System upgrade from I5 2500k advice required

[helsinki98]

Hello,

Been out of the PC game for quite a while,

running this currently.

CPU: i5 2500k
CPU Cooler: AC freezer pro rev 2
MOBO: Asus p8z68 V-lx
RAM: 16gb DDR3 vengeance LP 1600mhz
GPU: ATi 7850 2gb
1st HDD: Samsung 840 Evo 250gb SSD
2nd HDD: Samsung 860 Evo 500gb SSD
PSU: Corsair CX650 Bronze

I have been given a AMD 580 8GB GPU, any decent upgrade to my above setup for £200ish to make the most of the 580?

 

[Funky-Melon]

If £200 is what you've got to play with, I'd stick the 2500k on ebay and get a i7 2600k that you can drop in as a replacement, the extra cores will really help with games.

An i7 for gaming back in the day was pretty pointless, they're worth it now - Make sure you're overclocking it to get the most from it.

Only other thing I'd do, if you can stretch to it, is sell your current RAM and buy a 2400MHz DDR3 kit to speed things up a bit.

 

[helsinki98]

If £200 is what you've got to play with, I'd stick the 2500k on ebay and get a i7 2600k that you can drop in as a replacement, the extra cores will really help with games.

An i7 for gaming back in the day was pretty pointless, they're worth it now - Make sure you're overclocking it to get the most from it.

Only other thing I'd do, if you can stretch to it, is sell your current RAM and buy a 2400MHz DDR3 kit to speed things up a bit.

Thanks, could I use my ram with a new motherboard and cpu? If I sent to say £300ish?

 

[Funky-Melon]

Thanks, could I use my ram with a new motherboard and cpu? If I sent to say £300ish?

No, the hardware you have at the moment is around 8 years old and is a different chipset.

You could probably get a new budget AMD build for around £300ish, however, I don't think it would be any better for gaming than an overclocked 2600k.

Despite the age, the Sandy Bridge processors are still fantastic for gaming.

 

[NovaKill4]

In all honesty i think you should wait and save a bit more and then buy a new cpu, mobo, ram and psu.
Buying a 2600k and faster DDR3 ram would give you a performance increase and would probably do well at 1080p but you will notice it starting to struggle very quikly in the latest games.
And on top of that you have to consider how much life the Mobo and PSU have left in them, spend near £200 now and nexy year the motheboard gives out and you may not be able to get a suitable replacement.

Get something like this and it will do you for another 5-8 years:
My basket at Overclockers UK:

• 1 x MSI B450 TOMAHAWK MAX (Socket AM4) DDR4 ATX Motherboard= £106.99
• 1 x AMD Ryzen 5 3600 Six Core 4.2GHz (Socket AM4) Processor - Retail= £199.99
• 1 x Team Group Dark T-Force 16GB (2x8GB) DDR4 PC4-25600C16 3200MHz Dual Channel Kit - Black/Grey (TDGED4= £79.99
• 1 x Bitfenix Formula Series 550W 80 Plus Gold Power Supply= £66.95

Total: £465.02 (includes shipping: £11.10)​

​

 

[Funky-Melon]

I'll just add, I'm still rocking a 2600k @ 4.8GHz and run a 34" ultrawide at 2560x1080, so slightly more demanding than standard 1080p and can play all of the latest Far Cry New Dawn, Battlefield V etc on Ultra at anything from 80-100fps.

GPU is a GTX 1070 FTW.

I'd go as far as saying, unless I start streaming or jump to 1440p/4K, I see little need to upgrade it at the moment.

 

[EsaT]

If £200 is what you've got to play with, I'd stick the 2500k on ebay and get a i7 2600k that you can drop in as a replacement, the extra cores will really help with games.

Hyperthreading is no replacement for real cores and four cores is now low end, no matter if it comes with HT.
And in year next-gen consoles are going to start more widespread increase in core count demands of games.

Any upgrades on that platform should cost only pocket money to be sensible.

 

[Funky-Melon]

@EsaT agreed but a 2500k to a 2600k is still worth the upgrade.

Always find this video interesting from a gaming perspective

https://youtu.be/gMFd0aVhVKU

Very little in it.

 

[helsinki98]

I've overclocked my I5 2500k to 4.5 and installing the 580 tonight so will see how it performs.

In all honesty i think you should wait and save a bit more and then buy a new cpu, mobo, ram and psu.
Buying a 2600k and faster DDR3 ram would give you a performance increase and would probably do well at 1080p but you will notice it starting to struggle very quikly in the latest games.
And on top of that you have to consider how much life the Mobo and PSU have left in them, spend near £200 now and nexy year the motheboard gives out and you may not be able to get a suitable replacement.

Get something like this and it will do you for another 5-8 years:
My basket at Overclockers UK:

• 1 x MSI B450 TOMAHAWK MAX (Socket AM4) DDR4 ATX Motherboard= £106.99
• 1 x AMD Ryzen 5 3600 Six Core 4.2GHz (Socket AM4) Processor - Retail= £199.99
• 1 x Team Group Dark T-Force 16GB (2x8GB) DDR4 PC4-25600C16 3200MHz Dual Channel Kit - Black/Grey (TDGED4= £79.99
• 1 x Bitfenix Formula Series 550W 80 Plus Gold Power Supply= £66.95

Total: £465.02 (includes shipping: £11.10)
​

Is there a reason for the psu, apart from the life expectancy. Was hoping to use my existing if I upgrade mobo/cpu/ram

 

[NovaKill4]

but a 2500k to a 2600k is still worth the upgrade.

IMO i dont think it is, dont get me wrong, if you are happy with the 2600k and dont feel you need to upgrade then thats fine, but spending £70+ on a 8 year old chip is throwing money away, even if it does increase performance in the short term.

Is there a reason for the psu, apart from the life expectancy. Was hoping to use my existing if I upgrade mobo/cpu/ram

Yours is an old low quality unit with a bronze rating, considering you will be putting a 580 in the pc i would recommend upgrading the PSU first tbh, especially if you will be overclocking.

People often overlook the PSU when upgrading but its one of the most crucial parts, if the PSU fails it could destroy all your shiny new components.

 

[Funky-Melon]

Oh I agree, but I had a 2500k before that was bottle-necking my GTX 1070, the 2600k helped out with that.

I'm not doubting that the newer chips are better, if you watch the benchmarks in the video I linked though, you'll see for gaming, there's little point in upgrading, especially if you don't need to.

I wouldn't say spending £70 on a chip is throwing money away, spending £400+ on an entire new build when you won't gain that much, is throwing money away.

 

[NovaKill4]

The video you linked shows two i7's which are both 4c/8t, the 3600 is 6c/12t and about 20-30% faster than the 2600k making it a much better upgrade, especially when gaming at 1080p.
If OP was on such a tight budget and their CPU had died then yes i would say a 2600k would be a suitable replacement but its not enough of an upgrade to spend £70 on 8 year old tech
I think this is a more valid video which actually drawes comparisons for the cpu's in question https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2st_jkXkpZg
As EsaT said:

Hyperthreading is no replacement for real cores

I understand where you are coming from, £70 or £450 for an upgrade but really the 2600k is more of a sidegrade these days.
As OP already has almost half the budget and no imediate need to upgarde, saving between £50-£100 a month for the next few months to get the 3600 would be money well spent in the longer term.

 

[roadie]

I've overclocked my I5 2500k to 4.5 and installing the 580 tonight so will see how it performs.

Is there a reason for the psu, apart from the life expectancy. Was hoping to use my existing if I upgrade mobo/cpu/ram

I'd argue there is no need to upgrade your PSU! I've a similar setup on a 550W PSU (albeit a newer, gold model). When I go Ryzen I'll be keeping it.

 

[NovaKill4]

I'd argue there is no need to upgrade your PSU! I've a similar setup on a 550W PSU (albeit a newer, gold model). When I go Ryzen I'll be keeping it.

Ok, so the reason for the PSU upgarde its due to the current unit that is in use is a low qulaity one (made with low quality components) that is only a bronze rating, and 8+ years old.
Now although it functions as a PSU, due to its lower quality, it is far more likely to fail which could result in a total loss of the system.
Adding the fact that the PSU is 8+ years old it is likely that it has degraded over time.

So just because it is 650W PSU does not mean it doesn't need upgrading to a newer and better quality unit.

 

[jigger]

I’d sit tight and see if AMD release the 3500X.

 

[Gray2233]

Sell your current CPU/Mobo/Ram and get the system suggested by @NovaKill4, you should just about have enough for it when combining the £200-300 you'd initially planned on spending.