 6GBs = $30
You'll also be able to use a weaker cooler to overclock the 750 to 4.0ghz as opposed to the i7s. So $30 cooler master 212 vs. $50-$60 Megahalems/Venemous X = $30 savings

Total savings: $200

You were going to spend $130 on those graphics cards (with shipping) x 2 = $260. Now you have $460

This means:

1) You can keep the 5770s and buy a $200 SSD such as Vertex 2 60GB / Agility 2 GB / Intel 80GB
2) For $460 get dual 5830s (http://www.ncixus.com/products/?sku=...r&promoid=1078), or a single GTX480 for $450, or a single 5870 for $380 and put $80 towards a used 5870 upgrade down the line for CF.

AMD Path:

Your other option would be to go AMD:

1055T 6 core = same price as the 750 for $199
Gigabyte 890 AM3 board for $122: http://www.ewiz.com/detail.php?name=...TX-Motherboard

AM3 stock cooler is much much better than Intel's so you can probably even keep it. AM3 means you are saving another $40 from the 1156 motherboard and $30 from the aftermarket cooler.

You now have:

$260 (from 5770s) you were originally giong to spend
+ ($100 savings from Core i7 cpu + $80 am3 mobo vs. 1366, $30 from 6gbs of ram) = $210
+ $30 from aftermarket cooler = $500 in graphics card money.

5850s $310 - 30 = $280 x 2 = $560 http://www.ewiz.com/detail.php?name=...ess-Video-Card

$60 over budget though....

Still, lots of options! So much to think about

 

[DjUnternull]

i was just at microcenter today and saw a i7 for $199 dont remember the clock speed i believe 2.5 i believe retail for it was like $230. I play lots of games and I also create movies and video editing. Im barely doing that now with 2g so 6b wouldnt be overkill?
Assuming i go with the i5 750 what mobo would be compatible with that is well ?
Is the 5870 that beastly that it would overshadow two 5770 in cf? what of nvidias offerings i have been more partial to them since my days of ati?

 

[cusideabelincoln]

I'd say 6GB would be good for you, and an i7 could provide some benefits.

Sounds like you saw the i7 920 at microcenter. It's a good chip. If the i7 930 is close in price, though, then get it. Otherwise just get the 920.

Two 5770s are about equal to a single 5870. With a single 5870 you'll get a bit less power consumption and heat and get better performance in games that don't scale very well with Crossfire. But for $260 it's hard to beat the performance of two 5770s.

As for Nvidia they offer the GTX 465 and GTX 470 in the price range you seem to be in.

 

[DjUnternull]

now should i look on here as far as the BST forums to see if anyone has a mobo/processor/card or should i go through microcenter and price things out?
where did you see the 5870 for $260?
that mobo will fit in my antec coolermaster?

thank you for your advice and for taking the time for answering my questions

 

[cusideabelincoln]

As for pricing you should do both, really. Couldn't hurt.

As long as your case is a Mid Tower (or Full Tower) then yeah, the motherboard will fit.

I didn't see the 5870 for $260. I was talking about two of these:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...D=3332167&SID=

 

[DjUnternull]

sounds good, off i go for the hunt!

 

[RussianSensation]

If you can get Core i7 860/920/930 at MicroCenter, I would spend a little extra over the 750 since you will be doing video work/encoding.

5770s = 5870 roughly
http://www.legionhardware.com/artic...vs_geforce_gtx_470_and_radeon_hd_5850,11.html

 

[DjUnternull]

Im currently playing modern warfare 2, All Points bulletin, world of warcraft, everquest 2, borderlands and dragon age

 

[DjUnternull]

since those MSI's have gone MIA are these a suitable replacement?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...327R-_-Product

 

[RussianSensation]

If you are OK with Open Box and no lifetime warranty, than those are fine.

 

[DjUnternull]

hey russian tell me what you think
http://www.microcenter.com/single_pr...uct_id=0328212 - $150
http://www.microcenter.com/single_pr...uct_id=0331303 - $200
http://www.microcenter.com/single_pr...uct_id=0333086 - x2 @ $125 a piece
Am i missing anything I am concerned my power supply may not cut it i have a 450w supply

 

[3DVagabond]

Wrong motherboard for that processor. You need an X58 (1366) motherboard.

one of these. http://www.microcenter.com/search/se...uct&web_group=

 

[DjUnternull]

lol always a kink i got excitied i found a mobo under 200 lol thanks!

 

[3DVagabond]

You could go with this processor and use the same mobo you originally selected.
http://www.microcenter.com/single_pr...uct_id=0317378
You're paying $30.00 more, but you will also save a bit on RAM. You can go with 4Gb of dual channel instead of 6Gb of 3 channel RAM.

 

[DjUnternull]

well this is the kind of predicament i am in now, my motherboard can support dual core but no i7, no ddr3 and no crossfire
so i was thinking screw it and rebuild its been 3 years its time she gets some upgrades. I am attempting to future proof myself and getting a mobo that will last me roughly 3 years

 

[3DVagabond]

I'd go along with cusideabelincoln. I'd buy an i7 9** with the Gigabyte board he suggested. Still an upgrade path on processors and will run any (or any 2) videocards from nVidia or ATI at full bandwidth.

There's also the AMD Thuban/890FX route too. Not to add confusion. You can't really go too far wrong with any of the setups mentioned, though.

 

[DjUnternull]

call me odd but ive never ever had an amd processor ive always stuck with intel always been trusty

 

[RussianSensation]

For the 930, get this:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-423-_-Product

6 memory slots which means support for up to 24GBs of ram. You have 2x eSATA, Firewire, 2 SATA 6.0, 2 USB 3.0, 4 PCI express slots with 2x16 and 2x8, 3 year warranty. But I wouldn't consider any of the current platforms futureproof. Core i7 930 should last you 3 years if you overclock it to 3.7+ ghz given your usage. Your videocards may need to be upgraded in 2 years or so.

With most games using 2-3 cores at the moment: http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/cpus/2010/07/05/how-many-cpu-cores-do-games-need/3, it's going to be a while before games use 8 threads. The new Prince of Persia game is supposed to support 6 cores though.

 

[3DVagabond]

That's all 3 of us for the same 1366 mobo. It also gives you some SATA3 and USB3 support as well.

 

[cusideabelincoln]

Whatever motherboard you get now it is likely that whatever processor you get with it is going to be the one you're using 3 years from now. By this I mean the "high end" stuff is basically already on the market for all platforms - AMD AM3, Intel 1156, and Intel 1366 - so you probably won't have much of an upgrade path in terms of processors. The i7 930 is about as fast as you're going to get with 1366 (especially if you overclock, and assuming Intel doesn't release a budget six core), the i7 860 or i5 750 is about as fast as you'll get for 1156, and Thuban is about as fast as you'll get with AM3. Now someone can correct me if I'm wrong on these accounts, as I'm not 100% sure what the roadmap is for Intel and AMD, but I'm operating under the assumption the next line of processors will use a new socket.

So if you're going to be choosing a motherboard to last you three years, then you probably just need to look at features. And basically all the things Russian listed make an X58 board the best you can buy (since you're not considering AMD).

 

[3DVagabond]

Whatever motherboard you get now it is likely that whatever processor you get with it is going to be the one you're using 3 years from now. By this I mean the "high end" stuff is basically already on the market for all platforms - AMD AM3, Intel 1156, and Intel 1366 - so you probably won't have much of an upgrade path in terms of processors. The i7 930 is about as fast as you're going to get with 1366 (especially if you overclock, and assuming Intel doesn't release a budget six core), the i7 860 or i5 750 is about as fast as you'll get for 1156, and Thuban is about as fast as you'll get with AM3. Now someone can correct me if I'm wrong on these accounts, as I'm not 100% sure what the roadmap is for Intel and AMD, but I'm operating under the assumption the next line of processors will use a new socket.

So if you're going to be choosing a motherboard to last you three years, then you probably just need to look at features. And basically all the things Russian listed make an X58 board the best you can buy (since you're not considering AMD).

Intel is releasing 32nm processors for the 1366 X58 platform. Right now it's just dual cores and the high end 6 cores, but quads and cheaper 6 cores will assuredly follow. Bulldozer is supposed to be AM3 compatible. Not that the OP plans on going AMD, but 8 core BD should force Intel to come out with competitively priced 6 core i7's, which the OP will be able to take advantage of, if he decides to.