mobo and GPU upgrade or just gpu?

[ColonelBlimp]

Not sure if this should be in the motherboard section but here goes.
Current spec is
MSI c45-770
Phenom 965be clocked up to 3.6(can't get higher)
Hyper 212evo
Radeon HD5770
4x2gb ddr3 1333
800 W PSU
Win7 64
Asus VE247

Play fps mainly, also F1, all at 1080p

I have around £250 squids to spend and what I really wanted was to get a R9-280x but stock is out everywhere. So then I thought a bit more about it and thought that maybe this card is overkill for 1080p so I altered my plan and am now thinking of getting an R9-270x and an Asus M5A99X Evo R2.0 instead. I might get a better over clock on my Phenom so it lasts til next crimbo when I will look to slap an fx in there (current mobo doesn't support fx CPU's)
Just want some opinions (bf4 is next purchase BTW)

Should I hang out for a 280x or go the 270x/Asus motherboard route?

 

[Deders]

The graphics card is holding you back the most at the moment so It would be the first thing to upgrade, after that you can decide if performance is still lacking and go for the mobo/cpu/overclock.

 

[Ketchup]

If all you want is a better gaming experience, then the better GPU is the way to go. I wouldn't get a new motherboard unless it supports newer CPUs than the one you already have. I was looking and found this post interesting:

http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/338687-28-phenom-965be-2500k

I am not trying to bash AMD here. I am just saying that if you get the card, and if you find the experience (now or later) is not meeting your needs, you may want to start looking at the CPU, not just the motherboard, for future increases (AMD or Intel).

 

[ColonelBlimp]

Thanks Deders and Ketchup particularly. Think I'm going to go for the R9-280x (If I can find one!) and next xmas re-assess my CPU options, maybe go i5 4670k instead.

 

[Kosmic1]

280x is a really good card, but you could get a 7970 which is basically the same thing without a factory overclock for a little less. All Radeons are expensive / hard to get right now due to the online gold-rush, but if you keep a close watch on various forums / ebay, and you are patient, you can probably find a decent deal.

 

[ColonelBlimp]

Got meself an XFX DD 280x from Scan, just in time for Christmas. And a new Corsair Gold 650W PSU to help with clocking the Phenom a bit more.
Merry Crimbo!!