When Should I Upgrade/OC a older CPU

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FireManDude

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My current rig is:
i7 Bloomfield 920 *running at stock 2.67GHz*
The DX58SO Mobo
6GB DDR3 of RAM
Nvidia GTX260
Corsair CX600w
I am Soon Upgrading my GPU to the Sapphire R9 280 Tri X Vapor X Card!,
Since i am upgrading i think i need help with my CPU and how it will compare with my new graphics card!,I Do not know if my CPU is in the level where it is too old to handle today games *which are becoming more CPU intensive* comparing to the newer Haswell,Or to go with the cheaper option of a better CPU cooling solution and a Overclock as i know the i7 920 is very OC friendly!.

Did any of you stay with your older gen i7 Cards and made a move to the newer haswell ?, and if so why did you make that move ?
 
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jaguarskx
If you want to upgrade to a current generation Intel CPU, then you need to replace the motherboard as well.

It is not worth the money to buy a more powerful 1st generation Core i7 CPU for your current rig. The incremental performance increase is not worth the cost.

Having a more powerful CPU can help improve performance, but only in games that are CPU dependent. It also depends on how well the game is coded or patched. For example, GTA IV is notorious for being one of the worst console ported game ever. I believe current PCs still run into performance issues with that game.
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jaguarskx

jaguarskx

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Despite being relatively old the i7-920 is at least still competitive against the AMD FX-8350. A new Intel CPU will provide you with better performance, but your CPU is still good enough to play modern day games.

I would just install the new GPU and then determine if the performance is acceptable. If not then upgrade the CPU. However, in games that are not very CPU dependent you will not see any improvement in performance. The more CPU dependent the game is, the more performance increase you will see. Just realize that in general most performance improvement comes from the graphics card unless the CPU is seriously outdated.
 
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jaguarskx

jaguarskx

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If you want to upgrade to a current generation Intel CPU, then you need to replace the motherboard as well.

It is not worth the money to buy a more powerful 1st generation Core i7 CPU for your current rig. The incremental performance increase is not worth the cost.

Having a more powerful CPU can help improve performance, but only in games that are CPU dependent. It also depends on how well the game is coded or patched. For example, GTA IV is notorious for being one of the worst console ported game ever. I believe current PCs still run into performance issues with that game.
 
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FireManDude

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I truly hope that the newer games would be getting better optimization through patches,i hear of people with high end cards having issues with Arma3,WatchDogs and GTA IV like you said,Do you think a Over Clock of my Processor could help make up for the difference in power between the CPUs ?
 
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coozie7

coozie7

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Still running on a i5 750, very similar to your i7, and with a HD7950 and a 'mild' OC to 3.4GHz it's more than capable of playing even heavy games like Metro LL/Metro 2033 or the new Tomb Raider very smoothly on a single 1080 screen at high/max settings.
Main downside is the performance hit AMD cards seem to take with AA enabled, if you're keen on AA I'd suggest you look at either the GTX760 (a little bit below the R9 280X) or GTX770 (a little above R9 280X).
Either way, adding a better cooler and OCing that i7 is certainly a good move, and a LOT cheaper than a full CPU/MB/RAM upgrade.
Be aware, adding a better CPU cooler may involve removing the motherboard.
Both the new card and cooler could be transferred to a Haswell/Devils Canyon upgrade later so your options are still open in that respect.
 
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FireManDude

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Thank you very much for answering!,Would you please be able to recommend me CPU coolers that could cool my i7 if i OC and that could be transported to an upgrade,wouldnt it be reliant on the CPU socket ?
 
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coozie7

coozie7

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Minefield alert!
There are SO many it's hard to suggest the 'best' and they're not all available in very country...Where do you live?
for now the current fave is the Coolermaster Hyper 212 Evo, it's fairly compact, cheap, handles mild overclocking without getting too noisy and it's widely available.
I've an earlier version, the 212 Plus BTW and it'll handle my gentle OC nicely-<>74C under Linpack/Prime max load, lower when gaming.
 
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FireManDude

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This one looks great thanks!,i live in Kenya so i actually make most of my Upgrades when i go abroad!,Via Amazon.I heard lots of good about the 100H by corsair,but i dont know how to place the Radiator as my Chasis is closed from the top,i think i will settle on your option as the 4 heatpipes with the fan looks great
 
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coozie7

coozie7

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I'm in Eastern England and 30C here is a hot summer temperature so the little Hyper 212 is good for me, but if you live inland where the temperatures are higher, you might want to consider something a little larger, and stronger, from either Phanteks or Noctua.
 
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FireManDude

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Could you please recommend me a liquid Cooling solution which could push my i7 920 Upwards ?
 
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swifty_morgan

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that's one of the crappiest cases I ever saw. If I were you I'd replace it. not much in the way of ventilation. I would move the upper fan to the outside and suck air though. those holes are so small I doubt much air makes it though them.

i couldn't recommend an all in one for it. buy a new case. add it to my list above.
 
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coozie7

coozie7

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Not a good case for overclocking and its poor ventilation is going to cause more problems for you with a R9 280X pumping heat into it, so a case swap looks like a very good idea, either that or run the system with the side panel off to improve ventilation.
Reviews on the motherboard show that it isn't a good overclocker, and is likely to limit the OC to around 3.6GHz, so the Hyper 212 Evo would, actually, be a nearly ideal choice, even if your local temperatures are quite high.
Suggested course of action: Try the 212 Evo and see how the rig overclocks first, then add the R9 280X, if it's performance is what you're hoping for, swap cases, if the performance is below expectations, you can always get another case and go with a full CPU/MB/RAM upgrade, moving the R9 280X and 212 Evo into the new build.
 
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FireManDude

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Which Chasis models are good for high ventilation ? ATX my case budget would be around 100/120USD,
I think i will get the case as it will have more space for the new card and also the 212 Evo ?

EDIT=I just looked at chasis for gaming and there seem to be many at different price ranges so am confused for how much money to allocate for this!,If i could find a chasis that would fit my current Mobo well and be able to fit the newer Motherboards then that would be a total win option that would leave me open for future upgrades!!
 
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FireManDude

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I am Comparing http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811139040
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811139016
I am comparing the Spec 03 to the 300R *which is available in a shop which i buy parts from*
What do think about this case ? should i go for the 300R or the Spec 03 is better ?
 
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coozie7

coozie7

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Check the Newegg reviews on both, there's some useful info there.
Only obvious downside of the 300R is its plain looks, otherwise it's a very good enclosure for the money,
if you go for a 300R, add a second front intake fan, unlike the SPEC 03 it only comes with one installed 'out of the box' and my experiences show it's very important to have good, strong intakes in the front for effective cooling.
 
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FireManDude

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Thanks!,The one am buying is included with a Rear and Front Fan!,but obviously ill add the sp120 corsair from my current build!.
So its set! ill get the case and a strong Cpu Cooling solution for a OC!,Thank you very much for the help guys!
 
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