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New PC Build Questions

Hi all, just about to build myself a new system and want some of your ideas on a few questions i've got. The New Build is a Gaming Machine designed around an AMD Phenom x2 555 (unlocked to a x4 B55) and AMD 6850 GPU, after many google searches, still can't work out the answers to the below questions.

1. Old sytem had 2x250Gb Sata1 Hard drives in Raid 0, but I also have a Sata2 500Gb Hard drive, would it be faster/better to rebuild the Raid 0 array or just use the 500gb one? (Not to fussed about losing data if a drive fails as all games backed up on Steam)

2. I have OEM version of Windows 7 Home Premium 32bit, I intend to install 4Gb of Ram, but as its 32bit it will only use about 3.2Gb of Ram. Is it really worth me buying a 64bit OS for the remainder .8Gb of Ram?

3. Most Motherboard's capable of unlocking the Processor cores are around £55 mark but for around £80 I can get USB 3.0. Would you reckon USB 3.0 is worth it?
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Comments

  • 1. the raid is faster..but if you're spending already..a ssd is faster still
    2. probably not (but I use x64) I wonder if your key is equally valid for the x64 version, getting an ISO shouldn't be too hard...
    3. today - no, in 2 years...maybe (and you'll still be using the machine then)
    Utinam logica falsa tuam philosophiam totam suffodiant.
  • Thanx, you have given me some more ideas now to think about;

    1. SSD.....drools at the thought.....starts to cry at the price per gb.
    2. Never thought of that, I know you can with retail but thought OEM key was locked to 32bit or 64bit, won't be to hard to source a X64 windows 7 ISO and try.
    3. As I change my system around the 18-24 month mark anyway, might forgo USB 3 for now and put the money saved towards an SSD drive....starts to drool again. Anyway hopefully in 24 months AMD Bulldozer processors will have come down in price, time then to upgrade this time with USB 3.
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  • 1. SSD.....drools at the thought.....starts to cry at the price per gb.
    Common advice with SSD is to get a small SSD drive for the OS and any applications you have, and a larger normal hard drive for your documents (Samsung F3 is good). To give you an idea of what size SSD you need - my OS and applications are on a separate 60Gig partition. I've got Windows 7 and a lot installed (no games, but a few graphics applications) and my partition isn't even half full.
  • 23n1th
    23n1th Posts: 1,523 Forumite
    You might consider waiting a year if you can obviously theres usb3 but also UEFI is to replace the BIOS next year giving boot time of under 2 seconds if thats to be believed.
  • JJ_Egan wrote: »
    That's because, unless you are into your overclocking (or putting a volt meter across your +5V rail turns you on), expensive PSUs are little more than an insurance policy.

    Most other components when building your own PC are performance Vs price (spend £10 more and get a better CPU, swap that Graphics card for this £15 more one, etc). A PSU is either going to supply enough power to run the computer, or it isn't. You don't get a performance increase buying a PSU which is twice as expensive. You just get assurance that it will (probably) last longer and will be more stable compared to a (very) budget one.

    For an average user, what's the difference between the PSU you linked and this one also on the site for half the price? - http://www.aria.co.uk/Products/Components/Power+Supplies/700-950W/Arianet+Black+750W+%22Silent+Gaming+PSU%22+ATX+Power+Supply+for+AMD+and+Intel+Motherboards+20Pin+%2B+4Pin+?productId=35768&rqcType=r#rqc
  • JasX
    JasX Posts: 3,996 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    1. Old sytem had 2x250Gb Sata1 Hard drives in Raid 0, but I also have a Sata2 500Gb Hard drive, would it be faster/better to rebuild the Raid 0 array or just use the 500gb one? (Not to fussed about losing data if a drive fails as all games backed up on Steam)

    Other than the SSD route I'd suggest getting a 1TB Samsung F3 (£40) and using that as your primary drive (Model HD103SJ). Very fast benchmarks and closest you can get to SSD performance in a conventional drive. Benchmarks around 130 Mbps sustained data rate, my old raptors were only around 70 Mbps so raid or no raid the F3 will give you the performance and be much more reliable as a single drive than RAIDing. For an extra speed boost partition the F3 with a small outer partition (say 250GB) for the OS only and don;t clutter it up installing anything but core essentials on there. I'd keep the 500GB for your games and run them off a separate HD to the OS, the larger bulk partition of the OS drive can be filled up with media junk if you like.
    2. I have OEM version of Windows 7 Home Premium 32bit, I intend to install 4Gb of Ram, but as its 32bit it will only use about 3.2Gb of Ram. Is it really worth me buying a 64bit OS for the remainder .8Gb of Ram?
    Ditch the OEM version! do not install it, ebay it to some other gulliable mug. Get yourself a RETAIL upgrade disk and you can reuse it over and over for future PC builds then resell it on when windows8 or whatever comes out. OEM editions are for mugs who want to pay microsoft £70 every time they rebuild or upgrade

    3. Most Motherboard's capable of unlocking the Processor cores are around £55 mark but for around £80 I can get USB 3.0. Would you reckon USB 3.0 is worth it?

    Nah, live with eSATA for now. your £25 is better spent elsewhere and you can probably drop in a PCI IO card in future if you get desperate
  • Thanx to all of your relies, very helpful.
    JJ_Egan wrote: »
    Key component and the one often missed or skimped on is a quality PSU .

    Will using my old OCZ 500w as there's no power increase requirement to get another.
    That's because, unless you are into your overclocking (or putting a volt meter across your +5V rail turns you on), expensive PSUs are little more than an insurance policy.

    Overclocking my present system at the moment (2.66ghz to 3.06ghz around 14% overclock on air), power not the problem as the system is very stable but if i overclock up to 3.6ghz then heat is the issue.
    JasX wrote: »
    Ditch the OEM version! do not install it, ebay it to some other gulliable mug. Get yourself a RETAIL upgrade disk and you can reuse it over and over for future PC builds then resell it on when windows8 or whatever comes out. OEM editions are for mugs who want to pay microsoft £70 every time they rebuild or upgrade

    Thought just as must, got the key cheap from work, when they updated their systems, but as you say it can go on ebay with my old motherboard, CPU and Ram to fund the new build.
    JasX wrote: »
    Nah, live with eSATA for now. your £25 is better spent elsewhere and you can probably drop in a PCI IO card in future if you get desperate

    Can live with USB2 quite easily, will consider USB3 for my next build.
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  • spakkker
    spakkker Posts: 1,322 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    I'd get a stable unlocked cpu before any spends.

    http://www.anandtech.com/show/2927
  • exup
    exup Posts: 1,235 Forumite
    never had to pay microsoft extra for upgrade or rebuild with oem versions. the only thing I have had to do once was phone them up and reactivate the licence
    Don't try to teach a pig to sing - it wastes your time and annoys the pig
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