Upgrade to 4K gaming

jaysus

jaysus

jaysus

Associate
Joined
25 Dec 2009
Posts
442
I've got the following system and frankly it can't keep up anymore, much as it's lasted me well in the 7 years since I built it:
AMD Phenom II X4 955 [email protected]
16GB Crucial Ballistix Sport DDR3 RAM
Geforce GTX 570
Samsung EVO 850 2GB SSD
Corsair TX-650W PSU
Cooling is a Titan Fenrir Evo, plus extra case fans in a Coolermaster CM-690 II AD
Benq GW2765HT 27" monitor (1440p capable.)

It struggles with BF1 on medium+ settings and frequently crashes mid-game - I'm guessing through overheating. So I was looking to upgrade anyway, but I'm quite keen on the idea of rigging it up to my main TV - a Sony XE9305 - for some 4K gaming.

I can't afford to upgrade all in one go so I'm aiming to do it over 6 months or so. What do I need to upgrade - are my case and CPU still good, or am I going to have to start completely from scratch? And in what order should I be looking to do the upgrades?
GPU wise I'm guessing that I'm looking at a minimum of a 1080?

Side note, anyone know if I'll have any issues with output resolutions? My AVR can't handle two inputs to two outputs and the monitor only supports 1440p. My thoughts were to run a direct second HDMI feed from the GPU to one of the TV inputs, but I wasn't sure if there'd be any issues getting the GPU to feed a 4K output when it's primary screen is only 1440. Or if I'm over complicating things entirely.
 
I'm okay with buying the GPU last if that's a sensible path. I just don't know what else I should be upgrading and what to though; I tend to learn what I need to know when I build a system, then when I come back years later to upgrade again my knowledge is basically nil.
 
You will pretty much need to start again. Whilst 4k is more gpu intensive (rather than CPU) what you currently have will still be a bottleneck. 4K is still very demanding. I'm a 7700k and 1080ti and still struggle to hit 60 fps in some titles. In terms of what you can save:

Samsung EVO 850 2GB SSD - assuming the 2 GB is typo
Corsair TX-650W PSU (potentially although with new high end hardware i would personally replace)
Case
 
1700x or a 8700k. 8700k is the best gaming CPU but at 4k the difference to ryzen is very small. As you work down the resolutions the difference gets bigger. Obviously varies between games. For 4k i would be looking at 8700k and a 1080ti/1180. Anything else you will have to compromise more on detail or frames.

I have a 4k and a 1440p display and I prefer the 1440 ultra wide. Personally for the massive increase in hardware required for 4k (vs. 1440p) I don't think it's worth it.
 
I recognise that without a bigger budget than I have I'm not going to get everything - but for casual 4K use, would I get away with an 8700 and 1080? My main display will be 1440p, the big TV will get occasional use - but having messed around with a Steam Link and Rocket League etc I wouldn't mind the capability to game on the bigger screen from time to time (through a physical connection though, not the Steam Link.)
 
jaysus said:
I've got the following system and frankly it can't keep up anymore, much as it's lasted me well in the 7 years since I built it:
AMD Phenom II X4 955 [email protected]
16GB Crucial Ballistix Sport DDR3 RAM
Geforce GTX 570
Samsung EVO 850 2GB SSD
Corsair TX-650W PSU
Cooling is a Titan Fenrir Evo, plus extra case fans in a Coolermaster CM-690 II AD
Benq GW2765HT 27" monitor (1440p capable.)

It struggles with BF1 on medium+ settings and frequently crashes mid-game - I'm guessing through overheating. So I was looking to upgrade anyway, but I'm quite keen on the idea of rigging it up to my main TV - a Sony XE9305 - for some 4K gaming.

I can't afford to upgrade all in one go so I'm aiming to do it over 6 months or so. What do I need to upgrade - are my case and CPU still good, or am I going to have to start completely from scratch? And in what order should I be looking to do the upgrades?
GPU wise I'm guessing that I'm looking at a minimum of a 1080?

Side note, anyone know if I'll have any issues with output resolutions? My AVR can't handle two inputs to two outputs and the monitor only supports 1440p. My thoughts were to run a direct second HDMI feed from the GPU to one of the TV inputs, but I wasn't sure if there'd be any issues getting the GPU to feed a 4K output when it's primary screen is only 1440. Or if I'm over complicating things entirely.
Click to expand...

Hi,

In your current case, you can keep the Samsung EVO 850 SSD and Corsair TX-650W PSU, and buy the following:

My basket at Overclockers UK:
Total: £547.47 (includes shipping: £10.50)​
​

You can keep your monitor for 1440p and connect the system with the 4K TV.

GTX 1180 forget it for now, there will be no such a thing this year.

You best choose the graphics card from the following options:

My basket at Overclockers UK:
Total: £459.89 (includes shipping: £9.90)​
​

or

My basket at Overclockers UK:
Total: £459.89 (includes shipping: £9.90)​
​

or

My basket at Overclockers UK:
Total: £408.89 (includes shipping: £9.90)​
​

or

My basket at Overclockers UK:
Total: £459.89 (includes shipping: £9.90)​
​
 
jaysus said:
I recognise that without a bigger budget than I have I'm not going to get everything - but for casual 4K use, would I get away with an 8700 and 1080? My main display will be 1440p, the big TV will get occasional use - but having messed around with a Steam Link and Rocket League etc I wouldn't mind the capability to game on the bigger screen from time to time (through a physical connection though, not the Steam Link.)
Click to expand...


Yep, absolutely. You could use a Ryzen chip too for very similar performance to save some money. 2600 or 2700.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom