Good upgrade or meh?

**invictus** · January 30, 2009, 05:34 PM

Hey all i have 2 lists here that i need any possible suggestions for. The first is simply my upgrades. Note: I am an AMD fan and ATI fan, so if anything id like if not much alk about "go with intel or nvidia". I am set on AMD/ATI. Thanks, -Leon
My upgrades
MOBO: Asus M4A79 Dlx
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813131361
CPU: AMD Phenom II 940
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16819103471
Ram: Kingston Hyper x DDR2 800 4gb
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820134606
GPU (this is a maybe, as i have a 3870): ATI 4870 512mb
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814102796

Now as for the other list. It is for a pc i will build for my girlfriend. She is not a huge gamer, with the most graphic intensive game she has right now is guild wars. She will be getting sims 3 when it comes out. I asked and she did not mind my old parts as she would only surf the net and such.
Old parts
Mobo: Asus A8R-MVP
CPU: AMD FX-60
Ram: Kingston Hyper X DDR1 3gb
GPU: ATI 3870
New Parts
CASE: Apevia X-Telstar
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811144214
PSU: Silverstone 500W
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817256037
HDD: WD 750gb
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16822136150
OD: Sony dvd-RW
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16827118025
CPU Fan(i am a noob to cpu fans as i myself use liquid cooling) Zalman 120mm
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16835118115

**Roman Clone** · January 30, 2009, 08:56 PM

I would go ahead for that 4870, but I would wait a bit if I were you. Supposedly , there should be the new ATI 5000 series coming out. (It was supposed to be released this month I believe, but I have been away from tech news.)

For your girlfriend's PC, I would suggest getting a smaller HD, and usually processors come with stock fans, so getting one would not be necessary. (You will have to check with someone more AMD savvy, I have never bought one in my lifetime.)

Are most of the parts in your second list parts that you already have?

**invictus** · January 31, 2009, 12:47 AM

The unlinked parts on the 2nd list are the parts i already have. The reason i need a new cpu fan is a liquid cooled my cpu, and i have no idea where the stock cooler is anymore.

I was waiting for the 5000 series but i have not seen any news at all about it, so im begining to think might be similar to the 2000 and 3000 series in that it will be delayed months and months.

Not sure what else i need to say, aside from if that is all good or not. My main concern is that the psu will be sufficient or not. -Leon

**Roman Clone** · January 31, 2009, 09:49 AM

You will need a different CPU Fan, as that one is LGA775, not socket AM2.

Your PSU seems fine for the 3870, but barely. I would suggest something more like 550+ WT.

**Roman Clone** · January 31, 2009, 06:45 PM

Invictus, from what I have heard, the 5000 series will not be out till June, so ignore my advice about waiting for them.

**invictus** · February 01, 2009, 12:28 AM

Heh, seems to be bit of confusion here RC. Ok the fan is for my old AMD FX-60 socket 939. my system uses a liquid cooled set up. I just lost the original fan for the old cpu, so i need to get her one. Seriously about the 5000 series? I swear everytime i wait for their new cards, they never come out. Soon as i buy a card one week later the new series is out. -Leon

**Roman Clone** · February 01, 2009, 10:17 AM

You might want to get this fan.

I am unhappy about the delay as well. I need the price of the GTX 2** series to go down real fast because my 8800 GTS is starting to become unruly.

**invictus** · February 01, 2009, 01:31 PM

Ok cool thanks, one more noobish question. since i generally never changed stock fans etc except for liquid cooling. The liquid cooling components came already with thermal grease. Is there a kind you recommend? Iv heard of arctic silver, how is that different from regular kind, because i thought that was somehow a bit metallic? -Leon
P.S.
Thanks for all the help.

**Roman Clone** · February 01, 2009, 08:08 PM

Originally Posted by invictus

Ok cool thanks, one more noobish question. since i generally never changed stock fans etc except for liquid cooling. The liquid cooling components came already with thermal grease. Is there a kind you recommend? Iv heard of arctic silver, how is that different from regular kind, because i thought that was somehow a bit metallic? -Leon
P.S.
Thanks for all the help.

I would recommend Arctic Silver 5, but I do not know how well it works. I should be testing it next weekend.