$900 gpu+cpu upgrade

Toggle sidebar Toggle sidebar
S

schmurfy

Honorable
Dec 25, 2017
10
1
10,515
Hello,
I want to upgrade my current machine but I am not sure where to go, as years pass the choice is becoming ridiculous...
My ideal budget is around 900 $

Here is my current config:
- Z77A-G45 Motherboard
- i5-3570K CPU
- G.Skill RipJaws X Series 16 Go (2 x 8 Go) DDR3L 1600 MHz CL9
- G.Skill (2x 4Go) (same timings as above I think but I need to check)
- Geforce GTX 960 4G
- Samsung SSD 840 Pro 256Go
-

The graphic card is already going out as I am using it to fix someone else machine, after looking around at my options I was thinking about changing the CPU along with buying a new gfx card, any advice would be much appreciated.
I am currently considering a Geforce GTX 1060 with an i7-7820X.

I have also some questions I can't quite find the answer to: how much graphic memory is enough noawadays ? I know with my current 4G card windows sometimes wine about too much memory used and prompt me to reduce the graphic settings of my desktop (remove aero), I also saw GTX 1060 card with to 6G but is it needed ?

I saw AMD managed to pull out of the sand and release competitive gpu chipset again but what about their drivers ? They are the main reason I switched to geforce decades ago.

This machine is primarly a gaming pc, ideally I will place the order for the upgrades on the next days
 
Solution
coozie7
A lot depends on how patient you are and if you're happy with a used CPU for upgrading.
Suggestions:

Cheapest option would be to add a 6Gb GTX 1060 and you're done, only demanding games won't run at nearly full settings at, or around 60FPS with this sort of hardware and you'll save a big pile of Wonga.

As above, but add a used i7 3770K, then overclock it-Gumtree and Ebay are good starting points for the hunt. Check the motherboard BIOS though, you may need to update it before the upgraded CPU will work.
Either of the above will boost the system significantly, and for a 'limited' outlay, if you're happy with the current display you really don't need to go much further.

The i5 8400 isn't the fastest CPU out there but it's still quick...
Sort by date Sort by votes
W

westeind

Prominent
Jul 16, 2017
67
0
640

with that mobo you are realy not gonna get a huge upgrade cuz you should buy something like a ryzen 7 or 5 and than buy some am4 mobo and ddr4 ram and a 1060 or a 1070



 
Upvote 0 Downvote
B

Bob125484

Honorable
Jun 13, 2015
712
17
11,365
i7 7820X use 2066 socket mobo and DDR4 memory. The CPU alone cost $600 without mobo and DDR4 memory. You may just need Intel 8th gen CPU + Z370 mobo + DDR4 memory, this combo may already cost more than $700 if you get i7 8700K (6c/12t)
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
coozie7

coozie7

Champion
Jun 2, 2007
10,015
10
59,215
There's no really viable upgrade option for that MB/RAM/CPU other than a used i7 3xxxK, no existing CPU will fit the motherboard and no existing MB will use DDR3 memory.
Best option: Sell the current CPU/MB/RAM as a going core and rebuild.
And yes, the 6Gb GTX1060 is probably a better choice for long term ownership so...
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel - Core i5-8600K 3.6GHz 6-Core Processor ($276.87 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: CRYORIG - H7 49.0 CFM CPU Cooler ($29.89 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: Gigabyte - Z370P D3 ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($107.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: GeIL - SUPER LUCE RGB SYNC 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3000 Memory ($174.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Gigabyte - GeForce GTX 1060 6GB 6GB G1 Gaming Video Card ($314.98 @ Newegg)
Total: $904.71
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-12-25 13:55 EST-0500

Or, if you really want to push the gaming frame rate AND settings there's little to beat a full on GTX 1070Ti...

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel - Core i5-8400 2.8GHz 6-Core Processor ($199.89 @ B&H)
Motherboard: Gigabyte - Z370P D3 ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($107.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: GeIL - SUPER LUCE RGB SYNC 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3000 Memory ($174.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: MSI - GeForce GTX 1070 Ti 8GB Titanium Video Card ($459.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $942.85
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-12-25 13:59 EST-0500

BTW, what power supply is installed? It may be getting past its prime and due for a replacement as well.
Final note: We really need to know the monitor rez, refresh rate and how much eye candy you want in your games without that information we can't really balance the suggested builds.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
S

schmurfy

Honorable
Dec 25, 2017
10
1
10,515
Thanks for your replies and thanks for the details coozie7, I thought the MB could be kept but selling it is another option, I currently have an antec 520W power supply and my main monitor is a benq GW2455 (1920 x 1080 @ 60Hz) which works pretty well but is only a 1080p display ^^
The question is more how much eye candy I can get with my budget than what I really want, I would say running current games at full or near full options at this resolution would be nice.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
coozie7

coozie7

Champion
Jun 2, 2007
10,015
10
59,215
A lot depends on how patient you are and if you're happy with a used CPU for upgrading.
Suggestions:

Cheapest option would be to add a 6Gb GTX 1060 and you're done, only demanding games won't run at nearly full settings at, or around 60FPS with this sort of hardware and you'll save a big pile of Wonga.

As above, but add a used i7 3770K, then overclock it-Gumtree and Ebay are good starting points for the hunt. Check the motherboard BIOS though, you may need to update it before the upgraded CPU will work.
Either of the above will boost the system significantly, and for a 'limited' outlay, if you're happy with the current display you really don't need to go much further.

The i5 8400 isn't the fastest CPU out there but it's still quick, allied to a GTX 1060 ( as opposed to the OTT GTX1070Ti I listed ) it's a solid, all round upgrade and better balanced:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel - Core i5-8400 2.8GHz 6-Core Processor ($199.89 @ B&H)
Motherboard: Gigabyte - Z370P D3 ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($107.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: GeIL - SUPER LUCE RGB SYNC 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3000 Memory ($174.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: EVGA - GeForce GTX 1060 6GB 6GB SC GAMING Video Card ($269.79 @ SuperBiiz)
Total: $752.65
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-12-25 17:16 EST-0500

The i5 8600K build would be the ultimate long term purchase, that CPU has plenty of grunt to handle future upgrades of graphics and/or monitor, while the motherboard has plenty of up-to-date ports and features.

With the sales so close, I'll advise you to hold off and start scanning for bargains, PcPartpicker has its virtues but it's never fully up-to-data and misses most time limited specials.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Solution
S

schmurfy

Honorable
Dec 25, 2017
10
1
10,515
Thanks, I think I will start with just the 6Gb GTX 1060 since I currently do not even have a full machine and watch for sales to upgrade further, good advice.
It is annoying to see how they name the various cpus now, seeing an i5 cpu still compete with some i7 is not what I expected although I already knew it worked that way for gpus :/

The i5 8600 looks like a nice CPU for its price :)
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
coozie7

coozie7

Champion
Jun 2, 2007
10,015
10
59,215
@ Schmurfy: Yep, that i5 8600K is a real beast, in the current listings it's about one step up from where your i5 3570K was...All those years ago ;). Differences are the two extra cores and a significant boost in per core efficiency making it roughly double the performance, if not somewhat more. :)

As a 60Hz 1080 rez card the 6Gb GTX 1060 is a fine piece of kit, and will suit the current setup nicely.

If you intend to move up to a higher rez/faster display later I'll strongly suggest investing in a GTX 1070/1070Ti now rather that getting a GTX 1060-you'll only need to upgrade the GPU to cope-but look at pricing VERY carefully, there's a significant amount of overlap ATM with 'cheaper' GTX 1070Tis falling into the price range of the more expensive GTX 1070s', and the 'Ti' variant is significantly faster.

As Ohenryy points out, Intel have yet to release less expensive 'B' and 'H' chipset motherboards along with ( probably ) cheaper non 'K' CPUs for the current 8xxx ( Coffee Lake ) generation, given that your base i5 is still pretty strong I'll suggest you follow his/her advice and hold off on the big, expensive CPU/MB/RAM upgrade until that happens.
As a side note on the above, AMD are due to release some new parts Q1 2018 as well, another reason to hold off.

One final point: There's ALWAYS something better coming along in the world of PC hardware, don't feel hard done by if your upgraded parts are superceded in a few weeks by something better/cheaper/faster/shinier, it's going to happen, all you can do is strike the best deal you can on the day of purchase.

Evil final point: Ever considered a monitor change? 27" Gsync displays are getting 'affordable' now and, trust me on this, playing on such a large adaptive sync display is a big BIG move from a 24" 60Hz one... Just an evil thought you might want to look into.
Go on.
You know you want to.
Take a look.
It won't hurt looking.
CLICK! Evil persona disconnected, please take no notice of its advice. ;)
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
S

schmurfy

Honorable
Dec 25, 2017
10
1
10,515
I looked at gsync monitor when I bought this one but several factor turned me away, the first one was their price and the second was the graphic card required to get good performance but I would certainly like one though ;)
For now I will keep this one since it sill works fine but if something were to happen to it all bets are off xD
I just had a look for GTX 1070 but they are significally pricier than the 1060, I will stick with the 1060 for now.

I know there will always be something better especially now than the gpu/cpu seem to be released even faster but I am used to it by now, I usually change evrything in my machine every 5 years or so but in the mean time I follow what comes out only from far away, I am certainly glad I asked here since everyone provided really valuable informations, now I know what to look for in future sales :)

I would love to build myself a monster at some point but the investment is significant since a big/good monitor require a good gpu which require a good cpu to be by its side and the motherboard and memory supporting all this xD
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

Latest posts

Moderators online

Share this page

COMPANY
RESOURCES
FOLLOW
Top Bottom