What do I upgrade next(If anything)?

[MonsieuRoberts]

So this is what I bought in 2011, boxing day sale. It has an I5 2300 & 6GB DDR3, stock motherboard, fans, HDD (1TB, I also have a 500G external), heatsink and case...which has broken. Drive bay doors are gone because they were damaged, case is terrible, found it really hard to manage cables. It had a GeForce GT420 and a generic 300W PSU, but I took those out and put in an Antec HGC-520M PSU (520W) and an ASUS HD 7850.

My peripherals are fine, and I'm running a dual monitor setup, a 1600x900 for docs & browsing, usually has Winamp, and a 1920x1080 for my main monitor. The desktop is also wireless, but I tossed the stock wireless card and bought some Netgear dual band stuff (Also to replace an old and terrible router) and it's been working perfectly. No disconnections, no extreme latency, no problem. Wired isn't currently an option.

If there's an upgrade you're thinking of suggesting, keep in mind I don't need the most flashy and top-end in terms of parts, I just need something that's going to function at an acceptable level, considering I'm using a 7850 and playing everything at either high or ultra with some shadows turned down. Let's establish a total budget of $300 or less for any and all upgrades. Before you post links, I live in Canada, so Newegg.ca, canadacomputers.ca, amazon.ca and especially futureshop.ca would be most convenient for me. Otherwise, post away.



I definitely want a new case, but will my generic motherboard have problems with other cases, or should that be one of the first things to go? Do I really need a new heatsink? As far as I can tell my CPU hasn't been overheating. Temperatures for the GPU can get quite spicy in the mid 60s though, but it's never enough to drop performance drastically as far as I can tell. I've cleaned out my mom's dust-caked heatsink and I've seen what it does to computing speed, and my computer's never shown any such symptoms thus far.

Looking for feedback and advice, preemptive thanks for any and all replies.

[Rafax]

Well I assume you mean you have an i5 2500k since there's no 2300k that I'm aware of, if thats the case you do not want to upgrade you cpu since thats mostly one of the best gaming cpus out there, you might want to get 8 GB ram and replace the 6 you have(i guess they are in a 2x3 setup or even worst 1x4 + 1x2), you should also tell us exactly what mobo you have if possible.

About the case its all about preference, i can try and help but you need to say what style of case you'd like ( simple, flashy, in between) and where do you put your case to estimate how big it can be.

[Xuvial]

Err could you go over those specs again please? There's no such thing as an i5 2300K (only 2500K) and 6GB RAM sounds weird unless they did 2x2GB + 2x1GB.

edit: Beaten to it by Rafax :P

[MonsieuRoberts]

Here's my processor. It's just a plain 2300, not 2300K. Whoops!

I'll see if I can find out what Motherboard I have specifically, and it looks like...well, I have 4 slots for RAM and they're all being used. Could it be 2x2 and 1x2? lol...

In terms of a case, I want something that works and has a good reputation. I don't want something that's trash or cheaply made. I don't need a butt-ton of LEDs or 15 drive bays. A card reader is convenient, but I could easily get an external one, so don't sweat it. My current case has a lot of USB slots, but they're literally on top, on the front and on the back, so I just bought a USB hub to keep everything behind the computer.

I can put the case on my desk or on a table beside it, so size is irrelevant as far as I'm concerned, considering the parts I have. This case is pretty small, and other than the cord to the mobo, the rest is pretty snug...at least I think it is. There's no space to route anything in this case!

Anyways, going to go look for the motherboard.

[chazus]

The 2300 is a good CPU. It's just as good as the newer i5's, and better than most of the older i7's for gaming (as long as you aren't overclocking. Thats when they take the lead).

I would upgrade CPU last, if ever. The video card though is, no offense, kind of a pile. I would definitely upgrade that, and get a proper set of dual channel RAM.

[MonsieuRoberts]

American Megatrends Inc. P01-A3 11/02/2011...does that tell you anything? I can't find any info on my motherboard.

[chazus]

That's the bios version... The motherboard SHOULD just say what it is on the board itself towards the middle. That, or when it boots up, if you go into BIOS, it should say there, too.

[MonsieuRoberts]

K, I'll take a look

[skrump]

I would look at the termaltake V3 case as it doesn't put usb/audio at the top and it also comes with a card reader.

My only complaints about the case is it has limited cable management thus you are unable to hide the Psu cables, though everything else can be routed being the mobo tray. it also has 2 ports for 120mm fans on the top of the case near the back and I personally see them as useless for everything other than catching dust.

The power supply is also mounted on the bottom for me that was a good thing but I could see some people taking issue with it.

[MonsieuRoberts]

I would look at the termaltake V3 case as it doesn't put usb/audio at the top and it also comes with a card reader.

My only complaints about the case is it has limited cable management thus you are unable to hide the Psu cables, though everything else can be routed being the mobo tray. it also has 2 ports for 120mm fans on the top of the case near the back and I personally see them as useless for everything other than catching dust.

The power supply is also mounted on the bottom for me that was a good thing but I could see some people taking issue with it.

What makes 2 top 120mm fans useless, and why would a PSU along the bottom of the case be problematic? Just curious.

Also, restarted my computer, even went into the config menu, could NOT find my motherboard. Going to DL Speccy and see if that tells me anything.

---------- Post added 2013-01-21 at 12:52 AM ----------

Well...this doesn't seem helpful at all.



---------- Post added 2013-01-21 at 01:12 AM ----------

Maybe I'd be better off just buying a new motherboard instead of risking incompatibility...?

[Rafax]

Dont worry with your mobo it fits modern cpus since its a 1155 atleast, it also fits new ram and any gpu.
So start with that get 2x4 Gb memory sticks from corsair, gskill or similar.
And maybe go with a 7870 if you can, would links models but its so late for me ill do it tomorow if no one does before(doubt it)

[chazus]

I believe this is the motherboard. It's an H67 with 4 RAM slots.

Regardless, your CPU is fine, and will be for some time, to be honest. It's better than a lot of people buying computers right now have. That said, yeah. Upgrade the RAM, because that's cheap, and then get a nice video card. The nice part is.. Those components can be moved to a new system later if you do decide to upgrade the mobo/cpu.. But I honestly think that your current CPU will last the lifetime of that system until a full upgrade happens in 2-3 years.

[Dizey]

Your motherboard is a pretty typical micro atx board. It will fit in just about any case that is micro atx or larger. There are so many good ones to choose from, even for a really basic motherboard like the one you have. It really just depends on your budget.

Why does he need to upgrade an HD 7850 again?

[chazus]

I misread the post or ... something. (For some reason, didn't see you already had a 7850. I just read the "It has a Geforce 420")

Honestly dude, you don't need to upgrade anything. It's a good system. Maybe fix the funky ram so you can actually use dual channel... And get a case you want, but other than that, you really don't need to upgrade. It doesn't sound like you do.

[MonsieuRoberts]

Glad to hear that my motherboard isn't going to be an issue, I'll pick a case and some RAM and post it to see what you guys think.

Why does he need to upgrade an HD 7850 again?

Funny, I find myself asking the same question...I'm happy with it's performance. Why do I need to upgrade?

---------- Post added 2013-01-21 at 02:31 AM ----------

I misread the post or ... something. (For some reason, didn't see you already had a 7850. I just read the "It has a Geforce 420")

Honestly dude, you don't need to upgrade anything. It's a good system. Maybe fix the funky ram so you can actually use dual channel... And get a case you want, but other than that, you really don't need to upgrade. It doesn't sound like you do.

That's fantastic news!

I'm going to get a new case regardless, this Gateway case is just pathetic to look at. I've decided just to go with Canada Computers so I can take care of it all asap, browsing their cases now. Any recommendations for RAM?

---------- Post added 2013-01-21 at 02:40 AM ----------

Just wanted to add that I'm very happy about not having to spend $300, the less the better and it doesn't even look like I'll have to spend even $200.

[Dizey]

If you're running 6GB of ram, its likely 2/1/2/1 in dual channel. I'm not sure your board will even support faster memory, and since 6GB is enough, I would hold off on that. If you really want to upgrade, I would contact gateway and find out what size and speed the memory slots will support.

[MonsieuRoberts]

Seems like the HAF 912 and the Antec 300 are the best cases, based on the reviews.

So let's put you in my shoes. You have your computer beside your desk on an elevated table, when suddenly the case evaporates. You need to buy a new case, asap! You drive down to the computer store where everything but these two are out of stock, which is perfect because they'll both fit your components. Which do you pick?

---------- Post added 2013-01-21 at 02:56 AM ----------

If you're running 6GB of ram, its likely 2/1/2/1 in dual channel. I'm not sure your board will even support faster memory, and since 6GB is enough, I would hold off on that. If you really want to upgrade, I would contact gateway and find out what size and speed the memory slots will support.

Is there some way that I could check what kind of memory I have? Also, what exactly does dual channel mean? Are they in series for a specific reason?

[Dizey]

I would take the HAF 912 because although both are solid choices, the HAF has holes for wire management.

In that price range, this is one of my favorites though:
http://www.canadacomputers.com/produ...item_id=056600

Your memory is DDR3 1333Mhz. You can check it with CPU-Z. In short, dual channel allows you to take advantage of increased bandwith on your memory bus by doubling the number of simultaneously accessed connections between the memory controller and ram. Yes they are in a series for that reason. Lets call your memory slots A1/B1/A2/B2. In dual channel, the A slots will be access at the same time as a whole, and for that reason the modules in them should have the same size, speed, and timings.

[n0cturnal]

Is there some way that I could check what kind of memory I have? Also, what exactly does dual channel mean? Are they in series for a specific reason?

If you download CPU-Z you can check the SPD info for every memory slot.

[Deleted]

http://www.costcom.ca/product_detail...8B76B493B01D9F

6GB Dual Channel DDR3-1333MHz
All is fine for now, no need to upgrade imo.

On memory channels:
Chipsets can support more bandwidth for the memory if they are the same kind and speed.
Your config probably looks like this (in gb of ram)
1/2/1/2
That means the 2 one's and the 2 two's go together and makes room for more bandwidth.
It's a win-win, a triple channel is a win-win-win, a quad-channel is a win-win-win-win, but we only see those on $5000+ systems.