Did I just downgrade CPUs?

JKInnovation · Jan 16, 2015

Hey there. I'm in the process of upgrading my hardware in order to run World of Warcraft/Skyrim smoothly; as of now I'm at 20-40 FPS on low settings and it's very frustrating. I just bought an Intel i5 processor (an i5-4460) thinking I was upgrading my CPU, did I just downgrade by mistake?

Here are my current specs:

GPU: GeForce GT 520
CPU: AMD FX - 8120 eight-core processor
Memory: 8.00 GB RAM (4 GB usable)

About a year and a half ago my computer kept overheating due to my heat sink detaching and I may or may not have damaged the AMD CPU. All I know is that I'm getting abysmal FPS and I'm too inexperienced to know what is causing it. Any comments on the disparities of these CPUs/suggestions as to what to upgrade in order to improve FPS? I'd really appreciate your expertise. Thanks.

- Josh

vrumor · Jan 16, 2015

Your non gaming GPU is the cause of your horrible FPS.

Yonose · Jan 16, 2015

As Vrumor said above, the GPU is your limit here.

You will need a new GPU, i would recommend a GTX 770 or better like a 970 or 980, this depends on how much you spend time at gaming.
If you gonna buy a new GPU you might want to get a new PSU if your PSU isent already 500W+

JKInnovation · Jan 16, 2015

vrumor :

Ok, any comment on the disparities between my CPUs? And what GPU would you recommend on a $300 budget?

JKInnovation · Jan 16, 2015

Yonose :

Thanks for your suggestions, my PSU is 700W. Is the CPU I just bought a downgrade?

tsuneo6 · Jan 16, 2015

no the CPU you bought isnt a downgrade, but you didnt need to upgrade your CPU though. you'll gain a couple of frames but nothing worth mentioning.

as for the GPU, with thtat budget you can go for an r9 290. if you can stretch it a bit you should go for a gtx 970. I hope that you have a decent quality PSU though

Sig2525 · Jan 16, 2015

JKInnovation :

the i5 is very much faster than the fx 8100 and is ranked 1st tier while the fx 8100 is ranked 3rd tier along the core i3 so consider it a very good upgrade over your fx 8100

JKInnovation · Jan 16, 2015

tsuneo6 :

Ok, I was told WoW runs primarily CPU intensive as opposed to GPU, my GPU is that weak huh? Thanks for your input, is a 700W PSU sufficient for the GTX 970?

tsuneo6 · Jan 16, 2015

a 700watt PSU is more than enough for a gtx 970
and yes WoW is very CPU intensive, intel generaly works better with WoW.
but yes your current GPU is quite low end and not meant for gaming at all.
if you dont want to break your wallet and still get good results you can also go for an r9 280 or gtx 770. those are enough to run WoW with ultra settings.

JKInnovation · Jan 16, 2015

Sig2525 :

Thanks, that's reassuring. I was starting to think I wasted $200, although Amazon is fair in regards to refunds. My next purchase will have to be a GPU.. too bad I didn't consult you all sooner.

Yonose · Jan 16, 2015

I would go for the gtx 770 instead of having a r9 280 on a system that already had nvidia drivers.
I have tried to replace a AMD graphic card with a nvidia card, WOULD NOT recommend it. I dont know if i was just unlucky but it ended with the system went all weird and ended with a clean reinstall.

Had a GTX 770 for 2 years soon and its recommended!

tsuneo6 · Jan 16, 2015

Yonose :

you probably did not delete your drivers properly before installing the new card. you should delete drivers een when installing a new nvidia card.

boju · Jan 16, 2015

Yea, your gpu needs to be upgraded. The above gpus mentioned will give you a holly performance boost all round compared to the gt520, you'll be able to play Tetris then

.

Wow (only uses 2 cpu cores) and Skyrim (recommended 4 cores) are both cpu intensive so i agree also an i5 is miles a head.

Yonose · Jan 16, 2015

I believe here is the answer if you want Nvidia or AMD:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yG5dl_XEnck

JKInnovation · Jan 16, 2015

You guys have been so awesome, thank you! I can't believe I upgraded my CPU first, I feel so foolish. I will be upgrading my GPU asap and so far I have a r9 280, gtx 770, and a gtx 970 as recommendations, any others?

tsuneo6 · Jan 16, 2015

r9 290 is the best you cang et for under 300 dollars

Yonose · Jan 16, 2015

"I have a r9 280, gtx 770, and a gtx 970 as recommendations, any others?"

Well.. a Titan Z wouldnt be to bad?

hehe no mate, now im just joking with you..
I do really like the GTX 770 tho it went down alot in price after the 900 serie came out.
But im sure someone else have other point of views on it

JKInnovation · Jan 16, 2015

Yonose :

Is the GTX 770 still over $300? Maybe I'm looking at the wrong card. And dang that Titan Z though.. what would that card be necessary for? Haha.

JKInnovation · Jan 16, 2015

tsuneo6 :

Thanks man, definitely considering that one.

Yonose · Jan 16, 2015

GTX 770 is just above 300$

Yonose · Jan 16, 2015

Watch the video i linked above if you still unsure, might help you to choose if you want AMD's or Nvidia's technology.

JKInnovation · Jan 16, 2015

Yonose :

Yeah I'm watching it, I don't think I'll be utilizing Physx playing WoW but Skyrim for sure so I'll probably go with the GTX 770. And I do multi-monitor but only dual and my 2nd monitor is just for irrelevant programs such as web browsers.

vrumor · Jan 16, 2015

The 770 right now is very bad value. The 970 is generally cheaper and the 290 and 290x both beat the 770 and are cheaper in most cases. The 770 is also 2 year old technology.

boju · Jan 16, 2015

Before upgrading to a higher end gpu, check you have the necessary pci-e 6 or 8 pin power connector leads to and from your psu. Your gt520 doesn't require external power, so just checking you're aware.

ie; GTX970, see the rear end, the two 6pin, your upgrade will have similar. Some gpus have a single 6pin, other more powerful might require an 8pin also, so check before you buy.

JKInnovation · Jan 16, 2015

vrumor :

Yeah now I'm leaning towards the 290 after comparing the prices/values.

Did I just downgrade CPUs?

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