What components should I update with limited budget

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cloudd901

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Mar 30, 2009
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I want to update my PC but have a limited budget (current budget is around $300).
These are the components I am interested in updating.

Asus Commando Mobo (7y/o)
Core 2 Quad (6y/o)
4Gb Ram (3y/o)
Asus Geforce GTX 560 ti 448 limited edition (2y/o)
- I already have a new 1000w PSU and good fan cooled Antec 900 case.

If I decide to update my motherboard, I will also need to update my Ram and CPU. The total for updating all three comes close to $600-700 (i7, 8-16Gb ram, etc...). For this I will have to wait about 6 more months or so.

My other option was to get another Geforce GTX 560 ti 448 to run SLI. Only problem with this is that it's a limited edition card and I can only find it used on ebay. I can no longer find the ASUS model of this 448 card; would the EVGA or MSI models work? This option would run me about $50-200 depending on how the bidding goes.

Would it be worth waiting and keeping my current video card? Or should I update to SLI? Or should I look into other upgrade options?

Thanks for your input!


Edit: I forgot to mention; my main use is Gaming, secondary use is watching/converting movies. I use a 1080p 52" television as my monitor. Wasn't sure if this made a difference.
 
Solution
jeremyp79


If you live near a microcenter, they have a great deal going now, 219 for a 4670k and msi z87 motherboard. That would leave you about 80 bucks for ram, with a 300 budget. They 560ti 448 core is a fairly...
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AxlFone

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May 21, 2013
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PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: AMD FX-8150 3.6GHz 8-Core Processor ($159.98 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: Thermalright Macho-120 73.6 CFM CPU Cooler ($43.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: Asus M5A99FX PRO R2.0 ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($126.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: A-Data XPG V2 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($69.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $400.93
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-02-14 03:12 EST-0500)

You need cpu cooler with AMD cpu. This has better mobo for OC the cpu.

Intel cpu mobo + cpu cooler and memory.
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($219.99 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Thermalright Macho-120 73.6 CFM CPU Cooler ($43.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z87X-D3H ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($128.99 @ NCIX US)
Memory: A-Data XPG V2 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($69.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $462.95
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-02-14 03:15 EST-0500)

Both works fine with your old video card.

For video card look GTX 760 / 770.

 
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Roxas_Boy

Roxas_Boy

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Oct 15, 2013
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AMD FX x1xx series based on Bulldozer architecture is terrible and perform worse than the Phenoms it was meant to replace *lol fail*. The FX x3xx series based on Piledriver finally fixed it for AMD and made them retake the crown for best budget cpus.

 
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AxlFone

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May 21, 2013
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Oh? How about this?
http://www.anandtech.com/bench/product/434?vs=698

 
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cloudd901

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Mar 30, 2009
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Thanks for the comments so far.

I've been a bit of an Intel and ASUS junkie for quite a few years. I haven't really looked into the AMD processors for a long time. How are they compairing to Intel i5 & i7 processors nowadays? On the anandtech site listed above, looks like i5 may be better for some of the games I've played (ie Skyrim).

I'm just not sure if I should wait it out and get a higher-grade Intel (or AMD) system, or if I should update the GPU I have now (SLI or new single). Limit now is $300; later will be more more.
 
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jeremyp79

jeremyp79

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Jan 9, 2012
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If you live near a microcenter, they have a great deal going now, 219 for a 4670k and msi z87 motherboard. That would leave you about 80 bucks for ram, with a 300 budget. They 560ti 448 core is a fairly strong card, and is pretty much the same as a gtx 570, which is not a great card by any means, is still decent enough for gaming. It seems to me that your cpu/mobo is your weakest point.

 
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Solution
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cloudd901

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Mar 30, 2009
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18,510


Cool beans. I believe I'll leave the GPU alone for now. Question is; should I wait until I have a bit more cash or try my luck with $300 worth of parts? I normally use Newegg for most of my electronics. Local stores around here are pretty scarce and suck. :( The 4670k alone is running about $240 there. The msi z87 vary in price around $160.
 
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