Upgrading my Gaming PC

[lehtv]

If you don't reinstall Windows, you won't need to reactivate it, obviously. Hardware changes have nothing to do with verifying you have legal software.

But:

which version of Windows do you have, is it 64-bit?

 

[VirtualLarry]

If you don't reinstall Windows, you won't need to reactivate it, obviously. Hardware changes have nothing to do with verifying you have legal software.

But:

You're kidding, right?

Of course you will have to re-activate Windows once you change out the motherboarrd.

MS takes a "Hardware hash" of your hardware when activated, and stores it in their database, as well as on the local machine. If the hardware hash changes too much (and a motherboard swap is pretty-much guaranteed to cause this), then you have to re-activate.

 

[lehtv]

MS takes a "Hardware hash" of your hardware when activated, and stores it in their database, as well as on the local machine. If the hardware hash changes too much (and a motherboard swap is pretty-much guaranteed to cause this), then you have to re-activate.

Well, I didn't know that (though I did suggest it'd be a good idea to reinstall Windows when changing the mobo). Thanks, I'm here to learn as much as help

JBGFX can still avoid reinstalling Windows though. He just needs to retrieve the license key from the registry.

 

[mfenn]

Well, I didn't know that (though I did suggest it'd be a good idea to reinstall Windows when changing the mobo). Thanks, I'm here to learn as much as help

JBGFX can still avoid reinstalling Windows though. He just needs to retrieve the license key from the registry.

That is true, but if his current copy of Windows is an OEM one, it probably won't reactivate automatically. MS may allow the PC to reactivate if you call and ask nicely, but they are within their rights to refuse reactivation for an OEM copy.

 

[JBGFX]

Not sure what everyone means here by OEM and stuff, but my windoes came with my PC, i dont have it on disc, i could make some recovery discs or something, not sure if thats the same.

My system is 64bit.

ALSO:

I am unable to get the motherboard that you specified as my parents wont buy from overseas, and that one isnt sold by amazon themself. i have searched for ASRock Z68M on google and havent found much. just about to check on scan, dabs and another one that i cant for the life of me remember the name of D:
will post soon if i can find anything

To confirm

Ok, so i found everything that i need on a site called eBuyer, they say next day delivery (the one that i forgot)
to confirm, this is what i would like to get:
Mobo: http://www.ebuyer.com/290156-asrock-...rd-z68m-itx-ht
GPU: http://www.ebuyer.com/254405-asus-gt...-dcii-2di-1gd5
Processor: http://www.ebuyer.com/251596-intel-c...bx80623i52500k
PSU: http://www.ebuyer.com/264370-xfx-650...u-p1-650x-nlh9

The psu is a xfx 650w one, like the one that you said i think

 

[lehtv]

Not that mobo. It's an ITX size motherboard so it's really really small, meant for tiny cases... From that same site: Gigabyte Z68AP-D3 £82 <-- basic Z68 motherboard but full size ATX, should have all you need. Or Gigabyte Z68X-UD3H £122. Quite a bit more feature packed, including support for crossfire/SLI.

I don't understand why you still want the 560 Ti though.

That's not actuallythe XFX power supply I meant. Here: XFX Core Pro 650W, £10 cheaper. Some of the cables on the more expensive unit are modular but that most likely won't matter to you.

 

[JBGFX]

Not that mobo. It's an ITX size motherboard so it's really really small, meant for tiny cases... From that same site: Gigabyte Z68AP-D3 &#163;82 <-- basic Z68 motherboard but full size ATX, should have all you need. Or Gigabyte Z68X-UD3H &#163;122. Quite a bit more feature packed, including support for crossfire/SLI.

I don't understand why you still want the 560 Ti though.

That's not actuallythe XFX power supply I meant. Here: XFX Core Pro 650W, &#163;10 cheaper. Some of the cables on the more expensive unit are modular but that most likely won't matter to you.

i would like the 560ti because i havent really heared of the amd radeon hd cards and stuf, i knwo that they exist, but im not soo sure on how they perform. one of my friends had a GTX 550ti 2GB and it runs battlefield 3 fine on ultra settings, so i figured that the GTX 560ti would run it even better.

also i dont want to spend all of my money and they it not do what i want it to do.
im just trying to be safe, but i might have to take your word for it if i cant find any thing cheaper
back to the processor, if i am just going to be playing games only, is there any socket 1155 processors, so that they will fit that mobo, and will perfome bettre than the one i have already got??

i was talking to my dad earlier, and he was wandering if i really need a new mobo, saying that i could get a gtx 580, and not a new mobo, just that card and another psu, the issue though, is that my mobo is only PCI-E 1 x16. then sell my old stuff to get a new mobo and processor.

are there any motherboards adn have PCI-E 2.0 and are relatively cheap? so that i can have more money to spend on a video card?

thankyou for your help again!

 

[monkeydelmagico]

Well, I didn't know that (though I did suggest it'd be a good idea to reinstall Windows when changing the mobo). Thanks, I'm here to learn as much as help

JBGFX can still avoid reinstalling Windows though. He just needs to retrieve the license key from the registry.

OEM Win7 Id's the mobo somehow. I've had some luck moving an OEM to a new motherboard but considered it a gift from the microsoft gods. (monkey bows humble like).

 

[lehtv]

i would like the 560ti because i havent really heared of the amd radeon hd cards and stuf, i knwo that they exist, but im not soo sure on how they perform. one of my friends had a GTX 550ti 2GB and it runs battlefield 3 fine on ultra settings, so i figured that the GTX 560ti would run it even better.

Well I can understand being cautious about products you don't know much about or have experience with. However I did show you earlier that in BF3, a 6870 will perform the same as 560 Ti. It's not just my word on the line, I posted evidence. If BF3 is the main game you play, it's an easy choice. 560 Ti may perform better in other games. I'm a happy owner of an overclocked 560 Ti myself, you can't really go wrong either way . It's just that in BF3 you get the same performance with both.

saying that i could get a gtx 580, and not a new mobo, just that card and another psu

GTX 580 is bad value for money, even more so now that we're so close to next generation GPUs being released that completely destroy a 580. For the price of a 580, you can get a new LGA1155 motherboard, an i5 CPU which is 70-80&#37; faster than your current CPU, and a 6870 which is sufficiently fast for high settings.

the issue though, is that my mobo is only PCI-E 1 x16.

Not an issue. As explained earlier, PCIe 1.1 x16 is equivalent to PCIe 2.0 x8, and a high end GPU at x8 performs at over 95% of x16, so no point buying a new mobo just for PCIe 2.0. Here's the proof that I forgot to post:

 

[JBGFX]

bump :/ added a big edit

EDIT: thanks you pretty much answered my edit in that post while i was editing my post hehe mind reader!
thankyou, i think im just gonna get the best card that i can afford, witin reason obvoiusly. also a new PSU
can you look at the screenshot that i posted on the main post? i think it will answer some more questions (yn)

 

[lehtv]

Yeah so you do have PCIe 2.0. What was it originally that made you think you have PCIe 1.1?

i think im just gonna get the best card that i can afford, witin reason obvoiusly.

That's the idea yes. On your resolution, 560Ti / 6870 will run any game smoothly, so I would personally consider anything higher than that to be not within reason - especially as you should also look into upgrading the CPU sooner or later.

 

[JBGFX]

Yeah so you do have PCIe 2.0. What was it originally that made you think you have PCIe 1.1?

That's the idea yes. On your resolution, 560Ti / 6870 will run any game smoothly, so I would personally consider anything higher than that to be not within reason - especially as you should also look into upgrading the CPU sooner or later.

i thought that my mobo was 1.1 because when i clicked on cpu-z, it says, in the screen shot, only PCI Express x16, what i assumed was 1.1 only when i googled my model, got my mobo, and googled that, did i find ouyt that it was infact 2.0

im just looking for a psu now, and ill be ordering tonight!!!
thankyou so much for your help mate, youve saved me alot of money and im sure that you will continue to help people on this forum!!! your a real helper here!
anandtech should pay yo for what you offer to the community here <3

PS: as i am a motion graphic designer / graphic artist, if theres anyhting that i can do for you
link to some of my stuff, not sure if im allowed to post if though D: :http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1YAQCTD9E8g
thankyouuuu!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[sm625]

You trying to game on a GT 230? lol.

Just get the card first. Maybe the psu, if you need the wattage.

After you see what this thing does for your current system, I bet you wont even want to upgrade, except maybe to an SSD. Dont go throwing away the mobo till you see proof that your current cpu is a bottleneck. I bet it isnt.

 

[JBGFX]

You trying to game on a GT 230? lol.

Just get the card first. Maybe the psu, if you need the wattage.

After you see what this thing does for your current system, I bet you wont even want to upgrade, except maybe to an SSD. Dont go throwing away the mobo till you see proof that your current cpu is a bottleneck. I bet it isnt.

ok thanks for the tip xD im ordering my new stuff atm, 448 core 560ti or normal 560ti?
i have £400 to spend

 

[sm625]

I would get the 336 one personally, since I would never spend that much on a video card lol. If not that, then the 384.

 

[lehtv]

im just looking for a psu now, and ill be ordering tonight!!!
thankyou so much for your help mate, youve saved me alot of money and im sure that you will continue to help people on this forum!!! your a real helper here!
anandtech should pay yo for what you offer to the community here <3

:thumbsup:

PS: as i am a motion graphic designer / graphic artist, if theres anyhting that i can do for you
link to some of my stuff, not sure if im allowed to post if though D: :http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1YAQCTD9E8g
thankyouuuu!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh nice. I do some video editing myself but nothing fancy like that :E

 

[JBGFX]

Oh nice. I do some video editing myself but nothing fancy like that :E

thankyou, if you want anything makin, from me, ill be glad to

i just orderd my new graphics card and psu, i got the XFX 650W and GTX 560ti
the one i got in the end was the EVGA one, because id rather get a brand that i have heared of, and one that my friend has, so i know that it works and everything

my order arrives on thursday

 

[mfenn]

Not sure what everyone means here by OEM and stuff, but my windoes came with my PC, i dont have it on disc, i could make some recovery discs or something, not sure if thats the same.

My system is 64bit.

OEM stands for Original Equipment Manufacturer, i.e. the version that comes with a new PC as opposed to a Retail one that you bought separately. You will need to buy a new copy to stay legal.