upgrading advice

[d52477001]

Hi everyone.
I have decided to upgrade my pc and need some advice. My budget is around 400 euro (can be a bit more) and I want to get at least a new motherboard and a new cpu.
I figured that the best cpu in my price range to go for would be a core 2 duo E6400. This leaves about 200 euro for a motherboard. Can anyone give me some advice on which motherboard would work well? I have no experience overclocking, but I will want to get in to it, so preferable a motherboard with reasonably good oc'ing capabilities. From the research I have done, the asus p5b comes up a lot and seems like a good choice. Any other recommendations?
I will probably also want to replace my stock cooling system, but have no idea what to look for, so some suggestions on air cooling systems would also be much appreciated.

Thanks in advance..

 

[freestyler105]

400 euros is about $500, and that's what I'll be figuring in.

The Core2Duo E6600 is only $315, and it's a great overclocker if you're into that. If you want to save the money, get the 6400, but I'd recommend the 6600.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16819115003

A good motherboard isn't really that expensive, usually under $150. The Asus P5B is right around $150, and it's a good motherboard as long as you don't need all the extras such as 2 PCIe slots.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16813131030

Both of those products will go a few bucks under your budget. If you get the E6400, though, you can save some money.

 

[d52477001]

Hmm, there seems to be quite a price difference between US and European prices, the cheapest E6600 I can find here is 300 euro which at current exchange rates is $380..

 

[freestyler105]

Either processor is a great choice. If you're not going to overclock, then the E6400 is only a touch slower than the E6600. If you are thinking of overclocking, though, get the E6600. People are pushing it over 1000 MHz past stock, which is a huge increase.

Basically, if you're not going to overclock, go for the E6400. It'll be just fine.

As for cooling, look for the tuniq tower by sunbeam. It's a heatsink/fan for your CPU, and it's ware if you can find it anywhere. There are reports of people overclocking the E6600 to 4.0 GHz from 2.4 GHz stock with no stability problems. Basically, THAT'S AMAZING!! The thing sells out extremely quickly though, so it's hard to find it. It retails for about $50. You're best bet would be eBay or Froogle to find it. Other that than, you can buy some simple 80mm case fans for a couple bucks. I've heard that some PCI slot coolers are good, too.

If you can't find the tuniq tower, look for the Thermaltake Typhoon. It is almost as good, but much more available.

 

[d52477001]

At the moment the E6600 is probably beyond my budget..though from what i have read (mostly on anandtech), the E6400 also overclocks pretty well with people getting it to 3.2GHz and above..

Thanks for the tips on cooling, the tuniq tower is indeed very hard to get so looking at the typhoon now.

 

[d52477001]

I was thinking i might also need to upgrade my psu.. how do i calculate what wattage psu i need?
eg, for the following setup, how would i find out what i need?:
core2duo E6400 cpu
asus p5b deluxe mobo
7600gt graphics card
2 150GB sata drives
2 dvd writers
Havent given full specs, but just an approximation of how to calculate would be appreciated.

edit:
Ok, I found a good site with a wattage calculator and have decided to go for a fortron FC600-gln, or maybe even the 700 (just to be future-proof against future upgrades).

The only thing I am undecided about is the motherboard. From having read reviews, there seem to be quite a few issues with ram and also the onboard audio of the p5b. What other motherboards provide good overclocking capabilities and have gotten generally good reviews?

thanks..

 

[d52477001]

nm, double postin mistake

 

[freestyler105]

You shouldn't need more than a 500 watt PSU for that setup.

 

[d52477001]

Went for the 600watt, as I intend to upgrade parts in future, and would rather have a bit too much now than too little later.

Anybody have any advice on my motherboard questions?