$200 - $250 to revamp my PC.

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aman27deep

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Jun 9, 2012
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Hello guys,

Here is my current rig.

CPU - Intel Core i5 CPU 760 @ stock
Motherboard - MSI P55-GD65
Monitor - BenQ E2200 HD
Graphics Card - MSI GTX 560-ti Twin FROZR
RAM - Corsair XMS3 2*2 GB Dual channel DDR3 1600 MHz
HDDs - 4.5 TB (5 HDD's total)
SSD - None
PSU - Corsair VX 550w
Cabinet - CM 430

PC is running a bit sluggish now, and also running very hot (around 90c on load, both cpu + gpu) and I want to beef it up a bit.

To do that I think I should get a CPU Cooler and overclock my CPU to 4.0 GHz, get 8 GB (4x2 dual channel) of RAM, and also a 120/128 GB SSD.

Can you people suggest the components or maybe something different to give my PC a small upgrade?

Budget is 200 - 250$ and at max 300$. Can't go over that really.

Thanks, looking forward to the help!
 
Solution
slomo4sho
Thanks for clarifying your usage. Here are the recommended options:

Dust out your case and reapply thermal past on the CPU cooler. Add a couple extra fans and maybe work on the cable management to improve airflow. It is good to have intake fans on the bottom/front of the case and exhaust fans on the top/back of the case.
Defrg your drives and clear out bloatware. You can pickup software like WinPatrol to modify your start-up programs. If your system still feels sluggish then consider adding the ram. If the ram doesn't resolve the issues then consider a new CPU cooler and an overclock. If it is still not good enough then consider adding a SSD.
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slomo4sho

slomo4sho

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Sell your 560 Ti and use the funds towards a HD 7970 or GTX 770.
Check your ram utilization to see if you actually use over 75%. If so, picking up two extra sticks would be a good choice.

Also, what cooler are you using on your CPU and when is the last time you dusted out your case?


Defragmentation along with clearing out bloatware would also resolve this issue. A SSD provides no real performance increase beyond improving load times.
 
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aman27deep

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Jun 9, 2012
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I already have three 120mm fans in the PC. Should get more?



My 560-ti is doing the job for me fine. I'm not disappointed with the gaming performance at all. BF3 runs on medium details with over 100 FPS, and CS:GO and LoL both have no problems at the very high details.

My usual RAM utilisation is crossing 3.1-3.2 GB now-a-days and I therefore thought of getting new RAM.

*ashamed* I am using the stock intel cooler, and the last time I cleaned dust from my PC would be November 2012 when I shifted my house. Also it's very hot here, and I don't have an A.C. fwiw.
 
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slomo4sho

slomo4sho

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Thanks for clarifying your usage. Here are the recommended options:

Dust out your case and reapply thermal past on the CPU cooler. Add a couple extra fans and maybe work on the cable management to improve airflow. It is good to have intake fans on the bottom/front of the case and exhaust fans on the top/back of the case.
Defrg your drives and clear out bloatware. You can pickup software like WinPatrol to modify your start-up programs. If your system still feels sluggish then consider adding the ram. If the ram doesn't resolve the issues then consider a new CPU cooler and an overclock. If it is still not good enough then consider adding a SSD.
 
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aman27deep

Honorable
Jun 9, 2012
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10,510


I defrag my HDD's around once a month. Should I do it more often?

What If I really want to overclock my PC...? Is the Corsair H80i a good option, then? I want to hit 4.00 GHz, as I'm sure that'll speed up the old rig quite a bit.
 
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slomo4sho

slomo4sho

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Once a month is sufficient. Have you ensured that there isn't bloatware bogging down your machine?

COOLER MASTER Seidon 120M performs slightly better than the H60 and is currently only $35 after rebate.
 
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Thanatos Telos

Thanatos Telos

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I saw a person with similar problems to yours with the same mobo. Reset the bios/take the battery out and put it back in. For the upgrade, I'd recommend a mobo/cpu combo. (4670k+Asrock Extreme 3) If not, then what you suggested would work swimmingly.
 
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aman27deep

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Jun 9, 2012
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I'm from Asia, so newegg isn't an option sadly. Corsair H60i/H80i/H100 etc are more common here in stores.
 
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aman27deep

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Jun 9, 2012
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Not got a reply here for a few days, but fwiw, i'm giving an update.

Bought 4gbx2 G-Skill Ripjaws, Buying a Corsair H80i tomorrow, and buying a Samsung 840 120gb (not pro) SSD.

Hoping these things give the system a buzz, and I can finally overclock my CPU :)
 
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Thanatos Telos

Thanatos Telos

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Did you follow the steps I posted?
 
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aman27deep

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Jun 9, 2012
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I didn't need to follow your steps. I had kept it as a backup though.

After H80i, temps are fantastic. I've even overclocked my i5 760 to 3.8 GHz.

I'm sorry for the super-duper late reply.
 
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