Upgrade CPU/GPU or install graphics card

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mbanenas

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Nov 25, 2012
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Hello,

I currently have an AMD A6-3670K with Radeon HD 6530D and I would like to upgrade performance for games. I would like to keep the cost under $200. Is it better to upgrade the CPU to an A8-3870k Radeon 6550D or keep the CPU and install a separate graphics card? If it's the latter, are there any limitations that I should be aware of?
Thanks in advance.
 
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Keep the CPU and go with a dedicated graphics card. For just under $200.00 this would do fine, HIS H785F2G2M Radeon HD 7850 2GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card

knightdog56

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Keep the CPU and go with a dedicated graphics card. For just under $200.00 this would do fine, HIS H785F2G2M Radeon HD 7850 2GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card
 
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mbanenas

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Nov 25, 2012
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Thanks for the recommendation but my motherboard only has a PCIe 2.0 x16 slot. The motherboard manual mentions AMD Dual Graphics and if you want to use it the following cards are supported:

AMD RADEON HD6670 ASUS DIS-PCIE2.1-ASUS-HDMI-EAH6670-DI-1GD3/1G-DDR3
AMD RADEON HD6570 MSI DIS-PCIE2.1-MSI-HDMI-R6570-MD1GD3-LP/1G-DDR3
AMD RADEON HD6450 MSI DIS-PCIE2.1-MSI-HDMI-R6450-MD1GD3-LP/1G-DDR3

Do you recoemmend AMD Dual Graphics? If not, do you recommend a PCIe 2.0 x16 card to be used by itself?

Thanks in advance.
 

jctwibell

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PCIe 3.0 is backwards compatible with PCIe 2.0. I would go with the above mentioned card depending on the settings you want. Or spend $230 and get a GTX 660. Keep in mind that a new and powerful graphics card will possibly need a power supply to fuel it.
 
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