Ready to update my rig

[Varrik]

Yo.

I am looking for some guidance on upgrades!

Current Build:
PSU - 730W Raidmax
CPU - Phenom II 965 BE 3.4
MoBo - ASUS M4A79XTD EVO 790X
GPU - EVGA 250GTS 1Gb
Memory - 2x2Gb Ripjaw 1600
- 2x2Gb Kingston HyperX 1600

Preferred Sites: I don't care where it comes from - I price shop. The place needs to be legitimate though.

Reso: 1920x1080

Approximate purchase date: None - Just before I go back to school (mid august)

Comp Use: Gaming (CS, WoW, SC2 (HotS when it drops), Mass Effect Games, Diablo 3 when it drops probably) and Recording game footage (Just don't want the rig to lag at aforementioned resolution and decent to good graphics levels. It's completely secondary to gaming and budget)

Country: USA

Preferences on Parts: 2500k but open to whatever seems to be the best.

Overclocking: Maybe - I have some experience but not much. OC'ing scares me but i'm open to anything.

No SLI/CrossFire

Budget - $500-600 roughly but can adjust slightly according to value per dollar gain above this.

Ok, so I am ready to upgrade my system but I don't know quite what to do. Recently I had fallen in love with the idea of getting a 570 GTX ,however, I figured it'd get bottle-necked since I don't have the ability to overclock my CPU with a stock fan/sink. Today, I had been helping a friend with a new build and thought about getting the 2500k, ASUS P67 Pro, and [Insert Graphics Card here] to revive my poopy system. I do NOT intend to replace the PSU. Let me know what you think though.

Can't wait for your feedback!

 

[addison]

First off for a gpu that is cheap and just plain awesome ati 5770. There like 140$ and perform plain awesome, heck you could even get one cheaper with rebates.

 

[Varrik]

It's been 2 years since I bought a graphics card. I have a budget that can do much much better.

On another note, can a mod move this to the new build section - i feel like this is in the wrong place.

 

[Overclocked Toaster]

your processor is still pretty decent, even at stock speed. remember, most games are gpu-bound at your resolution. get a gtx 570 or 560 ti, and if you want to, replace the heatsink on your cpu and oc it. to be honest, none of the games you play are all that demanding, so keep that in mind.

 

[aznshinobi]

Your current build is quite good. You just need a GPU upgrade. Honestly you don't need the 2500K ETC ETC. The 965 with a little overclocking is good enough for any of the games you listed, I say this because my 955 is good enough for almost every game. The 2500K is good but not needed.

Just get this.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125385&cm_re=6950_1gb-_-14-125-385-_-Product
And change your power supply to this.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817194093&Tpk=850%20lepa
New company but really good one. Lots of solid reviews.

 

[Varrik]

From the things I have read, the 570 GTX is better than its "ATI equivalent" the 6970 (or 6950 unlocked and whatever people are doing). For the games I play, which would be the GPU I should go with? Or is this now down to a personal opinion thing? I am ok OC'ing my current processor - however what should I clock it to? And be as specific as you can (it would be super duper appreciated) because I have only barely tinkered with it.

 

[Varrik]

Your current build is quite good. You just need a GPU upgrade. Honestly you don't need the 2500K ETC ETC. The 965 with a little overclocking is good enough for any of the games you listed, I say this because my 955 is good enough for almost every game. The 2500K is good but not needed.

Just get this.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125385&cm_re=6950_1gb-_-14-125-385-_-Product
And change your power supply to this.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817194093&Tpk=850%20lepa
New company but really good one. Lots of solid reviews.

Also, is it really necessary to upgrade my PSU? I know everyone thinks that exact PSU is a piece of crap but can you point to any specific reason as I would have to replace it for my setup to work?

 

[aznshinobi]

4ghz is probably a good mark.

As for the GPU, I believe that's pretty false.
http://www.anandtech.com/bench/Product/292?vs=306
Pretty close all around if you ask me. The 6970 wins in some areas, the 570 wins in some areas. It's practically on par.
The 6950 1GB can be OC'd to the 6970 pretty well if with adequate cooling, which the Gigabyte does offer.

The PSU you have couldn't CF if you tried, and I really doubt the efficiency of the older Raidmax as they aren't very good at all.

 

[Varrik]

Best answer selected by Varrik.

 

[Varrik]

Thank you tons! I will be using your suggestions. Can't wait to fire up the beast with a new card and supply!

 

[aznshinobi]

Yep no problem Good luck!