Help with what I need to do to my pc

[Jefferyedpenguin]

Hey this is my first post and would like to say hello for one, and also I'm in need of assistance on what I should do with my computer at this point.

At the time that I bought the pc from my local Walmart, I was not tech savy at all and looked like a great buy. I now know that it was a bad decision.

The specs for my computer (before upgrades) is as follows:

Emachine ET1352G-03w

-AMD Athlon II x2 260u dual-core processor
-NVIDIA Ge Force6150SE graphics
-640GB hard drive
-2 x 2GB DDR3 RAM


The following is what I've added into my computer:

-Gigabyte 1GB GDDR5 HD 6850 graphics card
-Corsair TX 750W PSU
-Corsair 4 x 2GB DDR3 RAM

The attachment is a small picture of what my tower consists of.




The graphics card is huge inside my case and doesn't have much room to breath because the dual fans face the bottom of the tower.

Also the system fan that's on the back of the tower is something I had laying around and trying to get working.

Did I make good upgrades?

What kind of case should I upgrade to?
Should I look in to a new motherboard and processor?
Any comments and constructive criticism would be great!
Hello again and thanks.

 

[Troncoso]

It all depends on what you want to do with it. Judging by the graphics card, I'd imagine you'd want to game some.

A new CPU (and consequently a new motherboard) would be ideal.
You definitely want a better case. That one looks like it'd cause your video card to get pretty hot. I'd suggest a full tower to make way for future upgrades. That'd also give your GPU plenty of breathing room.

Once you've replaced the CPU/Mobo, you've got yourself a practically custom built PC, and a pretty good one, at that.

 

[Jefferyedpenguin]

So all the upgrades were worth it?

Im not impressed with the AMD pcu that's in there, any good suggestion?

 

[Troncoso]

So all the upgrades were worth it?

Im not impressed with the AMD pcu that's in there, any good suggestion?

Like I said, that video card is designed for gaming. If you game, that's a great investment. Otherwise, it's overkill.

As far as a new processor, what kind of budget do you have in mind?

 

[Jefferyedpenguin]

I was looking to spend around 150 to 175.

But yes the main goal for my pc is gaming and media.

 

[claptonman]

Is that just the CPU? You're gonna need a bigger budget for a motherboard and CPU.

 

[Troncoso]

I was looking to spend around 150 to 175.

But yes the main goal for my pc is gaming and media.

With that, you could buy something like a Phenom ii x4 955. Unless you have some special proprietary motherboard, it should work with that processor.

 

[MyCattMaxx]

Processor
AMD Phenom™ II X3
AMD Athlon™ II X3
AMD Athlon™ II X2
AMD Athlon™ II
AMD Sempron
Chipset
NVIDIA® nForce® 430 Chipset, supporting NVIDIA® GeForce® 6150SE Graphics

 

[Jefferyedpenguin]

Is that just the CPU? You're gonna need a bigger budget for a motherboard and CPU.

Yeah, that amount is set just for the pcu.

 

[Jefferyedpenguin]

I guess my next question would be..
With everything that Ive purchased already, what should I consider buying first? A new case, mobo, or the pcu? Because I want to make sure everything is compatible with one another.

 

[Manakore]

So what is the point in buying a PC and then upgrading it to the point that it has a different MOBO, CPU and case? Why not just build an entirely new one at this point?

 

[Troncoso]

So what is the point in buying a PC and then upgrading it to the point that it has a different MOBO, CPU and case? Why not just build an entirely new one at this point?

He's already got a new GPU, PSU and RAM. He grabs a new case, mobo, and CPU, and he's got a new computer and doesn't waste money on an all new one.

 

[Machin3]

If $150 to $175 is just on the cpu then you could definitely get a better cpu. What would be you overall budget max on everything?

 

[Jefferyedpenguin]

Ok, so after some time of studying what I want, ive decided to go with the following:

Intel core i5-2500k sandy bridge 3.30 ghz
Gigabyte GA-Z68AP-D3 Intel Z68 mobo
Seagate Barracuda 1T 7200 RPM 6.0Gb/s
AZZA Solano 1000 ATX Full Tower Computer Case

My only concern is the case though. The mobo is usb 3.0 capable but the case is only 2.0. Ive got a summary of costs at about $600 including the OS

 

[Machin3]

For $10 more, you can get a Cooler Master 932. Its $119 after rebate and it has USB 3.0 and also great cable management. Also, if you would ever want to drop in another hard drive, you can easily do it in the 932 because the hard drive bays are hot swap.

Other than that, your build looks pretty good.

 

[Troncoso]

For $10 more, you can get a Cooler Master 932. Its $119 after rebate and it has USB 3.0 and also great cable management. Also, if you would ever want to drop in another hard drive, you can easily do it in the 932 because the hard drive bays are hot swap.

Other than that, your build looks pretty good.

I can also recommend the HAF 932. One of the best cases I've ever used for a build.

 

[Jefferyedpenguin]

I can also recommend the HAF 932. One of the best cases I've ever used for a build.

I actually looked into that one and decided to go with it, except im getting the Cooler Master HAF 932 Advanced Blue Edition.

Im a much bigger fan of the blue than the red.