Another what to upgrade.

[ThinkC20]

Alright, here's my question:

In my other related (1) post, I asked what to upgrade for my PC. Now, I'm wondering what to do next.

Here's my specs:

RS780 Motherboard
V8 Cooler Master heatsink/cpu cooler
8gigs of RAM
GeForce 550x TI video card
AMD Phenom ll x4 810
Windows 7 64 bit home prem
650w power supply

I'm not sure what other information you need. I'm currently running a 1tb hard drive for recording (fraps) and I have my other hard drive with majority of information. My PC, right now, is running at about an average of 50-54 degrees Celsius and I'm seeing a lot of other systems much cooler than that.

Basically, when I restart my computer, it initially is around 33-37 degrees Celsius and I notice a huge performance increase.

Is the next upgrade something to help me cool my system? My tower is relatively small for the heatsink I currently have.
Or is the next upgrade my CPU; however, checking online, it doesn't look my microprocessor is that bad. The question that follows the CPU question is: "Is my motherboard too old to upgrade?"


P.S. I'm not too computer savvy, so be cognitive of that! Thanks for the help in advance.

 

[o1die]

If your old board runs stable, don't waste money on changing it out unless you change the cpu and ram at the same time. What do you run on your pc now?

 

[ThinkC20]

What do you mean "run on your pc now"? I assume you mean the motherboard, which is an RS780: http://support.gateway.com/s//MOTHERBD/Shared/4006272R/4006272Rnv.shtml

If I was to upgrade my motherboard, because that's the next best thing to ugprade, I would upgrade my CPU as well.

 

[o1die]

It means what programs do you use (system usage)? Gaming, video encoding, etc.

 

[ThinkC20]

Ah, sorry. Mostly gaming (Rift, Skyrim, Black Ops ll, etc.), fraps (video recording), and editing software such as sony vegas/adobe AE

 

[the1corrupted]

You're actually running a motherboard/CPU/RAM combination that's three generations out of date. By no means do you *really* need that $400 upgrade to overhaul the system, but if you want advice on an upgrade, there's a few things to consider.

Best gaming performance with the pricetag to match: i5 3570K markets for about $220. A motherboard to back it: $140. RAM chips to match the motherboard (8 Gigs) $45

On the other side of the fence (if you wanted to stay with AMD), you really wouldn't need more than an AMD FX 6300, but if you want 8 cores, FX-8320. That might run about $100 less than Intel with a better motherboard in the mix.

As far as the software goes, you might see better results going AMD over intel for your audio/video encoding and editing over Intel as most of those programs are specifically designed to take advantage of all 8 cores. Gaming performance would take a 1-2 fps hit, unless the game has an enormously complex AI (like Civ V) which AMD is really good at.

 

[ThinkC20]

AMD:
Mobo - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128514
CPU - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103960

Intel:
Mobo - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128546
CPU - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819116504

What would be RAM that would be compatible with the above? I don't remember RAM having issues with compatibility. Also, both sets work with each other, correct?

 

[the1corrupted]

Gigabyte publishes a Qualified Vendor List for RAM chips, you can likely find this on their website under each specific motherboard. But they're not all 100% up to date.

I would definitely advise RAM that would be good on either solution at DDR3 1600. The reason you have to watch is because some RAM is optimized for Intel, others AMD, and others just don't work with the motherboard at all for whatever reason.