Please rate my new desktop and give me suggestions for upgrading.

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BNWilliams007

BNWilliams007

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Nov 2, 2015
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Hello I was just given an entry level gaming PC desktop as a surprise late Christmas present last night. I haven't booted it up yet though as I've been trying to learn about the PC specs and research good parts to upgrade with later.

My new desktop is an ibuypower FR660 Horus, this page has the PC specs: http://www.frys.com/product/8524889

So as you can see, this is an AMD based computer. Unfortunately I'm not quite as familiar with AMD hardware. As an entry level gaming PC, I wish to use this desktop to play/mod games such as GTA V, Fallout 4 and Skyrim in addition to content creating such as video rendering and making digital art in programs such as photoshop.

My goal in the near future is to upgrade this computer to have specs similar to this build in addition to being able to run the upcoming oculus rift/HTC Vive VR Headset: http://pcpartpicker.com/user/BNWilliams007/saved/7jcnTW

(BTW here are the recommended specs to run the Oculus Rift https://www.oculus.com/en-us/blog/the-rifts-recommended-spec-pc-sdk-0-6-released-and-mobile-vr-jam-voting/ )

And then further down the line, I would like to upgrade again to something similar to this build: http://pcpartpicker.com/user/BNWilliams007/saved/Yg2CmG

I currently have around $500 in spending money so I wanted to ask if anyone could rate my desktop PC in terms of running modern games and video rendering speeds. In addition to suggesting what parts to look out for if I want to upgrade this to a mid-tier Gaming/Workstation PC. Thank you for your time. :)
 
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Martell1977
Yes, motherboards are specific to Intel or AMD CPU's and have specific CPU models and generations that they work with. i.e. An Intel CPU that fits a motherboard socket 1150 will not work in a motherboard that has a socket 1151. On the AMD side you have to check the motherboard models CPU compatibility list for certain model CPU's as they have a few that are very high wattage and not all motherboards with the right socket can handle them. To change from an AMD CPU to an Intel CPU, you have to change the motherboard.

As for nVidia or AMD GPU support...Any motherboard with a PCI-e slot will be able to use either GPU. The only time to worry about compatibility is for Crossfire/SLI. There are still a few motherboards out there that will...
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Martell1977

Martell1977

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Oct 26, 2010
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I suggest starting with a new PSU and GPU:

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/sGBHFT
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/sGBHFT/by_merchant/

Video Card: Asus Radeon R9 390 8GB Video Card ($294.99 @ Micro Center)
Power Supply: EVGA 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($83.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $378.98
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-12-28 13:39 EST-0500
 
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BNWilliams007

BNWilliams007

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Nov 2, 2015
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Thank you, I took a look at the Radeon R9 390 and it looks very similar to the GTX 970 that I've had my eyes on :) However, do you think the MSI R9 390 GAMING 8G would be better than the ASUS STRIX Radeon R9 390 for my Raidmax Horus ATX Mid Tower Case since it's smaller and has more reviews?
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ZGF0UAE/ref=psdc_284822_t1_B011D7AAA8
http://www.amazon.com/Radeon-Overclocked-512-bit-DisplayPort-Graphics/dp/B011D7AAA8/ref=sr_1_3?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1451335431&sr=1-3&keywords=radeon+r9+390

Also, what do you think of my motherboard and CPU? Are they outdated in terms of playing modern games at decent settings? Would the Radeon R9 390 be compatible with them?

Edit: I'm doing a little looking around and I think the AMD FX-8350 8 core would be a good CPU to later upgrade to. Any suggestions for a good motherboard for an R9 390 GPU and an AMD FX-8350 CPU? :)
 
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Martell1977

Martell1977

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Oct 26, 2010
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If you replace the CPU, try to keep to the same wattage, unless you can find more information on the motherboard in the system. The CPU in there is 95w.

You will need to measure the inside of the case to see what will fit for length. I mentioned the ASUS R9 390 because in my experience, ASUS, Sapphire and XFX have had the best quality. Every MSI part I have ever bought has failed early on and had to be RMA'd, so I don't pay those much attention. If you decide to get a GTX 970, I suggest ASUS or EVGA for the same reasons.

For a good motherboard, I would suggest an ASUS or ASRock with the latest AM3+ socket and chipset. Be sure to check the CPU compatibility list before ordering anything.
 
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BNWilliams007

BNWilliams007

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Nov 2, 2015
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Ok I have a few other quick questions. Hypothetically, if I were to switch to Intel/Nvidia, the CPU would have to be by Intel and the GPU would have to be buy Nvidia correct? Also, If I were to later upgrade my FX-6300 AMD CPU to an intel core i5-4690k or an i7-4790k, and upgrade my radeon r7 360 GPU to a GTX 970, would I need to get a new motherboard? Do some motherboards only work with Intel/Nvidia products and others only work with AMD products?

I believe this is my current motherboard: http://www.amazon.com/MSI-Computer-Corp-760GM-P23-FX/dp/B005SEB336/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1451455690&sr=8-1&keywords=MSI+760GM-P23+%28FX%29
 
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Martell1977

Martell1977

Splendid
Oct 26, 2010
3,846
3
24,960
Yes, motherboards are specific to Intel or AMD CPU's and have specific CPU models and generations that they work with. i.e. An Intel CPU that fits a motherboard socket 1150 will not work in a motherboard that has a socket 1151. On the AMD side you have to check the motherboard models CPU compatibility list for certain model CPU's as they have a few that are very high wattage and not all motherboards with the right socket can handle them. To change from an AMD CPU to an Intel CPU, you have to change the motherboard.

As for nVidia or AMD GPU support...Any motherboard with a PCI-e slot will be able to use either GPU. The only time to worry about compatibility is for Crossfire/SLI. There are still a few motherboards out there that will only do Crossfire or SLI. Most will let you do either, but there are a few that wont.

CPU's and GPU's have no affinity for each other, you can combine Intel CPU's with any GPU and there is no benefit or loss to having one over the other. For example, I am running an Intel CPU with an AMD GPU and everything performs as expected. Had I gotten an nVidia GPU, there would have been no change. Intel has pulled some dirty tricks in the past, but GPU affinity wasn't one of them.

Possible CPU/GPU combos:
Intel CPU / AMD GPU
Intel CPU / nVidia GPU
AMD CPU / AMD GPU
AMD CPU / nVidia GPU
There is no performance boost or loss from the pairings.
(Note: Intel does not make GPU's outside of integrated and nVidia does not make CPU's outside of a few ARM chips.)

http://www.msi.com/product/motherboard/support/760GM-P23-FX.html#support-cpu
Looking at the CPU support list, the FX 8310, 8320E and 8370E are the fastest CPU's the board can handle.
 
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