As I mentioned in my last post, one of the main obstacles to overcome is that almost nothing in my existing PC is compatible with current components. The basic run down as it stands is:
Gigabyte Socket 755 motherboard
E7200 Core 2 Duo
2GB DDR2 PC5400
SAPPHIRE HD 4850 512MB PCI-E (ATI)
I can't upgrade to an I5 or I7 without changing the board, and if I change the board, it would be counterproductive to get a DDR2 board, so I need new RAM as well. The problem is that upgrading all of this stuff to an I5 cpu, decent board and 8 gigs is going to cost £350, which my budget doesn’t allow for. So what can I do for me £100? Well, this:
YOUR BASKET
1 x MSI H61M-E33 Intel H61 (Socket 1155) DDR3 Motherboard **B3 REVISION** £46.99
1 x Intel Celeron G530 2.40GHz Socket LGA 1155 Processor - Retail £35.99
1 x Kingston HyperX Blu 4GB (2x2GB) DDR3 PC3-10666C9 1333MHz Dual Channel Kit (KHX1333C9D3B1K2/4G) £19.99
Total : £113.47 (includes shipping : £8.75).
Ok, so, 2 things. Yes, it’s over £100, but I'm not including shipping in my budget so its only a couple of quid, and I'm not being uber strict on the £100 thing - I can sacrifice the odd beer here and there for the sake of a decent upgrade, but unless it’s something special, I'll aim for £100 or less :)
Next question - what the hell is this crap? A Celeron?
Well, there’s a good reason for that - the Celeron is a 1155 socket, so it will fit on a board that can also take an I5 or I7. This means that my next upgrade could be a banging CPU, if I want it to be. Plus, this Celeron is a good chunk more powerful that my ageing Core 2 Duo, so it’s still an upgrade, and at £36, it’s worth it.
Once this upgrade is complete, the PC will then be in a position that any 1 component can be upgraded without having to replace other components along with it. This means getting the maximum bang for my monthly budget buck.
Gigabyte Socket 755 motherboard
E7200 Core 2 Duo
2GB DDR2 PC5400
SAPPHIRE HD 4850 512MB PCI-E (ATI)
I can't upgrade to an I5 or I7 without changing the board, and if I change the board, it would be counterproductive to get a DDR2 board, so I need new RAM as well. The problem is that upgrading all of this stuff to an I5 cpu, decent board and 8 gigs is going to cost £350, which my budget doesn’t allow for. So what can I do for me £100? Well, this:
YOUR BASKET
1 x MSI H61M-E33 Intel H61 (Socket 1155) DDR3 Motherboard **B3 REVISION** £46.99
1 x Intel Celeron G530 2.40GHz Socket LGA 1155 Processor - Retail £35.99
1 x Kingston HyperX Blu 4GB (2x2GB) DDR3 PC3-10666C9 1333MHz Dual Channel Kit (KHX1333C9D3B1K2/4G) £19.99
Total : £113.47 (includes shipping : £8.75).
Ok, so, 2 things. Yes, it’s over £100, but I'm not including shipping in my budget so its only a couple of quid, and I'm not being uber strict on the £100 thing - I can sacrifice the odd beer here and there for the sake of a decent upgrade, but unless it’s something special, I'll aim for £100 or less :)
Next question - what the hell is this crap? A Celeron?
Well, there’s a good reason for that - the Celeron is a 1155 socket, so it will fit on a board that can also take an I5 or I7. This means that my next upgrade could be a banging CPU, if I want it to be. Plus, this Celeron is a good chunk more powerful that my ageing Core 2 Duo, so it’s still an upgrade, and at £36, it’s worth it.
Once this upgrade is complete, the PC will then be in a position that any 1 component can be upgraded without having to replace other components along with it. This means getting the maximum bang for my monthly budget buck.
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