Upgrade Decision: CPU, Mobo, Graphics. Quick help please!

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bengance

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Hi folks,

The wife gave me approval to upgrade and part out our old PC components. Now the fun of selection begins. Keep in mind this is more a budget build intended for video editing, Vista MCE & light gaming.

Things preferred: SATA 3.0Gb/s, works with Vista
Things not needed: SLI, crossfire, fireware

Build: $364
AMD Athlon 64 X2 5600+ Dual Core 2.8GHz Socket AM2 - $140 @ frys.com
MSI K9N4 Ultra-F Socket AM2 NVIDIA nForce 500 Ultra - $57 @ newegg
OCZ 2GB Kit DDR2-800 PC2-6400 Gold Gamer eXtreme XTC Edition Dual Channel Memory - $68 @ newegg
EVGA 8600 GT - $99 @ newegg.com

I'd be happy to hear suggestions or price savings (better options for a mobo?). Also, if I do some overclocking is a Core2 Duo a better bang for the buck?

Thanks!
 
Video editting requires a lot of space. about 400mb/minute I think, right? If you've got an hour program you're editting, you've probably got 3 hours total at least...

Plus, that video can be outrageously important. Ever considered a Raid 5? If you don't know about it, takes 3 or more drives and stripes data across them. The downside is you lose space. 1/#ofdrives is lost. So if you had 3 250gb drives you'd only get 500 of your 750gb of data usable.

The good side of a raid is that if a hard drive fails, you're data is not lost. Might not be something you're interrested in, but its neat.

Bytecc BT-PESAPA 2-External SATA, 2-Internal SATA & 1 PATA RAID 0, 1, 0+1 and JBOD PCI-Express Controller (OEM) at TigerDirect.com

Tigerdirect has that SATA raid card for $43. Neat thing is that it has external ports, too, so you could have an external hd that is just as fast as your internal. Just pick up your HD and take it to another pc if you have a graphics machine or something.
 
*mutter* I don't think the raid card I linked to supports raid 5...pricewatch had it mislinked...I'll see if I can find another one.
 
I've already got a big harddrive with an external HD for backup (3.0gb/s SATA) might not be as fast as RAID, but I think getting a better CPU is more of a priority and more integral to video editing.

I just saw this alternative too:
Intel Core2Duo E6420 with ECS PT890T at Fry's for $189. The board is pretty crappy, but I might ebay it and get one that supports 3.0 gb/s SATA.
 
i'd stick with the 5600 rig. (my main reason is....read the caption of my avatar, lol)...but another is that ECS....umm, meh.
a 5600 wont have a problem keeping up with the 6420, although the extra cache of the intel may be an advantage as far as the video editing goes. the 5600 does have 2mb, so you aren't going to see a significant performance increase between the two at stock speeds.
BUT...if you plan to overclock, the intel will do substantially better at most tasks. it will alomost certainly clock higher. and intel's are faster than amd at the same clock speed.

in any event, the 5600 is 2.8 and the intel is 2.13, so stock the amd will be slightly faster at most tasks (besides super pi, heh). if you manage to overclock the amd to say....3.2 (hard, its a winnie), you would need to clock the intel to roughly 2.5-2.6 to keep same performance. which is going to be easier than getting a windsor to 3.2ghz, most likely.
 
Yeah, after reading up on the E6420, overclocking to 3.2 ghz should be pretty easy. I think I'll down to Frys to pick it up.

New question:
Which budget motherboard should work?
Is DDR2 800 going to work with this processor? I thought its 1066 FSB so i'd need to up the ram, right?
 
i'll leave the intel guys to answer the mobo question. ;)
as far as the fsb, you should be able to get close to that with some good ddr2 800. in any event, yes..it will work.
 
For that e6420, I would suggest the Gigabyte P35-DS3R. I would of suggested the 965P-DS3 (rev 1.3), but it went up in price, to the same tag as the P35-DS3R. It used to be $100.

The G. Skill HZs, are capable of reaching 1000+MHz.

or

The Crucial Ballistix, which is a really great deal, after the rebate.
 
ah, so grasshopper...b1gapl appears like smoke from chimney
those HZ's will run 1066 if you are willing to sacrifice the cas latency...and a little extra zot zot, you know what im sayin?
 
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