Looking to upgrade. Have $300 to play with but not very good with hardware.

Started by 'Itan Atxur, July 07, 2011, 03:18:21 PM

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'Itan Atxur

Okay, so here's what I currently have:

Gateway FX7020
Windows Vista Home Premium 32 bit
Nvidia GTX275
3GB DDR2 Dual Channel RAM
AMD Phenom 9600 Quad core 2.3 GHz Processor
600 watt power supply

The side of the tower claims that I'm SLI ready but I wouldn't even know how to go about doing that.

I think my mother board here is the weakest link. I'm fairly happy with the GTX275 though I find the idea of running two graphics cards side by side very attractive. Also, my tower is fairly small and I was just BARELY able to fit the 275 in it (didn't check dimensions before purchasing. Totally got lucky).

So, I have $300 to play with. What do you all recommend?

[EDIT] After a bit of research I've realized motherboards and CPU's are different things. I really have no idea what I'm doing :(

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'Itan Atxur

Okay, so after quite a bit of research this is what I've come up with:

The FX7020 desktop comes with a motherboard that has a AM2+ 95W Socket. AM3 95W processors are compatible with this socket as I understand it. I've found that the AMD Phenom II X4 840 processor meets these requirements (fits the socket despite being an AM3 processor and has the correct wattage) and is currently the best price/preformance AMD processor on the market.

The one thing that has me nervous now is that the term "BIOS" keeps popping up and I haven't been able to find anything on it that helps me determine if this processor is compatible with my motherboard.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

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Swoka Ikran

Based on the specs for FX7020: http://support.gateway.com/s/PC/R/1015005R/1015005Rsp3.shtml

Your RAM is 4GB max (as 4x 1GB sticks). You could install the extra GB (and the 64-bit OS needed for it), but I can't see there being much improvement from the RAM.

The processor may or may not be upgradeable. As you said, you have an AM2+ socket, so you can put AM3 processors in it. Bad news is that there's no way to tell if the Gateway BIOS will accept the new processor. A well-designed, up to date BIOS should support the upgrades, but who knows if Gateway bothered to include such support.

As for a second video card...the specs seem to indicate that there's nowhere to put one.
Quote from: Gateway specs
One PCI Express ×16 (graphics interface)
Also, you say you have a 600W power supply...did you install that when you put the GTX275 in? A stock FX7020 comes with a 400W PSU.
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'Itan Atxur

Yeah, I purchased the power supply along with the GPU.

Let's say for a second that I buy the new processor and the BIOS doesn't accept it. Is there anything I can do about that?

Also, while there are some things out there that require more than 3 gigs of RAM, it's nothing I'm worried about at the moment. I'm not entirely happy with only 800 megabytes of RAM on my video card, but even with a quad core, 2.3 GHz doesn't seem to be cutting it.

Thanks for the help.

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Swoka Ikran

Quote from: 'Itan Atxur on July 07, 2011, 06:24:09 PM
Yeah, I purchased the power supply along with the GPU.

Let's say for a second that I buy the new processor and the BIOS doesn't accept it. Is there anything I can do about that?
If it's a custom motherboard made specially for Gateway, and Gateway doesn't offer an update, you'd likely have to replace the motherboard or put the old processor back.

EDIT: I just did some looking around, there is NO BIOS update available for the FX7020. That means a new motherboard if it doesn't work.

As seen here (click BIOS tab): http://support.gateway.com/us/en/product/default.aspx?tab=1&modelId=2667
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'Itan Atxur

Thanks for the info. Motherboards seem to be pretty cheap but there are so many different connections, they can be confusing. I think I'm gonna give it a shot and if it doesn't work, then it looks like a new motherboard for me. And while I'm waiting for the new board, the old will certainly do the trick.

Do you think I'll see a noticeable increase in preformance in games? All the benchmarks I looked at seem to suggest I should, but I was also expecting a bigger preformance increase with my GTX275. Could my CPU be holding my GPU back?

And MAN did I just terrify myself. I just removed my CPU to see how easy it would be (insanely easy btw) and when I went to restart it said my boot manager was missing :o Then I realized I'd accidentally disconnected my hard drive, hrh. Whew!

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Swoka Ikran

Quote from: 'Itan Atxur on July 07, 2011, 07:43:34 PM
Thanks for the info. Motherboards seem to be pretty cheap but there are so many different connections, they can be confusing. I think I'm gonna give it a shot and if it doesn't work, then it looks like a new motherboard for me. And while I'm waiting for the new board, the old will certainly do the trick.
Standard boards sometimes don't fit in OEM cases, both physically and electrically. Your Gateway case is supposed to be microATX, but I'd suggest checking things carefully if you end up replacing the motherboard, especially the front panel wires.

Quote from: 'Itan Atxur on July 07, 2011, 07:43:34 PM
Do you think I'll see a noticeable increase in preformance in games? All the benchmarks I looked at seem to suggest I should, but I was also expecting a bigger preformance increase with my GTX275. Could my CPU be holding my GPU back?
You should notice an improvement with the faster processor, but no guarantee as to how much. Not sure about the CPU holding back the video card though, I don't have a good video card (using integrated graphics). I've done rough speed increase calculations using logs from F@H :o

Quote from: 'Itan Atxur on July 07, 2011, 07:43:34 PM
I just removed my CPU to see how easy it would be (insanely easy btw)
AMD CPUs and heatsinks are indeed very easy to remove and install.

Also, you may want some extra thermal compound for your new processor. AMD procs generally comes with a sheet pre-applied to the heatsink, but I always like to add a little more.
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'Itan Atxur

So to run 64 bit I'd need to purchase two gigs of DDR2 RAM, correct? Would I need to do anything else besides purchase the software? I know these are all questions I can find answers to on google but in all honesty, it seems to me most computer advice I find through google is no good. Also, do you really think the difference between 32 bit and 64 bit is worth $100? Ram is cheap so that's not an issue.

Also, if I do end up needing a new motherboard and the connectors aren't compatible, is this the kind of issue that can be solved via adapters?

Quote from: Swoka Ikran on July 07, 2011, 08:54:10 PM
Also, you may want some extra thermal compound for your new processor. AMD procs generally comes with a sheet pre-applied to the heatsink, but I always like to add a little more.

I will definitely do that. I don't think a little extra can hurt.

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'Itan Atxur

Thanks for the help. I think I'll save that for my next PC all together. It sounds like I'd have to upgrade most of my PC anyways ;)

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Swoka Ikran

Quote from: 'Itan Atxur on July 07, 2011, 10:29:06 PM
So to run 64 bit I'd need to purchase two gigs of DDR2 RAM, correct? Would I need to do anything else besides purchase the software?
You can run the 64-bit OS without any changes to the RAM, but you cannot use the 4th GB of RAM without the 64-bit OS. And yes, you need to buy 2x 1GB sticks and replace the 512MBs you have.

Quote from: 'Itan Atxur on July 07, 2011, 10:29:06 PM
Also, if I do end up needing a new motherboard and the connectors aren't compatible, is this the kind of issue that can be solved via adapters?
Depends on what connectors didn't fit. For power supply connectors, adapters are available if you needed them. They're typically $2-$4 depending on the connectors you need.

The front panel...the easiest answer here is probably to buy a case. There's no adapter for this AFAIK. I've done DIY adapters in the past, but making one is a mess that involves soldering and a lot of time.

Quote from: 'Itan Atxur on July 07, 2011, 10:29:06 PM
Quote from: Swoka Ikran on July 07, 2011, 08:54:10 PM
Also, you may want some extra thermal compound for your new processor. AMD procs generally comes with a sheet pre-applied to the heatsink, but I always like to add a little more.
I will definitely do that. I don't think a little extra can hurt.
Be careful not to put too much on. The typical syringe-style tube it comes in is usually good for 3-6 applications depending on size, so don't use the whole thing.

Also, the stuff makes a mess, so whatever you use to spread it probably should be disposable.
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'Itan Atxur

Thanks again to both of you for the advice. I feel a bit more confident moving forward now.

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Human No More

Just a small thing to add, here's how to use thermal compound:
http://www.arcticsilver.com/methods.html

Do not touch the CPU die or the bottom of the heatsink with anything - oil from your fingers will degrade its cooling ability, and any particles trapped between the two will even more.
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