Which Components Most Important For Upgrade

[WillCall]

Purchased a Gateway FX 6710-01 three to four years ago and am looking to upgrade some of its components to keep it running smoothly for the next couple years. I am currently "happy" with its performance and remains my daily driver. I will likely be picking up a new laptop soon and tend to alternate every few years between desktop/laptop purchases (i.e., the desktop won't be replaced for a few more years and even then will likely be handed down).

Gateway FX 6710-01 NewEgg Listing:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883113080

Upgrade Budget Range: $300-500

System Usage from Most to Least Important: Programming (e.g., Matlab), Photo/Video Editing (e.g., Lightroom), and occasional gaming

Parts to Upgrade: RAM (6 GB to 8 GB), 256 GB SSD, PSU (400W to ??)
*SSD will only be used for OS and programs

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: Amazon (Prime member), Newegg, Tigerdirect

Parts Preferences: None

Overclocking: No

SLI or Crossfire: No

Your Monitor Resolution: Dual 1680x1050

Additional Comments: Have read elsewhere that the power supply within the rig is only 400 watts and am curious if it would be beneficial to upgrade it also; otherwise, I'd be happy to stick with the HDD and RAM upgrades as I feel they would provide the greatest bang for buck.

And Most Importantly, Why Are You Upgrading: Looking to breathe new life into an older but still well performing machine and increase longevity

Personal research has led me thus far:

SAMSUNG 830 Series 2.5-Inch 256GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD) Desktop Upgrade Kit MZ-7PC256D/AM
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005T3GQ0G/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

Crucial Ballistix 4GB (2x2GB) DDR2 Desktop RAM Kit
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006WAGFQ0/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

Thank you for any advice!

 

[maninder055]

cpu+gpu upgrade is most imp and also your mobo is old.try to upgade to i5 3570k(unlocked)+Radeon HD 7850+new asus or gygabyte mobo+use 8gb minimum ram+minimum 600w psu

 

[WillCall]

maninder055, I would feel more comfortable purchasing a completely new system with those specs. I have no interest in upgrading the graphics card as it wouldn't help me accomplish my daily workflow.

My real question is whether or not upgrading the hard drive to an SSD and increasing the RAM will provide a significant boost in performance or if I would be better off waiting and investing the money in a new system.

 

[maninder055]

i suggest to wait until intel and amd new cpu's are lanched