New Computer Time!

[Zeus]

well maybe/partly.
realised today that my computer is coming up on 4 years old, so decided its worth upgrading a few bits of it.
currently it is:

Asus Crosshair III Formula AMD 790FX (Socket AM3) PCI-Express DDR3 Motherboard
AMD Phenom II X4 Quad Core 965 Black Edition "125W Edition" 3.40GHz (Socket AM3) - Retail
Corsair Dominator XMS3 4GB (2x2GB) DDR3 16000C9D Twin3X (TW3X4G1600C9D)
Sapphire ATI Radeon HD 5870 1024MB GDDR5 PCI-Express Graphics Card

(i've also got a 64gb SSD Sata-II drive, happy to change this too, but thats kinda seperate.)

So i think the main things limiting me are the CPU and the Graphics card. I could just put a new graphics card into my current board, however some searching around at lunchtime today has indicated i can't put a new CPU in - as they're AM3+ sockets rather than AM3.

so, to upgrade the CPU i need a new motherboard. Is there much to choose between intel and amd these days? if theres not then i'll stick to AMD as i've always prefered them.
so on to my questions on the basis i'll get amd...
firstly, do motherboards really matter these days? or is it just a case of 'the components fit, it'll do'? in which case i'll get a gigabyte 78LMT-USB3 probably, for about �40.
assuming i get that, i'd probably get an AMD Piledriver 4GHz cpu, for about �150.
is it worth upgrading my memory? 8GB sounds a bit low these days, could just go for another pair of DIMMs the same as what i've got an go to 16GB for about �80. but then they'd still only be 1600, should i get faster stuff?

which brings me on to graphics cards. and there i get a bit lost. what are my choices, and whats a good amount to be spending? i'd expected to spend around �250-�300 on it, but if i need to spend a bit more i'd consider it....

any help/advice welcomed!

 

[Chick]

Motherboards matter a fair bit. You want SATA3, a decent chip[set (i know little about AMD) and a few bells and whistles. It's definitely worth taking a 90quid option above a 40quid one. Something like this should do you well but double-check compatibilities!

You definitely want 16gb of memory. Just because. As for matching the dimms... it's possible, but 16gig of decent memory, not the stupid stuff with vents and flashing lights and alloys though, is about 80 quid.

There are a fair few gfx options around that price mark. IIRC AMD/Ati are winning the war at the moment, but there isn't much in it so go with what you are comfortable affording. General consensus again though is the AMD 7950 based cards - an OC if you can afford it, really nail the price/performance points.

I fitted a 500gb Samsung SSD into my machine about 6 month sago - i can totally recommend one!

 

[Emmon]

If you have the money to spare, go for an Intel Haswell cpu to get a very powerful beast that'll last you a good while.

I built a new comp a month ago but i didn't have the cash to go for one so ended up with an AMD FX 8350. After i got the hotfix for windows 7 to help it utilise all the cores it runs everything to my liking with 8gig of ram.

I'll echo chick here on the 7950 graphics too.. got one myself and its fast, quiet and covers all the bases in terms of available video memory and DX version support to last a while. (i plan on getting another to run SLi setup instead of rebuilding the comp again in 4 years or so)

Motherboard wise i went ASUS and a model that will allow a future SLi setup and AM3+ chipset because the next run of amd processors will keep that size so if i need to i can take out this processor and plug in another down the line.

Take your time though bud.. have a budget, research your options yourself and it will help you have a better understanding of what suits you and you'll enjoy it more for doing so.

If you just want something to give 100fps in <insert game> then people will happily price you a system but take your time to think what you will need your computer for when you've got it otherwise there's a risk of ending up throwing money around when you dont need to.

Oh and watercooling is pretty easy now too with certain coolers having good performance without having to go "full hobby" on custom setups. The H100 especially.

edit - it may be worth grabbing just a graphics card for now bud and see how that does it for ya. One of the reason i'm recommending the 7950 (and Chick too probably) is because ati just released a new generation of graphics cards so they are nice and cheap for what they are.