What should I upgrade first?

[seannymurrs]

I built my most recent PC in March of 2010. I've since relocated it to my den where it is hooked up to my 1080p television and is used exclusively for gaming. I don't have the money to build an entirely new system, but I do have a few hundred dollars to upgrade it a little. I'm looking to get the best possible 1080p gaming experience I can with what I've got. I'm assuming the video card would be the best thing to upgrade, but I'm open to other suggestions. Below is a list of the relevant components currently in the system.

Motherboard: ASUS Rampage II GENE
CPU: Intel i7-920
Video Card: SAPPHIRE Vapor-X Radeon HD 5770
HDD: Intel X25-V (system drive) OCZ SSD for games (can't remember exact model)
RAM: 6GB DDR3 1600

 

[ScrewySqrl]

bets suggestion I can offer:

get an HD 7850 2GB or a GTX 660 ($190-$230)

 

[odiervr]

I'd go for the HD 7850 2GB version.

 

[wanderer11]

What exactly is a few hundred?
$300-7950/660ti
$250-7870/660
$200-7850

 

[avenseth12]

Your GPU will be your best upgrade right away. YOu did nto list a PSU but I must assume you atlease a 500w or greater PSU. You will need that if you go with the 7850 or gtx 660.

 

[Daedalus12]

What is your exact budget? I'm assuming a few hundred means about $300-350. More importantly what is your PSU? That could be an important limiting factor.

If your PSU can handle them, I'd go 7950 or GTX 670. The 7950 will run around $275-320, or if you shop around it's possible to find a GTX 670 for about $350.

 

[seannymurrs]

Sorry, I should have been more specific. I was thinking in the $200-$300 range, however I could go as high as $350 if needed. PSU is an OCZ 500W.

 

[iam2thecrowe]

something like a 7870 or gtx660 would be a good match for that system. i dont know if a 660ti or 7950 may be too much for that psu.