Upgrade advice - case and/or PSU?

freka586 · Post by **freka586** » Fri Dec 28, 2007 3:47 am

I'm currently using a 3700BQE with stock PSU, together with AMD A643500+, Nvidia 6600GT and some HDDs.
Sound-wise I'm OK with with my current setup - Zalmans fans on both CPU and GPU - but now it is time to upgrade. The following will be used instead:

* Quadcore CPU Q6600 + Zalman 7500
* More RAM (4 x 2GB)
* More beefy GPU, 8800GT

My choices now are the following, starting with the cheapest and then increasing price tag:

* No cooling upgrade (would cause some serious ramping for my current PSU, so not a good choice)
* Replace PSU with a Corsair 430W (price 600 SEK)
* Get new case and PSU, Sonata Designer 500 (price 1100 SEK)
* Get a Solo and a Corsair PSU (430W or perhaps even 520W) (price 1400 SEK and up)

What's the take on my options?
Is the improved airflow of the Solo over my current 3700BQE significant enough?
I know that a 430W PSU will have no trouble driving the new setup, but would it often have to ramp up?
If so, that might warrant getting some more head-room?

Thanks,
Fredrik

Post by **NeilBlanchard** » Fri Dec 28, 2007 4:15 am

Hello Fredrik,

I'm not sure that I understand how better heatsinks would cause the PSU to ramp up it's fan?

freka586 · Post by **freka586** » Fri Dec 28, 2007 4:51 am

Ah, maybe I was a but unclear, mixing old and new equipment.

What I fear might cause the ramp-up is:

* Replace A64 3500+ CPU with quadcore Q6600
* Replace 6600GT GPU with 8800GT

VanWaGuy · Post by **VanWaGuy** » Fri Dec 28, 2007 6:14 am

Hi Freka,

This is slightly off topic, but what is from old system? Some RAM and drives?

RAM is cheap right now. If you leave the RAM with the old system, and do not need all the drives, you would still have a very usable old system along with your new system.

Maybe you do not have space/need/desire for a second system, but you will have most of one after this.

freka586 · Post by **freka586** » Sat Dec 29, 2007 11:04 am

True, this big an upgrade is really almost a replacement system.
Basically I'll take the entire "old" mainboard with CPU, cooler, RAM etc. and graphics card and put in my HTPC. Having a fourth computer in addition to the new + HTPC + laptop is not really my aim, for now at least...
So everything will come to good use