Opinions on upgrading my pc

[bobb_86]

Hello,i want to upgrade my pc, with budget around $400. but i`m a little
lost here. i dont know which part to upgrade to get best gaming performance with my budget limit.
Below is my pc specs:

mobo:Asus Blitz Formula
http://www.asus.com/Product.aspx?P_ID=qFnC6dAJnVMjgbBm
cpu: Intel Core 2 Duo E6850
gpu: EAH4870/HTDI/512M
http://www.asus.com/product.aspx?P_ID=jUwn6daieInTGGW8&templete=2
memory:Transcend aXeram TX800QLU-2GK and TX1066QLU-2GK(set to 800mhz)
OS: Windows 7 Home Premium installed on SSD OCZ Agility 128GB
cpu heatsink: Cooler Master V8

right now im thinking on replacing my cpu with much better cpu but that means i have to change mobo too.. maybe it is better just to buy new gpu?

Thank 4 your time..

 

[Lmeow]

You could flash your motherboard BIOS and buy a Q9550 for around $169.99 from Micro Center for pickup if you live near one. Otherwise a Q9400 would still be a decent upgrade.

 

[batuchka]

Your chip is good to go unless you are looking to get more horsepower for multi threaded apps or your games are more CPU intensive (GTA IV/Dragons Age Origins) So a GPU upgrade and possibly a slight OC could be the best move for the $$

 

[megamanx00]

That's a good motherboard. I say flash the BIOS and drop in a Q9550, then overclock it. Add another 4870 to run in CF and you're all set.

 

[bobb_86]

That's a good motherboard. I say flash the BIOS and drop in a Q9550, then overclock it. Add another 4870 to run in CF and you're all set.

thanx for answering.. q9550 hurmm i will look into it. 4870 in CF? why not buy a new one to replace the current one? can u tell me the reason for it? just want to know more...

 

[Lmeow]

Because to HD 4870s in CFX have really good performance and you won't need to spend much more for another HD 4870. Just make sure your PSU can handle it too.

 

[bobb_86]

thanx to all.. guest i will go for q9550 and hd4870.. by the way.. do you know any good hd4870 that good for CF?

 

[capt_taco]

Unless you're playing on a giant monitor or trying to impress people with benchmark results, a q9550 and a single 4870 are plenty. I've had that exact setup for 2+ years and have yet to find a single game where the playing experience is anything less than perfect. I would just save the $150 and stick to a single card for now.

 

[Lmeow]

thanx to all.. guest i will go for q9550 and hd4870.. by the way.. do you know any good hd4870 that good for CF?

Any HD 4870 should work, save money by buying the 512 MB version. What games are you playing, and at what resolution? Because capt taco might be right, one HD 4870 could be enough if you're not playing Crysis or Metro etc.

 

[capt_taco]

I play Crysis on this machine and it does fine. I'm only using a 1400-pixel monitor though. It's when you get up into the 1900+ full-HD resolutions that a single 4870 could bog down. Or if you turn all the eye candy on (ultra-high detail and AA settings). But it will play the game flawlessly and give you a great experience otherwise.

 

[bobb_86]

Any HD 4870 should work, save money by buying the 512 MB version. What games are you playing, and at what resolution? Because capt taco might be right, one HD 4870 could be enough if you're not playing Crysis or Metro etc.

i play a lot of FPS games.. on samsung T260 at 1900resolution.. i do play Crysis with this specs (but at high setting only) and it did play fine. with Crysis 2 coming out at late this year kind a make me wonder can my machine handle it at high setting..

 

[capt_taco]

Crysis 2 is supposed to have lower system requirements than the first. The original Crysis is only so demanding on your system because it was one of the most horribly optimized games of all time.

That monitor IS in the edge of the zone where you could see some performance slowing, but I wouldn't imagine it would be much, and only in extreme cases. Basically, I would wait and see -- don't buy the second card unless you start getting performance you're not happy with from the single card. If you're unhappy, you can always spend the money later.

 

[bobb_86]

Unless you're playing on a giant monitor or trying to impress people with benchmark results, a q9550 and a single 4870 are plenty. I've had that exact setup for 2+ years and have yet to find a single game where the playing experience is anything less than perfect. I would just save the $150 and stick to a single card for now.

i do agree with u with game playing experience thing.. just want to make sure it can handle Crysis 2. do you think this setup can handle Crysis 2? without upgrading?

 

[bobb_86]

Crysis 2 is supposed to have lower system requirements than the first. The original Crysis is only so demanding on your system because it was one of the most horribly optimized games of all time.

That monitor IS in the edge of the zone where you could see some performance slowing, but I wouldn't imagine it would be much, and only in extreme cases. Basically, I would wait and see -- don't buy the second card unless you start getting performance you're not happy with from the single card. If you're unhappy, you can always spend the money later.

really? lower system requirements than the first? guest i just wait and see. maybe at that time price on q550 and hd4870 will drop much lower. this will be a plus.. thanx

 

[bobb_86]

Best answer selected by bobb_86.

 

[Mousemonkey]

This topic has been closed by Mousemonkey