Upgrading: CPU or GPU first?

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Genjiro

Genjiro

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Dec 27, 2013
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Im sorry if i posted at the wrong section but i feel like this one is the most appropriate for my question. Anyway, black friday is right around the corner and im planning to buy or not to buy new components for my PC. Heres what my PC is packing: http://pcpartpicker.com/user/Mizuka/saved/#view=D4tWGX

Currently i can play most games at a stable frame rate with a good high settings.

Anyway, im planning to upgrade because:
A. Its AMD, not to bash amd fans but most game developers tend to optimize video game titles towards intel. You get what you pay for.
B.my motherboard is crap, im planning to upgrade my PSU(if power is more needed), cpu, gpu, and mobo.

My questions now is:
A. Is it worth the upgrade or should i wait till my PC dies.
B. Is 8GB still enough for upcoming AAA titles in the next few years?
C. And IF i ever do upgrade my system, would a new case be necessary?
D. IF i do get a new CPU, would you recommend it to a beginner builder like me?

And finally, my budget is so tight thats why i cant lean on buying all the parts at the same time, my price can probably reach up to $299-350. Depends if its worth. Thank you.
 
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envy14tpe
Buy the Microcenter i5. Usually Microcenter has the best prices on CPUs. Then pair that CPU with a Z97 mobo and you'll be rocking. And don't forget to reuse your CPU cooler and junk the intel one.

Do not waste the money on a i7. In games, the i7 performs the same as the i5. The i7 is better at some tasks but gaming isn't one of them. The only time a i7 is better in gaming is when you have 3 GPUs. Trust me on this one. Get the i5.

As for GPU. I'd rather the 960. The 380 is good but needs more power and runs hot. I owned Nvidia, then AMD, and now Nvidia again. I found even a better 960 for you, that has more VRAM for some games that might want it.

Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 960 4GB Video Card ($179.99 @ Newegg)
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envy14tpe

envy14tpe

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Mar 3, 2012
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A. If you aren't happy with settings and fps then I'd upgrade now. You only have to upgrade CPU/mobo and gpu. Everything else is fine.
B. 8gb RAM is plenty. There is some BS about it not being enough, but don't worry.
C. No, the 200R is very nice just runs hot. Focus on upgrading CPU/mobo and GPU. Also, intel and Nvidia generate less heat than AMD.
D. Sell off the mobo and gx-6300 for whatever you can. If you are worried about future, buy a i5 and a H or Z mobo.

Based on budget. I'd get sell the 270 and buy a 960. They run about $180-200. This is a good one:
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 960 2GB SuperSC ACX 2.0+ Video Card ($189.99 @ Amazon)

If you sell your cpu/mobo and 270 lets say you get $100. Then $350+100-190 = $240
And that price you could get a i5 and mobo, example:
CPU: Intel Core i5-4460 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($174.88 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: ASRock H81 Pro BTC ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($58.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Total: $233.87

Running a i5 and 960 will give you amazing performance at 1080p in all games.
 
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theunliked

theunliked

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Its up to you whether you want to do an upgrade. A new decent pc would cost between $1000 - 1200. 8GBs ram is actually plenty, for just gaming. If you are going to run programs and browsers at the back while gaming, thats a different story. Sure, you'll probably need 16GBs in 5 years, but in 5 years, you'll need a whole new pc.

Your case can be reused for a new system build, unless you want a new look. :p

Building a pc youself is just so easy. You only need to watch a few youtube videos to get set. Really, how many parts are there in a pc?

As for you current build, I'd suggest saving up and waiting for a new build, since you can still run games decently. You could go for an i5-4690k and upgrade gpu in the future.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($209.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($24.89 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: ASRock Z97 PRO4 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($79.99 @ Micro Center)
Total: $314.87
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-11-23 23:33 EST-0500

Get this and upgrade gpu and psu in the near future, but like I said, the best option is to save up and get a new build when your rig doesn't cut it.
 
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Genjiro

Genjiro

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I'm currently using a Hyper 212 Evo to cool my AMD FX-6300 right now, can i just reuse it and use it again if i get a new cpu?
 
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Genjiro

Genjiro

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Thank you for spending your time in picking the parts, really appreciate it, people are saying the i7 gives you a significant boost than the i5, while the others are saying it'll give you a difference only if you're into rendering, and all that stuff, and people are saying that the even the R9 280 and outrun the 960, what do you think?
 
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theunliked

theunliked

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Yes. Reusing the fan is perfectly fine. Just make sure you repaste the thermal paste.
 
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Genjiro

Genjiro

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Thank you, one more thing, i'm looking at newegg and micro center's same i5 model of the product you linked above. in Micro center, its a "Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz LGA 1150 Boxed Processor" which is about $189.99 While in newegg, its "Intel Core i5-4690K Devil's Canyon Quad-Core 3.5 GHz LGA 1150", its $209, whats the difference?

Here's the link for the cpu in micro center:

http://www.microcenter.com/product/434177/Core_i5-4690K_35GHz_LGA_1150_Boxed_Processor
 
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theunliked

theunliked

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They are the same cpu and both include heat-sink and fan, so the one from microcentre is a better deal. Boxed (retail) processors are cpus that come in a box and include instructions as well as heat-sink + fan. Boxed processors generally have a longer warranty .
 
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envy14tpe

envy14tpe

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Mar 3, 2012
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Buy the Microcenter i5. Usually Microcenter has the best prices on CPUs. Then pair that CPU with a Z97 mobo and you'll be rocking. And don't forget to reuse your CPU cooler and junk the intel one.

Do not waste the money on a i7. In games, the i7 performs the same as the i5. The i7 is better at some tasks but gaming isn't one of them. The only time a i7 is better in gaming is when you have 3 GPUs. Trust me on this one. Get the i5.

As for GPU. I'd rather the 960. The 380 is good but needs more power and runs hot. I owned Nvidia, then AMD, and now Nvidia again. I found even a better 960 for you, that has more VRAM for some games that might want it.

Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 960 4GB Video Card ($179.99 @ Newegg)
 
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