Upgrades for an old PC?

[Edge]

So I've decided to dropping £2000 on a brand new rig isn't really sensible for me financially right now, but as an avid gamer and video maker I do need to get some more performance, so I'm going down the upgrade path.

My main concern is value for money upgrades without ending up with new bottlenecks. The system is fairly balanced right now.

Here's my current specs:

Intel i3-2100 3.1 GHz
Gigabyte GA-H61M-USB3-B3
XFX Radeon HD 6870 Graphics
Corsair XMS3 8GB (2x4) DDR3 1333MHz
Coolermaster Elite 330 case with 500w psu
Windows 7 Home 64bit OEM

Okay, so first things first. My HDDs are fine. My OS is OEM, so I don't want to mess with the motherboard.

For gaming and rendering, obviously that leaves CPU and GPU. 8GB RAM is plenty for this atm.

Am I still okay picking up a Sandy Bridge CPU, or should I (if possible) flash my BIOS and go Ivy?

Call it £250-350 worth of upgrades, preferably, I can stretch a little if necessary. I'd prefer to save the hassle and just go Sandy, unless it's really not that much more expensive/really is worth going Ivy. H61 can't be OC'd so I don't need to worry about k editions.I also don't want to go silly with a GPU that's going to be held back by a terrible CPU.


Thanks for your help, again!

 

[WYP]

you will likely be better off going ivy, it would be hard to find a good sandy cpu unless it was second hand.

i'd go for this for a cpu and gpu upgrade

ivy bridge i5 3330, £126

HD 7870 tahiti LE, £144

PSU, Coolermaster Silent pro gold rated 550w, £54
or Corsair CX600w bronze rated 600w £63


total = £324 or £333

you can go up to a i5 3470 for about £20 more

there are hardly any hd 7870 tahiti GPUs left so if you want it please buy ASAP

 

[Mathius]

Looking at your mobo CPU support list, there is no bios update needed, you should be running bios F11 and supports Ivy as is.

£350 should be able to get your a HD 7950 3GB and an Ivy i5-3570, but if you are rendering a lot then an i7 might be a better option.


Edit:
Watsyyerproblem has a great suggestion at only a little under performance. both scenarios are good

 

[barnsley]

The issue is that just changing the CPU is going to leave you with not much money to play with. Can we have more details about the psu as well?

Here is what I came up with:
CPU: i5 2500 (you might want to flash the bios so you can go ivy as the cpus are cheaper): £166.21 @dabs
GPU: R9 270x (when it comes in stock) £158.53 @CCL

 

[Feronix]

you will likely be better off going ivy, it would be hard to find a good sandy cpu unless it was second hand.

i'd go for this for a cpu and gpu upgrade

ivy bridge i5 3330, £126

HD 7870 tahiti LE, £144

total = £270

you can go up to a i5 3470 for about £20 more

there are hardly any hd 7870 tahiti GPUs left so if you want it please buy ASAP

This would be perfect for a mid-range gaming PC and also leave a bit of money left for an SSD maybe? But...

... if you are rendering a lot then an i7 might be a better option.

This is also true. I believe there used to be an Intel Xeon CPU that was basically an i7 at the price of an i5, but it didn't have integrated graphics. It will also use a bit more power, but that shouldn't really be a problem. Will have to check which one that is and if it's on your motherboard support list.

 

[Edge]

PSU came as a bundle, the CoolerMaster Elite 330 with a 500W PSU, so I'm assuming it's the Elite Power 500W.

This would be perfect for a mid-range gaming PC and also leave a bit of money left for an SSD maybe? But...



This is also true. I believe there used to be an Intel Xeon CPU that was basically an i7 at the price of an i5, but it didn't have integrated graphics. It will also use a bit more power, but that shouldn't really be a problem. Will have to check which one that is and if it's on your motherboard support list.

Sounds like a lot of hassle to get everything shifted over to an SSD, aha. My HDD's are pretty quick, and I'm not fussed about load times.

As for the i7, it depends how much further you have to stretch for it. I'm not even sure Sony Vegas (my primary software) can get much use out the upgrade. I'd rather go i5 and a better GPU than an i7 and a worse GPU, basically.

 

[WYP]

PSU came as a bundle, the CoolerMaster Elite 330 with a 500W PSU, so I'm assuming it's the Elite Power 500W.

i used to own that psu, used it for a while a few years ago with a 1090T at stock and a gtx 460.

i believe it has only a single 6 pin gpu power? please correct me if i am wrong.
i would upgrade the psu if you need more than one 6 pin power for your new gpu

it also isn't 80+ certified, and can be loud (personal experience).

i would replace that if i could afford it, it isn't ... a very modern psu.

 

[Edge]

i used to own that psu, used it for a while a few years ago with a 1090T at stock and a gtx 460.

i believe it has only a single 6 pin gpu power? please correct me if i am wrong.
i would upgrade the psu if you need more than one 6 pin power for your new gpu

it also isn't 80+ certified, and can be loud (personal experience).

i would replace that if i could afford it, it isn't ... a very modern psu.

Haha for sure, I'm currently using an adapter to get the second 6pin.

I'm happy to upgrade the PSU as long as everything still works okay with the new one, and it fits into the budget!

 

[WYP]

Haha for sure, I'm currently using an adapter to get the second 6pin.

I'm happy to upgrade the PSU as long as everything still works okay with the new one, and it fits into the budget!

with what i suggested earlier you should be able to fit a good psu in there and remain in your £300 budget.

My elite 500w is still running fine in my mothers office pc, it has never failed me once. it would just be preferable to have a better 80+ certified psu with an additional 6 pin power (I dislike the 6-pin to two molex adaptors, though i once used one for my before mentioned gtx 460).

ill find you a nice psu and edit my previous post.

 

[Edge]

with what i suggested earlier you should be able to fit a good psu in there and remain in your £300 budget.

My elite 500w is still running fine in my mothers office pc, it has never failed me once. it would just be preferable to have a better 80+ certified psu with an additional 6 pin power (I dislike the 6-pin to two molex adaptors, though i once used one for my before mentioned gtx 460).

ill find you a nice psu and edit my previous post.

Thanks dude. I actually use a microphone on a daily basis and you are right, after a quick inspection it seems that the massive noise coming from my PC for the last two years has been the PSU, haha! Fortunately Audacity's built-in Noise removal is fantastic.

 

[Feronix]

I agree that your PSU needs replacing. You won't be able to run any decent GPU off that without adaptors. Wattage-wise it's okay so I'd recommend the CX500m by Corsair. Can be had for around 50 quid and it's only £2 more than the standard version, so you might as well go modular. It will push you a bit over your budget though.

Right then, I've looked up what CPU it was; turns out it's the Xeon E3-1230 which is a Sandy chip. It can't be overclocked but it has 4 Hyperthreaded cores running at 3.2GHz. Comes with the standard Intel box cooler, which will be loud but it'll do the job for now. Comes in at around £170.

Then, for £160 you can get yourself an R9 270x. It's a mid-range card that will play any modern game, but maybe not on the ultra settings. Here's the review with benchmarks, but do remember that all these gaming benchmarks are done at maximum settings:
http://www.overclock3d.net/reviews/gpu_displays/amd_r9_270x_review/1

This combo just fits your budget. I'd really recommend it if you are serious about the editing/ rendering, however if this rig is primarily for gaming, the i5 3330 + 7870 Tahiti LE/ 7950/ 280(x) combination that Watsyerproblem suggested would serve you better. That way you can also squeeze in the PSU, that would otherwise add another £50 to the bundle that I suggested and thus pushing you over budget.

A small note about the CPU; I checked the Gigabyte website and the E3-1230 is on the CPU support list, however I did not find that model available (although I only checked Scan tbh). They did have the E3-1230 V2 model, which is essentially just the Ivy Bridge version of the same processor and since your motherboard does support most Ivy CPUs I think it's worth it to have a quick Google search and see if you can find anything, or just send Gigabyte a message.

Oh, and in the future please don't double post but use the

button instead, thanks. I'll merge your posts this time

 

[WYP]

Thanks dude. I actually use a microphone on a daily basis and you are right, after a quick inspection it seems that the massive noise coming from my PC for the last two years has been the PSU, haha! Fortunately Audacity's built-in Noise removal is fantastic.

ok edited my first post.

both PSUs are modular, the coolermaster gold rated 550w psu is a limited time offer though.

yeah the psu gets loud under any reasonable load

 

[Edge]

I agree that your PSU needs replacing. You won't be able to run any decent GPU off that without adaptors. Wattage-wise it's okay so I'd recommend the CX500m by Corsair. Can be had for around 50 quid and it's only £2 more than the standard version, so you might as well go modular. It will push you a bit over your budget though.

Right then, I've looked up what CPU it was; turns out it's the Xeon E3-1230 which is a Sandy chip. It can't be overclocked but it has 4 Hyperthreaded cores running at 3.2GHz. Comes with the standard Intel box cooler, which will be loud but it'll do the job for now. Comes in at around £170.

Then, for £160 you can get yourself an R9 270x. It's a mid-range card that will play any modern game, but maybe not on the ultra settings. Here's the review with benchmarks, but do remember that all these gaming benchmarks are done at maximum settings:
http://www.overclock3d.net/reviews/gpu_displays/amd_r9_270x_review/1

This combo just fits your budget. I'd really recommend it if you are serious about the editing/ rendering, however if this rig is primarily for gaming, the i5 3330 + 7870 Tahiti LE/ 7950/ 280(x) combination that Watsyerproblem suggested would serve you better. That way you can also squeeze in the PSU, that would otherwise add another £50 to the bundle that I suggested and thus pushing you over budget.

A small note about the CPU; I checked the Gigabyte website and the E3-1230 is on the CPU support list, however I did not find that model available (although I only checked Scan tbh). They did have the E3-1230 V2 model, which is essentially just the Ivy Bridge version of the same processor and since your motherboard does support most Ivy CPUs I think it's worth it to have a quick Google search and see if you can find anything, or just send Gigabyte a message.

Oh, and in the future please don't double post but use the

button instead, thanks. I'll merge your posts this time

Great information here. I see there are a couple of options so I'll do some part searching and just pick up whatever is the best option. As far as the 270x is concerned, looks like a definite improvement to me!

http://www.hwcompare.com/15725/radeon-hd-6870-vs-radeon-r9-270x/

Thanks for your help all!

 

[Feronix]

Great information here. I see there are a couple of options so I'll do some part searching and just pick up whatever is the best option. As far as the 270x is concerned, looks like a definite improvement to me!

http://www.hwcompare.com/15725/radeon-hd-6870-vs-radeon-r9-270x/

Thanks for your help all!

It better be, took me 15 mins to search and type

That site you just linked is honestly a tad useless as they only compare specs, which doesn't say much about real-world performance. It'd be better to look at benchmarks (although it would be difficult to find some with your old card in it as well).

Speaking of your old card, I've just had a quick look and it seems like you can still get some money for it. Saw them listed ranging from £40-£80. Might be an idea to sell your card first, run your PC off Intel HD graphics for a little while, and then buy your new hardware with a slightly bigger budget (current budget + money from the GPU).

 

[Edge]

It better be, took me 15 mins to search and type

That site you just linked is honestly a tad useless as they only compare specs, which doesn't say much about real-world performance. It'd be better to look at benchmarks (although it would be difficult to find some with your old card in it as well).

Speaking of your old card, I've just had a quick look and it seems like you can still get some money for it. Saw them listed ranging from £40-£80. Might be an idea to sell your card first, run your PC off Intel HD graphics for a little while, and then buy your new hardware with a slightly bigger budget (current budget + money from the GPU).

What a babe. Thanks for your help again xD

Understandable, but it's still pretty old so I can expect fair gains. Whatever helps me squeeze an extra 10-15 fps would be amazing.

Can't complain at £50! Although I can't run off Intel. I record 1080p gameplay and stream on a daily basis and I doubt integrated gfx would stand much of a chance haha. Still, could always sell and put it towards an SSD anyway.

 

[WYP]

What a babe. Thanks for your help again xD

Understandable, but it's still pretty old so I can expect fair gains. Whatever helps me squeeze an extra 10-15 fps would be amazing.

Can't complain at £50! Although I can't run off Intel. I record 1080p gameplay and stream on a daily basis and I doubt integrated gfx would stand much of a chance haha. Still, could always sell and put it towards an SSD anyway.

if you stream or record video nvidia might be a better option.

i keep hearing great things about shadowplay.

 

[Edge]

if you stream or record video nvidia might be a better option.

i keep hearing great things about shadowplay.

I've heard the same, not sure if it works with Xsplit for streaming though, and I love Dxtory.

Isn't Shadowplay limited to the latest GPUs and timelocked though?

 

[WYP]

I've heard the same, not sure if it works with Xsplit for streaming though, and I love Dxtory.

Isn't Shadowplay limited to the latest GPUs and timelocked though?

Not entirely sure TBH, i have AMD GPUs ATM so I can't try it out.

 

[Feronix]

What a babe. Thanks for your help again xD

Understandable, but it's still pretty old so I can expect fair gains. Whatever helps me squeeze an extra 10-15 fps would be amazing.

Can't complain at £50! Although I can't run off Intel. I record 1080p gameplay and stream on a daily basis and I doubt integrated gfx would stand much of a chance haha. Still, could always sell and put it towards an SSD anyway.

Well, that depends if you really *have* to record? I think your chip runs HD2000 or something like that, so it won't even be able to play games without recording them anyway.

If you decide to sell your old GPU later, you can always get a 60-80GB SSD out of it. Or go a bit over budget now and earn it back later. Might also be able to sell the CPU, probably not for much, but there are always people on the internet looking for bargains so I'd say it's worth a shot if you have no use for it anyway.

I've heard the same, not sure if it works with Xsplit for streaming though, and I love Dxtory.

Isn't Shadowplay limited to the latest GPUs and timelocked though?

From the Nvidia website:

> Powered by Kepler's dedicated hardware H.264 video encoder
> Records up to the last 20 minutes of gameplay in Shadow Mode*
> Records unlimited length video in Manual Mode*
> Outputs 1080p at up to 50 Mbps
> Results in minimal performance impact (less than 10%)
> GeForce GTX 650 or higher desktop GPU required (notebook GPUs are not supported at this time)

http://www.geforce.com/geforce-experience/shadowplay

Lowest I'd recommend going is the 660 Ti which is comparable to an R9 270x depending on the game. Where I live, you can also get a reference GTX 760 for the same price as a 660 Ti but both will cost you more than the 270x.

 

[Edge]

Lowest I'd recommend going is the 660 Ti which is comparable to an R9 270x depending on the game. Where I live, you can also get a reference GTX 760 for the same price as a 660 Ti but both will cost you more than the 270x.

Thanks for all your help.

I'm going to pick up the CX500m, and also, i was wondering if it was worth the extra £10 to get the i5-3470 over the i5-3330? Can't complain at a higher clock speed.

With the i5-3470 & CX500m that's around £200, leaving £150 (+50 if I sell the 6870). So, with that combination, and working to a £200 budget, where would you put your money on a GPU? I'll be running two 1080p monitors via DVI.

For the sake of convenience, I'll say AMD only, as I'm not too worried about Shadowplay for now and then I don't have to mess around with drivers ^_^


Edit:

Struggled to find any 7870/7950s at a good price, so I'm going to just pick up one of the newer 270x cards.

Settled on CX500m, i5 3470 and whatever non-reference 270x I can find at a good price. Around £350-375 tops by the looks of it. Thanks for all your help