Hi guys, i want to "upgrade" my old rig and i d like some help to make it the best it can be.
 
Here s the specs :
Mobo: X58 classified
Cpu: I7 940 @ 2.93ghz
Ram: 12 Gig Corsair dominator Tri 1033
Video card: AMD radeon 7800
 
Im ok with computers but im far from being really knowledgeable on the subject of hardware. I mainly do 3d renderings in max, maya and other video editing softwares (and some gaming).
 
Im mostly interested in upgrading Cpu and ram (cheapest possible please). My video card seem to be holding up its mainly the responsiveness of the 3d environments (heavy 3d scenes) that slows me down. So, ... I have several questions that maybe you guys can help with! So here it is
 
1) is 12 gig the max that the x58 mobo can take (or i can install more?)
2) whats the best ram for $ that i can find (ebay second hand is welcome!) , i saw G.skill, corsair and mushkin that looked interresting, now question is which model would fit the mobo? any suggestion?
3) I tried overclocking my cpu up to 3.99 (stable, i ran prime 95 for 10 hours and was ok)  but no avail cause the system, in my opinion, became sluggish and unresponsive (probably im just really bad at overclocking also), so... is overclocking worth it? why did my system got worse?
4) What else could you recommend for cpu? I saw the i7 975 (for cheap) that had better specs than what i currently have or i saw some Xeon X5687, W5590...X5680 .. etc.. Which cpu would be worth to buy at this point to upgrade without breaking the bank?
 
Sorry for the numerous questions, but i d like to make that purchase count ! thank you so much guys
 
Louis

Thank you for your reply! i will check that cpu.

I wouldnt mind editing the bios a bit for the ram. What settings specifically would i have to change ? The dimm voltage? Or...?

What kind of ram would you recommend at that point? Or any ddr3 1600 240 pin would work?


Thank you so much for your help my friend!

Is it the classified3 ? What is the exact model and what rev number? The rev number is on the board by one of the corners.
I run xeon x5660 or W3680 in my X58 classified3 and my two FTW3 and other x58 Asus motherboards. They are an easy 4ghz overclock.
They are also 6 core and 12 threads as is the 980x and 990x The w3680 and x5660 will be cheaper than the 98ox or 990x
If yours is not a classified3 you may not be able to use a xeon CPU, and the 980x or 990x is your choice.
I have been told the W3680 or 3690 will work in the boards where the x56xx , E56xx and L56xx will not.
It has to do with the xeons have dual qpi links, but the w series does not have dual qpi links nor does the 980/990x
W series are nice CPUs, they are fully unlocked. E,L and X series are only BCLK unlocked
 
I use Gskill sniper 1866 in my systems, I like Gskill, their cust support is top notch.
If you're using 3 x 4gb, try to pick up another set of what you have now. Or sell yours and buy 3 x 8gb for 24gb.
 
I have seen people run 48gb no problems and have seem people running just 3 x 8gb have some issues. not sure why that is.

i didnt see the attach button.. so here are some images that might be useful
 
 
thanks!
 

Hello! sorry for the late reply!
 
On the corner of the board is says :REV 1.0  
Is that the one?
 
Thank you so much for the help!
 
cheers
 
Louis

My gut tells me no, you need a hardware mod done.
You should call EVGA tech support and ask them, and ask since it is a lifetime warranty how much $$ to do it.
 
I do not know if EVGA did the mod on that board before they sent it out. Best to call and ask if they would have done it before sending it out.
 
Or go to ebay and buy the cheapest xeon, like a e5620, I have seen xeons for 5$ If that CPU works they all will.
 
Also if you are not going to overclock then get the x5690, it would be the fastest stock CPU.
If you do plan on overclocking get a x5660 ot x5675. Paying more for the 5690 will not guarantee a better overclock.
I have seen several people disappointed they paid more and could not get a higher OC.
Only advantage to that chip is a higher multiplier, but the x5660 and 75 will give you 23 x or 25 x BCLK
 
Good luck.

If you have the i7-970 hexcore 32nm CPU, save your money for a better GPU or something.
Unless you have a really bad i7-970 CPU that won't overclock. 4.2 is not bad really.
Many xeons do not go over 4.2, some do some don't. I would not expect 4.5ghz at a safe voltage.
I would expect 4ghz, not seen to many not reach 4ghz, it could be board limited too.

One last question, im looking to upgrade ram as well. I been reading some people got up to 32 gig ram with x58 boards.
 
With my  Xeon X5690 cpu (w moded board), which ram could you guys recommend that would work best to acheive my goal? does it absolutely need to be tri channel? 
i  aim for 32 gig but i guess 24 would be fine as well, i just want the fastest ddr3 possible (tested on this mobo). I researching on google... but so much info that im getting abit lost.
 
Any input?
 
Thanks alot!
L.