I need help staging my upgrades

Drake5

Drake5

Drake5

Soldato
Joined
12 Dec 2005
Posts
14,572
Hi guys,

My current system is as follows:

Core i3 3220
GTX 560 Ti 1GB
550W OCZ PSU
8GB DDR3 RAM
H61M-P25
500GB Sata HDD (No SSD)
Bitfenix Alpha Case

I built this system a while ago and then I just stopped gaming. Now that I'm back in to it I do want to upgrade my system but I don't really know where I should start.

The main game I'm interested in playing is the new Saints Row and GTA.

What is the main thing I should focus on upgrading? I have a limited budget so I would have to stage my upgrades.

Can someone please offer me advice?

Many thanks
 
It's impossible to say what CPU will be best for Saint's Row 4 or GTA V, but for most existing games an upgrade to one of the GTX 670s on offer around £190 would give a big improvement. If you want to spend less, then the 7870 LE at £160.
 
Case can be done any time. (though it does effect your motherboard size)

Motherboard and CPU should be done first. Maybe throw an ssd in at this stage too. (most expensive).

RAM is good so is PSU and HDD.

GPU should be last as it will be alright for gaming on medium for now.

So,

stage 1: Motherboard and CPU (ssd if needed)
Stage 2: Cooler and case
Stage 2: GPU.

I have 2 stage 2's as you can do them in any way you want. :)
 
Thanks for the replys. I don't really want to look at a new case just yet as I've only just bought the bitfenix. :p

Which CPU and motherboard should I be looking obtain? Bearing in mind I don't really overclock and don't have an intention to. :)

Cheers
 
Although a CPU/mobo upgrade is a good idea, many existing games will still get a massive performance boost from a graphics card upgrade on your current set up. If you play mainly console type games, they tend not to be too demanding on the CPU. But if you want to play Crysis 3, Far Cry 3, forget it - you'll need the CPU upgrade first.
 
Could someone please explain why I would need to improve on my motherboard? Wouldn't my current motherboard support the latest CPU's?
 
gpu would be #1,have that cpu paired with a 7850 performs well

set bclk to 104.50 if it lets you for mild oc

ssd for os/use the 500gb hdd as games/storage/films ect

something like the Samsung evo 120gb ssd
 
If I did want to upgrade the CPU first, what sort of thing should I look for without breaking the bank? Say a maximum of £150? Is that realistic?
 
Tom_D said:
If I did want to upgrade the CPU first, what sort of thing should I look for without breaking the bank? Say a maximum of £150? Is that realistic?
Click to expand...

2nd hand 2500K is around £100 in the members market.

That will go into your current board, but for proper overclocking of the "K" CPU you need a P67/Z68/Z77 chipset board.
 
Thanks - 2500k would be a good shout. What sort of motherboard should I look for? Looking at the bigger picture I do think it's time for an upgrade as the board I have is only mATX and I can only use 2 of the available 4 sata ports due to size of my graphics card.

I just don't want to spend a great deal on a motherboard, maybe a maximum of £70? Maybe it would be a good idea to source a bundle from the MM?
 
If you're upgrading the board, bear in mind you're buying into a dead platform with no further upgrade potential. It might be best to look for a 2nd hand Z68/Z77 board if you want to go that route.
 
Tom_D said:
Thanks - 2500k would be a good shout. What sort of motherboard should I look for? Looking at the bigger picture I do think it's time for an upgrade as the board I have is only mATX and I can only use 2 of the available 4 sata ports due to size of my graphics card.

I just don't want to spend a great deal on a motherboard, maybe a maximum of £70? Maybe it would be a good idea to source a bundle from the MM?
Click to expand...




http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=BG-280-GI&groupid=595&catid=689

B grade so maybe missing some bits such as SATA cables/IO shield plate.

Or the same board is £82 new.

Its the best budget Z77 board available and good for single GFX card setups.


Or even cheaper again is this Z68AP-D3 http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=MB-364-GI&groupid=701&catid=5&subcat=1990
 
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if it were me id try a new gpu/ssd first

then see how it performs and upgrade cpu/board later,that board will support faster cpu's anyway as it is
 
An i5 2500K can get to about 4.5GHz on pretty much any Z68 board. The better ones can hit 5GHz, depending on the CPU.
 
Tom_D said:
That looks really appealing. If I did ever decide to overclock an i5 2500k with that board, would I get much out of it?
Click to expand...

With a aftermarket cooler I don't think I've ever seen a 2500K that couldn't do 4.5GHz+ (you literally have to be the most unlucky person in the world not to get 4.5GHz from a 2500K).
 
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