Looking to upgrade current build, hoping to avoid brand new build. Thoughts?

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Irishsullie

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Hello all, I'm looking to maybe squeeze as much as I can out of my current set up before just building an entire new one. I definitely need a few upgrades, but wasn't sure what was going to give me the biggest boost and longevity. My current build (which is old) is:

Motherboard: ASUS P8Z77-V PRO LGA 1155 Intel Z77
GPU: 2x MSI GeForce GTX 660 Ti
CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K Ivy Bridge Quad-Core 3.4GHz (3.8GHz Turbo)
RAM: G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB)
HD: 1TB and 500GB HD
Windows Home Edition

I'm definitely planning on upgrading my HD to SD for the boot drive and was thinking graphics are probably next on the list. Do I need to start worrying about compatibility with my current MB and any new GPUs or CPUs coming out? Any experts out there have any thoughts?

 
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panathas
1) You should definitely get a SATA SSD. Your mobo is too old and doesn't support NVMe SSDs as boot drives.

2) You should upgrade your GPUs. Go for only one GPU this time. SLI isn't what it used to be any more. However you should wait a little bit as Nvidia is ready to launch its next gen GPUs and this is going to affect the whole GPU market. So you may get a cheaper GPU or a better one at the same price.

3) No need to worry. Your system is still very capable and compatible with new GPUs. However if you feel that your CPU is holding you back you could try to overclock it a little bit, since it's an unlocked CPU model and this alone will give you a CPU performance boost.

4) Getting a new system right now isn't recommended because of...
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panathas

panathas

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1) You should definitely get a SATA SSD. Your mobo is too old and doesn't support NVMe SSDs as boot drives.

2) You should upgrade your GPUs. Go for only one GPU this time. SLI isn't what it used to be any more. However you should wait a little bit as Nvidia is ready to launch its next gen GPUs and this is going to affect the whole GPU market. So you may get a cheaper GPU or a better one at the same price.

3) No need to worry. Your system is still very capable and compatible with new GPUs. However if you feel that your CPU is holding you back you could try to overclock it a little bit, since it's an unlocked CPU model and this alone will give you a CPU performance boost.

4) Getting a new system right now isn't recommended because of very high RAM prices. You have to get a new CPU, motherboard and of course RAM. You probably need at least 16GB DDR4 RAM which is pretty expensive right now. Wait til next year where prices will probably be better. Good luck.
 
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Irishsullie

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Thank you for the information, didn't even think about the type of SSD, thanks for that! That's good to know, I was looking into getting the 1080Ti but definitely don't mind waiting a month or two to see those prices drop. I'll keep an eye on RAM too.
 
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Irishsullie

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My PSU currently is CORSAIR HX Series HX750. So will 16GB RAM actually get used?
 
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ArchitSahu

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Definitely. 16 gigs will serve you well.

PSU is a good unit. Unless it is a very old unit or very faulty, something we cannot predict as on now, any upgrade you do should be good.
 
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Irishsullie

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That PSU is probably about 4.5 years old.
 
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panathas

panathas

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1) SATA SSD prices have dropped recently and will continue dropping so you should get at least a 500GB SSD at about 100-120$. One good choice is the Samsung 860 evo.

2) Your PSU is good and it will probably work for at least 2-3 more years but keep in mind that you have to avoid overloading it or using its max capacity. Since it's already 4.5 years old it may have already started showing signs of its age and may have trouble working at its peak output (750W). So as long as you don't exceed the 650W limit you should be fine for 3-4 more years. Likely a single GPU (even the 1080ti), won't overload that PSU.

3) If you wait for 2-3 months you'll likely find at least (if not more) 1080ti performance in a new Nvidia GPU that costs a lot less than the current 1080ti and on top of that it will probably be more efficient, consuming a lot less power, which is very good for your PSU and it's total expected lifetime.

4) Finally 16GB DDR4 RAM is the logical choice, since you already have 8GB and you are upgrading. You also want to avoid getting 8GB and then later adding another 8GB since mixing different RAM sticks isn't recommended. So it's best to get the RAM amount you need for today and for the future unless of course your budget is very limited but keep in mind that if you decide to buy your RAM in stages you may end up spending a lot more.

Good luck.
 
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