Possible cpu upgrade. Might need new motherboard.

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Ghrark

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Ok Tech heads. My PC is currently 5 years old. It is running an Intel Core I5-2400 Sandy Bridge which sits in a Socket 1155 LGA. I want to upgrade my computer to a better CPU. While I like the architecture of the Intel CPU and I really want to upgrade to an I7 core, the best I can get is a 2xxx without upgrading my motherboard. I want to my current case and hardware. I just want to upgrade my motherboard and CPU.

Currently the motherboard is a uATX Joshua which is standard in the HP case it sits in. I want to buy a uATX motherboard and a Core I7 CPU.

What would you recommend for me to look at? I do game and I want to be able to play newer games but I can't due to hardware setbacks. that and my current computer is starting to show it's age. Thanks in advance for any advice.
 
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Rapajez
Ok, if it's a GT 620, you DEFINITELY want to upgrade the GPU first. If it's a GTX 550 Ti, I'd still upgrade to a 1070 (or even 1060, 1050 Ti) before I considered a CPU upgrade.

As far as storage goes, SSDs are expensive because they're orders of magnitude faster than HDDs. If you want to go that route--Keep your 2TB of HDD storage, and add a small (250GB?) SSD where you'll install Windows, your applications, and your newest games.
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Rapajez

Rapajez

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What's your budget and what Video Card do you have now?

Given you have a HP pre-built PC, and you may not get much bang for your buck upgrading the mobo/CPU in there, you may be better suited buying a brand new, low power, compact, NVIDIA GTX 1050 Ti. Again, depends on your current card and budget, but that may be a better move.
 
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Ghrark

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i actually already upgrade the video card (well ok it is a generation older but the card is a better card) and i upgraded the power supply to handle the new card. I don't really have a budget but considering I'm just a step above minimum wage, I don't want to spend more than 400 if I can help it. I know the larger chunk of this is the cpu as I have been looking at things on newegg. But as you requested, my video card is a nvidia geforce 550 TI and I have a coolermaster 600 Watt PSU
 
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Rapajez

Rapajez

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(This advice all assumes you're upgrading for gaming, and you already have a 1080p display).

Honestly, with a 550 Ti, you're talking about a budget-range card that's not one, but FIVE generations behind. Meanwhile, your CPU should get the job done for a couple more years. You'd see a MUCH bigger improvement by slapping a NVIDIA GTX 1070 ($400) in there. Take the saved money and maybe pick up a Solid State Drive, if you don't have one already, for faster everyday use and game loading times. The 1000 series uses less than half the power of the 500 series, so your power, heat should be fine. Just make sure it will fit.

If you REALLY want to upgrade the CPU, you'll need a 110 series motherboard, a new set of DDR4 RAM, and likely a new copy of Windows. Something like the following should get the job done.
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-6500 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($191.89 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: MSI H110M Gaming Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($51.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: Kingston HyperX Fury Black 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2133 Memory ($93.89 @ OutletPC)
Total: $337.76
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-11-14 17:28 EST-0500

If you feel like overclocking, switch in a i5-6600k, a Z170 MicroATX mobo, and an aftermarket cooler like the Noctua NH-D series.
 
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Ghrark

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Thank you! That answers what i was looking for! Just for clarification, the computer came with a geforce gt 620 in it. That's what I meant by 1 generation. I knew that I was 5 generations behind on the graphics cards lol. I appreciate the help with the prices and what to look at. I will consider the i5 cpu upgrade and the motherboard. I have considered a ssd but haven't found one of the size i'm looking for at a decent price (currently I have 2 hdds in my computer, 1 TB each for a total of 2 TBs). Also, I already have a new copy of Windows 10 64 bit
 
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Rapajez

Rapajez

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Ok, if it's a GT 620, you DEFINITELY want to upgrade the GPU first. If it's a GTX 550 Ti, I'd still upgrade to a 1070 (or even 1060, 1050 Ti) before I considered a CPU upgrade.

As far as storage goes, SSDs are expensive because they're orders of magnitude faster than HDDs. If you want to go that route--Keep your 2TB of HDD storage, and add a small (250GB?) SSD where you'll install Windows, your applications, and your newest games.
 
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Ghrark

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Oct 28, 2015
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4,510
Thanks guys. I have decided to keep with my current build and will be buying a 1050 ti (cheapest card I can find that is still going to allow me to play). I am going to buy a new hard drive. Probably go with a mechanical for storage and small ssd for my main drive. Thanks again for the advice. I do have other computers that need work so I'm sure I'll be back with more questions!
 
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