Recommended budget upgrade(s) for my current build

[DarkChuck]

I am currently trying to plan out a budget upgrade to my current build that will allow me to play games coming out now and possibly even later with at least 60fps on 1080p, and decently high settings. Currently, this is what I have:

GPU: Asus R7 370 4GB OC Edition
CPU: AMD A8-6600k Quad-Core 3.9GHz (always runs above 4GHz without OC though)
RAM: 8GB DDR3 1600MHz

I'd like to keep my upgrade as cheap as possible, but still be able to pack a punch in modern titles. So, any good suggestions?

 

[lunyone]

What PSU do you have, because that can limit the GPU upgrade which can give you the most gaming upgrade in your build. If you PSU is a bit weak than a GTX 1050/1050 Ti or even an RX 470 are possible options.

 

[smorizio]

i would look at zen cpu and mb when they drop. you have a good gpu but a weak cpu connected to it.

 

[Martell1977]

Run some games and see what is your bottleneck by watching the usage. I have a hunch that the CPU is holding the 370 back, in which case we need to know what motherboard you have to see what upgrades might be available.

If it turns out that the GPU is under-performing, your best option would be a RX 470, as a 460 or 1050 wouldn't be much of an upgrade, if at all. Of course this is if your PSU can handle it.

 

[DarkChuck]

According to what I've seen, my CPU is bottlenecking my GPU, which I have suspected for a long time, since playing on games with lots of people drops my frames considerably. I currently have a 500w PSU and an ECS A58F2P-M4 for a motherboard, so I don't know how much room that gives me to upgrade.

 

[lunyone]

According to what I've seen, my CPU is bottlenecking my GPU, which I have suspected for a long time, since playing on games with lots of people drops my frames considerably. I currently have a 500w PSU, so I don't know how much room that gives me to upgrade.

Not all 500w PSU are created equally, so what is your make and model of PSU? i.e. Corsair CX500w or something like that.

 

[DarkChuck]

An Allied SL-8500BTX 500w.

 

[Martell1977]

An Allied SL-8500BTX 500w.

That PSU is a basically a fire hazard, the one review I could find for it had it explode when the power draw hit 350w. This is something that should be replaced ASAP, regardless if ou upgrade anything or not. I would change anything until the PSU has been replaced in fact.
Here is a reference:
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/id-2547993/psu-tier-list.html
Seasonic has some great and affordable PSU's. EVGA does as well, just not the W1, P1 or B1 models.

As for the CPU, you are pretty close to the fastest you motherboard can handle.
http://www.ecs.com.tw/ECSWebSite/Product/Product_Support.aspx?DetailID=1553&CategoryID=1&DetailName=Feature&MenuID=186&LanID=0
The A10-6800k seems to be the top end that is compatible.

With that mobo there isn't much you can do, the only option really is to try getting a nice aftermarket cooler and overclock, but that could be risky and your PSU is probably barely holding up as it is.

 

[DarkChuck]

An Allied SL-8500BTX 500w.

That PSU is a basically a fire hazard, the one review I could find for it had it explode when the power draw hit 350w. This is something that should be replaced ASAP, regardless if ou upgrade anything or not. I would change anything until the PSU has been replaced in fact.
Here is a reference:
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/id-2547993/psu-tier-list.html
Seasonic has some great and affordable PSU's. EVGA does as well, just not the W1, P1 or B1 models.

As for the CPU, you are pretty close to the fastest you motherboard can handle.
http://www.ecs.com.tw/ECSWebSite/Product/Product_Support.aspx?DetailID=1553&CategoryID=1&DetailName=Feature&MenuID=186&LanID=0
The A10-6800k seems to be the top end that is compatible.

With that mobo there isn't much you can do, the only option really is to try getting a nice aftermarket cooler and overclock, but that could be risky and your PSU is probably barely holding up as it is.

I've done research on it myself when I got it and again after reading this, and I never saw anything mentioning it failing that badly, or even really at all, except that one review. Plus, it was recommended to me by someone who has been making high-tier gaming PCs for over 20 years, so I will stick with it until I need more power or if it starts to actually fail.

About the CPU, as the title suggests I am OK with upgrading multiple parts if it helps keep up with newer titles, I just want the most in-the-middle of budget and power I can get out of this build before I have to completely remake it or buy a new one.