Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie

PC Upgrade Recommendations

  • 04-02-2016 4:37pm
    #1
    Korvanica
    Registered Users Posts: 3,992 ✭✭✭


    Hi all,

    Its about time I upgraded my desperately aging computer a bit so I said id post here for some recommendations on what I should upgrade.

    Here's my current spec:

    CPU: Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-2500K CPU @ 3.30GHz
    Motherboard: MSI Z68A-G45 (G3)
    RAM: 8GB
    Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 Ti 1GB
    PSU: 650W AData Bronze+
    CPU Cooler: CM 212 EVO

    In work at the moment and cannot remember the make of the RAM or PSU so ill update them later.

    I know the Graphics card will need changing. But will the CPU bottleneck the system if I don't change it too?

    Currently playing Games like ARK, Rust, ARMA, LOL, DOTA and Fallout 4 to give you a baseline for what I need to run a decent quality. Currently I run almost all of them on low-mid setting for max performance.

    I've about €500 to upgrade, but can probably stretch more if its necessary.


Comments

  • #2
    Xenoronin
    Registered Users Posts: 1,307 ✭✭✭Xenoronin


    Slight overclock on the i5 (may not even be needed) would be nice, especially since you have the cooler for it.

    Throw a GTX 970 in that and you are golden for another few years. Nothing else is really required. Maybe look at AMD as an alternative, something like the R9 Nano is going pretty cheap now for 450€.


  • #3
    Redfox25
    Registered Users Posts: 1,510 ✭✭✭Redfox25


    Ypu gaming at 1080p or 1440p?
    If its 1080p then a new gpu and yoir laughing.
    R9 390 or r9 380x even would be cheap enough. No need for the nano.
    Your psu might not be up to a 380x or 390 though. 970 might be a better buy in this case


  • #4
    Redfox25
    Registered Users Posts: 1,510 ✭✭✭Redfox25


    Ypu gaming at 1080p or 1440p?
    If its 1080p then a new gpu and yoir laughing.
    R9 390 or r9 380x even would be cheap enough. No need for the nano.
    Your psu might not be up to a 380x or 390 though. 970 might be a better buy in this case


  • #5
    Korvanica
    Registered Users Posts: 3,992 ✭✭✭Korvanica


    Cheers lads.

    It'd be 1080p Gaming.

    Just Checked, Ive a 650Watt PSU, (i'd forgotten id replaced a while ago).

    Agreed that the Nano might be overkill for what I need. Seems the 390 might be the one for me. Any recommendations on Manufacturer?


  • #6
    Korvanica
    Registered Users Posts: 3,992 ✭✭✭Korvanica


    Cheers lads.

    It'd be 1080p Gaming.

    Just Checked, Ive a 650Watt PSU, (i'd forgotten id replaced a while ago).

    Agreed that the Nano might be overkill for what I need. Seems the 390 might be the one for me. Any recommendations on Manufacturer?


  • Advertisement
  • #7
    Eoinmc97
    Registered Users Posts: 403 ✭✭Eoinmc97


    Sapphire and Powercolor offer the quietest versions, whilst XFX offers a cheaper version that's a bit louder.
    They all perform the same roughly.


  • #8
    Eoinmc97
    Registered Users Posts: 403 ✭✭Eoinmc97


    Sapphire and Powercolor offer the quietest versions, whilst XFX offers a cheaper version that's a bit louder.
    They all perform the same roughly.


  • #9
    Dyr
    Registered Users Posts: 23,246 ✭✭✭✭Dyr


    MAybe check that MSI board will support the latest graphic cards


  • #10
    TerrorFirmer
    Closed Accounts Posts: 29,930 ✭✭✭✭TerrorFirmer


    Bambi wrote: »
    MAybe check that MSI board will support the latest graphic cards

    Why wouldn't it? :confused:


  • #11
    Eoinmc97
    Registered Users Posts: 403 ✭✭Eoinmc97


    Bambi wrote: »
    MAybe check that MSI board will support the latest graphic cards

    It will lol, his PC ain't that old and new GPUs aren't powerful enough to be bottlenecked by PCI-e 2.0 yet


  • Advertisement
  • #12
    Dyr
    Registered Users Posts: 23,246 ✭✭✭✭Dyr


    Eoinmc97 wrote: »
    It will lol, his PC ain't that old and new GPUs aren't powerful enough to be bottlenecked by PCI-e 2.0 yet

    I've a five year old MSI motherboard running an i5 2500k and was told that I could forget about the higher end nvidia cards working with the BIOS


  • #13
    Nibs05
    Registered Users Posts: 669 ✭✭✭Nibs05


    I'm in the same position, I have a 2500K sitting at 4.3ghz happy all day long, these sandy bridge cpu's are rock sold and great overclockers.

    Now I'm having some serious driver issues with my HD7950, the drivers crash out on most games, especially in FSX and AMD no longer support it, I'll probably upgrade to a GTX970 when finances are better.

    I have done some research though and found that my asrockz68 may have issues with newer cards as well.


  • #14
    Redfox25
    Registered Users Posts: 1,510 ✭✭✭Redfox25


    You should be fine with the AMD cards as they are technically a few years old with the 3 series.
    Worth checking out first though ofc.


  • #15
    Dcully
    Moderators, Computer Games Moderators Posts: 14,682 Mod ✭✭✭✭Dcully


    i5 2500K here @ 4.5 ghz rock solid with an EVGA GTX 970, playing games on max settings @ 1080 144hz monitor and very few games if any struggle to hit a solid 144fps and if they do gsync kicks in and keeps everything buttery smooth.
    Them i5 are legendary overclockers at this stage.


  • #16
    Dcully
    Moderators, Computer Games Moderators Posts: 14,682 Mod ✭✭✭✭Dcully


    i5 2500K here @ 4.5 ghz rock solid with an EVGA GTX 970, playing games on max settings @ 1080 144hz monitor and very few games if any struggle to hit a solid 144fps and if they do gsync kicks in and keeps everything buttery smooth.
    Them i5 are legendary overclockers at this stage.


  • #17
    Redfox25
    Registered Users Posts: 1,510 ✭✭✭Redfox25


    If your considering changing your monitor to a gsync nvidea or freesync amd screen then that would push you to one card vs another.
    If your not, get the best deal you can enjoy either card


  • #18
    Korvanica
    Registered Users Posts: 3,992 ✭✭✭Korvanica


    Cheers lads. Went with a PowerColour R9 390 after.


  • #19
    Redfox25
    Registered Users Posts: 1,510 ✭✭✭Redfox25


    We want pics when its in!


  • #20
    Korvanica
    Registered Users Posts: 3,992 ✭✭✭Korvanica


    Redfox25 wrote: »
    We want pics when its in!

    g7YWNjL.jpg

    Jaysus, it just barely fit. Probably 1cm of room left. Tidy cabling is not something I care about.:pac:

    Great Success.


  • #21
    Redfox25
    Registered Users Posts: 1,510 ✭✭✭Redfox25


    Now, is it a beast of a card
    :)
    Enjoy it.


  • Advertisement
  • #22
    Lu Tze
    Registered Users Posts: 3,495 ✭✭✭Lu Tze


    Korvanica wrote: »
    g7YWNjL.jpg

    Jaysus, it just barely fit. Probably 1cm of room left. Tidy cabling is not something I care about.:pac:

    Great Success.
    You would have been out of luck if the power plugs were aligned horizontally instead of vertically!


Advertisement