This is my current computer (very outdated) CPU- AMD Athlon 64 X2 3800+ Manchester 2.0GHz Socket 939 Dual-Core MEMORY- 4Gig Kingston Hyper X ram VIDEO CARD- EVGA 512-P3-N973-TR GeForce 9800 GT 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 POWER SUPPLY- it was top of the line years ago.. like $400.. its 750 watt which I am sure is outdated now. MOTHERBOARD- A8N32-SLI Deluxe TOWER- VERY Large tower.. I bought like the biggest one back in the day so I could upgrade if I ever needed to. I am looking to upgrade my computer and I have around $1400 to spend.. I am thinking I will get more for my money if I go the AMD route as I did years ago. I am hoping for some recommendations to build me the fastest rig I can for the $1400... I am not a computer genius by any means however I can put it all together myself as I have done that a couple times. I am positive my Motherboard, CPU, and Ram are outdated but was wondering if my Power supply needed to be replaced also? I am not worried about getting a super nice graphics card right now as I can get that later down the road.. I think my GeForce 9800 GT 512MB will hold me over temporarily. So I am hoping someone can recommend me a system possibly using newegg/tigerdirect/any reputable site to just focus on building a quick system for $1400 as the limit and not over. Need: Processor: Motherboard: Memory: Maybe power supply? If my current one isnt enough. Thanks, I appreciate it!
For a high budget build like this, AMD is not what you want. Unlike back when that system was built (late 2005, early 2006 I would guess), Intel are the current performance leaders, and for high-end systems, they are by far the best CPUs to use. I would generally recommend a Core i5 750, a Gigabyte P55A-UD4 motherboard, 4GB (possibly 8 if you think you need it) of Corsair XMS3 RAM (1600mhz, CAS9). This is a good backbone for any high-end system. 750W is ample power for a high-end PC, your current system only uses around 190-210W at full load, and the new system will not change that unless you upgrade the graphics card. However, if the unit is a mediocre brand (unlikely for the price you say you paid [I'd be amazed if it really did cost that much] but still possible) then it should be replaced. It's worth pointing out that although a new CPU/board/RAM will improve performance in general applications, you will see only a moderate increase in games performance until you upgrade the graphics card. There is no reason to spend anywhere near $1400 on the system without a graphics card. Lastly, building a new system will require you to, at the least, reinstall windows. Typically I recommend people get new hard drives in these examples even when they already have them, as this means they have a drive to start fresh with, without having to figure out where to backup all their files to so they can wipe their old drive clean.
