Optimal gaming PC upgrade strategy: sequential or new build?

[TaloCT]

I built my current PC about 6 years ago and with next-gen gaming and my build not even meeting the minimum requirements for new games, I am starting to feel the desire to do a new build.

My current build is:

Processor: Intel Core i7-920 (currently slightly OC'd but if I upgrade the cooler I could get quite a bit more out of it)

Motherboard: Asus P6T Deluxe V2 LGA 1366 x58

CPU Cooler: Zalman CNPS9700

RAM: 6gb DDR3 (Triple channel with 3x 2gb)

Video Card: Radeon HD 4870 1GB 256-bit GDDR5

Power Supply: Corsair SMPSU-750TX, 750W

HDD (Primary): WD VelociRaptor 150gb 10k RPM

Monitor: 2x Acer 23" 1080P

I use my PC for gaming, work (writing code, statistical analysis), and lots of video and browsing. When I play games I generally also have a TV show playing on my second monitor. Performance is important but I would say I am generally looking for the best performance per dollar rather than the bleeding edge.

The main thing holding my PC back at this point is my video card. If I just upgrade my video card - would that be enough to allow me to play modern games at 1080p for the next year or two, or should I bite the bullet and upgrade my whole rig?

I would eventually like to do 4K gaming, but buying two 4k monitors and a build for that is quite expensive and I have a budget around $1,000 or so. If I can get another year or two out of my current build, then I'm hoping I could do a much more affordable and long-lasting 4K build at that point.

If I do upgrade just my video card there is then another consideration:

1) Get the cheapest card that will allow me to do 1080P gaming (not sure what card that would be).

2) Get something like an r9 290 or gtx-970 which will likely be overkill for my current gaming needs, but I would carry it over into the new build so I could move to 4K gaming sooner.

Any advice on what the best upgrade strategy is or any other considerations I may have missed out would be helpful.

Thanks!

 

[entropy4money]

I think your video card is holding you back. It is not a bad idea to upgrade to an r9 290, yeah it will be a bit over-kill but it will improve your gaming experience by a lot. Is it possible to upgrade RAM? if you can get up to 8gb then do it. If not, it is ok 6gb is not that terrible. You can get a faster CPU for your mobo, but it might be hard to find or not worth the price. Check e-bay maybe you can find a used one.

I think you can still get more juice from that PC, go for it, get a new video card. Honestly I don't think your current rig is that bad.

 

[TaloCT]

Thanks - I'm starting to think the same, there is just always that temptation to go out and do a new build because it is fun.

I've had trouble finding RAM that will work well with this board, but I hadn't checked eBay. If I can grab some for a good price there I can likely go for 8 or 12 gb.

I hadn't considered getting a faster CPU, but that is a possibility. I have heard of people OCing the 920 up towards 4 ghz but my temps are a bit hot right now. Maybe with a new cooler I could go up to 3.4ghz or so though.

So, It looks like upgrading my PC for now is the way to go. With video card, 8+ gb of ram, better CPU cooler, and maybe an SSD - I think that should give me enough power to go to keep on going till I do a 4K oriented build.

For video card, you think the r9 290 is the one to go for or are there any other ones I should consider?

 

[entropy4money]

Thanks - I'm starting to think the same, there is just always that temptation to go out and do a new build because it is fun.

I've had trouble finding RAM that will work well with this board, but I hadn't checked eBay. If I can grab some for a good price there I can likely go for 8 or 12 gb.

I hadn't considered getting a faster CPU, but that is a possibility. I have heard of people OCing the 920 up towards 4 ghz but my temps are a bit hot right now. Maybe with a new cooler I could go up to 3.4ghz or so though.

So, It looks like upgrading my PC for now is the way to go. With video card, 8+ gb of ram, better CPU cooler, and maybe an SSD - I think that should give me enough power to go to keep on going till I do a 4K oriented build.

For video card, you think the r9 290 is the one to go for or are there any other ones I should consider?

It depends how much money you want to spend. I personally like the R9 280x a lot, but yes the 290 is much better. And there's also the NVIDIA video cards. I think you should get something with at least 3gb VRAM, because in a near future when you upgrade your mobo and processor you could crossfire and get 6gb VRAM, or if you go with the 290 you will be up to 8gb VRAM. Another option you can consider is getting 2x280 and using crossfire, it usually performs better than one 290 and it can be cheaper. I think AMD you will get a better deal than NVIDIA, whatever people say the R9 series are an amazing series of video cards, better than the NVIDIA.

It is up to you.