CPU Upgrade?

Alex53 · 25 Nov 2011 at 20:23

I have the following spec

Asus P5N-E SLI motherboard
Inter Core 2 Duo E6420 2.13Ghz (Socket 775 LGA)
8GB RAM
ATI Radeon 5700 Series (1GB)

I don't play the most cutting edge games, mostly stuff like Lord of the Rings Online (4 years old), WoW (7 years old), and lately some FIFA 12.

I plan to play SWTOR in the new year though and I think my system is going to start showing its age. The weakest link is probably the CPU, but can I get a significant upgrade without changing the motherboard? I guess I am stuck with a Socket 775 LGA processor unles I get a new motherboard right?

(Just the thought of changing motherboard and having to reinstall everything makes me cringe and puts me off even getting SWTOR).

stulid · 25 Nov 2011 at 20:26

This is the CPU support list for your board - http://www.asus.com/Motherboards/Intel_Socket_775/P5NE_SLI/#CPUS

As well as needing a new board for a newer CPU you would need DDR3 RAM as well, then there is the small matter of modern boards dont have IDE ports, so if you have a IDE harddrive and optical drive these need switching or you could pick up a PCI add-in card that provides a IDE port or two..

Raikiri · 25 Nov 2011 at 20:59

You could pick up a used Q6600 for £50-60 on eBay or the MM, would be my choice personally.

The fact I'm selling one has no bearing on this

If you did upgrade to one of the newer CPUs then yeah, you would need the motherboard/CPU/RAM as everything has moved onto DDR3 now.

Alex53 · 28 Nov 2011 at 14:37

Thanks for your replies.

I guess I'll bite the bullet and get something nice after xmas. I have 4GB DDR3 that I'm not using and I guess the graphics card is still fine, so a motherboard+cpu+fan bundle should do the job. Maybe another 4GB too depends how rich I feel in january.

Is there anything new coming out thats worth waiting for in terms of motherboards and CPUs? Should I stick with Intel or worth going AMD?

stulid · 28 Nov 2011 at 14:41

There ivybridge next year that will work in existing socket1155 boards - http://www.cpu-world.com/news_2011/2011112702_Ivy_Bridge_desktop_CPU_lineup_details_part_II.html

The speeds shown there kind of suggest similar speeds to Sandybridge now, but with reduced TDP due to the 32nm to 22nm reduction, the onboard gfx core is meant to be improved also.

Should I stick with Intel or worth going AMD?

Unless you are a share holder in the company, I cant think of one reason to go for AMD currently.

valdai · 28 Nov 2011 at 14:42

Ivy Bridge (22nm) is coming out in 2012 though iirc it's only vaguely scheduled as first half of 2012. Might be worth waiting just a little bit more. Not sure about motherboards myself, will let someone else answer that.
edit: ninja'd nevermind, see above for better advice

Alex53 · 28 Nov 2011 at 14:46

Hmmm seems once I go for it its gonna be upwards of £400 for an i5 or i7 + motherboard + 4GB ram. So I'll see how my PC copes with SWTOR as it is in January and then act accordingly. I have the cash I just dont feel like spending so much on an upgrade these days.

fowler002 · 28 Nov 2011 at 15:37

as suggested get the q6600(and oc to 3-3.6ghz) for now then see how you get on, come mach/april when ib released you can decide if you want to upgrade.

stulid · 28 Nov 2011 at 15:38

Alex53 said:
Hmmm seems once I go for it its gonna be upwards of £400 for an i5 or i7 + motherboard + 4GB ram. So I'll see how my PC copes with SWTOR as it is in January and then act accordingly. I have the cash I just dont feel like spending so much on an upgrade these days.

Well you can get a i5 2500K now and get it up close to 5GHz, that will leave everything else behind. Its massively unlikely ivybridge will offer a improvement in gaming over this

This sums it up - http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showpost.php?p=20666175&postcount=8

Basically, dont wait for ivybriidge and just get a Sandybridge now, unless you have something equivalent to a Sandybridge now (which you dont) buying a Q6600 to see how you get on is a waste of money that can be used towards a i5 2500K now.

Alex53 · 20 Jan 2012 at 14:16

Sorry to resurrect this thread, but if I go for a mobo+cpu+fan+possibly 4gb ddr3 memory combo now, what would you guys recommend?

I'm talking budget gaming here. I'd keep the rest of my system, i.e. hard disks, ATI 5700 series 1GB, etc.

Ideally I also want a new case but OcUK isnt shipping anything big my way :/

jamesfreddie · 20 Jan 2012 at 15:43

CPU, RAM, M/B AND COOLER

YOUR BASKET
1 x Intel Core i5-2500K 3.30GHz (Sandybridge) Socket LGA1155 Processor - OEM £169.99
1 x Gigabyte Z68AP-D3 Intel Z68 (Socket 1155) DDR3 Motherboard £84.98
1 x G.Skill RipJaw 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 PC3-10666C9 1333MHz Dual Channel Kit £34.99
1 x Gelid Tranquillo CPU Cooler (Socket 754/939/940/AM2/AM2+/AM3/LGA775/LGA1155/LGA1156/LGA1366) £25.99
Total : £327.36 (includes shipping : £9.50).

Alex53 · 20 Jan 2012 at 16:41

Thanks

Not sure if the cooler will fit in the case, will check dimensions and stuff.

beejjacobs · 20 Jan 2012 at 16:44

Also, get low profile and 1600MHz RAM:
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=MY-094-KS&groupid=701&catid=8&subcat=1517
(so it doesnt interfere with the cooler, and its faster!)

Sasahara · 20 Jan 2012 at 20:49

An i5-2500K upgrade will be good for the long term and what I'd recommend.

And even if you did stick with the LGA775 platform the Q6600 would be a bad choice an E8400-E8600 would be better for the games you play and most other games.