Crossfire+psu, or new cpu+mobo+ram

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Bradley_

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Jan 14, 2014
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Hello, I'd love some advice from you guys, if anyone can help :)

Current sys:
Gigabyte r9 270x oc
Intel Q6600 oc'd to 3ghz (about 5-6yrs old)
Asus Maximus formula mobo (pci-e 2.0 with 6gigs ram)
win7/64

About 4 months ago I upgraded to a radeon r9 270x which was all I could afford at the time.

For most of the newer 'Triple-A' games I'm only avg'ing 35 fps on max settings. I know some games need a beefier cpu, but most of the more popular ones just need a beast GPU, so I've read here in multiple different threads.

I'd love to increase my systems performance for now and in the next couple of years for new games to come. My options:
1. try and sell the r9 270x, take a pretty big $-hit from a used sale, and get a 780x or better/equivalent geforce (to enjoy their physX, although I do own an old geforce 8800gt that I could possibly use in conjunction with my 270x for a dedicated physX card. So in that case get a new PSU to support it)
2. upgrade my CPU (which will require a whole new mobo +new ram)
3. keep my mobo/old cpu and my r9 270x, and get a second 270x for another $200ish, crossfire them, and just get a better power supply to support that.

Is anyone familiar enough with the old intel Q6600 cpu to tell me if replacing it with a more current CPU will increase game performance that much relative to the $$$ required? (since I'll need to get a whole new mobo/ram etc)

I really have no idea if my older CPU is whats crapping on my frames per sec in games.

I would really appreciate advice here, thanks :)
Option 1, 2, or 3? Option 4 would be more than welcome!
 
Solution
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for cpu, your options for gaming are the 8350 from amd or the current gen i5 from intel. The i5 typically does outperform the amd, but does cost slightly more
stock fan is fine for any processor, but overclocking should be done on a better cooler (honestly good ones can be had for $40 and can get you to that 4.0-4.2 easily.)
also if you are in canada, be sure to use shopbot for most parts, and maybe order all parts from a retailer that uses pricematch, so that you can get the best deal on all the parts from one store
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Brantyn Gerik

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Sep 18, 2013
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For intel, an i5 3570k or i5 4760k are both more than enough for current games, and won't bottleneck any cards.
for amd, the 8120-8350 are great, as well as their top end and are equivalent to the i5's in gaming, slower in some applications, and faster in others for about the same price
 
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Brantyn Gerik

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these cpus come in the $180-240 range, and the motherboards vary in price.

the 8350 is the cheapest, but ever so slightly worse for gaming (typically same averages, but a lower min fps in some games
the 3570k is just a generation behind the 4760k but will typically get ever so slightly higher fps in games....

this being said, the amd side will be more favourable this generation as far as games go due tot he current consoles being based on their companies tech for the consoles
 
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Bradley_

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Jan 14, 2014
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I'm willing to pay as much as needed to keep a 40-60 frame rate at high settings on games that will be coming out within the next 1-2 years. I realize that since I'm somewhat bound to an r9 270x, I might be forced to get a crossfire setup to achieve this. I assume a lot of the best games available for PC are going to be ports from the PS4/XB1, and their hardware is limited vs pc.

Example, Assassins Creed: Black Flag at max settings, I'm getting anywhere between 26-60fps, highly variant depending on my whereabouts/action.

I really appreciate your help here guys, thanks :)
 
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Brantyn Gerik

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Sep 18, 2013
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like i said before, most people will advise against crossfire in favor of a higher end card due to the problems and inefficiency of dual card solutions.

And seriously, SET A BUDGET. people really can't help you effectively if they don't know what you are willing to pay. otherwise i could just suggest a 4770k and a 780 ti and be done here
 
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coozie7

coozie7

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Jun 2, 2007
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Option 2, the R9 270x is a decent enough card for a single 1080 screen, but it's being held back by the current CPU.
If the rest of the system is of similar age it might pay you, in the long term, to build a new box entirely from scratch, put the legacy 8800 in the current system and E-bay it as a low end gaming system.
 
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Bradley_

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Jan 14, 2014
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Brantyn, Tyvm for the suggestions :)



That looks like a pretty good deal :)
I'm from Canada, last I checked I have to deal with the separate canadian branch of newegg (randomly different deals/bundles and such. I'm going to look for something similar there, going to take my time on this. Thx for the link Embra :).

Stock Fan?
I was reading reviews and more than a few people were talking about the FX-8320 (3.5GHz) being easily overclocked to 4.5ghz, but also heard some mixed reviews about its stock fan. What are your opinions on amd's fx8350/8320's stock fan? Is it safe to assume I'll want to stay at stock speeds unless I upgrade to watercooling or a superior fan? If that makes it overclockable, would it justify the extra cost?

AMD vs Intel for gaming
Some of my smarter friends are all saying the intel cpus are the way to go these days (even though next gen consoles are using amd, and some of the best PC games we'll see will be ps4/XB1 ports), but for the best power/value (strictly for gaming which is the only reason I'm upgrading this) its still looking like AMD is the way to go...

Price Point
180-200ish seems like a reasonable cpu price range for me. I'm still trying to compel myself to go upwards of $260ish if I know it will give me a worthy boost in specifically gaming with my current r9 270x GPU.

Either way, may my trusty old quad q6600 rest in peace... soon. :)
(that one, with it's 2.4ghz stock speed, Overclocked to 3.01ghz just fine with it's stock fan and no additional cooling for the past 5 or more years :)
 
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Brantyn Gerik

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Sep 18, 2013
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for cpu, your options for gaming are the 8350 from amd or the current gen i5 from intel. The i5 typically does outperform the amd, but does cost slightly more
stock fan is fine for any processor, but overclocking should be done on a better cooler (honestly good ones can be had for $40 and can get you to that 4.0-4.2 easily.)
also if you are in canada, be sure to use shopbot for most parts, and maybe order all parts from a retailer that uses pricematch, so that you can get the best deal on all the parts from one store
 
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