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$300 to upgrade system

M

MrBonsai

Junior Member
I built this machine in 2011 and it has served me extremely well:

Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-2500K CPU @ 3.30GHz
4096 MBytes PC3-10700 (667 MHz) x2 (8GB Total)
EVGA NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 1024 MB
Antec BP550 Plus 550W
SAMSUNG 840 Pro Series 128GB SATA III (added last year)

Now, I'm looking to spend ~$300 to upgrade it for the next couple years. I plan to spend money on case cooling, cpu cooling, and a new GPU with the intention of overclocking the CPU and buying a new GPU to enable gaming for the next 18-24 months. Games I'm looking at: Middle Earth, GTA V, Dead Rising 3, AC Unity.

Picking up a hyper 212 cpu fan and a case fan will cost about $50, so I've got about $250 for a new GPU. I'm looking for something that can run with my 550W psu. I'd also be open to upgrading the memory, but I would expect that wouldn't provide significant gains.

I've pretty much stopped following gpu parts markets since building this rig, so guidance much appreciated.
 
The R9 280 is the correct card to be looking at for your budget and CPU. Cards from all the big names are pretty similar, and right now the MSI that you linked is the best deal at $180 AR AP, so I'd go with that.

The R9 290 requires a 6-pin and an 8-pin PCIe power connector, so you are OK from that point of view. You're also OK on wattage at stock, but a heavy overclock on your CPU will put you close to the edge.
 
Get a GTX 970. It will murder that 280 and serve you over the long run way better. The 280's are obsolete - 2yrs for an extra $100 isn't much.
 
escrow4 said:
Get a GTX 970. It will murder that 280 and serve you over the long run way better. The 280's are obsolete - 2yrs for an extra $100 isn't much.
Click to expand...

Just because the GTX 970 is the new hotness (and it is very nice), doesn't mean that all budgetary considerations go out the window.

Another $100 might not be much for you, but presumably the OP chose his budget for a reason. It's not really terribly helpful to suggest a card that's close to double the price of what he's looking at.
 
mfenn said:
Just because the GTX 970 is the new hotness (and it is very nice), doesn't mean that all budgetary considerations go out the window.

Another $100 might not be much for you, but presumably the OP chose his budget for a reason. It's not really terribly helpful to suggest a card that's close to double the price of what he's looking at.
Click to expand...

OP states 2yrs. $100 over 2yrs is nothing. That 280 will choke up next year with new AAA titles especially with settings jacked up. If your budget starts to gut performance then up the budget.
 
I would just buy a GTX 970. It should run on your PSU as long as you dont go crazy on the cpu voltage. A $50 cpu cooler sounds like a good idea, but it doesnt deliver as much framerate/dollar benefit compared to putting all the money into gpu. I would jsut try and clock that 2500k to around 3.9 GHz at near stock voltages. If you have a wattmeter then push it to about 20 watts past stock under prime95 load.
 
I'm assuming it wont be like that for long. It is worth waiting till november for a decent price on a 970.
 
crashtech said:
AT forum member #3: Buy a GTX 970. 😉
Click to expand...

So this is like the 2500k back when it was shiney and new..... All problems are solved by a new gtx970.

Hard to argue with it but the budget says $300.-.

Cooler master hyper t4 is $15.- after rebate. Use coupon code "visacheckout" to go even lower.

HIS R9 280 for $185.- AR along with a $20.- gift card...... maybe buy the GPU first then shop for the CPU cooler?

Could even step up to R9 280x for $260 after rebate and still be under the budget. I personally don't think the difference between a 280 and the x version is worth $75.- though.
 
Last edited:
hey everyone really appreciate the feedback. well, i do have the luxury of a flexible budget, and the case for the extra $100 providing significantly more longevity was compelling. Particularly reading how even the Shadows of Mordor is looking for lots of VRAM (6gb for ultra?), I felt getting the extra GB of VRAM plus the improvement maxwell offers around power consumption given my 500w psu was worth it.

Ordered this one today:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-362-_-Product

Never heard of this brand, but it seemed to be well reviewed by most folks and it was first available.

Plus, with the discounted cooler master link above, my whole order came out to $381, which was only $81 over budget. Very manageable.

Thanks again for the feedback!
 
nickv360 said:
hey everyone really appreciate the feedback. well, i do have the luxury of a flexible budget, and the case for the extra $100 providing significantly more longevity was compelling. Particularly reading how even the Shadows of Mordor is looking for lots of VRAM (6gb for ultra?), I felt getting the extra GB of VRAM plus the improvement maxwell offers around power consumption given my 500w psu was worth it.

Ordered this one today:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-362-_-Product

Never heard of this brand, but it seemed to be well reviewed by most folks and it was first available.

Plus, with the discounted cooler master link above, my whole order came out to $381, which was only $81 over budget. Very manageable.

Thanks again for the feedback!
Click to expand...

Always nice to have a flexible budget!
 
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