Should i upgrade my CPU over getting a second 5870?..

[warra2307]

First of all this is my spec:
955 x4 32.Ghz (overclocked to 3.8 with a h50 cooler)
Sapphire 5870 x1
4Gb of OCZ DDR3 Ram
XFX 850W PSU
creative gamers Fatality edition sound card with good 5.1 speakers.
Antec 1200 case with window mod (bought a few montns back)
Windows 7 64Bit
t240 24" Samsung monitor (LOVE it )
Good keyboard and mouse.


background:
I am after an upgrade (£300 MAX) that will improve performance and fps on most games. I enjoy MMO's and rpgs. I also love playing FPS, strats and a wide varity of game types. I HATE when fps drops below 50fps and u see that slight slow down >< lol its like playing a ps3 game. So as long as i can play games at 60+ ill be fine. With my set up at the moment i can play most games without this happening.. apart from the games i enjoy playing the most (Age of conan (that could be the server tho), RISEN, STALKER 3, Sims 3 (altho ive never found a high end desktop that can run that... -_- ) and future games like star wars online, dc universe, crysis 2) All of these games dorp in FPS for hardly any reason. Ive found most saying that they got rid of this problem with an i7 upgrade.

I have also owned two ssd's in the past and BOTH i sold quickly after getting them as they were the BIGGEST waste of money i have ever spent. They wernt cheap crappy ones either.

Question
I was about to buy a second 5870 to crossfire with my first 5870 two nights ago, when i found some one asking a similar question with near enough same spec as mine on another website. The answers all told him to forget a second 5870 and upgrade to an 920 i7. This would improve the performance of games all around.

So now im stuck should i..

1: Sell my am3 955 second hand and buy a new mother board and an i7 920.

2: buy a second 5870 and crossfire it.

Which would i see the best performance increse from?

 

[Emperus]

I am not very sure if you'll see any great changes.. Your current setup looks pretty good for your purposes.. If you need a faster processor and gaming is your primary need then go for the i5 760..

 

[warra2307]

I am not very sure if you'll see any great changes.. Your current setup looks pretty good for your purposes.. If you need a faster processor and gaming is your primary need then go for the i5 760..

is it worth only going for an i5 tho when i7 would be much more future proof plsu as im going to be spending out getting a new mobo, it would be worth just getting the i7?

 

[firebird]

With Sandy Bridge right around the corner, I wouldn't upgrade CPU until then. I think a 2nd GPU would be a good upgrade if you can grab one at a good price. It would still yield higher frame rates...

 

[drewtech]

+1 to waiting for Sandy Bridge.

 

[warra2307]

is sandy bridge still i7? (noob) lol

 

[Zenthar]

is sandy bridge still i7? (noob) lol

I can't remember if they kept the i3/5/7 name, but they changed socket so no current MB will be able to support them.

 

[Emperus]

i7 is basically an i5 with hyper-threading..

 

[warra2307]

this is tho will Sand bridge be double the price of i7? >< I can only just afford an i7 let alone something BRAND new.

 

[Wisecracker]

This is a no-brainer - buy the second HD5870.

I was about to buy a second 5870 to crossfire with my first 5870 two nights ago, when i found some one asking a similar question with near enough same spec as mine on another website. The answers all told him to forget a second 5870 and upgrade to an 920 i7. This would improve the performance of games all around.

This is the worst advice ever. Spend 2x the money for a new rig - for way less performance than a 3.8GHz PhII with HD5870 x 2? Even Intel guys have to see the silly in that advice.

Your next *upgrade* (after the second HD5870) should be to move all of your 'goodness' into an AM3+ motherboard. (Note: still at less cost)

You will have some interesting options from there.

 

[warra2307]

This is a no-brainer - buy the second HD5870.

I was about to buy a second 5870 to crossfire with my first 5870 two nights ago, when i found some one asking a similar question with near enough same spec as mine on another website. The answers all told him to forget a second 5870 and upgrade to an 920 i7. This would improve the performance of games all around.

This is the worst advice ever. Spend 2x the money for a new rig - for way less performance than a 3.8GHz PhII with HD5870 x 2? Even Intel guys have to see the silly in that advice.

Your next *upgrade* (after the second HD5870) should be to move all of your 'goodness' into an AM3+ motherboard. (Note: still at less cost)

You will have some interesting options from there.

Even on MMORPGS that use CPU even more the GPU? Im so confused lol >< grrr wish i could just try them both out

 

[drewtech]

this is tho will Sand bridge be double the price of i7? >< I can only just afford an i7 let alone something BRAND new.

The i7 2600k will be just over $300 and the i5 2500k will be just over $200 supposedly (source)http://www.overclock.net/intel-cpus/875115-i7-2600k-price-performance.html

The mobos I think are supposed to be about the same price as current i5/i7 mobos.

 

[warra2307]

The i7 2600k will be just over $300 and the i5 2500k will be just over $200 supposedly (source)http://www.overclock.net/intel-cpus/875115-i7-2600k-price-performance.html

The mobos I think are supposed to be about the same price as current i5/i7 mobos.

Hmm ty ill deff look into it..but i think the SB may be a bit of an overkill spesh when i can/will be able to get a good second hand i7 D0 processor for around £130-50 and a good mobo from (not sure if im allowed to say the site) All for somewhere around £270.