Looking for GPU upgrade i3 cpu

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rheiss591

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Jun 24, 2012
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Hello everyone,

I need some advice on a good gpu upgrade for my custom built pc. I built it 2-3 years ago and wanted to update it to run newer games more efficiently. I have a

gigabyte ga-z77x-d3h mobo
I3 2100 3.10 ghz cpu
8 gb ddr3 RAM
800 watt power supply
Geforce 510 gpu

As you can see its a little outdated haha. I was looking to slowly upgrade it. I am a little behind the times with info on current GPUs and CPUs and what new games are demanding now. (have been doing more console gaming at the moment). I would like to keep my mobo but idk how outdated it is. Wanted to see if a nice graphics card would significantly increase gaming performance or is my cpu going to bottleneck with an upgraded graphics card?

I was thinking about getting the i7 3770k after upgrading the gpu when funds are available. Is this still a decent cpu or am I better off rebuilding the whole computer? I appreciate any help thank you!

Oh almost forgot I game at 1080p usually and am currently running win 10. Thanks again everyone.
 
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maxalge

maxalge

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May 31, 2012
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your motherboard is damn good still



Core i5-3570K + custom cpu cooler for overclocking would be the best choice for gaming

afterwards sky is the limit on gpu's, as long as your power supply is half-way decent

you could easily run a gtx 980 ti if you wanted
 
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aeko97

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Nov 30, 2015
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Hey there! You have an "old" (not so old but in the computer world, it is old as everything goes by pretty quick) rig, alright? If you are looking forward to upgrade, I'd recommend you upgrade to newish stuff (e.g.: skylake CPU, 900 series GPU from Nvidia etc). Problem is, whenever you'd replace that CPU, you'd also have to replace the motherboard, right? For the GPU, that would be the greatest upgrade, I'd recommend something from 950 or 960 GTX... You won't need anything more if you are looking for gaming (depends on the games you are running as well) but for example: a new skylake structure Intel i3 CPU paired up with a simple 2GB GDDR5 950 GTX will run about anything you throw at it if the game is not overdemanding. That would be an healthy growth for your rig. Also, Intel CPUs don't go for large numbers when it comes down to TDP. Same happens with the nvidia cards. Your PSU would be fine I think, just make sure it has the necessary connectors for the GPU and you are fine!
 
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rheiss591

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Jun 24, 2012
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Thanks for the response! So you believe my machine would run the gtx 980 ti as it is or after upgrading my cpu? You would also personally choose the i5 3570k over the i7 3770k? I know some games require a good cpu more so than gpu and vise versa. I really enjoy open world rpgs(Skyrim, Fallout) and mmorpgs (WOW, Tera) are these games going to depend more on my cpu or gpu? Which would you personally upgrade first?
 
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BadActor

BadActor

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Oct 31, 2015
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Your current setup would be good up to a GTX 750 Ti or GTX 950 without issue. The video card is what's hurting you the most right now. Beyond that, adding a 3570/3770 would let you run a GTX 970/R9 390. If you're OK with the bump you would get from 750/950, you could start looking at a new build a year or so from now.
 
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aeko97

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Focus on your GPU at the moment. It's what requires the upgrade most urgently. If you get a Nvidia GTX 980 ti, it will bottleneck your CPU. Instead, get a 950 or even a 960 if you can afford it. Then, upgrade your CPU. You have good ideas about it but I keep my opinion, you should invest some more on a new motherboard and go for Skylake CPUs. They are extremely fast and reliable, outbeating any old Intel CPU out there!

Here's an idea:

...upgrading:

CPU to: Intel i7-6700 or i5-6600
GPU to: Asus GeForce GTX 960 4GB GDDR5 (STRIX DirectCU II version)
If you upgrade the CPU to any of those, I'd recommend you getting this motherboard:
--> Asus Z170-A ATX-form LGA 1151
 
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rheiss591

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Jun 24, 2012
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[/quotemsg]

Hey there! You have an "old" (not so old but in the computer world, it is old as everything goes by pretty quick) rig, alright? If you are looking forward to upgrade, I'd recommend you upgrade to newish stuff (e.g.: skylake CPU, 900 series GPU from Nvidia etc). Problem is, whenever you'd replace that CPU, you'd also have to replace the motherboard, right? For the GPU, that would be the greatest upgrade, I'd recommend something from 950 or 960 GTX... You won't need anything more if you are looking for gaming (depends on the games you are running as well) but for example: a new skylake structure Intel i3 CPU paired up with a simple 2GB GDDR5 950 GTX will run about anything you throw at it if the game is not overdemanding. That would be an healthy growth for your rig. Also, Intel CPUs don't go for large numbers when it comes down to TDP. Same happens with the nvidia cards. Your PSU would be fine I think, just make sure it has the necessary connectors for the GPU and you are fine![/quotemsg]

Thank you for the response! I typically enjoy open world rpgs like Skyrim and Fallout 4. I also like to play MMORPGs like WOW, guild wars and Tera. If I upgrade the GPU to 950 GTX for example what graphical setting do you think I could run these types of games while achieving 60 fps?
 
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aeko97

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Nov 30, 2015
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Hey there! You have an "old" (not so old but in the computer world, it is old as everything goes by pretty quick) rig, alright? If you are looking forward to upgrade, I'd recommend you upgrade to newish stuff (e.g.: skylake CPU, 900 series GPU from Nvidia etc). Problem is, whenever you'd replace that CPU, you'd also have to replace the motherboard, right? For the GPU, that would be the greatest upgrade, I'd recommend something from 950 or 960 GTX... You won't need anything more if you are looking for gaming (depends on the games you are running as well) but for example: a new skylake structure Intel i3 CPU paired up with a simple 2GB GDDR5 950 GTX will run about anything you throw at it if the game is not overdemanding. That would be an healthy growth for your rig. Also, Intel CPUs don't go for large numbers when it comes down to TDP. Same happens with the nvidia cards. Your PSU would be fine I think, just make sure it has the necessary connectors for the GPU and you are fine![/quotemsg]

Thank you for the response! I typically enjoy open world rpgs like Skyrim and Fallout 4. I also like to play MMORPGs like WOW, guild wars and Tera. If I upgrade the GPU to 950 GTX for example what graphical setting do you think I could run these types of games while achieving 60 fps?[/quotemsg]

It depends really, a computer has to be in balance in order to perform well, if one of your parts is much better than the rest, it will outperform your whole rig and just because you have a good GPU, doesn't mean you can run the games smoothly. I think if you buy a MSI GTX 950 2G 2GB GDDR5 you'll do just fine with your CPU, although I'd rather get the Asus STRIX 4GB GDDR5 and then upgrade the cpu + motherboard.

Note: that would be a rather expensive upgrade!
 
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maxalge

maxalge

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yes, the i7 offers you nothing over the i5 for gaming

those are all cpu bound games, online games only use 1 - 2 cores

a gtx 960 is a great price/performance option for you


you should upgrade the gpu first, as that is the weakest link



 
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aeko97

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You realize that Direct X 12 games use all the cores there are to be used right? So the more, the better. That's when the CPU plays a major role in gaming alongside with the GPU.
 
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maxalge

maxalge

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HT really doesnt do much for gaming









 
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aeko97

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The CPU I suggested from i7 would not only have hyperthreading but also turbo boost up do 4 GHz, which is just perfect.
So you'd have 4 cores, 8 threads at the base clock of 3.4 GHz up to 4 GHz with a 65W TDP? That is about the sickest thing you can get for yourself in my humble opinion.
 
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maxalge

maxalge

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costs $100 more and offers nothing over an overclocked i5

also dx12 would only help cpu performance if you were cpu bound, overclocked i5 hint, hint

 
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