Worth upgrading or ditch?

i5-4670k - R 2261.00
Asus Gryphon - R 2289.00
Kingston beast series 2x4GB - R 789.00
Sapphire Vapor-X hd7950 - R 3585.00

Finished COD Black Ops 2 on full graphics...not really a gpu killer though
Played Sleeping dogs full graphics
 
Orvor said:
So... 3-4 grand on an upgrade and I'm not sure what guarantees I will have in a big enough gain. Other option is 12 grand on a new machine.
Click to expand...

I'd recommend just getting an extra 4GB of RAM and a decent new GPU if you're cash-strapped. That'll net you playable performance in most games at roughly 50fps, with high settings at 1080p.

APACER Select 4GB DDR3-1333 @ R385
PowerColor Radeon HD7790 1GB GDDR5 w/ free game @ R1599
Total: R1984

Ramping uo to a Core i5 is also possible, but we'll need to see what PSU you have first. If its older than three years and not an expensive, well-made unit, replacement is generally also advised. You don't need to spend twelve grand on a new computer unless that's what you really want to do.
 
I now (hopefully) have all the information to have an informed conversation. As stated previously I would like some advice on whether I can upgrade my pc.

Current HW:
CPU: Core I3-2100 @ 3.10Ghz
Motherboard: Foxconn H61MXT1/F2/-S/-V
Chipset: Northbridge (whatever this is)
RAM: Transcend 4mb DDR-133mhz (1 Dimm and space for another)
GPU: Nvidia Geforce 7600 GT
Power Supply: XGR ATX 450w

SW:
Window 7 Home Basic 32bit

My questions are based on the current motherboard:
1. Can I update to a core i5 and which particular model?
2. Can I put two DIMMs in to make 8gb RAM
3. Can I run faster RAM?
4. What GPU (thanks for input Wesley)
5. What power supply based on the above.
6. Upgrade worth it or buy new? (Budget for upgrade R4000-R5000)
7. Will the upgrade have a noticeable performance increase for gaming?
 
Orvor said:
I now (hopefully) have all the information to have an informed conversation. As stated previously I would like some advice on whether I can upgrade my pc.

Current HW:
CPU: Core I3-2100 @ 3.10Ghz
Motherboard: Foxconn H61MXT1/F2/-S/-V
Chipset: Intel H61
RAM: Transcend 4Gb DDR-133mhz (1 Dimm and space for another)
GPU: Nvidia Geforce 7600 GT
Power Supply: XGR ATX 450w

SW:
Window 7 Home Basic 32bit

My questions are based on the current motherboard:
1. Can I update to a core i5 and which particular model? any LGA 1155 i5 processor will fit into this.
2. Can I put two DIMMs in to make 8gb RAM (This Board can take up to 16 GB, but this will be limited by your 32 bit windows, get 64 bit if you want to make full use of ram over 4 GB)




3. Can I run faster RAM?
Support dual channel 2 DIMMs DDR3 memory up to 16GB at 1600(IVB)1333/1066

4. What GPU (thanks for input Wesley)
5. What power supply based on the above.
6. Upgrade worth it or buy new? (Budget for upgrade R4000-R5000)
7. Will the upgrade have a noticeable performance increase for gaming?
Click to expand...
Most definitely
 
Replied to you other thread.

Electric said:
For R4000 - R5000
I would just invest in a new box.

My pc build from 2 years ago was an
i5 2500k 3.3 ghz
8gb ram
geforce gtx550ti
coolmaster case with included silent power supply and aerated box.

Runs smooth as hell.
Perfect for gaming, music production, Catia 3D, etc.

Cost me R6000 at the time but prices have dropped.

Look for "Sandy Bridge" CPUs, more specifically look for Intel ix-2xxx CPUs, like the i5-2500K, or i7-2600K. The CPUs with a K at the end of the name are multiplier unlocked, meaning that they can be overclocked very easily, however, they are slightly more expensive than the multiplier locked versions, which cannot be overclocked.

http://translate.googleusercontent....7.html&usg=ALkJrhjSvL5rDjUuhJlYXKrf1UU1hQLDvQ

Apparently ddr3 is fine.
Click to expand...
 
So as you can see:

Intel® H61 Chipset Ivybridge/Sandybridge processors (This is the chipset "H" - means that this is the budget chipset that only makes use of some technologies, whereas "Z" - offers more features, like more usb ports, etc.)
Dual channel DDR3 1600(IVB)/1333/1066 x 2 DIMMs, Max.16 GB (if you buy an ivy bridge i5, you can buy ram with a frequency of 1600mhz, and you can get 2 8GB sticks - ONLY IF YOU HAVE WINDOWS x64)
1* PCIe 3.0(IVB)/2.0 x16, 1* PCIe x1, 2* PCI (Look at the previous posts for GPU recommendations)
4* SATA II (capable of running 4 SATA drives)
5.1 channel HDA, Gigabit Lan (5.1 channel, onboard sound is crap though)
uATX form factor
 
Orvor said:
SW:Window 7 Home Basic 32bit
Click to expand...

For moving to 64-bit Windows, all you need to do is find a 64-bit Home Premium disc or ISO and use the CD key you received with your 32-bit copy. It'll be a complete reformat, but maybe that's due if you installed it more than two years ago.

Orvor said:
1. Can I update to a core i5 and which particular model?
Click to expand...

Yes, anything up to a Core i5-2300 to a i5-2500, or a Core i5-3330 to a i5-3570. K-series chips won't do you any good as they can't be overclocked on H61 motherboards.

Orvor said:
2. Can I put two DIMMs in to make 8gb RAM
Click to expand...

You can, although as others have mentioned you'll have to change to 64-bit Windows to see any benefits.

Orvor said:
3. Can I run faster RAM?
Click to expand...

Only with an Ivy Bridge processor, but it won't make much of a difference in your case, as you'll never notice it.

Orvor said:
4. What GPU (thanks for input Wesley)
Click to expand...

As before, A Radeon HD7790 or a GTX650 Ti are good choices. If you want to go higher than that (HD7850 or GTX650 Ti Boost), I'd at least recommend getting a better-built PSU at the same time.

Orvor said:
5. What power supply based on the above.
Click to expand...

Your current PSU will do for now, but look at getting something like this:

Corsair VS450 @ R410

Orvor said:
6. Upgrade worth it or buy new? (Budget for upgrade R4000-R5000)
Click to expand...

The upgrade is worth it in this case. An entirely new PC for a R6k budget won't be a huge jump in performance compared to what R3000 can net you with your existing hardware.

Orvor said:
7. Will the upgrade have a noticeable performance increase for gaming?
Click to expand...

With a HD7790 compared to a 7600GT? It'll be a huge jump. The GPU upgrade alone nearly triples your performance. And it'll allow you to play games that need DX11 hardware to run, which opens up a smorgasbord of new games to choose from.
 
Thanks Wesley for the advice. I ended up getting a gigabyte GTX 650 OC edition (was on special) and this single upgrade has me running every game I have on maximum settings.
 
Orvor said:
Thanks Wesley for the advice. I ended up getting a gigabyte GTX 650 OC edition (was on special) and this single upgrade has me running every game I have on maximum settings.
Click to expand...

Nicely done :) I hope you enjoy it. Make sure you install and check out Geforce Experience (should come with the latest drivers) as that helps a lot when picking out settings for your card for your games.
 
I remember buying my GTX card and being able to play Skyrim on ultra settings :D
In fact lots of games opened up ultra settings which was new for me.
 
Thanks. My next upgrade will be an i5 as you've suggested, windows 7 64bit and more ram.
 
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