Well..

Deathbank

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This past sunday I had an opportunity to buy a computer and I didn't feel comfortable with my purchase so I waited, choosing to do some more research. I've decided to go with a 790GX mobo, ATI 1GB 4870, 4GB of RAM ddr2-800 pc6400, 1 TB hard drive, a case of course with a 600W PSU, plus an ibuypower sound system, Windows Vista premium, a free game (crap halo 2), a 9$ fan upgrade to "AVC Silent AMD CPU Fan and Heatsink Quiet & Overclocking Proof ."

The processor I orginally started out with was the 2.7GHz AMD Phenomâ„¢ II X4 920 and the final price before shipping is $926.

My question is, I've got 30 extra dollars, would it be well worth the upgrade to get the AMD Phenom II X 940, which is a 3.0GHz cpu? I say its a no brainer but I was wondering if this would overclock as well as the 920. My mother board is:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130191



The final price with the 940 would be about $956 before shipping. Persoanlly, I don't see why not, considering this is a huge bump down from my GTX 260 setup which should be equally as good graphics wise and a step up in the CPU (I was going with the 920 with the 260). Thanks for your help once again!
 
The 940 BE Is worth the Extra $30 (I Dont think you can OC the 920 As easily as the 940 - Someone correct me if im wrong).Although you will need to get some Aftermarket cooling before you decide to overclock.

I have a 940 BE with an OCZ Vendetta 2 and my CPU is a 3.5Ghz and it's still cooler than it was when it was at stock clocks with the stock CPU cooler :D
 
Thats what I was thinking but I appreciate the reassurance! What after-market cooling would you recommend? Liquid cooling looks really cool but isn't that expensive and dangerous to put in your comp? What if all that stuff leaked out?
 
The 940 BE Is worth the Extra $30 (I Dont think you can OC the 920 As easily as the 940 - Someone correct me if im wrong).Although you will need to get some Aftermarket cooling before you decide to overclock.
The 940 is a Black Edition, meaning it has an unlocked multiplier. It is a much better overclocker than the 920.
Thats what I was thinking but I appreciate the reassurance! What after-market cooling would you recommend? Liquid cooling looks really cool but isn't that expensive and dangerous to put in your comp? What if all that stuff leaked out?
Liquid cooling is great as long as you're an experienced overclocker who knows exactly how to get the most out of the system.
I take it you're new to overclocking? If so, a decent air cooler will be all you need. If iBuyPower stock the Xigmatek HDT-S1283, go with that, the OCZ Vendetta 2 is an almost identical copy. The top of the line air cooler is the Thermalright Ultra 120 Extreme, it's unlikely that they will have this in stock and even if they do, you don't really need it.
 
Ok here's a list of available processor cooling options with the current setup page:

-AVC Silent AMD CPU Fan and Heatsink Quiet & Overclocking Proof +$0

-Thermaltake MaxOrb CPU Cooling Fan System Kit Silent & Overclocking Proof = Maximum cooling efficiency for quietness and performance +$36
-XIGMATEK Dark Knight 120mm CPU Cooling Fan System H.D.T. (Heat-pipe direct touch) technology +35$

Coolermaster V10 Hybrid TEC CPU Cooling Fan System Full cover of DRAM & CPU cooling for best cooling performance +$115

-Coolermaster V8 CPU Cooling Fan System +$51

Some of these are getting out of my ideal price range with this comp. I might be able to swing the $35 or the $36 one but I had my money source convinced it'd be under $1000 total without shipping. lol Thanks for the help again!
 
The Dark Knight will do you extremely well. Go for it. The HDT S1283 is rated as one of the best air coolers currently out there.
 
Awesome, thanks for the reply rohan. I think Ill go ahead and fork out the 30 bucks for it. After all, anything to make it a little bit more secure when pushing the temps and make sure it lasts me for a few years.

Another question... I know Quad cores arent all utilized for gaming but since they can only use two cores that should make them equal to quad cores at the moment, correct? If so, then why do people say dual cores are better for gaming than quads?
 
High End Dual cores, These days. But more and more games are being coded for things such as multi-thread and SLI. A Quad Core will be a safe bet and pretty future proof. Thankfully, high end quads will perform just as good or better as a high end dual core as far as games that are only coded for dual threading goes. (please note that what i've said here pertains to Intel processors, as those are what I specialize in. I'm sure AMD works similarly in that respect.)
 
sweet, thanks for the info! I am getting the 3.0ghz so im sure it should get a pretty respectable overclock.. And it'll be "future-proof" so thats always amazing. Thanks for all the comments I really appreciate it.
 
Yes you should be able to get ATLEAST 3.5Ghz,Im planning to push mine to around 3.8Ghz if possible! Just remeber to post back your overclock when you get it :)
 
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