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Upgrade check

PostPosted: Sat Oct 25, 2008 9:21 am
by SubZer0
Hello everyone,

I want to upgrade my motherboard and my RAM for Christmas. Can anyone tell me if these choices would go well with my processor and video card? If you guys have a better recommendation, please throw it out here.

Motherboard: Trying to stay under $120
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6813131299

Memory (4GB): Trying to stay under $80
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6820231166

My current specs are in my sig.

Re: Upgrade check

PostPosted: Sat Oct 25, 2008 10:17 am
by NickN
motherboard is a budget board and will not allow any FSB speed much above 400.. you may get 405 out of it if you are lucky but it does mean your CPU choices will always be limited to high multiplier processors like the Q6600


In order to do 9x400 on a Q6600 the memory must be able to run 1080 at the same 5-5-5 timing using the 400 CPU STRAP

assuming that memory will do that, which I dont know, then it is a good choice.


Buying 1066 memory and not clocking the system is a waste. You must clock the system or you cant run 1066

Re: Upgrade check

PostPosted: Sat Oct 25, 2008 10:31 am
by SubZer0
Thanks for the reply, Nick.

So what do you recommend I do? I'm on a short budget (asking parents for this upgrade)

Re: Upgrade check

PostPosted: Sat Oct 25, 2008 1:41 pm
by NickN
are you asking me to rub my crystal ball and tell you that board and memory will be everything you want and need?

:)

If it were me and I did not have a choice on the motherboard I would probably at the very least use this memory instead

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6820145197

But again.. in order to take advantage of that memory I would need to have a processor with a 9 multiplier that can run 3.6GHz stable, or a 10 multiplier that can run 4GHz stable... and set the FSB to 400, the CPU STRAP to 400 and the manual memory speed to 1080 @ 5-5-5- 15 (for the memory above) at its maximum rated voltage

If you are not going to overclock you will never see 1066-1080 memory speed. At that point you may as well buy DDR2 800, http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6820146793 or lower