PC hardware upgrade for gaming

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nalex

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Hi all, I appreciate you probably see alot of these threads but if someone could help me I would most appreciate it. I can run all games (except Arma 3) on at LEAST low but can average medium. I would like to be able to run games like Arma on high smoothly.

I don't have any budgetary limitations particularly as I can save as I'm not desperate for the upgrades now but I don't really fancy replies like 'GET 9X TITANS' haha I would just like a upgrade to allow me to play BF4 on Ultra comfortably for example. I appreciate that I may need to upgrade a few different items. But anyway, see my specs below:

Operating System
Windows 8.1 Pro 64-bit

CPU
AMD FX-4130 3.8Ghz
Zambezi 32nm Technology

RAM
16.0GB Dual-Channel DDR3 @ 669MHz (9-9-9-24)

Motherboard
Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd. GA-78LMT-USB3 (Socket M2)

Graphics
S22C150 (1920x1080@60Hz)
1024MB ATI AMD Radeon HD 7700 Series (ASUStek Computer Inc)

Storage
931GB Seagate ST31000340NS ATA Device (SATA)


Please excuse the formatting, it was copy and pasted from Speccy.

Any help appreciated.

Thanks.

 
Solution
clutchc


Excellent choice. No, the FX-8350 will not bottleneck the GTX 970. And with its unlocked multiplier, the FX-8350 is very easy to overclock for added punch.

There are many cheap PSUs out there that rate themselves as high wattage but are really not safe/dependable for use with a powerful gaming PC system. Here is a relatively recent hierarchy of modern PSUs. Try to stay in the first 3 tiers if you need to replace yours...
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clutchc

clutchc

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The 1st gen Bulldozer FX-4130 is a bit of a bottle neck with anything more than a R9-270X or GTX 760 unless you OC the heck out of it.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=100007709%20600473875%20600453362&IsNodeId=1&bop=And&Order=BESTMATCH&PageSize=20
Either card would be a great improvement over the card you have now. Although you don't mention whether it is a HD 7750, 7770, or 7790... either of those cards I mentioned should do the job at 1080p and be an improvement over what you have now.

Do you have a pre-built system or a self built system?
 
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nalex

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Thanks for your reply. I have a 7790 HD.

Would you suggest an upgrade to the processor aswell? If so, would you mind pointing me in the right direction? It's a self built system.

Thanks for your help
 
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clutchc

clutchc

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Here is a link to the Rev 4.1 of that board. Click on the rev 5 link if yours is the later version. This site will list the processors you can use and the BIOS version required for it to be recognized.
http://www.gigabyte.com/products/product-page.aspx?pid=4305#ov

If you are not restrained by budget, I would recommend one of these processors if they are on your CPU support list (see above):
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=100007671%20600213780%20600030238%20600213784%20600039190%20600039184&IsNodeId=1&bop=And&Order=RATING&PageSize=20
And one of these cards: http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=100007709%20600536049&IsNodeId=1&name=GeForce%20GTX%20970

Armed with that combination, you should be able to play any game at high settings @ 1080p resolution.

Note: You need a good quality 600W or better PSU for the above.
 
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nalex

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Thanks for your reply. Alright, I've settled for a FX-8350. The performance of a GeForce GTX 970 won't be bottlenecked by an 8350 will it?

When you say good quality PSU I presume the quality is categorized based on brands?

Thanks clutchc
 
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clutchc

clutchc

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Excellent choice. No, the FX-8350 will not bottleneck the GTX 970. And with its unlocked multiplier, the FX-8350 is very easy to overclock for added punch.

There are many cheap PSUs out there that rate themselves as high wattage but are really not safe/dependable for use with a powerful gaming PC system. Here is a relatively recent hierarchy of modern PSUs. Try to stay in the first 3 tiers if you need to replace yours. https://community.newegg.com/eggxpert/computer_hardware/f/135081/t/45344.aspx?Redirected=true
 
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nalex

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So I've bought a FX8350 and a GTX 970 however I'm now in need of a decent PSU to be able to utilise my new hardware as my current PSU is a tier 5.

Any suggestions???

Thanks
 
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nalex

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Oops. Sorry. Didn't reread the thread prior to posting. I don't really want to spend a lot in this case just need something that will comfortably do the job. As at the moment my computer turns off when I load a game...... Haha.
 
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nalex

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That's not available in the UK for that price on newegg - it's £85 on amazon which would be out of my budget. I will look around for better prices meanwhile. That price was about perfect however!
 
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nalex

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Also, would the fact I'm plugged into an extension cable make a big xifference ? Is it worth me buying a few metres long power supply cable instead and running it to the standalone plug socket? Thanks
 
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clutchc

clutchc

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It would depend on the wire size and the quality of the extension cable. As I understand it, you folks in the UK use 240V as your standard residential voltage, whereas here in the US, we use 120V. As a result, your current (load) will be about half what it would be here for the same PSU/PC. So smaller size conductors (wires) would be acceptable.
But in all honesty, I would recommend not using an extension cable for the PSU if you can avoid it.

It appears that something in the £40-45 range is what you are willing to spend. Correct me if I'm wrong. That may be hard to come up with and still have a quality unit. The FX-8350 is a 125W CPU and the GTX 970 is a 145W gfx card. Those two items alone will be the big draw on the +12V rail. I would not want to have you go below 500W at the very minimum with that kind of power demand. And of course, there is always OC'ing which will add more wattage demand. Armed with that knowledge...

Most economy Evga PSUs are rather low quality, but this line is an exception. It falls in your budget range and gets a good review for the PSU master himself, Jonny Guru: http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story&reid=351
600W: http://www.amazon.co.uk/EVGA-600W-Bronze-Power-Supply/dp/B00EN3FD20/ref=sr_1_1?s=computers&ie=UTF8&qid=1412902037&sr=1-1&keywords=EVGA+600B
If that is still too much, you can probably get by with the 500W little brother of that PSU (the one reviewed above):
500W: http://www.amazon.co.uk/EVGA-500B-BRONZE-Power-Supply/dp/B00DZ6R9GE/ref=sr_1_4?s=computers&ie=UTF8&qid=1412901480&sr=1-4
 
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nalex

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That's great. That's top of my list right now. Would the Corsair CX600 be sufficient? Would that be better than the 600w EVGA you referenced above?

Thanks again for all of your help clutchc I really appreciate it.
 
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