Which component should I upgrade?

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TarekElsakka

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Hello there

I recently acquired this PC from a friend of mine because he no longer uses it, however it was a great PC one day in the past!

I have been able to play almost every game out there on it except for the latest games like The Witcher 3 which are resources-intensive, so I came here looking for advice on what I should upgrade.

I already have a PS4 so I am not looking to spend a lot money, but just enough to play the latest games efficiently and with a good FPS rate. I've used websites like "canyourunit" and the suggestions are ALWAYS to upgrade the graphics card, and only a couple of games suggest upgrading the CPU (which I am not looking to do):

Here are my PC's specifications:

Code: 
Processor	AMD Phenom(tm) II X6 1100T Processor
Manufacturer	AMD
Speed	3.3 GHz
Number of Cores	6
CPU ID	178BFBFF00100FA0
Family	10
Model	0A
Stepping	0
Revision	
Video Card	NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 Ti
Manufacturer	NVIDIA
Chipset	GeForce GTX 560 Ti
Dedicated Memory	1536 MB
Total Memory	4.0 GB
Pixel Shader Version	5.0
Vertex Shader Version	5.0
Hardware T & L	Yes
Vendor ID	10DE
Device ID	1200
Plug and Play ID	VEN_10DE&DEV_1200&SUBSYS_23821462&REV_A1
Driver Version	10.18.13.5330
Memory	8.2 GB
Operating System	Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate Edition Service Pack 1 (build 7601), 64-bit
Service Pack	1
Size	64 Bit
Edition	Ultimate
Version	6.1.7601
Locale	0409
BIOS	BIOS Date: 06/08/11 13:51:14 Ver: 04.06.04
Version	American Megatrends Inc. V19.0
Manufacturer	American Megatrends Inc.
Date	06/08/11
Display Maximum Resolution	1920 x 1080

What do you guys think? I was thinking that I should only upgrade the graphics card to a higher one, perhaps to a 7-series model like the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 750 Ti GPU.

Code: 
Powered by NVIDIA GeForce GTX 750 Ti GPU
Integrated with the first 2048MB GDDR5 memory and 128-bit memory interface
OC Edition - Core Clock: Base 1033MHz / Boost 1111MHz (Standard- Base:1020MHz Boost:1085MHz)
Features Dual-link DVI-I / DVI-D / HDMI*2
Support PCI Express 3.0 x16 bus interface
System power supply requirement: 400W

Do you think that will make a big difference in terms of playing the latest games? I tried playing The Witcher 3 on a low resolution but it was still sluggish and laggy and the character response time was bad.

Thanks for your time and patience, I appreciate it.
 
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Petar Raickovic

Petar Raickovic

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Well 750ti is good gpu for the price.. u can get 30 fps medium low on witcher 3 1080p gaming... Dunno how much u want to spend. Think on buying 4 gb more ram. And Gpu. Well for gpu dunno budget but u can get some used cards? maybe r9 270x 280x 290x... Or nvidia 600-700 series and i dont know your power supply...
 
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clutchc

clutchc

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Well, the gfx card IS the first item to upgrade if you are going to keep the machine. Not knowing which motherboard you have, you may already be at the top of the food chain when it comes to CPUs for that socket. The GTX 750 Ti will be a small but noticeable performance increase over the aging GTX 560 Ti. But the 1100T can handle faster cards than that, especially if you can OC it.
 
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TarekElsakka

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I have tried OCing my current graphics card but I was only able to get the core clock up from 880mhz to 920mhz, anything more than that results in a black screen while running the Heaven 4.0 benchmark test, even with a higher voltage! Does anyone know why?

As for clutchc, I have no idea on how to overclock a CPU, to be quite honest, and I'm not interested in doing something I do not understand. I'd like to keep the CPU as safe as possible because I am not looking to replace it, whereas the graphics card is kind of disposable for me.

The GTX 750 Ti is a bit cheap here in Egypt, about 150 USD used in mint condition, but I am going to check what other cards are available in that price range and post here.

Thanks again guys!
 
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TarekElsakka

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I am sorry for reviving such an old thread, but I totally forgot about the whole thing until today. I'm really interested in running some of the newer games like Battlefield 1 and such.

Since it was asked on top, the motherboard I have is MSI 990FXA-GD65 (MS-7640).

Those are some of the choices I have when it comes to GPUs:

Amd R9 270 /2 GB Gddr5

GIGABYTE Geforce GTX 960 Windforce 2X 2GB

Gigabyte GeForce GTX 760 OC 2GB GDDR5 Windforce 3X rev 2.0

I am not sure which one is the best and which one is actually compatible (not just semi-compatible with a decrease in performance) with my build?

This is my build just for reference:

Operating System
Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit SP1
CPU
AMD Phenom II X6 1100T 62 °C
Thuban 45nm Technology
RAM
8.00GB Dual-Channel DDR3 @ 666MHz (9-9-9-24)
Motherboard
MSI 990FXA-GD65 (MS-7640) (CPU 1) 73 °C
Graphics
42'TV (1920x1080@60Hz)
1023MB NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 Ti (MSI) 55 °C
Storage
931GB Western Digital WDC WD1002FAEX-00Z3A0 ATA Device (SATA) 43 °C
Optical Drives
ELBY CLONEDRIVE SCSI CdRom Device
ELBY CLONEDRIVE SCSI CdRom Device
TSSTcorp CDDVDW SH-S223C ATA Device
ELBY CLONEDRIVE SCSI CdRom Device
Audio
Realtek High Definition Audio
 
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clutchc

clutchc

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GTX 960 > GTX 760 ≡ R9-270
The GTX 960 is noticeably faster than the others and requires a quality 450W PSU or better.
That is your gfx card choice limitation, those 3 older cards? Because 2GB VRAM is a bit limiting for modern games at 1080p, unless you like using higher settings like textures.
 
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TarekElsakka

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Thank you for your reply. I was checking the used market and those options came up with decent prices. What else, in that price range, would you recommend?
 
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clutchc

clutchc

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Not knowing your budget (in US dollars), it would be hard for me to say. But if you have availability to new cards, the GTX 1060 would be a great choice with that aging hexacore CPU. The 3GB version starts around $230 here in the US.

The 1050 Ti 4GB starts around $150 here. It would be about the equivalent of the GTX 960 but with twice the VRAM. Btw... what is the make/model of your 400W PSU. They aren't all created the same.
 
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TarekElsakka

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My budget is around $140 - $160 USD, which is equivalent to approximately 3000 in my currency. I found these two 1050 Ti graphics card, which seemingly look different or are perhaps made by different companies? I really don't get it:

https://apollo-ireland.akamaized.net/v1/files/rxhukphu6tjy2-EG/image;s=644x461;olx-st/_1_.jpg

https://apollo-ireland.akamaized.net/v1/files/3nrnhnvslk9f1-EG/image;s=644x461;olx-st/_1_.jpg

It's weird because they have the same model number but the boxes are different and there's a 1000 EGP ($60 USD) difference between them, and both are brand new but not sealed. The one which has the words: "oc galax" is the cheaper one.

As for the power supply, I have absolutely no idea what model/type it is if I am honest with you. I have been planning of opening the case up and giving it a nice cleaning because it hasn't been cleaned in about two years if I am not mistaken, and when I do so I'll make sure to post the power supply type here.

If it's outdated/bad, what would be a good, cheap choice?
 
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clutchc

clutchc

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It's hard to tell which cards are actually inside those boxes, and I can't see any model numbers on the boxes. They are both an OC version of the card. One or both may or may not require a 6-pin connection (some OC models do). And of course, I have no way of knowing the sellers' reputations.

Having said all that, I have had cards from both Gigabyte and Galax (previously Galaxy). Both were good cards with no issues. While I prefer the Gigabyte, I don't prefer it enough to pay $60 extra for it. I suspect the performance difference between the two cards will be insignificant. The Gigabyte has RBG lighting, so I suspect that may play a role in its price increase over the Galax. Here's a comparison between the GTX 1050 Ti and the GTX 560 Ti you have now.

The PSU is only important if it ends up being a cheap over-rated unit that can't meet its specs or would damage the electronics. But if it had been running a GTX 560 Ti, it should easily handle the GTX 1050 Ti. I wouldn't worry about the PSU replacement unless you go for a higher wattage card in the future.

Btw, what resolution is the monitor you will be using?
 
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TarekElsakka

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I am honestly unsure about the PSU but I will update you once I know its type and power. My PC is connected to my 42" LED TV, and the resolution I usually use is 1080p (1920x1080) if I am not mistaken.
 
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clutchc

clutchc

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At 1080p, the GTx 1050 Ti can run most games at med-hi settings comfortably. Less demanding games will run at max settings. I have a couple 1050 ti's. One low-profile in an aging Dell Optiplex 790 SFF with a i5-2400. Turns it into a pretty decent low cost gamer.

If you go for the GTX 1050 Ti, don't worry about the PSU. If it handled the 170W GTX 560 Ti, it will easily handle the 75W GTX 1050 Ti. See Here

I'd really like to see you get a GTX 1060 3GB, but if it is out of budget, then it is a no-go.

Btw, what did you mean "the resolution I usually use is 1080p"? Isn't that the native rez?
 
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