When is it time to upgrade?

[Greg_Burz]

ive just got a quick question for you guys.
my current build is an amd phenom 9750 @ stock 2.4 ghz, 4gb ddr2 cheapy ram, 550 ti 2gb oc'ed to 1 ghz core and 2404 mhz mem, and just a regular 500 gb hdd all with a pretty crappy msi mobo. i can run battlefield 3 on medium 1080p, but i fear the next generation of games is gonna take a huge dump on my system (fc3 runs like 40 fps on everything the lowest it can go). when do you guys think i should upgrade (totally rebuild system cause i dont think i have much to work with here) and whats the price-performance sweet spot?
thanks.

 

[andrewmchugh]

Yeah, your system is basicly gone now. The gpu could stay while you get the rest together, what sort of price range are you looking at for a total rebuild?

i5 3570k is the processor to grab and z77 boards are priced nicely.

Gpus are expensive, maybe wait and see what the 8000 and 700 series will have to offer.

 

[Greg_Burz]

im probably willing to go 1000-1500. i would prefer to keep costs down but if the extra 500 bucks will make my system last exponentially longer/satisfy me more then ill go for it. off topic question, but noticed that youre going to college for computing science...how do you like it? i was considering that myself.

 

[B3rni3]

When to upgrade is very much subjective. For example some people do not mind playing games on low graphics and others want to play on high graphics with high frame rates. Upgrade when you feel you need more performance. For example with my old rig which was pushing 5/6 years old I wanted to play bf3 and while it just about played it I didn't want to play it on low and shitty frame rates so I upgraded.

As for you budget you would get a really really nice gaming rig right now. Iirc isn't the christmas compo rig somewhere in that price bracket. So you would be able to get a really good rig now if you have that kind of money. But ask yourself do you really need to upgrade are you happy playing games the way they are now or do you want more. Then you will know if you need to upgrade. Unless it wont run a game then you kinda have no choice lol.

 

[andrewmchugh]

im probably willing to go 1000-1500. i would prefer to keep costs down but if the extra 500 bucks will make my system last exponentially longer/satisfy me more then ill go for it. off topic question, but noticed that youre going to college for computing science...how do you like it? i was considering that myself.

I love it its a really rewarding degree, I am in my final year now and will be doing a post grad course after.

 

[Bang]

NOW!! is the time

I did my upgrade 2 weeks ago. I also have a GTX550Ti. The upgrade from an AMD X2 6000+ dual core @3Ghz to this Intel i5 3570k has breathed new life into my not so old gpu. The difference is literally night and day.

Not knowing where you're from makes it difficult to guestimate how much the build will cost you. Im in Melbourne and spent $553 on a new cpu, mobo, ram, and ssd. For about the same again I can add a new Corsair AX760i psu, Corsair H100i, and Corsair C70 case.. You can add roughly $100 to that for a Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB HDD. Your system will pretty much be rebuilt. Keep your old drives (unless they are PATA, which Z77 boards dont support) and GPU and youll find that 550 still has some legs in it.

Welcome to the forums mate.

Read sig for ideas.
vvvvvvvvvvvvvvv

 

[Greg_Burz]

well....heres the catch.

just 2 years ago, i got the idea to make the switch from consoles to pc. being the dumbass i am, i saw a barebones kit on compusa (hence where this wacky ass hardware came from) minus the gpu, and i was like "ermahgerddd, querd core!!!" and i bought it thinking i cheated them so bad and that it was a great deal. welllll....it didnt work that way. and now im a kid in high school that doesnt have a job because im training twice a day for distance running for a hopeful D1 college scholarship while balancing AP and honors classes.

so...can this last me any longer?

illinois by the way

 

[ThE_MuFFin_MaN]

Typically you only upgrade when you're no longer happy with the performance you're getting. If you're happy then stick with what you have. If you're not happy and you have the money to upgrade than do it. Only you can know when the right time is for you!

 

[Bang]

The MSI Z77A-GD65 is one of those motherboards that has the OC Genie button on it with the 3570k will bump the 3.4Ghz (3.8ghz turbo) up to 4.2Ghz instantly. That will leave your 2.4Ghz in the dust. The increase in performance is mind boggling. That $553 I spent one cpu, mobo, ram, and ssd is the best moeny I've spent on anything in a very long time. I'm super happy with the performance.

You sound like youre in much the same boat I was in 2 weeks ago.

I can now run Batman Arkham City on extreme detail with a minimum fps of 34, average 54. I didnt even have to invest in a better gpu. The Athlon X2 just didnt have enough cores to feed my GTX550Ti properly.

Upgrade? Yeah buddy, as soon as you possibly can. Youll be glad you did. I know I am. If you are even asking the question then its time.

Try to avoid places like best buy and comp usa as the markup on their items is horrendous. Shop around to get the best deal you possibly can. Generally its best to buy parts and build yourself rather than buy pre-built systems.

 

[Greg_Burz]

I found an i7 3770k for damn near the price of a 3570k (like 20 bucks more). I know that HT doesn't affect gaming, but should I pick it up anyways?

 

[Bang]

is it second hand? Can you see it running in a machine if it is second hand? My only concern would be whoever owned it oc'ed it too hard and fried it. Even if it works I would want to see it on Prime or something to make sure its performance is where it should be. but yeah, if there nothing wrong with it youd be crazy not to get it.

 

[Greg_Burz]

nah, its brand new in store lol

 

[Bang]

If it's only $20 more than a 3570k heck yeah. Those people might not know what they are selling!! jump on it if its brand new.

About your GPU: That old Althon X2 @3Ghz I had could run Batman Arkham City on low settings. Same GPU but paired with the 3570k runs high settings with PhysX Enabled and the level of detail is awesome. With a new procesor you might rethink your need for a new GPU.

 

[Greg_Burz]

I'm currently in the process of gathering money for the new build, and it should be done by summer. when I build it, a good gaming rig will typically be outfitted with a topend I5 and 670/7870/7950 ish card right? because the new stuff will be out by then

 

[Deejeta]

There is no real escape from a total system upgrade mate. If you go the route of a nice mid - high end gpu the rest of your system will be holding it back big time even though it will be a lot better for gaming.
If your low on cash, grab a nice 2nd hand sandy cpu & mobo with 8gb ram and buy a new 7870, 660ti or better. Hell even a good AM3 combo with something like an overclocked 1100t would be good paired with a nice gpu.
The classifieds here, ebay, post xmas sales. Hunt well

 

[Bang]

Derp. I thought the terms 'good' and 'AM3' were mutually exclusive. I would rather see him grab an i3 3220 and a cheap mobo to tide him over until he can get the bits he really wants. The lower power consumption makes it worth doing if he has to wait 6 months to build his rig. He can then sell off the cheap bits he got for interim use.