Looking at the R9 280x; New CPU too?

[SirThorfinn]

Hey, I've been thinking about getting a new GPU this holiday season because I feel I'm due. Currently I'm using dual 5770's. They have lasted me a long time and have played games great in the past but since the new consoles are coming out and games are going to be getting prettier and more demanding I thought I'd upgrade to the new 280x. Great price for what you get and I actually like what AMD has going for them. I had a few concerns however as well.

My CPU isn't anything new so I wasn't sure if it may be smart to just do an entirely new build to go along and I only have a 630 watt PSU. If I can get away with it I'd like to not have to do that though. Just curious of any bottle necks that may come up.

My current set up:
AMD Phenom II X4 965 Black Edition Overclocked to 4.1Ghz
Corsair H80 Water Cooler
16 GB of 1333 RAM
Dual Radeon 5770's in Crossfire
3 HDD's ~1.6 TB Tot.
630 Watt PSU

So do you guys think I could survive on my current build, swapping out my GPU's for a 280x and nothing else? Or should I think about upgrading more than just that? Thanks!

 

[NeverBackDown]

What PSU is it? Brand and model? If it is anything decent it will do fine.

CPU could keep up with a 280x but you would see more performance increase upgrading it but not nearly to the extent of a 280x over the 5770's.

Also is your memory rated 1333mhz? Most ddr3 kits come standard as 1600mhz.

 

[SirThorfinn]

What PSU is it? Brand and model? If it is anything decent it will do fine.

CPU could keep up with a 280x but you would see more performance increase upgrading it but not nearly to the extent of a 280x over the 5770's.

Also is your memory rated 1333mhz? Most ddr3 kits come standard as 1600mhz.

It's a Xion XON-630P12N Power Supply. Came with a case I had a long time ago and never had problems with it so I kept it. And yes my memory is ddr3 and rated for 1333Mhz. It was some cheap RAM I got from Microcenter.

 

[WYP]

Your CPU should be fine for now. You'll definitely get more benefit from a GPU upgrade.

Can't say how long your CPU will remain good enough for gaming though.

 

[SirThorfinn]

Your CPU should be fine for now. You'll definitely get more benefit from a GPU upgrade.

Can't say how long your CPU will remain good enough for gaming though.

Okay, cool. Thanks for the response. I just wasn't totally sure if there might be some bottle necking or not and figured you guys would know more than me, thanks. I'll probably wait on building an entirely new system when it becomes a problem

 

[NeverBackDown]

Okay, cool. Thanks for the response. I just wasn't totally sure if there might be some bottle necking or not and figured you guys would know more than me, thanks. I'll probably wait on building an entirely new system when it becomes a problem

I would be tempted to get a new PSU if possible. Since your psu seems to be from a lower quality brand, if it still works then keep it though.

After a GPU upgrade a CPU upgrade IMO would then make you have a complete system that is ready for any modern game.. Also an ssd would drastically make your system far more responsive.

 

[Rastalovich]

Wouldn't mind betting, the biggest increase in performance you'll see, at the best price, would be to invest in a solid state drive.