Best GPU 200-250$ with a Phenom II x4 925 2.8

Toggle sidebar Toggle sidebar
Z

ZaSpecialist

Reputable
Mar 4, 2014
30
0
4,530
Specs:
-Phenom II x4 925 2.8
-6 gb ram ddr3
-gtx 260 super OC edition 896mb 448 bit
-source chieftec 750w
-win 7 x64
-1920x1080 display
-motherboard has PCI 2.0 GIGABYTE MA77OT-UD3P

I'm looking to upgrade my gpu so I can play recent games decently without bottleneck. Later in the future I will build a new PC as I have to work a few months to achieve this. Latest games work on my current PC but I kinda struggle with them.
Thanks in advance!
 
Solution
AnEwG
I5-3570k with the sniper motherboard are a great combination but if you are planning to overclock you will also need an aftermarket cooler, so keep that in mind because it will add to the cost. Also as you have already mentioned, GPU is more important than CPU when it comes to gaming, so getting a GTX 760 with the i5-3550p will allow you to play most games at high settings at 1080p.
So the bottom line is if you can afford it get the i5-3570k, its overclockable and gives you more performance head room in the future. If you can't, don't sweat it, the i5-3550p is a great processor as well and will be able to handle any modern game efficiently when combined with the right graphics card.
Sort by date Sort by votes
Z

ZaSpecialist

Reputable
Mar 4, 2014
30
0
4,530


I never did an OC before and I have no idea of the process. Also, you are saying that I should only OC the cpu and wait until I build a new rig from scratch? Or OC and get a good gpu and later upgrade rest?
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
AnEwG

AnEwG

Honorable
Dec 31, 2013
1,190
0
11,460
Your processor has a locked multiplier. You can't increase the multiplier to overclock. You may try to increase the fsb speed instead, but I am not sure if you can get much of an overclock this way.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Z

ZaSpecialist

Reputable
Mar 4, 2014
30
0
4,530
I think I will buy a motherboard + CPU + GPU now and use the rest of items from current rig, and buy the rest one by one after a few months, after I finish paying for those 3 basic parts.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Z

ZaSpecialist

Reputable
Mar 4, 2014
30
0
4,530
For now I play Thief (very low settings 30-50 fps and sttutering) and will wait for Dark Souls 2 soon, but that will run smooth on my rig. I don't play BF (even though I bought 3 and 4) and other super games but I would like to be able to play next gen games smoothly. Witcher 3 is a must buy in the future, but that will come later this year probably, so no rush.

I could buy a motherboard + CPU + GPU with a 4-5 months payment and use the rest of the parts from my current rig, then upgrade later after I finish paying for the basic parts. My PSU is more than capable of handling a new rig and 6gb of ram should keep up.

Thinking about FX8 8350 + a good motherboard to link it with + gtx 760 (or better if its worth the price difference)
For all those 3 parts I could invest 750-800$

Keep in mind that here in Romania prices are higher than in America. For example here gtx 760 is around 310$ and the cpu is 250$. Also, minimum wage is 300$ so thats why I want to buy them with a monthly payment, as I am a student.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
AnEwG

AnEwG

Honorable
Dec 31, 2013
1,190
0
11,460
I wouldn't recommend an FX chip for a game like Thief or any other CPU intensive game. From the benchmarks I saw even an i3-3220 does better than the FX-8350 in this game. IMO you should get an i5-3550p + a budget motherboard (ASRock H61MV-ITX ). The combination will cost you about 240$ and you won't regret it.

Edit: Check to see how much that will cost you where you live and give me some feedback.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Z

ZaSpecialist

Reputable
Mar 4, 2014
30
0
4,530
Can't find 3550p...got 2 result but they don't exist anymore in the catalog offer. Also...I don't want to cheap out since the plan is to hold on another 3-4 years as I did with my current rig. How about I5 3570k and a Z77? I would like to go for some OC if it's healthy.

I did find 3350p and it's 230$.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
AnEwG

AnEwG

Honorable
Dec 31, 2013
1,190
0
11,460
If you are not overclocking Get the 3350p + the motherboard I recommended if it is available.
If you want to overclock you will need a better motherboard like you said, something with a z77 chipset and it could be as much as three times the price of the motherboard you would pick with an i5-3350p.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Z

ZaSpecialist

Reputable
Mar 4, 2014
30
0
4,530
That motherboard is 60$ + gtx 760 and i5 3350p = 600$ (very reasonable price)
For extra 120$ i can go I5 3570k and Z77 sniper M3 for example, is it worth the extra bucks or the 3350p does the job?

I think your idea is good, since gpu is the major part that does the job in games. And since I don't game that often anyway, as I used to, I think what you recommended will do the trick for 2 years at least. I can even upgrade later maybe.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
AnEwG

AnEwG

Honorable
Dec 31, 2013
1,190
0
11,460
I5-3570k with the sniper motherboard are a great combination but if you are planning to overclock you will also need an aftermarket cooler, so keep that in mind because it will add to the cost. Also as you have already mentioned, GPU is more important than CPU when it comes to gaming, so getting a GTX 760 with the i5-3550p will allow you to play most games at high settings at 1080p.
So the bottom line is if you can afford it get the i5-3570k, its overclockable and gives you more performance head room in the future. If you can't, don't sweat it, the i5-3550p is a great processor as well and will be able to handle any modern game efficiently when combined with the right graphics card.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Solution
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

Latest posts

Moderators online

Share this page

COMPANY
RESOURCES
FOLLOW
Top Bottom