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How much upgrading needed?

Tags:
  • Intel i7
  • Intel
  • Components
  • CPUs
  • Motherboards
  • GPUs
  • Configuration
Last response: in Components
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October 2, 2014 6:19:29 AM

I have the following configuration:
cpu: intel i7-870
gpu: sapphire radeon HD 5870
motherboard: asus P7P55D LE
8 GB RAM DDR3
cooler master 690 case
kamariki 4 550W power supply
monitor: samsung syncmaster 2494HM

I built this 4 years ago and since then I didn't care much for hardware developments but I would like to be able to play games on max for the next year so I decided to upgrade. Some people think I should buy new motherboard, cpu and gpu, others say better to buy new gpu and overclock cpu (I am not a fan of overclocking, but if that is a good solution then please point me to a tutorial about overclocking, never done it before).

I hope you can help me find the best possible solution.
I was thinking about sapphire R9 290 tri-X and intel i5-4670(K), but I don't know how cost effective that is in comparison with my current rig (and which motherboard would go with it, if my current one isn't compatibile).

More about : upgrading needed

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October 2, 2014 6:25:49 AM

3.6GHz Turbo core clock is not going to bottleneck any modern GPU, you just need a new PSU and a GTX 970, it'll run any given title on ultra with ease. For PSU, a quality one is recommended, like XFX Pro 550W or SeaSonic 620W :) 
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October 2, 2014 6:26:11 AM

Hi and welcome to Tom's forum.

What budget do you have for the upgrade? The good point here is that you can reuse RAM, case and monitor.
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October 2, 2014 6:31:36 AM

if you want to max games you want a new setup. Id say a i5 (3rd gen or up) SSD and maybe a GTX 760 or wait on the 900 cards
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October 2, 2014 6:31:58 AM

Buy something like:
Asrock h87 pro4
Nvidia GTX 690
Intel Ci5 4690
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October 2, 2014 6:33:35 AM

I would get a Nvidia GTX970, it's brand new and almost as fast as a 780ti at a much cheaper price.

I would also replace the PSU since it's four years old, and because according to this tier list it's poor quality (Tier Four):
http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/answers/id-1804779/power-...
(ctrl+f "Scythe Kamariki")

This PSU should do the job and not bankrupt you, plus very good quality (Tier one), 550w is more than enough for a GTX970, they're pretty power efficient gpus.
http://pcpartpicker.com/part/xfx-power-supply-p1550sxxb...

Here's a list of 970's at their cheapest prices:
http://pcpartpicker.com/parts/video-card/#c=186&sort=a8

Your CPU doesn't need a upgrade yet, it's still faster than budget-end CPU's like the AMD Athlon 760K (~5500 vs ~4500 score).

EDIT: dammit someone beat me to it :/ 
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October 2, 2014 7:07:23 AM

My budget is 1000-1200$. So just the PSU and GPU now? My motherboard is compatibile with current hardware?

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October 2, 2014 7:12:47 AM

grkljan said:
My budget is 1000-1200$. So just the PSU and GPU now? My motherboard is compatibile with current hardware?



Your MoBo can take a single GTX 970, a SSD would be nice but 3GB/s SATA II would cap it a bit. My advice remains as it is, a GPU and PSU upgrade would be good for maxed out gaming. Then, after a couple years when you need to SLI (for better performance ofcourse), do a whole system makeover with new MoBo, CPU and other stuff, with another 970, that's my suggestion. Going with i5 over this CPU wouldn't be worth it, unless you're looking for those 5-10 extra FPS due to higher core speeds.
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October 2, 2014 8:13:56 AM

ok, thank you very much.
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October 2, 2014 8:17:27 AM

Glad to help :) 
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October 2, 2014 8:20:06 AM

Change your mobo to a new one and that's it. You are still on pci express gen 2, also the sata 3 will make much difference. Also To make pci gen 3 work you need to change the cpu. My suggestion is leave everything as it is. Wait 6 months or so and the 5gen processor or maybe ddr4 will be out and buy a new system.
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