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Started by The T-Man | | 15 answers
Would like to determine if I need an upgrade.
I would like to know if there is anything I need to upgrade, I run a few games that I'd like to be able to set to ultra if not just under ultra settings...mostly Blizzard games like Starcraft, WoW, and Diablo although Skyrim, Resident Evil 4, and Dark Souls are also fun. I believe what I have now is mostly for average graphics unless there is a bottleneck I'm unaware of, I'm still learning what I can about computers in general.

If its recommended to upgrade, I can manage about 150-200$ for a graphics card, I assume anything else is cheaper than that.

My comp:

OS: Windows 7 32-bit

cpu: AMD Phenom II X4 965 Black Edition Deneb 3.4GHz Socket AM3 125W Quad-Core

motherboard: GIGABYTE GA-970A-UD3 AM3+ AMD 970 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX AMD

cpu heatsink/fan: COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 Plus RR-B10-212P-G1 "Heatpipe Direct Contact" Long Life Sleeve 120mm CPU

video card: ASUS ENGTX550 TI DC TOP/DI/1GD5 GeForce GTX 550 Ti (Fermi) 1GB 192-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16

power supply: CORSAIR Enthusiast Series TX750 V2 750W ATX12V v2.31/ EPS12V v2.92 80

memory: G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9D-8GBRL

Thank you in advance, I was just pointed to this site and there's alot I can learn from this.
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September 28, 2014 11:24:38 PM

You don't need a better CPU. Because 1, its fast enough as it is, and you should get an Intel, because almost any Intel CPU you could afford will be better than an AMD for gaming.

Graphics card is definitely the only thing you need to upgrade for gaming.
Spend as much as you can on a new AMD graphics card and you will be fine for a few years.
September 28, 2014 11:08:07 PM

Hi The T-Man
I think your CPU is powerful enough. You don't need a 6-core or 8-core since you will only use 4-core maximum in all current apps,games. Still if you need more powerful CPU then i5 is best. It gives more performance/w than AMD. Still I love AMD. Don't know why.

You really need to upgrade to a Windows - 64 bit. It will utilize your 8 GB RAM.
About your graphics , If you're playing a demanding game it will bottleneck. GT-550 Ti is not that powerful if you're planning on Heavy gaming.

I would suggest AMD for a change. But if you're Dual-Booting with Linux, then NVIDIA would be the right choice.
R9 270x would be a nice choice. or If you're planning for NVIDIA , wait for some time. That is what I will do.

Good Luck
September 28, 2014 10:52:21 PM

^ Go for the r9 270x if your solely going for a gpu. I'm currently running a 270x and it can play everything I throw at it on ultra, with a few exceptions.
September 28, 2014 10:47:26 PM

both will do a better job, cpu and gpu, but if only going for a videocard, why then go for a r7 250x if you also want to play skyrim, i would go for the 270x or 750ti oke it has less memory bandwidth but the do a great job.
but you see there is a lot out there that would be a nice upgrade.
so what ever you decide hope you enjoy it.
September 28, 2014 10:42:46 PM

I'm afraid under 200$ Amd graphic cards are the way to go.
September 28, 2014 10:19:28 PM

Grab the 270x I suggested above, Whenever you have the spare cash... go out and buy yourself a FX 8320. You current CPU will get the job done, You will have a tad bit of a bottleneck, but enough to live with.

FX 8320: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

Trust me, In the end it will make a huge difference in overall gameplay. :) 
September 28, 2014 10:16:15 PM

Which isn't to say I can't learn to install a different card, I appreciate all the help I've received thus far from all of you.
September 28, 2014 10:14:14 PM

Well, if my cpu can take it I can focus on the graphics card. I do regularly backup my files so the first thing I'll have to do is upgrade windows. I am accustomed to nvidia cards because they work and my track record with getting drivers is terrible.

September 28, 2014 10:07:43 PM

If your going to upgrade both I would get a r7 250x (Running about 99$) And then an fx 6300 (Again about 99$) will give you some more computing power.

Cpu: http://www.amazon.com/AMD-FD6300WMHKBOX-FX-6300-6-Core-...

Gpu:http://www.amazon.com/Sapphire-Radeon-PCI-Express-Graph...

Gpu might look weak, but it's a lot better then what you've got

Also, about upgrading to 64 bit, I wouldn't know about your files, but I would assume you back up everything, reinstall a 64 bit of windows, then put all your files back on.

In addition, if your willing to throw in another 30$, you could get an 8 core fx instead of the 6 core. Something to consider :) 
September 28, 2014 10:04:13 PM

Can I upgrade to 64-bit with little concern for my files and settings or should I just to a clean install? Thank you for the suggestion, would the card be enough or should I also upgrade the CPU while I'm at it? I'd like to keep the total for both around $200, but a good upgrade isn't something I want to take for granted so I can save up.

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