Core i5 2400 or...

[chinoroy]

hey guys. which one of these are the worthy upgrade?

i want my pc to be future ready.

*Intel Core i5 2400 & Asus P8H61-M LE - $284

*EVGA GTX 460 SC & CoolerMaster GX-650 - $287

*MSI HD 6850 & CoolerMaster GX-650 - $298

should i go with the new processor and mobo OR stick with my core 2 duo processor and upgrade only the GPU/PSU?

thanks.

 

[mjmjpfaff]

what gpu do you have now?
how many ghz is your processor?

 

[chinoroy]

what gpu do you have now?
how many ghz is your processor?

hey. i have the GT240 GDDR5 ver. and my processor is E7500 2.93GHz

 

[genghiskron]

i wouldnt get that cooler master regardless. i would get a hd 6950/gtx 560ti (probably the 6950, especially if youre not going to overclock the gtx 560ti - as long as it fits in your case) and a 500w psu:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102921&cm_re=hd6950-_-14-102-921-_-Product

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127594

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371047&cm_re=antec_520-_-17-371-047-_-Product

And go for a cpu+mobo upgrade later.

 

[aznshinobi]

^+1

The quality control of the GX series wasn't great. The Silent Pro is CM's best and most reliable series while the GX was a bad reminder of the past.

I suggest waiting for Bulldozer though next month, It'll be a great buy according to leaks I've seen and should price similarly.

 

[chinoroy]

thanks for the replies. so should i go for the GPU/PSU upgrade first? will my core 2 duo E7500 be enough to handle the future games and applications? im also worried that my cpu will bottleneck those GPU's mentioned above.

btw my budget is going to be only $300. that's why im stuck at those choices listed.

 

[aznshinobi]

What's your current PSU?

Your E7500 should last a tiny bit longer. Though nothing compared to current SB chips or BD chips, it's still decent. You should be looking for GPU, and no it shouldn't bottleneck. GPU > CPU in games, though to powerful then there is the case where you could say the CPU is also important.

I'd say this, much cheaper.
Antec 650w 80+ Brnze $65
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371044&cm_re=antec_650-_-17-371-044-_-Product

MSI 6850 + Free Shogun 2 $170
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.657873

Total: $235

 

[chinoroy]

hi. my current psu is AcBel CE2 500 MAX POWER with one 6-pin pci-e power connector.

 

[Silvune]

thanks for the replies. so should i go for the GPU/PSU upgrade first? will my core 2 duo E7500 be enough to handle the future games and applications? im also worried that my cpu will bottleneck those GPU's mentioned above.

btw my budget is going to be only $300. that's why im stuck at those choices listed.

There are usually better options than the Cooler Master GX series for the same, similar or even cheaper in price. AznShinobi just showed you one, it is even powerful enough to crossfire 6850s. It doesn't come with a power cord so just reuse the one you are currently using.

Even if your CPU does bottleneck your GPU, it doesn't sound like you are planning to keep the CPU/mobo indefinitely, so the new GPU should be a nice boost in performance anyway until you can change the CPU/mobo.

 

[Onus]

Another "NO!" to the CrapperMaster PSU. Any of the linked Antec units will be much much better. Seasonic, Corsair, and XFX are also all solid (and generally all made by Seasonic anyway). I agree that you should upgrade your GPU first; that will remain a valid upgrade even if you replace other parts later.

 

[ps3hacker12]

the AcBel only has 2x12V rails with 16A each, and from reviews is a very bad PSU outputting in reality around 350W. the antec or similar branded PSU would fare you well.

 

[aznshinobi]

Well to add to jtt, the Antec PSUs have always been solid, the link I put up to the 650EA and the 6850 should give you a great performance/future proofing. Plus I'm sure you can spare the PC power cord that you have right now to plug into the 650EA since it doesn't come with one.

 

[chinoroy]

thanks guys. but the problem is, Antec products are not available at the store where im going to buy those parts. the only available brands are Coolermaster, Thermaltake, FSP, AcBel, Silverstone, Huntkey & Seasonic.

 

[aznshinobi]

^Which country are you in? Why not go to Newegg? Or do you live in a different country?

 

[chinoroy]

^Which country are you in? Why not go to Newegg? Or do you live in a different country?

yes. im from the Philippines.

 

[aznshinobi]

Ahhh well then.... Could you give us the place's webpage?

 

[chinoroy]

Ahhh well then.... Could you give us the place's webpage?

www.pcx.com.ph then download the "discounted pricelist" at the right of the page to see it in .pdf format.

 

[aznshinobi]

How much in your currency are you willing to spend?

 

[chinoroy]

How much in your currency are you willing to spend?

P13,000 - $300

 

[aznshinobi]

MSI HD6850 OC - P9400
FSP Everest Series 600w - P3400
Total P11000

 

[chinoroy]

thanks everyone.

 

[chinoroy]

Best answer selected by chinoroy.