Ok, I have been putting this off way too long.  I need an upgrade, desperately.  I have recently run into about $500(thanks MASS Abandoned Property Division), and I need to upgrade.  So, I have basically got it down to two different upgrades.  Both of these are from Microcenter, as I want to use the cash in hand and be able to return anything that is less than satisfactory.  Build 1 is: Core i5 750, MSI H55 mobo, and 4gigs of OCZ DDR3 1333 Mhz RAM with a total of $380  Build 2 is: Phenom II X4 955 BE, 4gigs of OCZ DDR3 1333 Mhz RAM, and an MSI 750a mobo with a total of $382.  What do you guys think?  I was thinking about selling my current mobo/cpu/ram online or locally.  I have an XFX 750i SLI mobo, C2D E7200, and 4 gigs of OCZ 800 MHz DDR2 RAM. How much do you think I could get from that?  The reason I ask this is because I need to upgrade my gpu as well, because a 9800 GTX+ isn't cutting it anymore.  Thanks.
From reviews I've seen, the CPUs in both of your builds are pretty much the same when it comes to gaming, but i5 was faster in some desktop applications.
I take it you're looking on newegg? [I found a combo deal with i5 750 and MSI P55 board for $294.98]
Along with G-Skill 4GB DDR3 1333, it came to a total of $381.97
I want to get it all in store, so im looking at microcenter. Â It's weird, I found this MSI H55 for 107.99, but when i added it to my cart, it turned out to be 67.99. Â It must be some kind of error, but im sure microcenter will give me some explanation or maybe even the latter price tag.
Ahh, my mistake, missed that.
But still, if you're going to be gaming a lot, just go for the cheapest build. Otherwise, I'd go for the i5 build. Also, don't go too cheap with your motherboard, or you might find it becomes outdated fairly quickly.
As for your current build, my friend bought an 8800gt from eBay for £50. So, you should get a fair amount for your current system. Just look for a build similar to your current spec on eBay or somewhere similar, and see what sort of price it goes for. Might help give you an idea of what price you could sell your build at.
If I were you, I'd look at the i5, but with a better motherboard. Try to get a P55.
What do you think about this:Â http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0317952My original board was this:Â http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0334411
Build 2 is lookin better, but you could save a few bucks and get equal performance with a 720 BE CPUÂ and a ASUS 880G Mobo
Can I unlock the fourth core on that 720 with that mobo?
yep thats why i suggested it
You know, I have never been an AMD guy, but because I'm considering that second build with the 720, I did some research. Â Is it true that only the X3's around Feb/March '09 were true quad cores disabled for demand reasons, or is it still possible to unlock an X3 now that doesn't have a faulty core?
As far as i know it was never due to them being faulty. They are based on the same archetecture as the quad core phenom 2s, the fourth core was probablly just disabled to provide either a cooler or cheaper CPU. The newer ones will still unlock i just recently unlocked a 720 on a Gigabyte 790x UD4P.btw if u do get a 720 and unlock it make sure you have a decent cooler my temps went up 9C when i did it.