CPU/GPU upgrade or new build?

slipperydave · 29 May 2014 at 11:35

So I'm not sure whether I should upgrade (if I can) or start from scratch and build a new PC. You lot seem to know what you're talking about, so what can I do with this:

ASUS M4A89GTD-PRO/USB3
AMD Phenom II X4 965 BE
4GB Corsair 1333/4GB Corsair 1600 RAM (8GB total all running at 1333MHz)
XFX Radeon 6870 1GB DD
Samsung 830 SSD (128GB)
10TB mechanical storage
Corsair H100

I can overclock the Phenom to around 4.3GHz, but what's the fastest CPU I can put in the mobo (specifically, will a 8350 work in it)? What's the best GPU to pair to it? I'll not be replacing the SSD as I don't see the point.

Or, do I sell what I have and start over? Budget for upgrading is £400, budget to start anew is £600.

slipperydave · 29 May 2014 at 12:11

PSU is XFX Pro550W.

It's mainly used for Ableton Live (and some other audio stuff) and playing games. I know the mobo will take a bulldozer, but not interested in getting one of those.

The 280/280X's are just rebadged 7950/7970s aren't they? Was seriously thinking of just getting one of those and leaving it overclocked. Or selling what I have and for the first time ever going Intel (though that just seems to be spending a shedload of money for the sake of spending it). I might just get a 7950/7970/280/280x and a new monitor!

slipperydave · 29 May 2014 at 13:04

i've tried oc'ing the ram so it's all at 1600, doesn't like it.

looks like it's going to be 4GB of RAM, a 7950/7970/280/280x and new monitor, which will do for now.

slipperydave · 29 May 2014 at 19:14

dfour said:
Couple of quick builds, Just add a grapics card of choice:

AMD

AMD Piledriver FX-8 Eight Core 8320 Black Edition 3.50GHz (Socket AM3+) Processor - Retail £113.99
£113.99
Asus M5A97 EVO R2.0 AMD 970 (Socket AM3+) DDR3 Motherboard £74.99
£74.99
TeamGroup Vulcan RED 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 PC3-17100C11 2133MHz Dual Channel Kit (TLD38G2133HC11ADC01) £59.99
£59.99
Raijintek Themis Evo Professional CPU Cooler £27.95
£27.95

Sub Total : £230.76
Shipping cost assumes delivery to UK Mainland with:
UPS Access Point
(This can be changed during checkout) Shipping : £8.00
VAT is being charged at 20.00% VAT : £47.75
Total : £286.51

INTEL

Intel Core i5-4670K 3.40GHz (Haswell) Socket LGA1150 Processor - OEM £169.99
£169.99
Asus Z97-K Intel Z97 (Socket 1150) DDR3 ATX Motherboard £94.99
£94.99
TeamGroup Vulcan RED 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 PC3-17100C11 2133MHz Dual Channel Kit (TLD38G2133HC11ADC01) £59.99
£59.99

Raijintek Themis Evo Professional CPU Cooler £27.95
£27.95

Sub Total : £294.10
Shipping cost assumes delivery to UK Mainland with:
UPS Access Point
(This can be changed during checkout) Shipping : £8.00
VAT is being charged at 20.00% VAT : £60.42
Total : £362.52

that's the post i was looking forward to!

slipperydave · 31 May 2014 at 22:04

i've just got a MSI 280X GAMING 3G TwinFrozr card for £160 (and it's nearly new), so I take it that it would be miles better with the i5? Or will the multi-threaded nature of the PS4/XB1 mean that the 8530 would be a better choice (even though it's not a true 8-core processor)?

how badly will the phenom II (overclocked or stock) that i've already got hold the 280x back?

slipperydave · 1 Jun 2014 at 19:09

i've dumped the 280x and got a voltage unlocked 290 (apparently it was purchased from here) for £200. i'll definitely need a CPU upgrade now

slipperydave · 4 Aug 2014 at 23:00

So I've had the 290 for a couple of months and, although some games run great, the Phenom II is clearly holding it back (it's absolutely terrible in GTA 4: EFLC for a start). I've sold my ASUS mobo, Phenom II X4 965 BE & 4GB Corsair XMS3 1333MHz RAM (for a £100 if you were wondering).

I've got the opportunity to get an Intel I5-3550 CPU & MSI B75A-G43 for a reasonable price (£120), which should surely suite both my gaming needs (when combined with the 290) and the audio work I do. So, would I be better off spending around £300 and getting everything new and a "K" CPU? I know I can't OC the I5-3550, but that doesn't bother me. Any suggestions?