Upgrade PC or get a PS3?

[randomfellow]

Hey all, I am thinking about upgrading my computer. I currently have a gateway DX4300-22 desktop. It has an AMD phenom II x4 810 2.6ghz processor and a ATI HD 5450 graphics card. I am planning to buy an AMD radeon 6950 2gb graphics card. I realize I need to upgrade my PSU to a one around 550-600.

Now, I realize that my processor will bottleneck my computer. However, I have only enough money for a PSU and graphics card update. I want to play the latest games (battlefield 3 multiplayer, GTA 4, Skyrim, Arkham city), at a resolution of 1600x900. I heard the CPU usage increases during multiplayer so i am kind of scared that my CPU wont handle it.

My other option is getting a PS3. I have never done a PC upgrade. Therefore I am stressed out that I will invest in all these expensive parts and in the end it won’t work in my PC due to size. So what do you guys think I should do?

Press to view specifications.

My motherboard
My computer
Graphics Card planning to buy

 

[simon12]

You don'r need to spend as much as a 6950 to play those games at that resolution you could save some money and get a 6850 which would be more suited to your CPU. But the 6950 will be good if you upgrade the CPU & motherboard in the next 6-12 months

 

[randomfellow]

You don'r need to spend as much as a 6950 to play those games at that resolution you could save some money and get a 6850 which would be more suited to your CPU. But the 6950 will be good if you upgrade the CPU & motherboard in the next 6-12 months

I have to decide then. Ill probably upgrade again around the same time next year.

 

[JJ1217]

I would recommend a HD 7850. Its newer architecture means it'll last longer for new games. However If your not interested in newer architecture cards, grab a GTX 480. It cheaper and beats most cards except the top end ones. It takes alot of heating and power, but its good. A 6950 may mean you'll have to get a better PSU as it takes a bit more power, and a 480 even more so.

http://www.hwcompare.com/8757/geforce-gtx-480-vs-radeon-hd-6950/

 

[randomfellow]

I am getting a new power supply because my 300 watt is already weak.

 

[jay2tall]

Your CPU is still capable of playing modern games. You may see some performance hits in a few titles, but for the most part the ones you listed should be perfectly fine. I have buddies running those games with dual core Phenom II's with a decent graphics cards and they are fine. You are correct that you would need to upgrade your PSU along with a new video card. I would highly recommend a modular PSU since some of those OEM cases can be cramped for space when trying to tie up unused segments of cable. It also helps with airflow.

To comment on your GPU choice. The 6950 is a nice card, but I see you have Batman listed. That game is heavy on PhysX and that is only offered by Nvidia cards. I had a buddy upgrade his AMD card to Nvidia just for that reason and he was happy with the addition of the PhysX enhancement. Granted not everyone cares about that, but just a thought. An Nvidia GTX560Ti would be comparable to a 6950. I believe they are typically equal in performance, but do swap punches in a few that favor one or the other GPU maker. My biggest recommendation would be to hold off until the GTX660Ti's come out. They are stated for a July release so they should be coming out soon. The Kepler cards are really powerful and have alot of overclock headroom. You could consider waiting a little for these. The worst case is it pushed the price of the older cards down a little bit and you can get more bang for your buck. http://wccftech.com/nvidia-geforce-gtx-660ti-launch-july-ti-variant-199249-usd/

As far as a PS3 goes, you may be hard pressed to find someone here that will steer you in that direction especially with the PC you are working with. A new video card and PSU will put you right back in the game. PC games also look better. My co-worker gets any title he can for PC that allows him to use his Xbox controller, ie Batman games and others. He says the difference is night and day between his XBox.

 

[ajaat]

Agree with JJ1217,get a 7850 beacause of less power hungry,less noise and newer architecture and also 6950 is also a good a buy and 560Ti if you want PhysX and btw Gtx 480 makes noise like a Mixer Grinder but for it's performance I doubt it will be defeated by 560Ti,7850 and 6950 and 6950 is also hard to find and if you have find one with a reasonable price then get it and flash it's bios to make it a 6970!Overrall recommendation is the 7850 and for you PS3 and PC upgrade option I'd definately say Upgrade your PC!
Hope this helps.

 

[HEXiT]

your cpu is fine for gaming and wont bottleneck any card up to a gtx 580 or 7950.
you can even over-clock it slightly to 3.0 just to make sure...
reason being the cpu you have is slightly stronger than the q6600 and that can handle up to a gtx 580 without issue...
as for the card anything you choose over a 560ti will give decent gaming performance.
as for the psu if you get a good quality 1 then theres no reason not to get a 550w which will save some cash for a decent cpu cooler if you need 1.
the 6950 is a very competent card and at £150-£170 is a worthy addition to any setup.

 

[randomfellow]

Ok thanks guys. I really hope that my CPU wont be causing any problems llike you guys said. I just need to survive these next 8 months and then i will upgrade my motherboard,tower,ram and cpu.

 

[boabs]

cheap 6870best you will get for money.

 

[N11Ckk123472]

a 6870 and a Phenom II X4 965 and an aftermarket cooler would be the best.

 

[fantanel]

i`ve played alot. maybe too much.Lately (the last 2years) life got complicated, a wife, more work in the office, etc. now, on topic:

PS3 = veeeeeery different gaming experience that the one you will have on the PC. There are very unique Ps3 games, like Heavy Rain or Dark souls which will change your experiece about what a game is.
PC = mmos... more ppl, somehow faster dose of gaming, if you compare it with an addiction, which I think many have

I voted PC.

 

[jay2tall]

PS3 = veeeeeery different gaming experience that the one you will have on the PC. There are very unique Ps3 games, like Heavy Rain or Dark souls which will change your experiece about what a game is.

Heavy Rain is a game every person over 18 who has a PS3 should play. It's a totally different style of game. You feel very emotionally involved in that game. It has quite a few possible endings. Some good, some not so good, some terrible. Also on the PS3 exclusive must play list is Uncharted 1 thru 3 (best looking games on PS3), Metal Gear Solid 4 (best game for PS3), and Gran Turismo. Other games I enjoy on PS3 are Infamous and Soul Caliber. Consoles are general better for racing, side scrolling, and fighting games. They are really good for 3rd person games, but PC is also good as long as the camera angle follows the person and you don't have to pan it. (Thanks Batman).

To be honest I would upgrade your PC so you can get the better graphics. I have an old PS1 controller hooked up through a PS to USB converter that I use for more console friendly style games. Teh Xbox usb controller for windows is supposed to be terrific and works with all "Made for Windows" games. However, I do love my PS3 as a BluRay player and also the small stack of games I do play. I'd like to tell you do both, but I take it that is not in the cards. Rumor also has it that they will release a new PS3 super slim style that will be alone the lines of the PS2 slim, just a little wider to accommodate the hard drive and slot bluray loader. My assumption is this will also be accompanied by a price drop. Maybe $199.

 

[randomfellow]

Guys, my tiger direct store has only 6870s in stock. Should i buy that instead? Remember, i want to play battlefield 3 multiplayer and i have a phenom ii x4 810 2.6ghz processor!

 

[jay2tall]

Are you in the US? Is Newegg.com an option? For BF3 I would take a GTX560Ti over a 6870. That is if you are looking for a card asap. You will also need a new PSU and sometimes they have nice combo deals.

 

[randomfellow]

Are you in the US? Is Newegg.com an option? For BF3 I would take a GTX560Ti over a 6870. That is if you are looking for a card asap. You will also need a new PSU and sometimes they have nice combo deals.

No i do not live in the US. GTX560Ti are still expensive because the GTX660Ti still did not get released.

 

[ajaat]

Man,as I said above that 7850 is a better option because of less power,newer architecture blah blah blah and if you worrying about bottleneck,don't worry just OC you CPU.If you can't afford it then just buy a the 6870 you'll do it fine.

 

[randomfellow]

Man,as I said above that 7850 is a better option because of less power,newer architecture blah blah blah and if you worrying about bottleneck,don't worry just OC you CPU.If you can't afford it then just buy a the 6870 you'll do it fine.

Most likely i will be buying the 7850 now. I can't overclock unfortunately due to my motherboard

 

[Berna]

Upgrade your PC, it's much more worth it. Plus, if you want to play games in a 1600x900 resolution (full HD), a console won't do the job - their resolutions aren't even HD, so buying one would be just the same thing as playing on the PC with a 1024x768 resolution (estimative).
I don't see a reason why would you buy a console, your PC kicks one's ass already.

Now if you're worried about the size of the components, just get yourself informed within the store you're buying them, and eventually ask to place them on the PC, you won't really pay much more for it.

 

[ajaat]

That's okay man because the bottlenecking won't be huge problem and you wouldn't even notice a performence drop if you somehow overclock your CPU or maybe you buy a CPU later.So,good luck buying 7850!

 

[stormborn23]

i definitely think you should upgrade your pc, more bang for your buck