Upgrade with new build in mind

[Toboggan]

Hi all,

First time poster thought I could use some of your help.

I'm currently using a PC which was built probably about 6+ years ago. It's a bit outdated now (have made slight upgrades along the way) and I'm looking to get better performance in games. (currently playing Guild Wars 2, WoW, Medal of Honor Multiplayer)

My current spec is:
Motherboard: MSI K9N Neo-F (MS-7369)
CPU: AMD Athlon 64 X2 5000+ @ 2.6GHz
Memory: 4x 1GB DDR2 (PC2-5300)
Hard Drive : 250GB 7200RPM Seagate HDD
Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GT 240
Display: BenQ GL2450H (24")

So, unfortunately I am stuck with the above, without the immediate funds to go for a new build. My thoughts were to upgrade my graphics card with a card which I could use in a new build later on. My budget for this is really <£100. I was looking at the GTX 650 TI.

Would it be worth spending the extra £20 and go with the 2GB card?
Should I be looking at a different card?
Would upgrading the graphics card alone give me a significant difference in game?

Any thoughts and advice would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks.

 

[jamesriley94]

It will give you a boost in performance yes.

However, if you're on that tight a budget, I'd seriously consider looking for something second hand.
You can get a 660ti for £125ish second hand these days, and probably a 7870 for a bit less.

 

[Toboggan]

Thank you, I'll take a look at some second hand/refurbished cards and see what I find.

I'll be back in the future for some new build advice!

 

[NeverBackDown]

Get that CPU and Mobo upgraded next, i'm fairly certain that cpu will keep any newer gpu from reaching full potential.

 

[Toboggan]

Get that CPU and Mobo upgraded next, i'm fairly certain that cpu will keep any newer gpu from reaching full potential.

Thanks for the reply. I understand that because the age of this machine, every part I replace there will be one more holding it back. I think in the long run i'm better off with a new build.

I did take a look at a budget new build which could always be further upgraded for years to come. If I could get any of your thoughts on that it would be great.

http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/p/1w8Tg

I can reuse the OS, PSU, Optical Drive from my existing and I will have a newer GPU by the time I get round to this too. Chose a pretty simple case, not too fussed about the aesthetics, mainly going for a little performance and future proofing on a budget.

 

[NeverBackDown]

What will the rig be used for? Budget? And if you are upgrading then i suggest considering getting rid of the 650i card, its ok but not great.

 

[Toboggan]

Mainly gaming. MMO's, the occasional FPS and emulator (PS2).

I do not have a budget set, but cannot afford to go all out and spend loads. The main thing I am going for is for MMO's(WoW, Aion, Tera) to be running smoothly, and the machine to be upgrade-able for years to come.

Apologies if i'm being a bit vague, I appreciate your help.^_^

 

[NeverBackDown]

We need a budget before we can recommend anything dude. otherwise it's pointless