Need advise on what to upgrade

[mpere]

Hello everyone, since my last system upgrade I have been trying to cut back on my expenses. However, I have been able to save up some funds, which I want to use for another upgrade. But, I can't determine on what to upgrade. My present rig is the following :


AMD Phenom II X4 965 BE
Radeon HD 5830 1GB
Asus M4A78T-E AM3
G.Skill ripjaw-1600 2X4GB
Corsair HX750W
WD Caviar 750GB HD
Plextor PX-850SA
Corsair Graphie Series-600T

I would like some advise from the community on what would be a cost effective upgrade based on the following information:

Approximate Purchase Datewithin next two weeks)

Budget Range $400-500)

System Usage from Most to Least Importantgaming, surfing the internet, watching movies)

Parts Not Requiredkeyboard, mouse, monitor, speakers, OS)

Preferred Website(s) for Partsnewegg.com)

CountryUSA)

Parts Preferences:by brand or type (e.g.: I would like to use an AMD CPU & Asus motherboard)

Overclocking: Maybe

SLI or Crossfire: Maybe

Monitor Resolution1680x1050)

Again I'm hoping for advise from the community. Computer tech seems to expand every day and it is hard to try to keep up, thank you.

 

[pacioli]

Your 965 BE is actually better than anything made by AMD today for the uses you have described.
In order to increase your processing power you'd need to move over to the Intel side... You could get an inexpensive CPU cooler like the CM Hyper 212+ for $30 and add a second fan to it. This would give you the ability to overclock your 965 BE.

If I were you I'd take $400 of your budget and get a GTX 670.
This would raise your graphics six tiers up on Tom's chart.
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/gaming-graphics-card-review,3107-7.html

I'd also take $100 of your budget and get a 128 Gb SSD. This would make your PC boot a lot faster and you'd have space to install a few games on the SSD which would load very fast.

The other option would be to spend $ on a 1080P monitor. You can get a 22 inch LED monitor for around $120 on sale.

 

[FinneousPJ]

IMO you should just get a new GPU and overclock that CPU.

 

[bucknutty]

I was just going to say the 965 is a pretty fast chip, it is much faster than the gpu you have. You stated that a primary use is games so I would look at a fast gpu like maybe a AMD HD 6870 or a HD 7850.

 

[FinneousPJ]

Yeah a 7850 would be a great match with your system.

 

[mpere]

I was just going to say the 965 is a pretty fast chip, it is much faster than the gpu you have. You stated that a primary use is games so I would look at a fast gpu like maybe a AMD HD 6870 or a HD 7850.

Thanks Bucknutty for the advise. However, I read some where that the radeon 7850's were having driver problems. If so, was it ever resolved. Also, I read in the forum a recommendation to wait till November to see if the price for 7970 will come down. What do you think?. Would it be worth it to wait or just buy now. Again thanks for your advise.

 

[pacioli]

There have been some issues with the HD 7850s and World of Warcraft...
But other than that the 7850s are a strong choice.

 

[maui67]

Your 965 BE is actually better than anything made by AMD today for the uses you have described.
In order to increase your processing power you'd need to move over to the Intel side... You could get an inexpensive CPU cooler like the CM Hyper 212+ for $30 and add a second fan to it. This would give you the ability to overclock your 965 BE.

If I were you I'd take $400 of your budget and get a GTX 670.
This would raise your graphics six tiers up on Tom's chart.
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/gaming-graphics-card-review,3107-7.html

I'd also take $100 of your budget and get a 128 Gb SSD. This would make your PC boot a lot faster and you'd have space to install a few games on the SSD which would load very fast.

The other option would be to spend $ on a 1080P monitor. You can get a 22 inch LED monitor for around $120 on sale.

^+1

 

[mpere]

I was just going to say the 965 is a pretty fast chip, it is much faster than the gpu you have. You stated that a primary use is games so I would look at a fast gpu like maybe a AMD HD 6870 or a HD 7850.

 

[mpere]

Best answer selected by mpere.