Upgrading PC for the 1st time

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thesac721

Reputable
Jun 19, 2014
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4,510
Hey everybody,

This will be my first upgrade and also first time doing it by myself.

Current Specs
- Intel Core i5-2500K 3.3GHz
- ASUSTeK Computer INC. P8Z68-V (LGA1155)
- G.Skill Ripjaws X F3-17000CL11D-8GBXL (2x4GB) DDR3
- 2047MB Gainward GeForce GTX 560 Ti (CardExpert Technology)
- 2 466GB Seagate ST500DM002-1BC142 ATA Device (SATA)

I have been looking at a few builds lately and would like to get some guidance on whether they're any good and if there is any way to bring down the price but still have comparable performance or if I even need to spend that much to achieve my aims (60 fps gaming at 1920x1080p with High-Ultra settings on next gen games) .

Approximate Purchase Date: within the next 2 months

Budget Range: roughly $1000 - $1200 AUD

System Usage from Most to Least Important: Gaming, Surfing the net, Office Applications

Buying a monitor: No

Parts to Upgrade: CPU / MOBO / RAM / HDD / SSD /
- using a Corsair HX-750w PSU

Do you need to buy OS: No

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: www.pccasegear.com / http://www.msy.com.au/home.php / http://au.pcpartpicker.com/parts/partlist/

Location: Canberra, Australia

Parts Preferences:
CPU: Intel, though have recently become interested in AMD.
GPU: Nvidia, but won't say no to Radeon cards.

Overclocking: No (doesn't really interest me yet)

SLI or Crossfire: Maybe

Monitor Resolution: 1920x1080

Additional Comments: Mainly to be able to play the latest games at 1920x1080p at 60 fps using relatively high graphics settings

Why Are You Upgrading: Current build is around 3-4 years old and want to update to more current hardware.

Current PC part picker lists
http://au.pcpartpicker.com/user/thesac721/saved/KsCD4D
http://au.pcpartpicker.com/user/thesac721/saved/VffhP6
http://au.pcpartpicker.com/user/thesac721/saved/4dhKHx
http://au.pcpartpicker.com/user/thesac721/saved/DRm323
http://au.pcpartpicker.com/user/thesac721/saved/VVvbt6
http://au.pcpartpicker.com/user/thesac721/saved/69DJ7P

Parts common across all builds:
G.Skill F3-12800CL10D-16GBXL
Samsung 840 EVO 250GB
Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive

Parts i'm undecided on:
Intel Core i5-4570
ASRock H87M Pro4
Gigabyte GeForce GTX 770 2GB WINDFORCE Video Card
AMD FX-6300 3.5GHz 6-Core Processor
ASRock 970 Pro3 R2.0 ATX AM3+ Motherboard
MSI Radeon R9 280X 3GB TWIN FROZR Video Card
AMD A10-6800K 4.1GHz Quad-Core Processor
Gigabyte Radeon R9 270X 2GB WINDFORCE Video Card
Gigabyte GA-F2A88XM-D3H Micro ATX FM2+ Motherboard




Thanks for any assistance
 
Solution
notherdude
Save you a massive amount of money - just buy the video card, your CPU and motherboard are still about as good as it gets for gaming and most other things too, in a year or so maybe it will be time to upgrade but to do it now will only bring marginal benefit, put your money into the best video card you can get instead
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notherdude

notherdude

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Jul 18, 2006
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Save you a massive amount of money - just buy the video card, your CPU and motherboard are still about as good as it gets for gaming and most other things too, in a year or so maybe it will be time to upgrade but to do it now will only bring marginal benefit, put your money into the best video card you can get instead
 
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Solution
spat55

spat55

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Jun 4, 2012
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Like notherdude said just get a new GPU, GTX 780 or R9 290 would be perfect along with a SSD for your OS would help boot times massively. Samsung Evo would do nicely. FX-6300/A10-6800k is much weaker than your i5 2500k anyway and a i5-4570 will only be about 25% quicker than your i5 2500k, which no game atm pushes that hard.
 
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notherdude

notherdude

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Jul 18, 2006
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I also note that you have a 2500 k - k being the unlocked multiplier version of your CPU. A quick trip to your BIOS and you'll have your CPU upgrade. Overclocking is safe and easy and that chip ought to run about 4 ghz on stock Intel cooler and up to about 4.7 on a good aftermarket cooler. So invest in the cooler and the video card and you will probably be as fast or FASTER than your proposed build.
 
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rhysiam

Splendid
Mar 24, 2013
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I couldn't agree more with the responses above.
- If you really want more out of your CPU, get an aftermarket cooler and overclock you current one. An OC'd 2500K will go toe to toe with a 4570, even beating it in some cases. Something like the Hyper 212 EVO will do the job well @ just $39AU - http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=207_23&products_id=18670
- Definitely grab an SSD. While it won't affect gaming it will make your whole system far, far more responsive. This is IMHO the best upgrade you can make to a PC. The M500 is super cheap at $149 for 240GB and will do the job well. The Samsung EVO is a little more, but comes with data migration software, which you should be able to use to save yourself from reinstalling the OS.
- The Crucial M500 240GB @ $149 - http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=210_902_1529&products_id=24841
- The Samsung EVO 250GB @ $179 - http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=210_902_1370&products_id=24742
- Upgrading to a better video card, like a R9 290, will make a big difference... however, if you're only gaming at 1080p, you won't actually see a massive difference even though theoretically the R9 is a big step up. If you were considering forking out for an entirely new system, why not direct your budget into a better display? Either go for a 27" 1440p for large/high resolution, or get a 120/144hz monitor for ultra-smooth high frame rate gaming display. If you like twitch shooters, the latter is probably a better pick. Either of those options would let a high end video card properly stretch its legs.
I hear your Nvidia preference, but the 780s are massively overpriced in Australia IMHO. Cheapest I can find is $580 compared to $400 for an XFX DD R9 290... actually that's a pretty good special: http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=193_1575&products_id=26347
- If you're stepping up the graphics card, make sure your PSU is up to the job!
 
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