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Upgrading my current rig. First time builder looking to upgrade please help!

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October 30, 2013 6:51:22 AM

Hey guys,

I'm feeling the urge to do a little upgrade of my current rig (1st build ever) and was wondering what do you think is worth upgrading? I use the computer for gaming (starcraft 2, borderlands, league of legends, etc.) I am looking to upgrade over time as I find good deals for each component so what order should I upgrade in? Should I replace the video card entirely or should is crossfiring a better bet? Thanks in advance for any information! Below are my specs:

CPU
AMD Phenom II X4 925

Mobo
Asrock 870 Extreme3

Memory
Patriot G Series ‘Sector 5’ Edition 16GB (4 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666)

GPU
Asus DirectCu 6850


PSU
Antec EarthWatt Green 650w 80+ Bronze

Case
Rosewill Destroyer

Storage
Samsung F3 1tb

More about : upgrading current rig time builder upgrade

October 30, 2013 7:04:04 AM

you need to replace your cpu , mobo and video card...
you can start with replacing amd 6850 and try to overclock your current procesor a bit...

what´s your budget ?
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October 30, 2013 7:33:02 AM

I'm not in a desperate need of an upgrade I just want an idea of what to keep an eye out for sales. I was thinking of replacing the video card first and spending around $200 or less (saving for a wedding so money is a little tight) on it then replacing the mobo and cpu in another 6 months or so. Do you think that is a good way to go about it?
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October 30, 2013 8:14:37 AM

Hello Sulbien,

I want to ask what kind technology is important to you? I ask because the Keplar based GTX's will be capable of using Nvidia's new G-sync Tech that pushes the refresh rate to capable monitors. Though it is not out yet I believe, it is said to provide a great experience since there will be no screen tearing during gameplay.

As far as the CPU is concerned, I honestly would upgrade it as soon as you buy a new GPU. The Phenom's had their day, kind of, but they are old and even the, now affordable, sandy bridge i5's mop the floor with the Phenom's, I say this from my experience as I just upgraded from a Phenom II x4 @ 3.7Ghz (water cooled) to a Sandy Bridge i5-2500K @ 4.5Ghz (air cooled) and the difference is night and day and now my GTX 480's have much more breathing room. My CAD apps run so smooth now, I can't even imagine how I got along with my Phenom for so long.
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October 30, 2013 8:30:52 AM

Oldschool,

The new G-sync technology would require a new monitor would it not? I havent heard much about it but I'm not really looking to replace monitors as well as money is tight.

Darkglobe,

Do you think the R9 270x is the best bet or could i get away with something a little cheaper like the radeon 7850? Not sure what would be the best as I'm currently not playing any very demanding games but it would be nice to have higher frame rates and playing a better quality of graphics. Sorry for my ignorance if I'm wrong on anything I'm still trying to teach myself this stuff
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October 30, 2013 8:30:56 AM

Oldschool,

The new G-sync technology would require a new monitor would it not? I havent heard much about it but I'm not really looking to replace monitors as well as money is tight.

Darkglobe,

Do you think the R9 270x is the best bet or could i get away with something a little cheaper like the radeon 7850? Not sure what would be the best as I'm currently not playing any very demanding games but it would be nice to have higher frame rates and playing a better quality of graphics. Sorry for my ignorance if I'm wrong on anything I'm still trying to teach myself this stuff
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October 30, 2013 8:50:32 AM

Hey Sulbien,

Yes you are right. The monitors will be out Q1 2014 but I think it's worth it. I am by no means pressuring you as much as I am just spreading the word. You can check it out here. I think there is something to this and I really think I will upgrade as soon as I can, but thats just me.

If you stuck with AMD, I would suggest a 7970. They are starting to get much more affordable and they are solid cards!
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October 30, 2013 8:52:40 AM

r9 270x is basicaly a bit tweaked amd 7870 (same core)
you can get away with 7850 or nvidia gtx650Ti boost edition
but i would say r9 270x is currently the best bang for the buck...
especialy if you will upgrade your cpu in near future...
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October 30, 2013 9:10:37 AM

Dark globe,

I tried looking up benchmarks on the r9 270x (http://www.videocardbenchmark.net/gpu_list.php) I saw a Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280 but not an R9 270. I was just curious how it matched up in performance for the extra money. Am i missing something? Once again I apologize for my ignorance just trying to learn / make an informed decision
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October 30, 2013 2:10:57 PM

sulbien said:
Dark globe,

I tried looking up benchmarks on the r9 270x (http://www.videocardbenchmark.net/gpu_list.php) I saw a Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280 but not an R9 270. I was just curious how it matched up in performance for the extra money. Am i missing something? Once again I apologize for my ignorance just trying to learn / make an informed decision




I understand that the R9 is newer but for $200 you can get the HD 7950 HERE. I look for deals and this is one of them. If you look at the specs, this card is a great deal!
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October 30, 2013 5:21:16 PM

I noticed in the specs it says a minimum of 500w power supply. Is that 500 for the whole system or just for the GPU? Will my PSU support it?
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October 30, 2013 10:17:46 PM

sulbien said:
I noticed in the specs it says a minimum of 500w power supply. Is that 500 for the whole system or just for the GPU? Will my PSU support it?


Hey,
The 7950's at max load drink almost 190 watts. So it would be for the whole system. The R9 isn't much better. Make sure that you get your specs from multiple sites.
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October 30, 2013 10:22:30 PM

yes it will , the requirements are always a bit overrated...
your entire system even with new card won´t exeed 400w during gaming even if you overclock your phenom...
besides you have decent 650w power supply , so no problem...
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October 31, 2013 2:25:29 PM

Dark globe, which one of those GPU's do you think is better? I only added the Asus one because I have used asus in the past and like them. It is only a $10 different between them and the asus uses the newer opengl and has a higher core clock.
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October 31, 2013 2:50:06 PM

sulbien said:
I think i may upgrade the whole system with black friday sales. Right now here is what I thinking of doing

CPU: AMD FX-8320
Mobo: Undecided yet any recommendations?
GPU: R9 270X (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168... or http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...)

What do you guys think?


sulbien said:
Dark globe, which one of those GPU's do you think is better? I only added the Asus one because I have used asus in the past and like them. It is only a $10 different between them and the asus uses the newer opengl and has a higher core clock.


I really do hate beating a dead horse, but I really think you would be missing out on a far better card (7950) if you just went for the newer R9 270X. The HD 7950 is a fantastic deal, which may put you over your budget by a few bucks, less on some specials, but the 7950 is a superior card in almost every way that matters in games. At least check THIS out. I am sorry for badgering you about this, but I never go for newer just for the sake of it, I go for price/performance. As a matter a fact, I purchased 2 GTX 480's for $100 a piece and I run them in SLI. Though they are power hungry cards, the cost of the cards offsets the power bill considering that these cards in most cases beat a GTX 680. Anyways, I really feel like it's not worth "upgrading" to a brand new, slower card.
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October 31, 2013 2:52:47 PM

get the asus it´s great and very silent cooler...
dual x is kind of low end from sapphire ,
vapor x and toxic edition coolers are better but they cost more...
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