Need some expert advice on upgrades.

Braatzy · Jun 15, 2015

Hello I'm new to the forums. Nice to meet you all. I'm currently looking to upgrade my pc setup.I have the opportunity to get a gtx 980 for about 25% off. The reason I would upgrade is that I feel my system just isn't quick good enough. Here's my setup.

Asus strix 970
Gigabyte 970A mobo (Am3+)
Amd Fx-6300
16gb crucial ram
500w 80+ PSU
Samsung 840 evo
Sandisk 240gb
1tb hdd
Corsair h100i

I feel like maybe my 970 should be good enough for 1080p but its being held back. I have my CPU stable oc at 4.6 ghz.
I've been considering upgrading to an i5 4690k or something a little cheaper that would handle a 980 in the future. So my main question is should I wait on the gpu and get a new mobo and CPU or get the 980 and risk bottleneck. P.s only really play at 1080p. Feel free to suggest products. Thanks.

IAmTheTofu · Jun 15, 2015

The term "bottleneck" is retarded. Really what it all is is just one CPU can perform better with a select GPU than another. Get the 980. Your CPU is decent enough to play games like GTA 5 and all.

Groveling_Wyrm · Jun 15, 2015

The 980 won't restrict your AMD FX-6300. That processor is almost as strong as an I7 2600K. That processor should actually work very well with a 980.

Braatzy · Jun 15, 2015

IAmTheTofu :

Groveling_Wyrm :

rowdymoody · Jun 15, 2015

I don't find the term "bottleneck" retarded. It makes perfect sense and in a way, it is exactly what is happening. It is not as simple as "some CPU's just don't work as well with a certain GPU as others".

To put it simply, imagine your CPU and GPU as 2 people running a 3 legged race. If they aren't both running the same speed, the one running slower ultimately slows down the other.

The CPU has to make calculations and send information to the GPU. If the CPU is not sending information to the GPU as fast as the GPU needs it, stuttering occurs.

It would seem to me that having an amd fx 6300 overclocked to 4.6ghz should be enough for a GTX 970. The GTX 970 is plenty capable of running 1080p ultra settings on pretty much all games.

What kind of performance are you getting, and what games do you play? While most games rely on GPU, some rely quite heavily on your CPU, only reason I ask.

Groveling_Wyrm · Jun 15, 2015

The biggest problem you will encounter is ensuring that your hard drive can keep up with the data thoroughput. The CPU can handle the load of the 980, as long as it has data from the hard drive fast enough. If you have any stuttering, I would look at your hard drive usage first.

Braatzy · Jun 15, 2015

rowdymoody :

I play games like bf4, GTA V, Far Cry 4, The Either 3, CSGO. Etc pretty mainstream.

Bf4 use to run bad till I changed the max core amount. Witcher runs decent but some stutters. Gta 5 is the biggest disappointment. I use recommend setting and my own tweak but the popin and stuttering is out of control. It's on my ssd as well.

rowdymoody · Jun 15, 2015

GTA5, and The Witcher III are hugely dependent on your CPU. You would see a large improvement in the performance of these games by upgrading your CPU. Pretty much any "open world" or "sandbox" type of game will rely on your CPU a lot.

There are plenty of videos on Youtube of people playing GTA5 and other games on high and even ultra settings using a gtx 970.

I definitely feel it is your CPU holding you back.

Braatzy · Jun 15, 2015

rowdymoody :

OK. I had a feeling. I have a budget of about $350. Do you have any mobo and CPU suggestions?

IAmTheTofu · Jun 15, 2015

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($235.99 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($26.98 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z97-HD3 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($71.98 @ Newegg)
Total: $334.95
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-06-15 22:36 EDT-0400

If you'd like to overclock, keep the 212 EVO. If you never, ever want to, then downgrade to a i5 4690, and take off the cooler.

Basically all i5's come with a stock CPU cooler.

Braatzy · Jun 15, 2015

IAmTheTofu :

Thanks! I have an h100i water cooler so I will save 26$ off that price. Thanks everyone for the quick answers!

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