Upgrade Options and Recommendations for a PC with a lot of Potential

McGirk242 · Apr 20, 2015

Hey there,

I found a really great steal on a computer and I took the jump on it. $300 is what I paid to score this.

Black Zalman Z9 Plus Midtower Case
Gigabyte GA-970A-D3 AM3+ Motherboard
AMD FX-8120 3.2GHz CPU (Stock Air Cooler)
AMD Radeon HD 6450
8GB DDR3 1600MHz RAM
Corsair CX430 Watt PSU
1TB SATA III 7200RPM HDD
(Also comes with three case fans and has a neon blue cathode light too)
Windows 7: Home Premium 64 Bit
Microsoft Office 2007

Now is the interesting part! This machine blows for gaming, the purpose of the PC, and the hardware I think needs a major upgrade because the FX-8120 and the Motherboard are dead ends in the upgrade path.

What upgrades do you guys suggest? Ideally I'd like to upgrade everything for less than $300 at this time, not the entire PC of course but the main components such as: CPU, GPU, Mobo, and PSU. I'd also like to look into a liquid cooling solution as well. But the components I'd really like to change for first are the PSU, GPU, and perhaps the Mobo. I don't think the CPU performance is that bad and later on I can upgrade that to an FX-8350 or an Intel solution if I want to. But my priorities for upgrade are GPU, PSU, Liquid Cooling, Mobo, and CPU in that order.

I'm open to all suggestions and ideas!

Thanks!

mrmez · Apr 20, 2015

The best you can do for $300 is a $90 PSU and a GTA 960 for $210.

Mobo, psu, cpu, gpu (and probably ram) for $300 is impossible.

McGirk242 · Apr 20, 2015

mrmez :

I was thinking more of an R9 270 or R9 270X for around $140-$160 and $50-$60 PSU. That'd leave $90 left behind and for that I was thinking maybe a Cooler Master Seidon 120V for $50. Or is that stretching it a bit or am I lacking in certain areas?

Iamsoda · Apr 20, 2015

McGirk242 :

Wam! Bam! Thank you mam!

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/RzQyqs

If you really want a cpu/motherboard upgrade here you go (your ram is perfectly fine), however a gpu upgrade would yield the largest improvement. Since your current PSU sucks something big, I would go with a gtx 960 for low power usage. If you get a better PSU get an AMD r9 280x.

DSzymborski · Apr 20, 2015

McGirk242 :

If you're trying to turn it into a solid gaming rig, liquid cooling shouldn't be on your priority list. The idea to get a better PSU and drop in a 960 or a 280x is the best use of $300.

McGirk242 · Apr 20, 2015

Iamsoda :

How much stronger really are Intel CPUs over AMDs? I know that Intel blows them away when it comes to sheer efficiency and power, but AMD has the on paper sheer strength and power. Do you think the current CPU will be limiting into what I can do? According to tests, it's just a little better than an FX-6300.

I do plan on later upgrading the Motherboard and CPU, but since I'm going to be moving abroad and things like these are more expensive, I kind of have to get my act in order to make sure I make the best purchases. I also have no experience whatsoever in building or upgrading PCs, so do you think it might be hard for a first timer?

Thanks!

McGirk242 · Apr 20, 2015

DSzymborski :

I only add liquid cooling because temperatures can be a huge problem where I live which is in the tropics. I won't be living too long in this climate, but I was thinking that liquid cooling would give me a little bit of leeway in preserving the CPU to eek out a bit more speed and power from it as well.

I'm also anxious about CPU performance because I know that model and mobo don't support Vishera AMD CPUs so I'm a little worried that I might be stuck with a dinosaur for a CPU.

But what PSU would you recommend for me?

Thanks!

DSzymborski · Apr 20, 2015

McGirk242 :

AMD doesn't really have any edge on paper at this point. It's sad for a company that made the Athlon 64s and the really cool Phenom II chips, but I can't make recommendations based on nostalgia.

While if you were building new, I would not recommend an 8120, but given that you *already have* the 8120, that changes the cost/benefit analysis quite a bit. Given that you're on a budget, money used for a Haswell and a new motherboard wouldn't be used on a GPU and PSU. I'd always chose a 4690k over an 8120 all else being equal, but that's not really your situation. Given the choice between a 4690k with an HD 6450 and a CX430 vs. a 8120 with an R9 280x and a solid XFX PSU? If that's the choice -- and that's the one you face -- I'll take the 8120.

DSzymborski · Apr 20, 2015

McGirk242 :

DSzymborski :

I only add liquid cooling because temperatures can be a huge problem where I live which is in the tropics. I won't be living too long in this climate, but I was thinking that liquid cooling would give me a little bit of leeway in preserving the CPU to eek out a bit more speed and power from it as well.

I'm also anxious about CPU performance because I know that model and mobo don't support Vishera AMD CPUs so I'm a little worried that I might be stuck with a dinosaur for a CPU.

But what PSU would you recommend for me?

Thanks!

Overclocking is helpful, but it's not amazing - the benefit you'd get from the overclock would likely be dwarfed by moving up a tier or two in GPUs. Hell, I overclock myself, but it's not something you actually want to trade GPU tiers for.

DSzymborski · Apr 20, 2015

McGirk242 :

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Power Supply: EVGA 750W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($59.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $59.99
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-04-20 01:32 EDT-0400

Note that's the B2 EVGA, not the B1. Big difference in maker. This price is a temporary rebate however. So if you're not buying right away.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Power Supply: Antec High Current Gamer 520W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($73.99 @ Directron)
Total: $73.99
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-04-20 01:33 EDT-0400

You can also go a little less expensive if you want with an XFX power supply. They're excellent, Seasonic-made PSUs, but in this case, since you're dealing with a premade, given that those can sometimes be a little awkwardly put together, I think a semi-modular power supply would save you some headaches.

McGirk242 · Apr 20, 2015

DSzymborski :

So that's a negatory towards liquid cooling? How well does the stock AMD cooler do then? I'm not likely going to overclock, and the case is extremely well aired out with three 120mm fans the owner had previous installed, I just thought some liquid cooling would be helpful to have on the side.

But you guys seem to be saying the same thing: upgrade the PSU and get the graphics card. I don't really play any graphically intensive games as I play lots of Strategy Games, but I like to have a very powerful, future proof system.

If I just went with an R9 270X and amped up the PSU, do you think Liquid Cooling would be worth it then?

McGirk242 · Apr 20, 2015

DSzymborski :

Thanks, I'll probably may end up just buying a GTX 960 because I can't find a 280X under $200 and put the rest towards the PSU and Liquid Cooling setup.

However, I may be able to extend my budget and I'll probably put that towards a new Processor if the Mobo is compatible.

Thanks again!

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Upgrade Options and Recommendations for a PC with a lot of Potential

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