I'm not sure what to upgrade...?

D

dielbe

New member
Hello OC3D!

I want my computer to be able to run BF4 or high-ultra settings at a constant 60FPS in multiplayer - currently I have to either run it in low or medium to keep my FPS up at those kind of refresh rates.

Now my question is, do I simply need a graphics card upgrade or is the rest of my system holding my cards performance back?

My PC specs arE:

Asus Crosshair IV Formula
Phenom II X4 955 @ 4.00GHz
4GB DDR3 @ 1600MHz
ATi 6970 OC
1080p monitor

My initial thoughts where the CPU wasn't up to snuff but if I check my activity monitor whilst playing BF4 the CPU never goes above 75% whilst the graphics card is at 100% most of the time.

I'm interested to hear your thoughts on how I can best upgrade my system!

Thanks
 
Seems like you're going to see the biggest performance increase from upgrading your GPU. Do you have anything in mind, and what is your budget?

Your platform is getting a bit dated now, but for most current games it'll do fine. With upcoming titles though, an extra 4GB of RAM and a CPU upgrade might not be a bad (nor very expensive) idea :)
 
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If you stick with an AMD gpu the new mantle API will essentially make what CPU you have useful only for how many threads it has (rather than single thread IPC grunt) to feed the gpu(s).

So with BF4 and the above in mind, I'd increase your ram to 8GB (or 16GB should budget allow it) and either a 270, 280x or a R9 290 depending on your budget.
 
Silver Sparrow said:
If you stick with an AMD gpu the new mantle API will essentially make what CPU you have useful only for how many threads it has (rather than single thread IPC grunt) to feed the gpu(s).

So with BF4 and the above in mind, I'd increase your ram to 8GB (or 16GB should budget allow it) and either a 270, 280x or a R9 290 depending on your budget.
Click to expand...

Mantle won't be supported by his 6970. It is not GCN architecture.

Upgrading your GPU to a 280x will be able to handle a 60fps task in BF4. Not constant but no GPU will. Keep v-sync off as it creates input lag.

Next upgrade would be Cpu and ram which would then make your system a very capable machine.
 
Wow! Thanks for taking time out to help me out guys, I really appreciate it! :D

I think you have confirmed my thoughts and I will certainly be doubling my RAM to 8GB and I will upgrade my graphics card also.

I'm thinking about getting a R9 290 - my only worry being it won't fit in my case! (A Fractal Design R3).

A CPU upgrade would also require a new motherboard so for a haswell i5 with unlocked multiplier and a decent board (maybe the M-ATX Sniper G1) we're talking £360ish! So that may have to come later, especially if I need to replace my case too! (thinking of getting a corsair 540 air).

Although when I do come to do a CPU upgrade (maybe with the next gen intel stuff) I could stick another R9 290 in and have an absolute beast of a rig! (for 1080p gaming atleast!)

Thanks again guys! Also, if anyone else has any different suggestions please let me know - is 16GB worth the cost over 8GB for gaming purposes? Is the 290 a good idea or should I get a 280X or 290X?

Cheers!
 
If you are getting a new case or at least thinking about getting one then i suggest you do that first. It would be able to get all the hardware you want without worrying about restrictions, such as your GPU upgrade.

Case suggestions are all personal and dependent on the buyer and motherboard size. I would suggest looking into the Fractal Arc Midi R2 or R4, from other companies look into the Corsair 500r or 750D. From NZXT you could go for a 810, H630, or Phantom 530. These are all for ATX motherboards(also support m-atx).
Since you are looking into the m-atx motherboard in the future i would suggest these top 2 cases. Fractal Arc Mini R2 or Corsair 350D.

In any of these cases a 290(x) will easily fit. But for the case you have now then a 280x will fit in any of them as well. At 1080p a 280x will easily max any game out except maybe Crysis 3 or a few other games, 290 or 290x will eat up 1080p games and are more aimed at 1440p games.

8GB vs 16GB for gaming purposes? 8GB is a very solid starting point. Though more newer games are starting to utilize more ram so 16GB is also a good option if you have the money for it. Keep in mind you will need Win7 Pro/Ult to use more than 16GB. I do not remember what W8 requires for memory limits?

Hoped this helped.
 
Would you not recommend the Corsair 540 then? I have a non modular PSU so the idea of having it hidden in a separate compartment is quite appealing! I think a 290 might fit in my current case anyway, although I can't find an official specs on the length of the reference card + cooler!

I think the 750D would be my other possible case option if I don't go for the 540. Or I could just stick with my Fractal R3!

Thanks! :D
 
The 290 is 11.46" or 291mm.

The 540 case is a good choice to(just not to me personally) but all cases have a the seperate compartment; hence the motherboard tray. Only difference this time is the 540 is very wide which lets you keep them all hidden more easily.

Might want to upgrade your PSU then?
 
Okay, great! Thanks for the info :D

I'm still undecided on case but I don't think my budget will stretch to a new PSU at the moment. If I'm going to upgrade I'd want to go for the 860 or 1200 Corsair AX series PSU so that (hopefully) it's not something I'd then have to upgrade when I get a new Mobo/CPU or add a second R9 290 (which seem quite power hungry!).

Thanks for all your advice! I'll let you know what I've got when I get it!
 
Okay - quick update! I've just sold a microphone I wasn't using anymore so that's added about £800 to my budget! :D

What PSU would you recommend for Crossfire R9 290's?
 
I checked on the Asus site and the 8350 isn't listed as a supported processor. The 8150 is though? You reckon 850 is beef enough for two? Will be overclocking them as well of course! :D
 
Personally I haven't played BF4 so I'm unsure on the specs. But if I were you I'd probably upgrade to an I5 or I7, if you can.
Just going from my experience Intel cpus tend to keep stabler fps then AMD.

A GPU upgrade couldn't go a miss if it's at 100%.
 
I'm sure your motherboard will support it with a bios update. The 8350 will do fine with Battlefield (the 8350 can keep up with the i7 4 cores) and as more games make better use of cores it could only get better :D. Good luck overclocking 290s without extensive cooling by the way... :P
 
Hey guys! Thanks for all your help!

Tomorrow I'm picking up a i5 4760k ,a MSI Gaming Z87-G45 Mobo, 8GB of 2133MHz Axevir DDR3 Ram and an EVGA 780 ti superclocked with acx cooler. Hopefully that will do the trick! I'll post on the build logs section of the forum when I start work :)
 
dielbe said:
Hey guys! Thanks for all your help!

Tomorrow I'm picking up a i5 4760k ,a MSI Gaming Z87-G45 Mobo, 8GB of 2133MHz Axevir DDR3 Ram and an EVGA 780 ti superclocked with acx cooler. Hopefully that will do the trick! I'll post on the build logs section of the forum when I start work :)
Click to expand...

Sounds like a nice build! Can't wait to see it :)
 
It's here and it's built! Not overclocked anything yet and scored 10,000+ in 3D Mark Firestrike!

I went for 16GB of 2400Mhz RAM in the end as well

1486119_10152176187919772_752108658_o.jpg
 
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