AU$350 desktop upgrade (GPU)

Superman1612

Honorable
Aug 16, 2012
5
0
10,510
Hey all. Got some questions about upgrading a desktop assembled in late 2009. Not looking to get new system until mid-next year. Current computer specs:
Asus P5QL-PRO
Intel ATX E7600 CORE 2 DUO
Western Digital 2TB SATAII HDD 32M Cache Green Power
2x OCZ DDR2 4G(2x2G)PC8500 1066Mhz Platinum
Antec Three Hundred Tower Gaming Case
Antec ATX EarthWatts 500W
Gigabyte GTX260+(216SP) SOO
Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate 64bit


I want to run newer games at better quality than now. I was thinking about getting Gigabyte HD 7850 OC for a GPU upgrade but want to make sure of a couple of things:
- Is there a better GPU at a similar price range (AU$259 at Umart)?
- Worthwhile to OC the CPU? Never done it before (have only read guides online) and I assume newer games won’t run as well on the older dual core anyway.
- Is the PSU good enough for the GPU? What if the CPU is OCd? Some details on the GPU: 5V, 3.3V max load at 130W, 12V1 and 12V2 max load at 408W.
- If CPU is OC’d I’ll need to get a cooler. Thinking about either Hyper 212 Evo or Hyper 412 Slim. Will either fit in the case? Is PSU going to be enough with that added? Is there a better cooler at a similar price range (212 Evo $36, 412 Slim $48)?

Quite noobish to building/upgrading a system. Will there be much gain for a $350 upgrade?

Approximate Purchase Date: Next 2 weeks
Budget Range: Max AU$350
System Usage from Most to Least Important: Gaming, video encoding
Are you buying a monitor: No
Parts to Upgrade: GPU, maybe CPU cooling
Do you need to buy OS: No
Preferred Website(s) for Parts: www.umart.com.au (Milton or Eight Mile Plains)
Parts Preferences: None
Overclocking: Maybe
SLI or Crossfire: No
Your Monitor Resolution: 1920x1080
Additional Comments: Games to run - Spec Ops: The Line, Modern Warfare 3, Battlefield 3, Deus Ex: HR, Crysis, Crysis 2, Starcraft 2, Diablo 3; Encoding program - Mediacoder
And Most Importantly, Why Are You Upgrading: Run newer games at better quality.

Cheers all.
 

Superman1612

Honorable
Aug 16, 2012
5
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10,510
Ouch, thanks yeah i was afraid that cpu will be a problem. Seems a lot better to upgrade to Q9450, i'm not confident enough anyway to OC.. Have to weigh up cost of upgrading both CPU + GPU.

Besides ebay, is there online retailers that still sells Core 2 Quads?
 

Superman1612

Honorable
Aug 16, 2012
5
0
10,510
Cheers for the motherboard upgrade options allan. Also found a Q9650 on ebay for US$177.50 (minus postage):
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Intel-Core-2-Quad-Q9650-3-GHz-Quad-Core-Processor-LGA775-/190714541176?pt=CPUs&hash=item2c6778f478

Yeah for the GPU I think I'll just save up a bit for a 7850 like what you recommend scoregie, or maybe this one:
Gigabyte ATI HD 7850 OC Edition (975 MHz core clock).
https://www.umart.com.au/pro/products_listnew.phtml?id=10&id2=248&bid=5&sid=89026

Plenty for me to think about thanks all!