thinking about an upgrade..any thoughts?

Waynos

Member
Hello CGA/ToJ/LoE techs,
looking into a few upgrades and wanted some of your opinions

Here is my current windows performance scores
Processor 7.0
Memory RAM 7.2
graphics 7.9
Gaming graphics 7.9
primary hard disk/disk data transfer rate 5.9


here are a few things i am thinking about buying;
1. Mother board = ASRock 960GM/U3S3 FX AM3+ AMD 760G SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 Micro ATX AMD Motherboard
benefit;
higher core cpu,
double my RAM capacity from 8GB to 16GB
go from 1333MHz up to 1600MHz or 1866MHz RAM speed
and go from sata II 3.0gb/s to sata III 6.0gb/s for hard drive

2. Processor = AMD FX-6300 3.5GHz (4.1GHz Turbo) Socket AM3+ Six-Core Desktop Processor
benefit;
go from triple core 3.2GHz to a 6 core 3.5GHz processor

i can buy both for about $181.00 brand new with warranty's from newegg.com

here is what i am running current;
ECS AM3 socket Mobo
AMD Athlon II x3 450 3.2GHz triple core cpu
Crucial Ballistix 8GB DDR3 1333MHz 240-pin RAM (2x4GB sticks)
HIS Radeon HD 7850 GDDR5 2GB Video Card
Raidmax modular 630 Watt PSU
Seagate Barracuda 500GB 7200rpm sata II 3.0 gb/s hard drive
IDE dvd/cd drive

do you think this upgrade would improve my gaming considering my current specs?
 
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The big bottle neck is the hard drive. Unless that is improved the other items won't matter for gaming. SSD hard drives get you into a whole new territory of speed and cost. I have similar problem mine is not real high rated, 5.9 on everything but drive which is 5.7. It would be very expensive to upgrade because the hard drive would need to be seriously upgraded first.
 
Concerning bottlenecks, HDD only has to do with your loading speed, not how it performs in game. Don't get me wrong, that's HUGE! I love loading up LA in 5 secons on my SSD. Huge quality of life saver there, especially when I'm trying to WP chain to save silver.

In-game, large lags tend to be a bit of a mix between CPU and GPU, so I guess it depends on where you're lagging and what settings you have on. Do you lag in LA? LA tends to be a CPU bottleneck.
 
Concerning bottlenecks, HDD only has to do with your loading speed, not how it performs in game. Don't get me wrong, that's HUGE! I love loading up LA in 5 secons on my SSD. Huge quality of life saver there, especially when I'm trying to WP chain to save silver.

In-game, large lags tend to be a bit of a mix between CPU and GPU, so I guess it depends on where you're lagging and what settings you have on. Do you lag in LA? LA tends to be a CPU bottleneck.

my only lagg is splash screens.they are very slow loading
otherwise i run GW2 at max with a comfortable 75-79fps (la it drops to about 40fps once i'm in town but it is highly populated so i expect that anyways)
 
The big bottle neck is the hard drive. Unless that is improved the other items won't matter for gaming. SSD hard drives get you into a whole new territory of speed and cost. I have similar problem mine is not real high rated, 5.9 on everything but drive which is 5.7. It would be very expensive to upgrade because the hard drive would need to be seriously upgraded first.

i've looked into solid state drives
and for the price you don't get much storage
for example i want at least a 200GB of storage and those go for $140 for the bottom of the line no name brands
 
I will second that the SSD will make loading times great - I was using one until I ended up pilfering it for my Final Cut Pro drive, and after returning to a regular hard drive I noticed much longer load times.

Ryan is definitely spot on that any major hub is going to tax your CPU intensely, less so your graphics card. I can't speak with authority on CPU's since i'm an intel man myself, but regarding RAM I'd say that jumping from 8-16 gb will not really make that much of a difference for GW2.

I wish I had cash to blow on computer upgrades - I'm starting to drool here ;)
 
I should also add that if you are techie and somewhat adventurous you could also consider overclocking your processor (again, not sure about anything AMD). My intel cpu came 3.4GHz stock and I run it at 4.4GHz with some extra cooling in my case. In wvw I experience almost no lag with major zergfests except when Anet's servers flip out (lol).
 
i've looked into solid state drives
and for the price you don't get much storage
for example i want at least a 200GB of storage and those go for $140 for the bottom of the line no name brands

What you want is an SSD. You can have more than one drive, you know! ZERO actual research done to compare price or similar brand, but this is what I'm running so I can vouch for it. Bought mine around December I think, was good price/space then:
http://www.amazon.com/Intel-Series-...UTF8&qid=1372031994&sr=8-2&keywords=intel+ssd

120GB is way more than enough space, because you don't need to install everything on it. Operating system (do you want an 8 second cold boot?), Guild Wars 2(super fast loading screens!), etc. You could also install things like Office and other applications. Keep a 2nd HDD in there for your movie & music collection, which are far less critical for how fast they load. It doesn't matter if a movie takes an extra 2 seconds to boot up, etc.

Lots of drive makers (like Intel, Seagate) have software that makes it easy to put a new disk in. If you're using less than 120gb, just clone it. If not, partition your primary hard drive so that it has 2 drives, move your movies/etc, then clone the C: drive. Super easy!
 
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What you want is an SSD. You can have more than one drive, you know! ZERO actual research done to compare price or similar brand, but this is what I'm running so I can vouch for it. Bought mine around December I think, was good price/space then:
http://www.amazon.com/Intel-Series-...UTF8&qid=1372031994&sr=8-2&keywords=intel+ssd

120GB is way more than enough space, because you don't need to install everything on it. Operating system (do you want an 8 second cold boot?), Guild Wars 2(super fast loading screens!), etc. You could also install things like Office and other applications. Keep a 2nd HDD in there for your movie & music collection, which are far less critical for how fast they load. It doesn't matter if a movie takes an extra 2 seconds to boot up, etc.

Lots of drive makers (like Intel, Seagate) have software that makes it easy to put a new disk in. If you're using less than 120gb, just clone it. If not, partition your primary hard drive so that it has 2 drives, move your movies/etc, then clone the C: drive. Super easy!

so if i understand correctly;
if i took the $180 i was going to spend on upgrade parts and bought a solid state drive,
put GW2 and my OS on it will improve the performance of of my gaming?

please note i am using a 500GB sata 3.0 hard drive and i only am using 118GB for everything on the drive (rest is free space)
120GB would be cutting it close so if i could find a decent 200GB SSD i would totally buy it

i'll shop around and post what i find for opinions before i order that way i will have you guy's insight before i buy the wrong thing

oh and thank you all for your advice and willingness to help!!!
 
my birthday is coming and im gonna try and use that opportunity to get a SSD

so here is what i found
Mushkin Enhanced Chronos MKNSSDCR240GB-7 2.5" 240GB SATA III 7mm Internal Solid State Drive (SSD) for $161.98 (includes shipping)
backwards compatible so it will work on my SATA 3.0 gb/s motherboard port

here is link;
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820226371


my tower may have the adapter built in for this drive as well as a 60mm cooling fan in the drive bay (love my case lol)
if not i could buy an adapter bracket for about $5

so all in all i could get this 240GB SSD
which would hold everything that i need whereas i only have my OS,GW2 and teamspeak on my PC anyways lol

any thoughts if this is a good deal or should i try elsewhere?


i could put the old 500GB SATA II 7200rpm drive in my son's tower for extra space
cause he only has an old IDE 160GB hard drive
 
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so if i understand correctly;
if i took the $180 i was going to spend on upgrade parts and bought a solid state drive,
put GW2 and my OS on it will improve the performance of of my gaming?

please note i am using a 500GB sata 3.0 hard drive and i only am using 118GB for everything on the drive (rest is free space)
120GB would be cutting it close so if i could find a decent 200GB SSD i would totally buy it

i'll shop around and post what i find for opinions before i order that way i will have you guy's insight before i buy the wrong thing

oh and thank you all for your advice and willingness to help!!!

If by "performance" you mean how fast your computer boots and loads an area, then yes. If by performance you mean your FPS, then no. Sounds to me like your framerates are already great, though. :)

A couple of notes on your Mushkin:
  • I've never heard of these guys, but 53 reviews and 4.5 stars on this drive looks like it's quality
  • Do you have a plan for mounting it? The Amazon listing states it comes with a 3.5" mounting bracket, which would be ideal. I'm assuming the Newegg one does, but doesn't say. Do note that 2.5" drives are starting to come in different thicknesses, so you'll want the right mounting bracket.
  • Back up your stuff first! Very low risk, but any time you are mucking with your disk you should make sure you have a full backup of all the important files you might need. :)
  • What's your plan for cloning the drive? I am not sure if yours comes with anything, but if you're looking for something good and free, you can try Clonezilla.
  • Since the 240gb drive is bigger than what you are currently using, you can just do a full disk clone. Clone it, take the old disk out, and boot with your new stuff to verify it's all good. Then you can format your old drive to have a nice clean 500gb drive.
  • Once done, though, you might considering moving some data to your HDD, which I'd set up as the D: drive at that point.
 
If by "performance" you mean how fast your computer boots and loads an area, then yes. If by performance you mean your FPS, then no. Sounds to me like your framerates are already great, though. :)

A couple of notes on your Mushkin:
  • I've never heard of these guys, but 53 reviews and 4.5 stars on this drive looks like it's quality
  • Do you have a plan for mounting it? The Amazon listing states it comes with a 3.5" mounting bracket, which would be ideal. I'm assuming the Newegg one does, but doesn't say. Do note that 2.5" drives are starting to come in different thicknesses, so you'll want the right mounting bracket.
  • Back up your stuff first! Very low risk, but any time you are mucking with your disk you should make sure you have a full backup of all the important files you might need. :)
  • What's your plan for cloning the drive? I am not sure if yours comes with anything, but if you're looking for something good and free, you can try Clonezilla.
  • Since the 240gb drive is bigger than what you are currently using, you can just do a full disk clone. Clone it, take the old disk out, and boot with your new stuff to verify it's all good. Then you can format your old drive to have a nice clean 500gb drive.
  • Once done, though, you might considering moving some data to your HDD, which I'd set up as the D: drive at that point.

my thought would be to improve loading or splash screens..my fps are more than good for me

first off because i bought a decent gaming case it has the 2.5 adapter built in so i wouldnt need an adapter at all
a 2.5" drive snaps in place and has a quick connect system (did i mention i love my case? lol)
i have the discs for all my stuff and i keep backups on my 16GB usb flash drive of things i dont wanna lose

I was thinking of just installing everything fresh on that SSD
i have very little on my pc cause i just use it for facebook,teamspeak and GW2

so i was planning on hooking up the SSD then running my Win 8 Pro 64-bit dvd
then run my Netgear wireless gaming adapter to connect to the web
then install Firefox,GW2 client,GW1,TS3,e-sword bible software and maybe itunes
sadly those are the only things i ever use so the 240GB would be more than enough space.

i don't know how to clone or anything like that so here is a question; (bet you saw this coming a mile away lol)
would there be anything bad if i did just install my few things on the SSD and removed the other drive?
 
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I had no idea how to do all of that either so I took a kludge way. When my new comp came in I had a lot of junk on the old drive I didn't want to lose. So I took the old drive out, put it in an external case, plugged it in, named it Warehouse and it runs as drive O. Ta Da all old data available.
External runs a little slower, but it is only a data drive for music, photos, etc.

edit: wanna get your son a new hard drive? http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136769

free shipping too.
 
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You can do exactly what Ursen is suggesting - remove old drive, put blank one in, and reinstall away. The only negative there is it's a royal pain in the butt - installing windows, updates, reinstalling programs, re-downloading programs, etc.

Cloning a drive just makes a full copy bit by bit, there isn't anything fancy you need to know. You basically run it as a wizard, it reboots and makes the image, then dumps said image to the new drive. Take out old drive, put in new, it should be exactly the same. 100gb would probably takea bout 15 mins to clone. If you don't feel comfortable...just reinstall as mentioned above.
 
In my case the OS and all drivers with updates were already installed, and only high priority items like firewalls, antispyware, etc. were immediately installed. All other stuff was installed as needed or wanted. Less painful that way. Just depends on the individual really. I viewed mine as the lazy mans way because I would have had to learn how to deal with new software. It all works out one way or t'other. I do see the advantage of cloning if ya aren't buying a whole new turn key system.
 
In my case the OS and all drivers with updates were already installed, and only high priority items like firewalls, antispyware, etc. were immediately installed. All other stuff was installed as needed or wanted. Less painful that way. Just depends on the individual really. I viewed mine as the lazy mans way because I would have had to learn how to deal with new software. It all works out one way or t'other. I do see the advantage of cloning if ya aren't buying a whole new turn key system.

i dont mind installing everything fresh..
if it shipped to me in the evening i'd just do my GW2 daily's before i installed it lol

i think the faster loading and splash screens would be a huge blessing whereas i am a bit ADHD
and at times lack patience due to my need to keep busy
plus i haven't smoked a cigarette in 11 days and i get kinda figity as i fight the urge

i'm hoping by quitting smoking to better represent the Christian image to non-believers,
better example to my son and stop the issues i was having with my lungs
it's a day to day fight but GOD has my back
 
11 days woo hoo. Keep up the good fight, you and the Holy Spirit living in you can do it. Speaking from experience it does eventually get easier, just keep praying through.
 
I have a 128GB ssd, and a 1TB hdd, both at 6 gbps, you can buy a small ssd and then put all your stuff on the bigger spin-up. you don't have to put your OS on the ssd either, but your processer will be loading from windows to run your gw2.exe. I think your on a better track with upgrading your cpu, this game is still somewhat cpu intensive so the speed and cache of your cpu makes a huge difference, the bus speed of your ram will increase performance as well, as ram dictates the speed of instructions sent to your cpu, gpu is big to this game runs my intel 3570k at 50%-60% load, and my gtx 660ti goes up to 80%-90% load in LA. so to give you an idea of what you need it takes me a 3.4ghz quad core cpu, a 2GB gpu, and 8 gigs of 1600 bus speed ram to pull this game at max settings with 50-60 fps in LA during peak play. Unfortunately GW2 is NOT the most optimized game..... so better gear on the side of crunching numbers will give better performance than how fast the device that stores the instructions can load them. Don't get me wrong though an ssd is a game changer when it comes to loading stuff faster.

oh yeah, one other thing, gw2.exe will only run on 2 cores because it is a 32 bit application, so when i say cache size I refer to the cache that will be pulling instructions from your RAM, usually its the L2 cache (might be L3 can't remember) but processors can very greatly depending on what they are made for, you may want to dig around a bit and see how the cpu your looking at stacks up with others as far as that goes. the speed of the cpu in Ghz is mainly for how fast the cpu can make calculations.
 
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