Upgrade Advice for 2.5 year old Mid-Range PC

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greenthreads

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May 11, 2015
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I built a $1200 or so rig in late 2012, and after neglecting it for the past year or so, I'm considering upgrading it. I haven't paid a whole lot of attention to recent hardware releases, so I'm not really sure how far things have advanced since I built my current PC, and whether an upgrade would even be necessary.

What I have:
--Processor: Intel i5-3570K @ 3.40 GHz
--GPU: GeForce 660 Ti
--Memory: 8 GB DDR3
--Motherboard: ASUS P8Z77-V
--PSU: 750W

What I'm Looking For
--I'm pretty much looking for a mid-range gaming PC that can play games at generally "high" settings. It would be a console-equivalent experience, or a maybe a little better.
--I'm thinking that my processor and GPU are most in need of upgrading, and that some additional RAM might help. I don't need a case, hard drive, or other peripheral parts. I'm willing to spend ~$500.
--I definitely think it's possible that my current setup will be good enough to get me through another year or two as is. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
 
Solution
Grimwinder
Yeah the only real difference in the major brands will be slight differences in the cooler/fan setups and the clocking. So, get one of any of the brands timeconsumer lists, that has the best price and warranty, and you should be good to go.

Edit: I'm using 2x HD 7950s (now called R9 280s) in Crossfire until the new 300 series cards are out and the market settles a bit. At that point I will likely go sli 970s or get a new 300 series depending on the price/performance. But I have a 4k monitor so I need the extra juice.
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timeconsumer

timeconsumer

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Nov 28, 2011
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I would just put a GTX 970 in there for $300 and call it a day. Your motherboard, ram, and processor are all still very viable for gaming. You could also buy a CPU cooler and overclock the processor.

What games are you trying to improve? What resolution are you playing at?
 
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Grimwinder

Grimwinder

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Jul 2, 2014
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Agreed, as well. I have the same CPU, and I can't justify upgrading it yet, as it still does such a solid job, and any current upgrade would be fairly marginal for the price. I'd put your money into the GPU and wait another year or two until the new CPU series are out and reasonably priced.
 
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greenthreads

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May 11, 2015
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Great, this is what I was hoping to hear! I'm looking to play Witcher, Arkham Knight, and GTA V mainly, though really I'm just looking for something that will allow me to play AAA releases at respectable settings and a respectable FPS. I currently play at 1920x1080, but I honestly haven't pushed this rig that hard.

Any recommendations on 970 models, or does it not much matter?
 
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greenthreads

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May 11, 2015
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Nice, that's good to hear. Can I ask what GPU you're using now, and what you think of it?
 
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timeconsumer

timeconsumer

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Nov 28, 2011
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I'd say your i5 and GTX 970 would be a great combo for those games.

As far as which model, there's a ton of great options. You can never go wrong with Gigabyte, Asus, EVGA, or MSI in my opinion. I tend to just pick the cheapest one that has a couple of big fans on it. I don't worry about factory OC models, I can do that myself.
 
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Grimwinder

Grimwinder

Reputable
Jul 2, 2014
1,019
0
5,660
Yeah the only real difference in the major brands will be slight differences in the cooler/fan setups and the clocking. So, get one of any of the brands timeconsumer lists, that has the best price and warranty, and you should be good to go.

Edit: I'm using 2x HD 7950s (now called R9 280s) in Crossfire until the new 300 series cards are out and the market settles a bit. At that point I will likely go sli 970s or get a new 300 series depending on the price/performance. But I have a 4k monitor so I need the extra juice.
 
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Solution
G

greenthreads

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May 11, 2015
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4,510


Awesome, I'll go with one of those 970s. Thanks all!
 
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