Looking for advice on whether I should get a better graphics card or CPU

[BlueWonder]

I need some assistance with choosing whether to spend the rest of my money on a better CPU or graphics card, I mainly use this PC for gaming.

CPU: AMD Athlon X4 750K 3.4ghz
GPU: AMD Radeon 7950 HD 3gb
Motherboard: Takes an FM2 socket (Not FM2+)

I've got $300 as a budget set aside for upgrading my PC, (I could use up to $360 if necessary, but no more than that)

Any help is appreciated, thanks in advance

 

[bicycle_repair_man]

Your CPU and GPU are still pretty decent for 1920x1080 resolution. Why do you feel the need to upgrade? Do you want to game at higher resolutions or frame rates?

Between the two, your CPU could do with an upgrade first, purely because it's somewhat old and uses a defunct socket. That said, unless the CPU is creating a bottleneck, an upgrade is unnecessary.

 

[yeskay]

I need some assistance with choosing whether to spend the rest of my money on a better CPU or graphics card, I mainly use this PC for gaming.

CPU: AMD Athlon X4 750K 3.4ghz
GPU: AMD Radeon 7950 HD 3gb
Motherboard: Takes an FM2 socket (Not FM2+)

I've got $300 as a budget set aside for upgrading my PC, (I could use up to $360 if necessary, but no more than that)

Any help is appreciated, thanks in advance

That's pretty good graphics card. You can keep that. It still has a lot of fire power left in it.

The CPU was released in OCT 2012, may be good for 1080p gaming even today. But If you feel need an upgrade just tell the motherboard model. So that I can guide you in the right direction.

If you don't know the model, just download this, extract and run the "cpuz_x32" or "cpuz_x64" based upon your OS (32 or 64 bit). This will show the hardware details of your PC. It will look like this:

Click on the "Mainboard" tab. It'll show your motherboard model.
Cheers!

 

[Derza10]

That CPU uses a FM2 socket, if he is going to upgrade the CPU, the motherboard is going to need to go also. This is what i'd do:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4460 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($176.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: ASRock H97 Anniversary ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($71.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Total: $248.98
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-04-23 16:13 EDT-0400

If you want to go a bit faster and have the option to overclock and/or add a second GPU (going to push the limit of your budget):

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($241.98 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($28.89 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: MSI Z97S SLI Krait Edition ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($100.98 @ Newegg)
Total: $361.85
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-04-23 16:14 EDT-0400

 

[con635]

Maybe wait? Amd has new cards coming out and intel new cpus in just a few months.

 

[BlueWonder]

I just want to say thank you for all those who commented and helped me in my "delima". I'll be sure to look into your PC list, Derza10, this is the first time I've been on these forums and I've gotta say the community is really nice. Thanks again to all. Cheers!

 

[BlueWonder]

I need some assistance with choosing whether to spend the rest of my money on a better CPU or graphics card, I mainly use this PC for gaming.

CPU: AMD Athlon X4 750K 3.4ghz
GPU: AMD Radeon 7950 HD 3gb
Motherboard: Takes an FM2 socket (Not FM2+)

I've got $300 as a budget set aside for upgrading my PC, (I could use up to $360 if necessary, but no more than that)

Any help is appreciated, thanks in advance

That's pretty good graphics card. You can keep that. It still has a lot of fire power left in it.

The CPU was released in OCT 2012, may be good for 1080p gaming even today. But If you feel need an upgrade just tell the motherboard model. So that I can guide you in the right direction.

If you don't know the model, just download this, extract and run the "cpuz_x32" or "cpuz_x64" based upon your OS (32 or 64 bit). This will show the hardware details of your PC. It will look like this:

Click on the "Mainboard" tab. It'll show your motherboard model.
Cheers!

The motherboard is an MSI FM2-A75MA-E35

 

[yeskay]

I need some assistance with choosing whether to spend the rest of my money on a better CPU or graphics card, I mainly use this PC for gaming.

CPU: AMD Athlon X4 750K 3.4ghz
GPU: AMD Radeon 7950 HD 3gb
Motherboard: Takes an FM2 socket (Not FM2+)

I've got $300 as a budget set aside for upgrading my PC, (I could use up to $360 if necessary, but no more than that)

Any help is appreciated, thanks in advance

That's pretty good graphics card. You can keep that. It still has a lot of fire power left in it.

The CPU was released in OCT 2012, may be good for 1080p gaming even today. But If you feel need an upgrade just tell the motherboard model. So that I can guide you in the right direction.

If you don't know the model, just download this, extract and run the "cpuz_x32" or "cpuz_x64" based upon your OS (32 or 64 bit). This will show the hardware details of your PC. It will look like this:

Click on the "Mainboard" tab. It'll show your motherboard model.
Cheers!

The motherboard is an MSI FM2-A75MA-E35

This motherboard supports only a limited number of CPUs:

Processor Core Name CPU Code CPU No FSB CPU Speed L2 L3 Stepping Wattage GPU Result
A-Series Trinity AD560KWOA44HJ A8-5600K 100 3.6 3.5M N/A A1 100 HD 7560D 760MHz
A-Series Trinity AD5500OKA44HJ A8-5500 100 3.2 3.5M N/A A1 65 HD 7560D 760MHz
A-Series Trinity AD540KOKA23HJ A6-5400K 100 3.6 1M N/A A1 65 HD 7540D 760MHz
A-Series Trinity AD540BOKA23HJ A6-5400B 100 3.6 1M N/A A1 65 HD 7540D 760MHz
A-Series Trinity AD530BOKA23HJ A4-5300B 100 3.4 1M N/A A1 65 HD 7480D 724MHz
A-Series Trinity AD5300OKA23HJ A4-5300 100 3.4 1M N/A A1 65 HD 7480D 724MHz
A-Series Trinity AD580KWOA44HJ A10-5800K 100 3.8 1M N/A A1 100 HD 7660D 800MHz
A-Series Trinity AD5700OKA44HJ A10-5700 100 3.4 3.5M N/A A1 65 HD 7660D 760MHz
Athlon X4 Trinity AD750KWOA44HJ 750K 100 3.4 3.5M N/A A1 100 N/A
Athlon X4 Trinity AD740XOKA44HJ 740 100 3.2 3.5M N/A A1 65 N/A
Athlon X4 Trinity AD730XOKA44HJ 730 100 2.8 3.5M N/A A1 65 N/A
Athlon X2 Trinity AD340XOKA23HJ 340X 100 3.2 1M N/A A1 65 N/A

With the same motherboard, upgrading from CPU Athlon X4 750K to top most available processor on the above list A10 5800K, will yield only about 8%-10% more performance at the cost of $90-$100 in not worth the price. Since you're willing to spend $300-$340, get the following AMD parts to experience noteworthy performance increase, play current and upcoming modern games with ease, that to under $300:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: AMD FX-8350 4.0GHz 8-Core Processor ($168.99 @ SuperBiiz) (Can be overclocked upto 4.7GHz)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($28.89 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-990FXA-UD3 ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($101.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Total: $292.88
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-04-25 02:43 EDT-0400

Else, if you wish to explore the Intel side, get this:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($231.99 @ NCIX US) (Can be overclocked to 4.4GHz-4.7GHz)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($28.89 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: ASRock Z97 Extreme3 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($99.99 @ Micro Center)
Total: $360.87
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-04-25 03:40 EDT-0400

Note:
The 8350, even when overclocked to 4.7Ghz, barely catches up with the entry level i5s like 4440, 4460 etc and is inferior to 4690K, that to on stock clock speed. The reality is 8350 has 8 weaker cores, perform well in multi thread games & applications but performs average in single thread games. While the i5s have 4 stronger cores, especially the 4690K perform exceptionally in games as well as applications, a good all rounder. I'm telling all this taking into consideration that only you pair either of the processors with a good GPU and you've one in the form of HD 7950 3GB.

I would lean towards Intel all-round overclocked monster i5 4690K, even though its costs $68 more than AMD combination. But hey, that's my preference. What's your? Pick either AMD or Intel, with the combo of parts I suggested and you'll not be disappointed and with that card you can game like a champ.

If you prefer Intel, there is also the option of enduring with the same Athlon X4 750K and you can get your hands on Intel's new "Skylake" confirmed to be released in Q3 2015, and motherboards equipped with H/Z/Q 100 Series Chipsets.

Cheers!

 

[BlueWonder]

I need some assistance with choosing whether to spend the rest of my money on a better CPU or graphics card, I mainly use this PC for gaming.

CPU: AMD Athlon X4 750K 3.4ghz
GPU: AMD Radeon 7950 HD 3gb
Motherboard: Takes an FM2 socket (Not FM2+)

I've got $300 as a budget set aside for upgrading my PC, (I could use up to $360 if necessary, but no more than that)

Any help is appreciated, thanks in advance

That's pretty good graphics card. You can keep that. It still has a lot of fire power left in it.

The CPU was released in OCT 2012, may be good for 1080p gaming even today. But If you feel need an upgrade just tell the motherboard model. So that I can guide you in the right direction.

If you don't know the model, just download this, extract and run the "cpuz_x32" or "cpuz_x64" based upon your OS (32 or 64 bit). This will show the hardware details of your PC. It will look like this:

Click on the "Mainboard" tab. It'll show your motherboard model.
Cheers!

The motherboard is an MSI FM2-A75MA-E35

This motherboard supports only a limited number of CPUs:

Processor Core Name CPU Code CPU No FSB CPU Speed L2 L3 Stepping Wattage GPU Result
A-Series Trinity AD560KWOA44HJ A8-5600K 100 3.6 3.5M N/A A1 100 HD 7560D 760MHz
A-Series Trinity AD5500OKA44HJ A8-5500 100 3.2 3.5M N/A A1 65 HD 7560D 760MHz
A-Series Trinity AD540KOKA23HJ A6-5400K 100 3.6 1M N/A A1 65 HD 7540D 760MHz
A-Series Trinity AD540BOKA23HJ A6-5400B 100 3.6 1M N/A A1 65 HD 7540D 760MHz
A-Series Trinity AD530BOKA23HJ A4-5300B 100 3.4 1M N/A A1 65 HD 7480D 724MHz
A-Series Trinity AD5300OKA23HJ A4-5300 100 3.4 1M N/A A1 65 HD 7480D 724MHz
A-Series Trinity AD580KWOA44HJ A10-5800K 100 3.8 1M N/A A1 100 HD 7660D 800MHz
A-Series Trinity AD5700OKA44HJ A10-5700 100 3.4 3.5M N/A A1 65 HD 7660D 760MHz
Athlon X4 Trinity AD750KWOA44HJ 750K 100 3.4 3.5M N/A A1 100 N/A
Athlon X4 Trinity AD740XOKA44HJ 740 100 3.2 3.5M N/A A1 65 N/A
Athlon X4 Trinity AD730XOKA44HJ 730 100 2.8 3.5M N/A A1 65 N/A
Athlon X2 Trinity AD340XOKA23HJ 340X 100 3.2 1M N/A A1 65 N/A

With the same motherboard, upgrading from CPU Athlon X4 750K to top most available processor on the above list A10 5800K, will yield only about 8%-10% more performance at the cost of $90-$100 in not worth the price. Since you're willing to spend $300-$340, get the following AMD parts to experience noteworthy performance increase, play current and upcoming modern games with ease, that to under $300:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: AMD FX-8350 4.0GHz 8-Core Processor ($168.99 @ SuperBiiz) (Can be overclocked upto 4.7GHz)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($28.89 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-990FXA-UD3 ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($101.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Total: $292.88
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-04-25 02:43 EDT-0400

Else, if you wish to explore the Intel side, get this:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($231.99 @ NCIX US) (Can be overclocked to 4.4GHz-4.7GHz)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($28.89 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: ASRock Z97 Extreme3 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($99.99 @ Micro Center)
Total: $360.87
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-04-25 03:40 EDT-0400

Note:
The 8350, even when overclocked to 4.7Ghz, barely catches up with the entry level i5s like 4440, 4460 etc and is inferior to 4690K, that to on stock clock speed. The reality is 8350 has 8 weaker cores, perform well in multi thread games & applications but performs average in single thread games. While the i5s have 4 stronger cores, especially the 4690K perform exceptionally in games as well as applications, a good all rounder. I'm telling all this taking into consideration that only you pair either of the processors with a good GPU and you've one in the form of HD 7950 3GB.

I would lean towards Intel all-round overclocked monster i5 4690K, even though its costs $68 more than AMD combination. But hey, that's my preference. What's your? Pick either AMD or Intel, with the combo of parts I suggested and you'll not be disappointed and with that card you can game like a champ.

If you prefer Intel, there is also the option of enduring with the same Athlon X4 750K and you can get your hands on Intel's new "Skylake" confirmed to be released in Q3 2015, and motherboards equipped with H/Z/Q 100 Series Chipsets.

Cheers!

Thanks a ton man, I'll be sure to spend a little extra on the Intel side but one question, if I get a cheaper motherboard that can still run the CPU and such, will I be missing out on any performance?
(I seem like some sort of amateur at the moment, which is true compared to your level of experience) I know you've more than enough for helping me with this, but any response from anyone will be greatly appreciated before I bulk out my entire budget on something I can shave a few dollars off. Thanks and Cheers!

 

[yeskay]

I need some assistance with choosing whether to spend the rest of my money on a better CPU or graphics card, I mainly use this PC for gaming.

CPU: AMD Athlon X4 750K 3.4ghz
GPU: AMD Radeon 7950 HD 3gb
Motherboard: Takes an FM2 socket (Not FM2+)

I've got $300 as a budget set aside for upgrading my PC, (I could use up to $360 if necessary, but no more than that)

Any help is appreciated, thanks in advance

That's pretty good graphics card. You can keep that. It still has a lot of fire power left in it.

The CPU was released in OCT 2012, may be good for 1080p gaming even today. But If you feel need an upgrade just tell the motherboard model. So that I can guide you in the right direction.

If you don't know the model, just download this, extract and run the "cpuz_x32" or "cpuz_x64" based upon your OS (32 or 64 bit). This will show the hardware details of your PC. It will look like this:

Click on the "Mainboard" tab. It'll show your motherboard model.
Cheers!

The motherboard is an MSI FM2-A75MA-E35

This motherboard supports only a limited number of CPUs:

Processor Core Name CPU Code CPU No FSB CPU Speed L2 L3 Stepping Wattage GPU Result
A-Series Trinity AD560KWOA44HJ A8-5600K 100 3.6 3.5M N/A A1 100 HD 7560D 760MHz
A-Series Trinity AD5500OKA44HJ A8-5500 100 3.2 3.5M N/A A1 65 HD 7560D 760MHz
A-Series Trinity AD540KOKA23HJ A6-5400K 100 3.6 1M N/A A1 65 HD 7540D 760MHz
A-Series Trinity AD540BOKA23HJ A6-5400B 100 3.6 1M N/A A1 65 HD 7540D 760MHz
A-Series Trinity AD530BOKA23HJ A4-5300B 100 3.4 1M N/A A1 65 HD 7480D 724MHz
A-Series Trinity AD5300OKA23HJ A4-5300 100 3.4 1M N/A A1 65 HD 7480D 724MHz
A-Series Trinity AD580KWOA44HJ A10-5800K 100 3.8 1M N/A A1 100 HD 7660D 800MHz
A-Series Trinity AD5700OKA44HJ A10-5700 100 3.4 3.5M N/A A1 65 HD 7660D 760MHz
Athlon X4 Trinity AD750KWOA44HJ 750K 100 3.4 3.5M N/A A1 100 N/A
Athlon X4 Trinity AD740XOKA44HJ 740 100 3.2 3.5M N/A A1 65 N/A
Athlon X4 Trinity AD730XOKA44HJ 730 100 2.8 3.5M N/A A1 65 N/A
Athlon X2 Trinity AD340XOKA23HJ 340X 100 3.2 1M N/A A1 65 N/A

With the same motherboard, upgrading from CPU Athlon X4 750K to top most available processor on the above list A10 5800K, will yield only about 8%-10% more performance at the cost of $90-$100 in not worth the price. Since you're willing to spend $300-$340, get the following AMD parts to experience noteworthy performance increase, play current and upcoming modern games with ease, that to under $300:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: AMD FX-8350 4.0GHz 8-Core Processor ($168.99 @ SuperBiiz) (Can be overclocked upto 4.7GHz)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($28.89 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-990FXA-UD3 ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($101.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Total: $292.88
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-04-25 02:43 EDT-0400

Else, if you wish to explore the Intel side, get this:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($231.99 @ NCIX US) (Can be overclocked to 4.4GHz-4.7GHz)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($28.89 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: ASRock Z97 Extreme3 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($99.99 @ Micro Center)
Total: $360.87
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-04-25 03:40 EDT-0400

Note:
The 8350, even when overclocked to 4.7Ghz, barely catches up with the entry level i5s like 4440, 4460 etc and is inferior to 4690K, that to on stock clock speed. The reality is 8350 has 8 weaker cores, perform well in multi thread games & applications but performs average in single thread games. While the i5s have 4 stronger cores, especially the 4690K perform exceptionally in games as well as applications, a good all rounder. I'm telling all this taking into consideration that only you pair either of the processors with a good GPU and you've one in the form of HD 7950 3GB.

I would lean towards Intel all-round overclocked monster i5 4690K, even though its costs $68 more than AMD combination. But hey, that's my preference. What's your? Pick either AMD or Intel, with the combo of parts I suggested and you'll not be disappointed and with that card you can game like a champ.

If you prefer Intel, there is also the option of enduring with the same Athlon X4 750K and you can get your hands on Intel's new "Skylake" confirmed to be released in Q3 2015, and motherboards equipped with H/Z/Q 100 Series Chipsets.

Cheers!

Thanks a ton man, I'll be sure to spend a little extra on the Intel side but one question, if I get a cheaper motherboard that can still run the CPU and such, will I be missing out on any performance?
(I seem like some sort of amateur at the moment, which is true compared to your level of experience) I know you've more than enough for helping me with this, but any response from anyone will be greatly appreciated before I bulk out my entire budget on something I can shave a few dollars off. Thanks and Cheers!

If you wish to save some money without any noticeable drop in performance as well as durability:

For AMD:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Motherboard: Asus M5A99X EVO R2.0 ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($89.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Total: $89.99
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-05-02 07:13 EDT-0400

For Intel:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z97-HD3 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($81.88 @ Newegg)
Total: $81.88
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-05-02 07:27 EDT-0400

Cheers!