ranjb Posted March 23, 2015 Share Posted March 23, 2015 Hi Folks My PC of nearly 8 years is finally going down the pan, its an old Pentium Dual Core D830 which I custom built. I am having a few issues with Hard drives continuously dropping out of the OS even though I have tested the disks which are all ok, blue screen of deaths etc. I have even reinstalled from scratch the OS. I now am looking to purchase a motherboard CPU and memory bundle so I can rip the old kit out and freshen it up a bit. I don't want to spend too much as I only use the PC for internet and work which may comprise of me logging onto the corporate VPN but also I may want to run some test virtual machines using VMware workstation for R&D purposes and have very limited requirements for gaming, the only game I will probably play is via Steam and that is Counter Strike Source. So I have been looking at a few options and because I dont want to spend loads, I think the AMD option would be the route to go for my budget. This is what I have specced so far: AMD FX-6300 6 core Socket AM3+ processor 8GB 1866Mhz DDR3 CL10 HyperX Fury White Memory Asus M5A99X EVO R2.0 990x Socket AM3+ ATX Motherboard This is coming around Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mockingbird Posted March 23, 2015 Share Posted March 23, 2015 The AM3+ platform is ancient. You are better off with the LGA 1150 platform. ranjb 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ranjb Posted March 23, 2015 Author Share Posted March 23, 2015 This is why it always pays to ask!! thanks for your help. Do you have recommendations on what I could get for around Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mockingbird Posted March 23, 2015 Share Posted March 23, 2015 Where are you getting parts from? I am not in the UK, so I need to be able to check the local prices. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ranjb Posted March 23, 2015 Author Share Posted March 23, 2015 Where are you getting parts from? I am not in the UK, so I need to be able to check the local prices. It will be in the UK, trying to see if I can source as a bundle but it looks like it cheaper if I buy the parts separately. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mockingbird Posted March 23, 2015 Share Posted March 23, 2015 Ignore what I said earlier. After looking at local prices, the AMD FX-6300 is definitely the best you can get for that price (versus a comparable Intel Core i3-4330 which is more expensive). Personally, I would go with an Intel Core i5 system, but I do understand that this is above your budget. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ranjb Posted March 25, 2015 Author Share Posted March 25, 2015 Thanks for the replies... Another question I had on this was if I brought a Haswell i3 CPU do I also need to change the power supply or can I get away with my 5 year old 500W PSU? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ranjb Posted April 9, 2015 Author Share Posted April 9, 2015 bit of an update on this one.... I still been looking around and havent brought on yet :-( I have decided to go with Socket 1150 Model supporting Haswell Intel Core i3-4160 - System Build - PCPartPicker United KingdomIntel Core i3-4160 3.6GHz Dual-Core ProcessorGigabyte GA-Z97P-D3 ATX LGA1150 MotherboardCorsair 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 MemoryAlso would I need to purchase a CPU cooler or doesnt the processor come with one included?If I need to purchase one I am thinking of the Zalman CNPS 7500 AlCu LED Ball Bearing CPU CoolerThis comes in around Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aergan Posted April 9, 2015 Share Posted April 9, 2015 Retail boxed Intel CPU's will ship with a CPU cooler - which for an i3 is probably sufficient. I would probably stick with the Intel and try it out first (you're paying for it and receiving it anyway). If noise or performance becomes an issue, then get another cooler later. Your PSU is ATX 2.01 and includes the 2x12v connectors for the motherboard so you should be fine. Give it a blast out with a compressor & vacuum cleaner. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ranjb Posted April 10, 2015 Author Share Posted April 10, 2015 Retail boxed Intel CPU's will ship with a CPU cooler - which for an i3 is probably sufficient. I would probably stick with the Intel and try it out first (you're paying for it and receiving it anyway). If noise or performance becomes an issue, then get another cooler later. Your PSU is ATX 2.01 and includes the 2x12v connectors for the motherboard so you should be fine. Give it a blast out with a compressor & vacuum cleaner. many Thanks for your advice. I have a question on the CPU, someone has suggested that I may get slightly better performance (if I am willing to overclock) with an Intel G3258. Would anyone recommend this over the i3? they say single core performance is better but its isnt hyperthreaded but is unlocked to be overclocked unlike the i3? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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