Worth upgrading??

flynn353

Hi,

First post in this part of the forum so hoping I can get some help. Just wondering is there much of a point upgrading my first build. Its been a while since I've looked at components so not really sure whats good and that nowadays. Been honest I never really found the video quality to be great with what I'm using. Dunno if its just me or something in my setup. Have a Samsung 20" monitor (1600x900)

Current spec
Intel q6600 (G0 stepping) @ stock speed with akasa ak-965 cooler
4gb OCZ DDR2 RAM
XFX 650i ultra MOBO
HIS 6950 2gb (Id be keeping this anyway)
Samsung 320gb HDD
Corsair 650w PSU
NZXT Phantom(not sure of exact model??) case (May change, find it a bit "showy" and loud)

1. What is your budget?
Depends on what I'd get for the q6600,mobo, ram and case

2. What will be the main purpose of the computer?
Gaming, watching movies

3. Do you need a copy of Windows?
Have the copy of 7 pro 64 bit im using in my current build.

4. Can you use any parts from an old computer?
Hdd, PSU, keyboard and mouse, 6950 gfx

5. Do you need a monitor?
Possibly

5a. If yes, what size do you need?
21-24". Would prefer one with audio so I could use it for PS3 also.

6. Are you willing to try overclocking?
Possibly

7. How can you pay?
Debit card

8. When are you purchasing?
Just checking things out for now.

Thank,
Paul

flynn353

Could anyone help me with this? Im not overly pushed about it but main thing I want to do is to try quieten it a good bit and try improve image quality as I find playing video files and the like back through VLC or Windows Media player to be of poor enough quality. My current set up is:

Case: NZXT APOLLO w/ window
CPU: Intel Q6600 (G0 stepping) @ stock speed with akasa ak-965 cooler
MOBO: XFX nForce-650i Ultra, ATX
PSU: Corsair 650w (non modular)
GFX: HIS 6950 IceQ 2GB
RAM: 4GB OCZ Gold DDR2 PC6400
Monitor: Samsung 20" monitor (1600x900, 2ms response time)

Thanks,
Paul

creep

Have you tried overclocking the processor? Only real upgrade to drag another bit of life but processor isn't great really.

http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/cpus/2007/07/25/overclocking_intel_core_2_quad_q6600/1

Graphics card is still decent. You could get an SSD to speed up the PC but wont make any difference in games.

http://www.videocardbenchmark.net/gpu.php?gpu=Radeon+HD+6950

flynn353

I briefly overclocked it a while back but found no real advantage. The graphics card Id keep anyway, I cant really afford anything computer wise. If I could improve video playback and get semi decent FPS it would be the main thing.

If I was to sell the CPU and cooler,mobo,ram and an 8800GTS 512mb card what kind of money would be realistic to look for?

creep

That Pc should play video no problem and also should run games but CPU will probably bottlekneck the graphics card. You'd get feck all really as its old. If you architecture


If you can overclock it to 3Ghz you will see a big improvement in games

flynn353

Well I played an episode of Hannibal on the PC in full screen and thought it didnt look great. Played the same episode through a PS3 connected to a old CRT TV and it looked way better so maybe its just software or settings thats the problem

creep

flynn353 wrote: »

Well I played an episode of Hannibal on the PC in full screen and thought it didnt look great. Played the same episode through a PS3 connected to a old CRT TV and it looked way better so maybe its just software or settings thats the problem

What resolution?

flynn353

PC monitor is 1600x900, the PS3 is outputting at 576i i belive on the old TV (no audio on monitor so was the only way )

TerrorFirmer

Whatever problem you're facing is not hardware related. I run 1080P on an E5200 itx build and its fine. Regards quieting it down, look into getting a better CPU cooler, and also creating a custom fan profile for your video card? What resolution are the videos in question? This might sound stupid, but, are you taking into account the distance involved? EG, if I watch a 480P file on my monitor, it looks like garbage, whereas in the living room, it looks fine, because I'm much further away. Similarly, if I'm watching a movie or TV show on my monitor, it's always 720 or 1080p, whereas I settle fine for 480p in the living room if needs be.

In terms of games, CPU is dated, but still competent, if you overclock it somewhat. Q6600 still holds OK resale value, so, selling the Q6600, mobo, and ram should net you about 40% of the cost of buying something like an fx6300, 8gb ram, and board. 6950 is still respectable for games and is limited by the Q6600.

creep

Try downloading the latest drivers. You play around with the graphics settings?

flynn353

TerrorFirmer wrote: »

Whatever problem you're facing is not hardware related. I run 1080P on an E5200 itx build and its fine. Regards quieting it down, look into getting a better CPU cooler, and also creating a custom fan profile for your video card? What resolution are the videos in question? This might sound stupid, but, are you taking into account the distance involved? EG, if I watch a 480P file on my monitor, it looks like garbage, whereas in the living room, it looks fine, because I'm much further away. Similarly, if I'm watching a movie or TV show on my monitor, it's always 720 or 1080p, whereas I settle fine for 480p in the living room if needs be.

In terms of games, CPU is dated, but still competent, if you overclock it somewhat. Q6600 still holds OK resale value, so, selling the Q6600, mobo, and ram should net you about 40% of the cost of buying something like an fx6300, 8gb ram, and board. 6950 is still respectable for games and is limited by the Q6600.

Most of the content i have is around 720p or that I think, the episode of hannibal is 1080p. The monitor and tv are practically side by side so its not distance, or maybe im too near to the monitor? Kinda limited due to headset with distance.

creep wrote: »

Try downloading the latest drivers. You play around with the graphics settings?

Ill try get all up to date drivers when ive access to broadband. Ive played around with settings but makes little difference with full screen. Maybe im just being too picky with quality