Upgrade Help Needed on Budget Gaming PC

Oran · Dec 28, 2013

Hey guys, so around summer last year I built a budget gaming PC just for some light gaming, I spend around £320 ($525) and its been great so far. I spent so little to save money for games, which I have now purchased, but now that Christmas and my birthday have rolled around I have a little more cash that I'm willing to invest into my system, maybe like £150 or so ($250) plus the money I get from selling my old parts, anyway these are the specs: http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/user/Oran/saved/24cG
CPU- Intel Pentium G860 3.0GHz Dual-Core
Motherboard- MSI H61M-P31 (G3) Micro ATX LGA1155 (does have an extra RAM slot)
GPU- XFX Radeon HD 7770 1GB
RAM- 4GB Corsair Vengeance DDR3
Hard Drive Storage-Seagate Barracuda 500GB 3.5" 7200RPM
Case-Fractal Design Core 1000 MicroATX Mini Tower
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The games that I plan on playing are:
-Day Z standalone
-Battlefield 4
-Battlefield 3
-COD: Black Ops 2
-Counter Strike:Global Offensive
-Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
-Minecraft
-Left 4 Dead 2
-GTA 4
-Sleeping Dogs
I do not mind playing the more demanding games at a lower quality than high/ultra as I know on budget that is not always possible but as long as the frame rate is bearable and it isn't too ugly to look at then I'm fine with that.
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All and any suggestions are appreciated and if you have any more questions I will answer them as fast as I can. Thank You for reading this far, I hope you can share your knowledge with me

Thanks again

pit_1209 · Dec 30, 2013

Tell us your psu so we can see if you can get a better gpu, for that money that´s the only thing you can do for now and later you can upgrade that cpu for an i5 unless you could get more more money.

JuX · Dec 30, 2013

Okay, for that money you should get something like this:
CPU: i5 3470 or better - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115234
GPU: Sapphire r7 260x 2gb ddr5 oc - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814202051
And preferably 2x4 Gigs of RAM.

pit_1209 · Dec 30, 2013

JuX :

I don´t think that would be the best choice, a very good cpu but just a little step in gpu power, if you´re planning on gaming get the fastest card you can get and upgrade you cpu later, that cpu will suffice for now.
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/gaming-fx-pentium-apu-benchmark,3120-10.html

Oran · Dec 30, 2013

pit_1209 :

i believe that this is my PSU: Corsair 430W V2 CX Series PSU

Oran · Dec 30, 2013

pit_1209 :

thank you, im from UK so unfortunately newegg.com links are useless to me but thanks anyway, i found another discussion on here recconmending this CPU: http://www.amazon.co.uk/AMD-FX6300-Edition-4-1GHz-Socket/dp/B009O7YORK (AMD FX6300 Black Edition 6 Core) as it has just come on sale in my country. and yes i will upgrade to atleast 2x4 of RAM memory

pit_1209 · Dec 30, 2013

Oran :

That´s a good one, you can get this cpu and later update the cpu for the same i5 jux said.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814202077

pit_1209 · Dec 30, 2013

Oran :

pit_1209 :

thank you, im from UK so unfortunately newegg.com links are useless to me but thanks anyway, i found another discussion on here recconmending this CPU: http://www.amazon.co.uk/AMD-FX6300-Edition-4-1GHz-Socket/dp/B009O7YORK (AMD FX6300 Black Edition 6 Core) as it has just come on sale in my country. and yes i will upgrade to atleast 2x4 of RAM memory

Ok didn´t see this one, the problem with that cpu is that you will need to change your actual mobo then.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/R9270X-DC2T-2GD5-1120Mhz-2048MB-Express-Graphics/dp/B00FRU9P9U/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1388430563&sr=8-1&keywords=r9270x

Oran · Dec 30, 2013

pit_1209 :

Oran :

Ok didn´t see this one, the problem with that cpu is that you will need to change your actual mobo then.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/R9270X-DC2T-2GD5-1120Mhz-2048MB-Express-Graphics/dp/B00FRU9P9U/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1388430563&sr=8-1&keywords=r9270x

thank you, i do not want to change my mobo, but with an i5 i would be okay? or do i not even need to change my cpu atall for that gpu

pit_1209 · Dec 30, 2013

Oran :

pit_1209 :

thank you, i do not want to change my mobo, but with an i5 i would be okay? or do i not even need to change my cpu atall for that gpu

As I told you before you don´t have the budget to get both so it´s better to get the gpu first and go with the cpu later but if you can, try to get both because your cpu will suffice but in really cpu bounds games it won´t, there are games now that won´t install with at least a 4 core cpu. Check the link that I posted earlier about that cpu.

Oran · Dec 30, 2013

pit_1209 :

Oran :

As I told you before you don´t have the budget to get both so it´s better to get the gpu first and go with the cpu later but if you can, try to get both because your cpu will suffice but in really cpu bounds games it won´t, there are games now that won´t install with at least a 4 core cpu. Check the link that I posted earlier about that cpu.

i will also get the money i get from selling the parts i replace so my budget is a little higher, will this cpu bring the same problem of needing a new mobo? http://www.amazon.co.uk/AMD-FX-4130-4-Core-Processor/dp/B0093HDM3I/ref=sr_1_1?s=computers&ie=UTF8&qid=1388281238&sr=1-1&keywords=FX-4130

pit_1209 · Dec 30, 2013

Oran :

pit_1209 :

Oran :

As I told you before you don´t have the budget to get both so it´s better to get the gpu first and go with the cpu later but if you can, try to get both because your cpu will suffice but in really cpu bounds games it won´t, there are games now that won´t install with at least a 4 core cpu. Check the link that I posted earlier about that cpu.

i will also get the money i get from selling the parts i replace so my budget is a little higher, will this cpu bring the same problem of needing a new mobo? http://www.amazon.co.uk/AMD-FX-4130-4-Core-Processor/dp/B0093HDM3I/ref=sr_1_1?s=computers&ie=UTF8&qid=1388281238&sr=1-1&keywords=FX-4130

Yes, as you have an intel socket motherboard any amd one will require another motherboard, but right now the i5 is one of the best processors for gaming so if it´s in your budget go for it.

Oran · Dec 30, 2013

pit_1209 :

Oran :

pit_1209 :

i will also get the money i get from selling the parts i replace so my budget is a little higher, will this cpu bring the same problem of needing a new mobo? http://www.amazon.co.uk/AMD-FX-4130-4-Core-Processor/dp/B0093HDM3I/ref=sr_1_1?s=computers&ie=UTF8&qid=1388281238&sr=1-1&keywords=FX-4130

Yes, as you have an intel socket motherboard any amd one will require another motherboard, but right now the i5 is one of the best processors for gaming so if it´s in your budget go for it.

right thank you, is that i5 posted earlier my best bet or could i go for a different one and it still be just as good?

sora · Dec 30, 2013

JuX :

If he is gaming he should get a 270X or a 280X.

pit_1209 · Dec 30, 2013

Yes that i5 is the best one you could get, the k versions are overclockable ones but your chipset dont support that if you want to save some money you couldl get a less clock one, the difference wont be that much.

Oran · Jan 2, 2014

pit_1209 :

thank you very much, i think i shall hold off for now on gpu upgrades and just put in some more RAM and upgrade the CPU to the i5

pit_1209 · Jan 2, 2014

Oran :

Then you won´t see that much increase in gaming perfomance until you change that gpu.

Oran · Jan 2, 2014

pit_1209 :

Oran :

Then you won´t see that much increase in gaming perfomance until you change that gpu.

soooo i should go straight for a GPU upgrade?

pit_1209 · Jan 2, 2014

Oran :

pit_1209 :

soooo i should go straight for a GPU upgrade?

That´s what I´m being telling you since the first post my friend, for that money you can go with a r9 270x
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814202078

Oran · Jan 3, 2014

pit_1209 :

Oran :

That´s what I´m being telling you since the first post my friend, for that money you can go with a r9 270x
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814202078

thank you, ive had you and the other guy mixed up as he encouraged me to get a new CPU, you know on recommended/minimum specs on games, is it really that important? cos right now my CPU is whats falling short on being able to play games atall

pit_1209 · Jan 3, 2014

As you can see in this link, games like bf 3 won´t benefit that much on cpu power but any game will get a boost with a better gpu and your cpu won´t bottleneck but highest end gpus, you´re going to change that cpu later after all so go with the most important factor when comes to gaming first, and that is the gpu.
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/gaming-fx-pentium-apu-benchmark,3120-4.html

Oran · Jan 3, 2014

pit_1209 :

So even though it says I shouldn't be able to run the game well due to my CPU, if my GPU is good enough and my CPU isn't too much worse that the one recommended I will still be able to play the game well? Thanks for all your help man by the way

pit_1209 · Jan 4, 2014

Oran :

Yeah, there are games that are very cpu bound and another cpu will make a difference but now are less, but remember you´re planning on upgrade that cpu later and that´s the point.

Upgrade Help Needed on Budget Gaming PC

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