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"I need a new PC!" 2010 Edition

Just pulled the trigger on a new Dell Studio XPS 8100 Desktop.

OS: Windows 7 Home Premium
Processor: Intel Core i7-860 Processor (8MB Cache, 2.80GHz)
Thermal Module Heatsink,95W
16X DVD +/- RW w/dbl layer write capability
640 GB SATA II Hard Drive (7200 RPM)
6 GB DDR3 ECC SDRAM 1333MHz (4 DIMMs)
512MB NVIDIA GeForce G310 DDR3
THX Software

Total Amount(20% Dell coupon included): $560.00

I'm definitely getting a ati 5850 card as well but wanted to know if I needed to upgrade PSU?
Also, did I fuck up with my purchase (paid too much) or is that a decent deal? I decided to go with the i7-860 instead of the 920.
 
So I unwillingly had to order a new pc today. The old one got really weird with strange characters and artifacts, even during the BIOS screen. I guess the gfx card or the psu got fried...

Anyway, I ordered a 5750 for the new pc. Will this be ok or is it not good enough?

Edit, I meant 5770...

1.00 354717 Antec Three Hundred Midi T Vifter: 1x 140mm Topp, 1x 12 1.00 376060 Silver Power SP-SS500 500W ATX 12V V2.2, 80 Plus, Standa 1.00 488176

Sony Optiarc DVD±RW burne DVDRW 24x, DL, SATA, Bulk, B 1.00 598343


AMD Athlon II X4 640 Quad Core, 3.0Ghz, AM3, 2MB 1.00 477897 MSI 770-C45, Socket-AM3, D ATX,
AMD770+SB710,4DDRIII, 1.00 478999

Corsair Value S. DDR3 1333M Unbuffered, CL9-9-9-24, 240p 1.00 331024

Western Digital Caviar SE16 16MB 7200RPM 1.00 500610

XFX Radeon HD 5770 1GB GD PCI-Express 2.0, 2xDVI-I, HDM 1.00 497593 MS COA Label

Windows Hom Nordic, 32/64 bit 1.00 497635 MS ROYALTY Win H
 
Angst said:
So I unwillingly had to order a new pc today.
Click to expand...
Looks good.
RurouniZel said:
It doesn't seem to work with AMD. Any other good temp testers for AMD processors?
Click to expand...
It should work.

You can also try Speccy and Everest.
You might need to update your BIOS for the CPU to make sure everything is running and reporting fine.
 
Hazaro said:
Looks good.

It should work.

You can also try Speccy and Everest.
You might need to update your BIOS for the CPU to make sure everything is running and reporting fine.
Click to expand...

Sounds like an idea. A friend of my also suggested that my motherboard CD should have a utility for that as well.
 
So I've been reading around here quite a lot in the past few weeks. I going order the parts for the computer, but I wanted to run it by here first. I can't decide if I want to go with an AMD or Intel CPU.

Intel Build:
Intel Core i7 950 3.06GHz
EVGA X58 SLI 3 Motherboard
Gigabyte GeForce GTX460-1 GB
Corsair TR3X6G1600C9 XMS3 6 GB 3 X 2 GB
Western Digital Caviar Black 1 TB
Cooler Master GX Series 650W ATX Power Supply
Cooler Master RC-922M-KKN1-GP HAF 922M ATX Mid Tower Case
(plus other stuff)
Total: $1,216.23

or

AMD Build:
AMD Phenom II X6 1090T Black Edition Thuban 3.2 GHz
ASUS M4A89GTD PRO Motherboard
Gigabyte GeForce GTX460-1 GB
Corsair TR3X6G1600C9 XMS3 6 GB 3 X 2 GB
Western Digital Caviar Black 1 TB
Cooler Master GX Series 650W ATX Power Supply
Cooler Master RC-922M-KKN1-GP HAF 922M ATX Mid Tower Case
(plus other stuff)

Total: $1,121.72

Which one is better GAF? Also, are the CPU's overkill?
 
So I used the software that my ASUS motheboard came with, something called PC Probe II. When I booted it, it said my motherboard was 40 degrees Celsius. I decided to test it by running the Final Fantasy XIV benchmark, and over the coarse of that, 5 minute demo, it rose to 47 degrees Celsius.

Is it normal for temperature to increase that fast, and what is the danger zone for this sort of thing?
 
RurouniZel said:
So I used the software that my ASUS motheboard came with, something called PC Probe II. When I booted it, it said my motherboard was 40 degrees Celsius. I decided to test it by running the Final Fantasy XIV benchmark, and over the coarse of that, 5 minute demo, it rose to 47 degrees Celsius.

Is it normal for temperature to increase that fast, and what is the danger zone for this sort of thing?
Click to expand...
Up to 70C is fine load.

Also temperatures normally spike up very fast in 1-10 seconds. So that slow climb is nothing.
Try running OCCT/Prime/ORTHOS and watch it spike up to 62C in like 5 seconds.
 
rexor0717 said:
So I've been reading around here quite a lot in the past few weeks. I going order the parts for the computer, but I wanted to run it by here first. I can't decide if I want to go with an AMD or Intel CPU.

Intel Build:
Intel Core i7 950 3.06GHz
EVGA X58 SLI 3 Motherboard
Gigabyte GeForce GTX460-1 GB
Corsair TR3X6G1600C9 XMS3 6 GB 3 X 2 GB
Western Digital Caviar Black 1 TB
Cooler Master GX Series 650W ATX Power Supply
Cooler Master RC-922M-KKN1-GP HAF 922M ATX Mid Tower Case
(plus other stuff)
Total: $1,216.23

or

AMD Build:
AMD Phenom II X6 1090T Black Edition Thuban 3.2 GHz
ASUS M4A89GTD PRO Motherboard
Gigabyte GeForce GTX460-1 GB
Corsair TR3X6G1600C9 XMS3 6 GB 3 X 2 GB
Western Digital Caviar Black 1 TB
Cooler Master GX Series 650W ATX Power Supply
Cooler Master RC-922M-KKN1-GP HAF 922M ATX Mid Tower Case
(plus other stuff)

Total: $1,121.72

Which one is better GAF? Also, are the CPU's overkill?
Click to expand...

With the Intel build you'll get more out of your 3x2GB sticks with the i7's triple-channel memory + the 950 is a faster processor. Then again the AMD system is $100 cheaper. You may not value the performance increase the Intel system offers at the $100 extra it'll cost you.
 
Hazaro said:
Up to 70C is fine load.

Also temperatures normally spike up very fast in 1-10 seconds. So that slow climb is nothing.
Try running OCCT/Prime/ORTHOS and watch it spike up to 62C in like 5 seconds.
Click to expand...

:-P Tempting, but I'll play on the safe side for now. I just wanted to make sure that I had installed the heatsink properly and that I wasn't burning my processor without realizing. I'd like to play some games and what a buzzkill that would be to have my computer die while playing. :/
 
n0n44m said:
and less sticks is always preferred AFAIK (although I've never had issues with 4)
Click to expand...
What about this timing stuff, if I can get 2x4GB PC3-10666 sticks with CL9 or 4x2GB CL7 sticks for roughly the same price, should I go with the lowest timings?
 
Alright, I am at the checkout for this purchase, I want to make sure I am absolutely doing the right thing here. I know I tend to not listen to GAF when it comes to computer stuff it means me spending more money, but I am actually willing to spend a bit more if need be.

What I am currently buying.


AMD Athlon II x4 635 Quad Core Processor AM3 2.9GHZ 2MB L2 Cache - $119.95

MSI NF750-G55 ATX AM3 750A SLI DDR3 2PCI-E16 2PCI-E1 1PCI HDMI Sound SATA GBLAN Motherboard - $109.99

Gigabyte GeForce GTX 460 Fermi 715MHZ 768MB GDDR5 - $179.99

G.SKILL F3-12800CL9D-4GBRL Ripjaws PC3-12800 4GB 2X2GB DDR3-1600 - $88.88

Seasonic S12II 520W EPS12V 20/24PIN ATX Power Supply Active PFC 80+ Bronze 6+8PIN PCI-E W/ 120MM Fan


If anyone can tell me if this is a bad purchase, please do so - and if you can find any other recommendations, I'd prefer to do it at ncix, as it's easier for me to shop there/pick up my products afterward.
 
Kinitari said:
Alright, I am at the checkout for this purchase, I want to make sure I am absolutely doing the right thing here. I know I tend to not listen to GAF when it comes to computer stuff it means me spending more money, but I am actually willing to spend a bit more if need be.

What I am currently buying.


AMD Athlon II x4 635 Quad Core Processor AM3 2.9GHZ 2MB L2 Cache - $119.95

MSI NF750-G55 ATX AM3 750A SLI DDR3 2PCI-E16 2PCI-E1 1PCI HDMI Sound SATA GBLAN Motherboard - $109.99

Gigabyte GeForce GTX 460 Fermi 715MHZ 768MB GDDR5 - $179.99

G.SKILL F3-12800CL9D-4GBRL Ripjaws PC3-12800 4GB 2X2GB DDR3-1600 - $88.88

Seasonic S12II 520W EPS12V 20/24PIN ATX Power Supply Active PFC 80+ Bronze 6+8PIN PCI-E W/ 120MM Fan


If anyone can tell me if this is a bad purchase, please do so - and if you can find any other recommendations, I'd prefer to do it at ncix, as it's easier for me to shop there/pick up my products afterward.
Click to expand...
Most people recommend getting the 1GB GTX 460 over the 768MB version
 
RurouniZel said:
:-P Tempting, but I'll play on the safe side for now. I just wanted to make sure that I had installed the heatsink properly and that I wasn't burning my processor without realizing. I'd like to play some games and what a buzzkill that would be to have my computer die while playing. :/
Click to expand...

Have you tried AMD Overdrive? there you can also monitor the core temps. I like to play it safe and always try to be under 60°C, to do that I have Cooler Master V8, a bit mofo, but it cools very well and is very silent.
 
Is there a laymans explanation for why this chip:

INTEL Core™ i7-950 Quad-Core 3.06GHz, LGA1366, 4.8 GT/s QPI, 8MB L3 Cache, 45nm, 130W, EM64T EIST VT XD, Retail
Click to expand...

is cheaper than this chip


INTEL Core™ i7-920 Quad-Core 2.66GHz, LGA1366, 4.8 GT/s QPI, 8MB L3 Cache, 45nm, 130W, EM64T EIST VT XD, Retail
Click to expand...


Im getting the i7-950 to save money and it will be plenty fast enough for me, but I kind of realize how little I know about this stuff when I look at the stats on those two and cannot tell why the one with the higher model number and higher stock speed is cheaper than the other. Seems backwards. Im sure theres something Im missing.
 
Puncture said:
Is there a laymans explanation for why this chip:



is cheaper than this chip





Im getting the i7-950 to save money and it will be plenty fast enough for me, but I kind of realize how little I know about this stuff when I look at the stats on those two and cannot tell why the one with the higher model number and higher stock speed is cheaper than the other. Seems backwards. Im sure theres something Im missing.
Click to expand...

I believe the 920 was replaced by the 930 so it was discontinued. The price of the 950 was recently lowered and since the 920 was discontinued the price was never adjusted. I believe that's the case anyway.

The 950 is a faster chip.
 
Felix Lighter said:
I believe the 920 was replaced by the 930 so it was discontinued. The price of the 950 was recently lowered and since the 920 was discontinued the price was never adjusted. I believe that's the case anyway.

The 950 is a faster chip.
Click to expand...


Ahh, I see it is out of stock everywhere. That plus your explanation clears it up alot. Thanks.
 
Question for the computer gurus.

I'm interested in trying to overclock my CPU to improve my FFXIV performance. What's the most reliable method of overclocking without completely overdoing it and messing up my system?
 
Why is my Catalyst Control Center not opening up for me? It tries to, then nothing happens. I have to get into it so I can force full screen through HDMI. Damn I hate AMD sometimes.
 
Mutagenic said:
Why is my Catalyst Control Center not opening up for me? It tries to, then nothing happens. I have to get into it so I can force full screen through HDMI. Damn I hate AMD sometimes.
Click to expand...

I switched back to DVI->VGA adapter last night for this EXACT reason.
 
WEGGLES said:
From the google chrome translation it looks like a lot of speculation.

:lol
Click to expand...


Hahaha. I'm just hoping the cards ship in a quantity high enough to push the cost of the 5850 and 5870's down before my buy date of 10/29. It would be so nice to be able to take advantage of a price cut right as I buy a build.
 
Hi guys, could you help me choose a new AM3 motherboard?

I have few candidats (Gigabyte GA-MA770T-UD3 and MSI 770-C45) but I would more appreciate general tips than specific product suggestions. I won't be doing any overclocking so I don't think I have to spent to much. Also I don't need integrated graphic card.
I've got 3 questions:

1. What chipset should good AM3 motherboard have? I found out that the cheapest motherboards (from those that fulfill my basic requirements) have nVidia chipset but I'm not sure if they're good. Should I go with AMD 770? Or there is no big difference?

2. What RAM speed (frequency) should be enugh? I found out in some motherboards that they support up to 1800 Mhz only with OC? Does it mean I can't just buy 1800 Mhz RAM and expect it to work at that speed without OC?

3. What company make quality motherboard beside Gigabyte and Asus?

I'm also buying Athlon X4 640 and 4GB (2x2GB) ram with the motherboard. I know that AM3 won't be supported by next-gen AMD CPUs but I want the motherboard to support Phenom X6 so I could change it in (rather distant) future.
 
RurouniZel said:
I switched back to DVI->VGA adapter last night for this EXACT reason.
Click to expand...
So when I switched mine to DVI, I'm now missing 1/4" of content around the sides of the monitor (it's too zoomed in). Are you having the same issue? I still can't get the CCC to open for me despite multiple uninstalls/reinstalls and it's beginning to drive me crazy.

EDIT: I was able to find an auto adjust setting from within my monitor's external controls, but this only works through DVI and not HDMI, which is good enough for me.
 
Mutagenic said:
So when I switched mine to DVI, I'm now missing 1/4" of content around the sides of the monitor (it's too zoomed in). Are you having the same issue? I still can't get the CCC to open for me despite multiple uninstalls/reinstalls and it's beginning to drive me crazy.

EDIT: I was able to find an auto adjust setting from within my monitor's external controls, but this only works through DVI and not HDMI, which is good enough for me.
Click to expand...

Yep, same thing here. Sorry, I went to bed early.

RurouniZel said:
Question for the computer gurus.

I'm interested in trying to overclock my CPU to improve my FFXIV performance. What's the most reliable method of overclocking without completely overdoing it and messing up my system?
Click to expand...

Can anyone tell me what I should do to overclock? Do I have to go into the BIOS to adjust, and is there anything I need to do before I go into BIOS to adjust? Any tests I need to run first? Is the CPU the only thing I should overclock?
 
DeathNote said:
will prices drop a good amount by the end of November? i want the i7-930 to be a lot cheaper than $284
Click to expand...

Are you near a Micro Center? They have the i7-930 for $199 and the i7-950 for $229. The catch is it's in-store pickup only.
 
Kinitari said:
Alright, I am at the checkout for this purchase, I want to make sure I am absolutely doing the right thing here. I know I tend to not listen to GAF when it comes to computer stuff it means me spending more money, but I am actually willing to spend a bit more if need be.

What I am currently buying.


AMD Athlon II x4 635 Quad Core Processor AM3 2.9GHZ 2MB L2 Cache - $119.95

MSI NF750-G55 ATX AM3 750A SLI DDR3 2PCI-E16 2PCI-E1 1PCI HDMI Sound SATA GBLAN Motherboard - $109.99

Gigabyte GeForce GTX 460 Fermi 715MHZ 768MB GDDR5 - $179.99

G.SKILL F3-12800CL9D-4GBRL Ripjaws PC3-12800 4GB 2X2GB DDR3-1600 - $88.88

Seasonic S12II 520W EPS12V 20/24PIN ATX Power Supply Active PFC 80+ Bronze 6+8PIN PCI-E W/ 120MM Fan


If anyone can tell me if this is a bad purchase, please do so - and if you can find any other recommendations, I'd prefer to do it at ncix, as it's easier for me to shop there/pick up my products afterward.
Click to expand...
Looks like someone got a newsletter.

I'd get an MSI 770-G45 if you aren't looking to SLi. You can knock down the PSU to a 400W Seasonic as well (note that it only has a single 6 pin though) which is fine for a GTX 460.
1GB is preferred for the 460 as well. Nets you about the same fps/$ and gives you a nicer bufferzone for memory.
RurouniZel said:
Question for the computer gurus.

I'm interested in trying to overclock my CPU to improve my FFXIV performance. What's the most reliable method of overclocking without completely overdoing it and messing up my system?
Click to expand...
Google CPU + Mobo, and CPU + 'overclocking guide'. There are tons out there.
Basically it is:
1) increase speed
2) wait for it to not be stable
3) increase voltage

That's it. Very very little can go wrong as there are so many nets to catch a screw up. Don't use auto voltage.
Antiochus said:
Barts XT=ATI 6770 =/> ATI 5850

Barts PRO=ATI 6750 =/> GTX 460

http://www.chiphell.com/thread-125814-1-1.html
Click to expand...
Hope it can OC nicely and slots in a bit cheaper.
 
Finally have everything set up with my new rig, i5 750 quad + Radeon HD5850 1Gb + 4Gb DDR3 + mobo GA-P55A-UD3 + Sammy
Spinpoint F3. Thanks for all the help guys! :D
But I still have a newb question (otherwise is there a proper "support thread", don't know wanna derail the thread?):

Bad Company 2 runs awesome at 1080p, 4XMSAA, 4xani (also, what's "HBIO" or something like that? :lol btw it's on), v-synch and everything at max (although if I put shadows at medium I get a serious boost).
Dirt 2 I haven't had the chance to play with it but I've seen my buddy doing a lap and it was absoluteloy incredible and 60fps for the whole time I was there.

So, why the hell the old Sega Rally Revo doesn't run at more than 25 average (with peaks to 60 and... fucking 5 fps!) no matter the settings? (even no AA at all, medium shadows and so on) I'm on the last patch of the game and newest catalyst btw, seriously what the hell I've bought the rig especially for racing games and I remember people talking 60fps locked with Sega Rally Revo pc :-/
 
Dash Kappei said:
Finally have everything set up with my new rig, i5 750 quad + Radeon HD5850 1Gb + 4Gb DDR3 + mobo GA-P55A-UD3 + Sammy
Spinpoint F3. Thanks for all the help guys! :D
But I still have a newb question (otherwise is there a proper "support thread", don't know wanna derail the thread?):

Bad Company 2 runs awesome at 1080p, 4XMSAA, 4xani (also, what's "HBIO" or something like that? :lol btw it's on), v-synch and everything at max (although if I put shadows at medium I get a serious boost).
Dirt 2 I haven't had the chance to play with it but I've seen my buddy doing a lap and it was absoluteloy incredible and 60fps for the whole time I was there.

So, why the hell the old Sega Rally Revo doesn't run at more than 25 average (with peaks to 60 and... fucking 5 fps!) no matter the settings? (even no AA at all, medium shadows and so on) I'm on the last patch of the game and newest catalyst btw, seriously what the hell I've bought the rig especially for racing games and I remember people talking 60fps locked with Sega Rally Revo pc :-/
Click to expand...

Are you running with the audio on software only? Game was notorious for hard crashing a system if you ran in audio hardware mode (or even just audigy as your selected device?). Maybe your computer is so godly it's able to keep from rebooting and just runs janky.
 
Hazaro said:
Looks like someone got a newsletter.

I'd get an MSI 770-G45 if you aren't looking to SLi. You can knock down the PSU to a 400W Seasonic as well (note that it only has a single 6 pin though) which is fine for a GTX 460.
1GB is preferred for the 460 as well. Nets you about the same fps/$ and gives you a nicer bufferzone for memory.
Click to expand...

I was hoping to SLI in the near future (birthday gift to myself probably) - so the additional PSU wattage and sli motherboard was wanted.

But enough people convinced me to spend the extra 40-odd bucks on the 1gb model!
 
1-D_FTW said:
Are you running with the audio on software only? Game was notorious for hard crashing a system if you ran in audio hardware mode (or even just audigy as your selected device?). Maybe your computer is so godly it's able to keep from rebooting and just runs janky.
Click to expand...

:lol
as a matter of fact I was indeed running audio in hardware, I'll try that in a bit thanks!
 
I was planning on building my first computer this winter around November or December but I just started reading about the Bulldozer and Sandy Bridge processors. Should I just wait till Q1 2011 to upgrade? I believe the SB's target date is in January? My current computer is 4 years old at the moment plus it's a fucking Dell. I wish to get rid of it soon.
 
Surprise, surprise, from a Chinese forum again (obviuos consequences of offshoring)

http://we.pcinlife.com/thread-1520616-1-1.html

From rough eyeballing, it gives some (but not total) credence to the previous rumor of 6750 being competitors to the GTX 460 and 6770 at rough parity with the Radeon 5850.

Note one person in the forum above expresses skepticism of the SP count, since apparently ATI doesn't use SP4/5 as comparisons


%E6%8D%95%E8%8E%B7.JPG
 
DeathNote said:
will prices drop a good amount by the end of November? i want the i7-930 to be a lot cheaper than $284
Click to expand...

Any reason you're not considering the i7-860 or 870 on the P55 platform? I've yet to read anything that would make me necessarily want to pay the premium for the X58 platform.
 
Im planning to do some upgrades to my PC soon and was wondering about a few things.

I have a Dell with a Core 2 Duo and am thinking about upgrading it to a quad core. Im also planning on upgrading the vid card from the 8600 gt to maybe a HG 5770.

How essential is it that I updgrade my 300w max power supply?

Also if the motherboard becomes a problem should I be able to throw a new one in the Dell case?
 
hgplayer1 said:
Im planning to do some upgrades to my PC soon and was wondering about a few things.

I have a Dell with a Core 2 Duo and am thinking about upgrading it to a quad core. Im also planning on upgrading the vid card from the 8600 gt to maybe a HG 5770.

How essectial is it that I updgrade my 300w max power supply?

Also if the motherboard becomes a problem should I be able to throw a new one in the Dell case?
Click to expand...

pretty essential at that level
 
IrishNinja said:
i recall you saying it's not worth it for current desktop setups to go dualcore right now, but a) again if im looking to run those emulators at/above 3mhz, isnt that my only option, since neither utilizes quads yet? and b) would that make the project that much cheaper?
Click to expand...
It's not your only option. Long term you'll benefit from a quad, even if those two specific applications never do, and you don't save much by limiting yourself to dual.

To try and get processors around your desired clockspeed for not too much, compare:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103887
with
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103727

For only $60 more you get two extra cores, which might not help your emulators, but it's not going to break the budget and will benefit you long term.

On the Intel side, the only dual cores they make cost extra because they have integrated graphics, which you're not going to use if you're building a gaming machine. You could compare these two:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115211
and
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115218

The i7 has a lower clockspeed but it's going to blow that i5 out of the water.

Intel is supposed to be better for Dolphin, but either way you're going to have to overclock and looking at the Dolphin forums I doubt that a 4Ghz AMD is going to disappoint.

IrishNinja said:
GAF can you recommend any cases/setups for portable desktops?
Click to expand...
Just browse around the Micro ATX and Mini-ITX cases and see if there's one you like. Just remember, the smaller you go, the harder it's going to be to find parts that will fit, and the more expensive it will be. Something like this that supports full ATX power supplies and 10.5" cards would be ok: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811163157.
 
hgplayer1 said:
would this be a good replacement?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139003

not planning to OC anything.
Click to expand...
Make sure it's going to fit first. This one is slightly better value: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151094

Which quad were you looking at? Do you know your current motherboard supports it? If you want to upgrade your motherboard, is it a standard form factor and will your case support a standard ATX or mATX motherboard? Upgrading mass produced systems can be a pain.
 
Fredescu said:
Make sure it's going to fit first. This one is slightly better value: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151094

Which quad were you looking at? Do you know your current motherboard supports it? If you want to upgrade your motherboard, is it a standard form factor and will your case support a standard ATX or mATX motherboard? Upgrading mass produced systems can be a pain.
Click to expand...

I was looking at this one http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115041

All I know about whether my MB supports it is that its the same socket type. What else should I be looking at to make sure they are compatible?

Im pretty sure its a standard ATX form factor. Its not one of the small form factor PCs.

I honestly might just look into getting a MB/CPU combo to make sure that part of the upgrade goes off without a hitch, but if I can just upgrade the CPU for now and MB later if needed I would rather go that route for now.
 
hgplayer1 said:
All I know about whether my MB supports it is that its the same socket type. What else should I be looking at to make sure they are compatible?
Click to expand...
The BIOS has to support the processor too. This is easy information to find for retail motherboards, but can be tricky for mass produced systems. Check the Dell website for BIOS updates for your system, but they may not explicitly say they've added CPU compatibility because they don't want you upgrading your CPU. It's not uncommon for an OEM to abandon a particular motherboard revision too, since they're not engineered with CPU upgrades in mind unlike retail motherboards. You might just have to do a bit of Googling and see whether someone has managed it before.

hgplayer1 said:
Im pretty sure its a standard ATX form factor. Its not one of the small form factor PCs.
Click to expand...
Could be. Double check though.

hgplayer1 said:
I honestly might just look into getting a MB/CPU combo to make sure that part of the upgrade goes off without a hitch
Click to expand...
If you go down this path, make sure you can remove the external port plate from your case. You're going to have to replace it with the one that comes with your new mbd, since the port layout will be different.
 
Question: Just finished my first build. Out of all the utilities in the OP, which ones are the essentials?

ATITool allows you to stress test your video card.
CPU-Z gathers information on your CPU, FSB, VCORE voltage and memory timings.
EVGA Precision allows you to overclock your NVIDIA GPU.
Fraps allows you to record real time video, take screen captures and display your FPS.
FurMark allows you to stress test your GPU.
GPU-Z gathers information on your video card and GPU.
HWMonitor gathers you a full range of temperatures, voltage settings, fan speeds, and many other things.
Memtest86+ allows you to run a full memory scan to deal with the blue screen of death and system errors.
MemtestG80 allows you to test for soft errors in GPU memory for NVIDIA CUDA-enabled GPUs.
nHancer allows you to optimize the display, improve the performance and fully utilize your NVIDIA graphics card.
OCCT allows you to stress test your CPU and GPU.
Prime95 allows you to stress test the stability of your computer.
Real Temp allows you to monitor the temperature of your CPU core(s).
RivaTuner allows you to manage GPU overclocking, fan speed and monitor many things.
SpeedFan allows you to monitor fan speed, temperature, voltage and can access S.M.A.R.T. data.
Click to expand...
 
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PC games that are ONLY in a borderless window need to stop.
2
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RoboFu replied
Marathon releases March 5, new Limited Edition DualSense controller revealed; New trailer, pre-order rewards, Collector’s Edition
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Men_in_Boxes replied
GAF - I need your help!
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stn replied
Do we even need a new consoles so soon?
Opinion  2
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Three replied
Speedball (2026) | PC, PS5, Xbox, by Rebellion (...there's a new Speedball?)
Trailer 
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CliffBronger replied
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