How hard can this upgrade be?

So here is the deal. My Specs

Stock:

Home Premium

AMD Phenom 9600 2.3

3 GB RAM

2x 500 GB Hd's

HDDVD/Blu-Ray Hybrid DVD Burner

22" Monitor

5.1 Stereo Surround Speakers.

Added:

9600 GT

The capacity of my machine that was just bought from Best Buy is amazing. Especially with the GPU added.

BUT!!

I would like a machine with a better CPU and now that I idiotically bought a stock AMD I am a little frustrated.

I want to upgrade, but only have about $780 left in the budget.

This PC is REALLY new so I was trying to thik of how to move the optical drive, 2 hard drives, GPU, and Ram to a new MoBo and CPU ultimately.

What should I do?

Should I change cases?

Which CPU beats the Phenom for the best price (not going QX treme here)?

WHat problems will I face with changing MoBo.

I am dong all of this because my AMD Phenom WILL NOT OVERCLOCK!!!

I need something I can get to 4.0 or higher, like a Core 2 Quad or something.

What do I buy, what do I need, what is possible?

Please help. I check this post every couple hours.Read thouroughly!!

That phenom is fine. You don't need to hit 4.0 or higher.

Sorry you bought a computer from Best Buy expecting to overclock it? There's no reality in that, I doubt that the stock cooling, case or internal wiring is setup to allow that let alone BIOS.

Why do you need to o/c, does the current setup not play games to your expectations?

BTW, GHz isn't the end all be all of performance numbers, go look at some benchmarks.

As long as you have a copy of Windows that came with the machine you can install a new MB/CPU into the old case with the old components so long as the MB/PSU isn't proprietary.

You should of put that read thouroughly at the beging cause some of these people in here just skim through the post.

I'm no expert at this by far. So don't really take my word. Get someone else who knows what there talking about.

To me at least it would sound like you may need a bigger case with maybe something like the e8400 or something like that cause I was and still am looking around at pc parts and stuff like that and some one said that it could be oc to 4.0 or maybe 5.0 ghz but I'm not sure so don't just go by me.

I'm sure there is some one in here that can help you out. God will show someone that know what he or she is doing and point you down the right road.

May God bless you all.

What exactly leads you to believe your processor is slow?

Bottom line though, in order to make any serious changes to the processor or motherboard, you'll need to do both at once and go to Intel. That will also require a re-installation of Windows most likely, and a new copy since the one that came with the PC will no longer be valid since it's not the same PC anymore. Basically, it's a huge headache for something that honestly won't offer head-and-shoulders performance over what you have right now.

Bottom line, I wouldn't bother "upgrading" that machine at all. It would be expensive and honestly not worth it.

.......As long as you have a copy of Windows that came with the machine you can install a new MB/CPU into the old case with the old components so long as the MB/PSU isn't proprietary.........What does this mean?

My processor does not react well, I'm saying.

The reinstallation of windows i HEAR is unneccessary.

The upgrade is going to happen and defintely worth it 100%.

I'm not saying that I expected to overclock anything bought at best buy or anything like that.

I am saying my computer is SUB PAR due to not having an intel processor as well as oc able bios.

I just want to know the hopefully simple process to transfer all of my stuff to a new cpu and holding 700 bucks in the budget.

IT IS WORTH IT.

THE PHENOM SUCKS COMPARED TO OTHERS.

Head and shoulders over the phenom is necessary!!

I just need to get above 2.66 and not be using AMD.

My Ram, HD, windows, and definitely optical drive as well as graphics card total $900 in a machine not using it's potential.

What do I do to make the switch.

.......As long as you have a copy of Windows that came with the machine you can install a new MB/CPU into the old case with the old components so long as the MB/PSU isn't proprietary.........What does this mean?

My processor does not react well, I'm saying.

The reinstallation of windows i HEAR is unneccessary.

The upgrade is going to happen and defintely worth it 100%.

I'm not saying that I expected to overclock anything bought at best buy or anything like that.

I am saying my computer is SUB PAR due to not having an intel processor as well as oc able bios.

I just want to know the hopefully simple process to transfer all of my stuff to a new cpu and holding 700 bucks in the budget.

IT IS WORTH IT.

THE PHENOM SUCKS COMPARED TO OTHERS.

Head and shoulders over the phenom is necessary!!

I just need to get above 2.66 and not be using AMD.

My Ram, HD, windows, and definitely optical drive as well as graphics card total $900 in a machine not using it's potential.

What do I do to make the switch.

SeanSpade

Good luck...

Also phenom isn't that bad, waste of money to upgrade.

Dewd as of right now you don't need a new CPU. It doesnt matter if you cant overclock or you think it sucks, you've hit a point where upgrading your CPU wont change much so I would advise you just stay with what you got. Unless you are using seriously CPU intensive programs, you wont see much. If you REALLY want to switch to intel for the best performance, wait a couple of months for the Nahelm?. Not sure about the name, but an entire new socket type will be used in a couple of months, and youd be hating yourself again for lagging behind when that time comes.Penguin_dragon

I appreciate this. I'll try t stay where I am at.

With a 9600 my 3dmark score is like 8800.

What do I do to increase that OTHER than a video card.

I see people with the same card with scores like 14,000.

I HAD an 8800 gt but wanted the g94 architecture.

Still only had a score of 9700 though...

Help??

[QUOTE="Penguin_dragon"]Dewd as of right now you don't need a new CPU. It doesnt matter if you cant overclock or you think it sucks, you've hit a point where upgrading your CPU wont change much so I would advise you just stay with what you got. Unless you are using seriously CPU intensive programs, you wont see much. If you REALLY want to switch to intel for the best performance, wait a couple of months for the Nahelm?. Not sure about the name, but an entire new socket type will be used in a couple of months, and youd be hating yourself again for lagging behind when that time comes.SeanSpade

I appreciate this. I'll try t stay where I am at.

With a 9600 my 3dmark score is like 8800.

What do I do to increase that OTHER than a video card.

I see people with the same card with scores like 14,000.

I HAD an 8800 gt but wanted the g94 architecture.

Still only had a score of 9700 though...

Help??

I've been in your situation, so I get what your saying.

Later on, when that phenom becomes junk, what you need to think about is getting 1.- a new motherboard 2.-a new case

All other parts will work (unless like the card reader is only designed for that computer.

If you are asking if changing the mb and case will work, YES, it will, if everything is compatible. At this point, pls pls pls pls pls do not buy anything for that system. Instead, wait a year, or until you think its worth buying a new motherboard and case.

Of course im not the one to lecture anybody, im just saying that I bought an hp, and I bought the 8800gt for it, then I found out that I wanted to oc. For a quad core though, I dont see why any overclocking at this point would be needed (unless the phenom is really that bad). If you are having slowdowns, maybe your edition of Windows is full of junk programs and is ultimately causing the issue. Even heat could be an issue.