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AMD Phenom Upgrade Build Log
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Corsair Labs: June 2009 - Upgrading an AMD Phenom System
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AMD AM2, AM2+, and AM3: Should You Upgrade?
Throughout the various Corsair technical support resources, we have recently noticed an increase in requests for information regarding AMD platforms. Many users are evaluating the feasibility of upgrading existing AM2, AM2+, and AM3 compatible systems as opposed to embarking upon an entirely new build. To gain some insight for our customers, we decided to take an existing AMD Phenom based system from our lab, perform an upgrade on it, and compare the results from the two systems. We attempted to keep this upgrade at or below the $500 point. With this price in mind we decided that the upgrade would consist of a new CPU, GPU, and hard drive.
We also decided to work with some basic assumptions based on our observations of our customers:
• Most of our customers looking to make the type of upgrade outlined here have already upgraded to 4GB or more of memory regardless of OS
• Most customers in the upgrade category are still using Windows XP and have not yet upgraded to an OS newer than XP 32bit
• Most users that upgrade their OS will want to move to a 64bit OS so that they can fully utilize 4GB or more of system memory
• There is a growing interest in SSD hard drives due to superior performance over older rotational drives
With these assumptions in mind, we used Windows XP SP3 for the initial system configuration. The upgraded version uses Windows 7 64bit RC.
Portions of the system hardware remained constant throughout the process:
Corsair HX-620W Power Supply
ASUS M4A79 Deluxe Motherboard (BIOS 1602)
Corsair Twin2X4096 PC8500C5D Memory
Scythe Mugen 2 CPU Cooler
Antec P180 Case
Logitech MX-518 USB Mouse
Ideazon Merc Stealth USB Keyboard
Sceptre 24” Flat Panel Monitor
Logitech USB Gaming Headset
Next Section: Compare the Hardware for the Upgrade »
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