Some more on your computer Loki.

You're current video card, the HD 2600 XT, gets a PassMark score of 375 for the GPU. You could spend an extra $70-80 and get a HD 5570 which would bump you up to a score of 741...and you're still in budget. Or spend $10 or so more and get the 5670, which nets you a cool score of 1162.

You may just want to scrap your old stuff and build a new rig...for $500 you can blow your old compy out of the water.

Some more on your computer Loki.

You're current video card, the HD 2600 XT, gets a PassMark score of 375 for the GPU. You could spend an extra $70-80 and get a HD 5570 which would bump you up to a score of 741...and you're still in budget. Or spend $10 or so more and get the 5670, which nets you a cool score of 1162.

You may just want to scrap your old stuff and build a new rig...for $500 you can blow your old compy out of the water.

holy quad post

One quick note on case cooling of components:

Heat rises, and ATX towers are built with the drives in the front and the sweat hogs in back. Do your best to suck air into your case from the bottom front and exhaust it out the top rear, but as suggested avoid using your PSU as your primary exhaust fan for the other components. New graphics cards all come with onboard fans, that exhause out the "dead" PCI case slot. I always use a square of A/C filter material in front of my front case fans, too.

I will keep the 5670 in mind. I'll see how the system shakes out. But I just pulled the trigger with Newegg, should have it all in a week or two.

You just placed the order? I'm guessing you'll have it by Tuesday...

Edit: At least parts of it. I think they ship from both coasts. Just depends on which warehouse stocks what...

Haha, try I'll have it by today. That is some fast shipping. Now, my problem is I don't have a way to boot Windows 7. I don't have a DVD burner and the biggest flash drive I have is 2 GB

Go get a larger flash drive? lol

First, Newegg is boss when it comes to speedy delivery.

You said you have an optical drive in that thing, correct? So all you are missing is the physical disc to use to boot from? Do you know anyone that has a copy of Win7? You can easily use their disc (as long as you use YOUR key to install/activate). If I'm not mistaken, the 64-bit discs are all the same, and the difference between home/premium/ultimate is determined at install time by the key the user inputs (though I could easily be wrong here, I haven't tested the theory at all). If you can't find someone to let you borrow their install disc (make sure they know you're NOT trying to use their key), you probably will have to snag a larger flash drive from somewhere. If you lived closer I'd gladly offer either.

Loki wrote:Haha, try I'll have it by today. That is some fast shipping. Now, my problem is I don't have a way to boot Windows 7. I don't have a DVD burner and the biggest flash drive I have is 2 GB

You don't have a DVD-Rom? My gosh your PC is old.

Yes what AppleBonker was saying is correct. You could even DL Windows 7 (OEM) which will come with all different types of Windows 7 and your key will determine which version it will install.

I have a question though; how did you manage to get a free copy of 7 from your school? Right now I am using Vista 64 and would like to move on.

I get Windows 7 Ultimate at school for $6.99

I have a DVD-ROM but it is not a DVD burner (to my knowledge), and aside from that I do not have blank DVDs. I have a larger flash drive in the mail, just wont be here til Monday =/


Also, we get free software through the MSDN Academic Alliance. Search around and see if your school is signed up for it. We have something like 10,000 computers running Windows 7 Pro, so I think MS likes us.

a lot of schools have programs set up with MSFT that yield the ability to use a master key to install win 7,

OMG that's amazing...

Every PC that I know of at my school uses XP.

I'll ask around though! Thanks.

So did you get everything assembled for your build?

Yup. Went pretty smoothly, but I had to order a molex/fan adaptor since my motherboard didn't have enough connections for the fans. Runs pretty damn smoothly. I can multitask with SolidWorks, iTunes, Firefox, Skype....no hiccups. Love it!

Glad you're happy. That's really the only thing that matters.