Need help upgrading (possibly everything). Looking into RX480's but am unsure if it's worth it.

FatherMC · Jul 10, 2016

I'm looking to upgrade my computer to handle some of the newer games for the next few years and I'm wondering what the best approach would be at this point on a budget.
My build seemed really good when I got it but I did it through an online site that just let me slap stuff into a case and they'd ship it to me done. Now I really want to start updating things myself and getting more hands on and knowledgeable about it while I do upgrades in the future.

My current build is:
CPU: Intel i7 960 3.2Ghz
Video: AMD Radeon 6800 series x2 (thought crossfire seemed neat at the time)
Memory: 24gb DDR3

That's all the things I know off-hand, if there's more info that would be helpful I can find out.

I don't really want to do a ground up rebuild but right now I'm not even sure if grabbing a 144hz monitor is worth it with my current build or if dropping the RX480 in it would be a vast improvement (or even a worthwhile investment). Those are the types of things I could use help understanding since there seems like a lot of different things I could change or upgrade but I'm not even sure where to start. Also I do know that a 144hz monitor won't improve things like performance, but I am interested in buying one, with our without upgrading my card.

coozie7 · Jul 10, 2016

First off, the current i7 isn't too bad as a gaming CPU and you have plenty of memory!
BUT, bear in mind, the current system is showing its age, so you might want to consider this as its 'final hurrah' and aim at a full, new setup later next year.

In the meantime, I'd stick with a 60Hz monitor until you do the big upgrade/rebuild, prices for 144Hz displays are coming down while performance and quality is going up, and the current system will struggle with some of the CPU intensive games out there, even at 1080/60Hz.

Swapping the CF HD68xx cards will yield a significant overall improvement but I'd hold off on the RX480 for now, the reference 'blower' cooler isn't particularly good and better cooled cards are not yet available.
As an alternative you could look for a GTX970, there is plenty still available but check prices carefully!

While it will not help gaming adding even a small SSD for boot/most used apps will speed things up considerably, and you might want to consider a larger, more modern mechanical HDD just be VERY aware it can take some time to rebuild the system.

As a side note, better case fans can also make the system more civilised, if it's saddled with loud fans swapping them over can make a significant difference.

The reviving pun · Jul 23, 2016

I'd suggest you get a newer cpu. Along with that if you want something like the rx 480 you can get the gtx 1060 for slightly more which has significantly more performance. Although I'd suggest something like the 1070 or 1080 if it's in your budget. Furthermore, theres no point getting a 144hz monitor unless you have a high end graphics card and cpu. Think of it this way, if a huge water hose gets a trickle of water supply, it's extra power won't be very handy compared to when a smaller hose is used with the same meager water supply. In this case, the hose is the 144hz monitor while your setup is the comparatively weak water supply. I'd suggest upgrading to a high end graphics card and cpu before getting the monitor. Hope I helped

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Need help upgrading (possibly everything). Looking into RX480's but am unsure if it's worth it.

FatherMC

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coozie7

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The reviving pun

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