Upgrading a 775 system

[The Viper]

I've got
Motherboard: GA-G41M-Combo

CPU: Intel E8400
GPU: GTX-650

Hard Disk: Green WD10EARS

,4GB Ram and a 500 watt PSU

I mainly use my computer for games, on 1366*768 (my monitor's max), And I don't mind playing games on high (not ultra) as long as there're no freezes or shuttering..

and some of the games I started playing does that, so I decided upgrading but It seems I have two options, get another motherboard and a cpu or go for a quad core which seems easier to me, even temporary untill games start to slow down, but I read that some games doesn't use 4 cores and it's for video editing and stuff I don't really need..
 

a used q9550 is $70 but for a couple more dollars I can get a used ( Gigabyte H61M-S2P + Core i3-2120 + HP 4gb ddr3 ) or ( AMD phenom ii x4 955 black edition + msi 870s ) and I can even spend some more..

 

So what do you suggest me to do ?

 

Note: Sometimes while I play games (APB Reloaded mostly) The north bridge shipset becomes really hot, my gpu and cpu stays warm, that's why I thought getting a new motherboard will be better anyways..

also does harddisk matters, cause I've read some people saying so.

 

Thanks in advance.

[ApolloX75]

@The Viper

Seriously? Hmmm... Q9550 is a great chip, I've had two. Your board is meh but capable so its a good upgrade for you, no question.

Buuuutt.... An upgrade to something more modern is always a good idea. Avoid the Phenom II, the C2Q is better anyways. And that core i3 isn't really worth it over a real quad core.

Maybe grab an 8GB (2x4)DDR3 kit to run with your shiny Q9550.

[Rubenis]

Check for Xeons and 775 to 771 mod on your motherboard. You will get quad core for about 30-40 dollars and then you can save up/make up by selling GTX 650 for better graphics card.

[The Viper]

Thanks for replying, I have about $120 and I think I can afford a better system.
I have a question, does i3/i5 beat quad core ?, even though it's only dual cores ? (Hyper-threading or boost thingy maybe ? )

and is that heat on the north bridge normal, cause that's one of the main reasons I'm thinking of getting another MB

[ApolloX75]

Thanks for replying, I have about $120 and I think I can afford a better system.

I have a question, does i3/i5 beat quad core ?, even though it's only dual cores ? (Hyper-threading or boost thingy maybe ? )

and is that heat on the north bridge normal, cause that's one of the main reasons I'm thinking of getting another MB

Sandy, ivy and Haswell i5s are all quads. I3s are typically dual with hyperthreading which gives them two extra threads.

If you can get a Sandy bridge i5 or ivy bridge, go for it. If you can get a Haswell that's even better.

Your north bridge is safe to about 75 to 80C before it'll fail. If you around 60C normal don't even worry about it.

[The Viper]

Sandy, ivy and Haswell i5s are all quads. I3s are typically dual with hyperthreading which gives them two extra threads.

If you can get a Sandy bridge i5 or ivy bridge, go for it. If you can get a Haswell that's even better.

Your north bridge is safe to about 75 to 80C before it'll fail. If you around 60C normal don't even worry about it.

 

So you're saying that the lowest I5 is better than the q9550

Also what about AMDs ? I can afford something like (AMD Phenom II X6 Black 1090T + ASUS M4A89TD PRO/USB3) or something like ( i5-2400 with an H61 ) ?

[ApolloX75]

So you're saying that the lowest I5 is better than the q9550

Also what about AMDs ? I can afford something like (AMD Phenom II X6 Black 1090T + ASUS M4A89TD PRO/USB3) or something like ( i5-2400 with an H61 ) ?

Yes, even a Sandy Bridge i5 2400 will run circles around a Q9550. Avoid the Phenoms, they are too weak these days. I have run a lot of them and they are good, but nothing compared to an i5 now.

FX series CPU's are good for a budget, but if you can get an i5 it's no question. Go for an i5.

 

 

.... I guess the point I'm trying to make here is: get an i5. Ivy Bridge or Haswell would be ideal but even a Sandy Bridge 2500K will work wonders for you, especially if you get a monitor that supports 1080p.

 

And I used to be such an AMD whore in my youth. How things change.

[The Viper]

Thanks a lot, I'll go for an i5, it's gonna be upgradable and I might even sell my old stuff for a bit better one.

 

Just one more thing, since I'm new to the 1155 socket, what motherboards do you suggest and how do I choose one ?

 

It seems that the H61 is the most popular and cheap comparing to other... should I go for it ?

 

Also does the K in the end of it's name matters, and the Processor Graphics, is it a replacement to the gpu ?

[ApolloX75]

Thanks a lot, I'll go for an i5, it's gonna be upgradable and I might even sell my old stuff for a bit better one.

Just one more thing, since I'm new to the 1155 socket, what motherboards do you suggest and how do I choose one ?

It seems that the H61 is the most popular and cheap comparing to other... should I go for it ?

Also does the K in the end of it's name matters, and the Processor Graphics, is it a replacement to the gpu ?

The K in a CPU name denotes that it is unlocked and therefore overclockable.

If you're going for Ivy or Sandy, H77 or Z77 boards are pick of the litter.

If you go with Haswell (which is LGA1150) then a Z97/Z87 is required for overclocking a K series CPU. An H87/H97 will work fine for a locked i5 (non K), as will a simple B85 board.

*Edit: An upgrade to an 1150 Haswell would be your best route. Just thought I would clarify that as Ivy Bridge and Sandy Bridge are out of production and can in some cases be more expensive than a Haswell setup.

[ApolloX75]

Here, just an example:

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/jKzWf7

Keep in mind with a B85 chipset it may need a BIOS update before it will work with the Haswell Refresh 4460, so a 4440 could be used instead. Same chip really.

An H97 board which will work with the 4460 out of the box guaranteed is about $20 more.

And this:

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/2Hckgs

Is a good example of an unlocked and therefore overclockable beast that will last you many moons.

Obviously either one is an excellent choice, the 4440/4460 perform extremely well, only difference from the 4690K is they are not overclock able. Hence you can get away with a cheap alternatice to a Z97 board.

Hope this helps.

[The Viper]

I barely have enough for Ivy and I think it's pretty much a nice upgrade for me,

 

Sorry but one last thing just to make thing clear to me..

 

1.Aren't bigger numbers in processors mean higher ?

cause when looking for one on amazon, I noticed that the 2500k is $160 and the 3470 is $120

2.What should I look at when buying a motherboard, for me it's just the socket and maybe the ability to overclock, and the numbers on em mean the same, bigger is better ?

cause I can get the H61 for about $20 unlike the Z/H 77

[Alim]

I read you can put 771 Xeon in 775 socket

[The Viper]

I read you can put 771 Xeon in 775 socket

Even if, will that be better than an ivy ?

[Alim]

Even if, will that be better than an ivy ?

Probably not, yet if you are tight on $ it may be better, but it's up to you.

[ApolloX75]

I barely have enough for Ivy and I think it's pretty much a nice upgrade for me,

 

Sorry but one last thing just to make thing clear to me..

 

1.Aren't bigger numbers in processors mean higher ?

cause when looking for one on amazon, I noticed that the 2500k is $160 and the 3470 is $120

2.What should I look at when buying a motherboard, for me it's just the socket and maybe the ability to overclock, and the numbers on em mean the same, bigger is better ?

cause I can get the H61 for about $20 unlike the Z/H 77

  

2500K is an unlocked Sandy Bridge (second gen) and 3470 is a locked Ivy Bridge (third gen). The difference between the two is negligible and the 2500K can make up for it with hefty overclocking. Go for either one, you won't be disappointed.

Even if, will that be better than an ivy ?

No certainly not.

[The Viper]

Since I'm not a fan of overclocking I'll go for a locked Ivy and an H61, Thank you so much.

But still you didn't answer me, bigger number means better performance ?

[ApolloX75]

Since I'm not a fan of overclocking I'll go for a locked Ivy and an H61, Thank you so much.

But still you didn't answer me, bigger number means better performance ?

Heh sorry, in general yes, it does. The first number denotes generation. The numbers after are Intel's own system for naming. Hence 2500K is an unlocked second generation, while 4670K is an unlocked fourth generation.

First generation had only three numbers denoting the model. So i5 650 and such.