Need help w/ Upgrade

[InterestCurve]

I haven't been paying that much attention to how PC tech has been developing over the past 2 years. Been crazy busy with work and I bought a macbook, but I'm trying to get back into it. I bought an ASUS CG5290 on the cheap a few years ago and I want to upgrade and I'm not sure where to start.

Here's the current load out:
Intel Core i7 920(2.66GHz)
9GB DDR3
1TB SATA (Hitachi)
ASUS NVIDIA GeForce GTX 260
LGA 1366 Socket Type
2 PCI Express 2.0 x16 (but I think one is gimped to x4)

I'm thinking about getting:
AMD Radeon 7850
Kingston HyperX 12gigs
Vertex4 SSD

Will these upgrades be worth the combined $360-$380? And I'm not doing all three at once, what order should I prioritize (or where is my biggest bottleneck)?

Thanks ahead of time.

 

[InterestCurve]

I forgot to mention what I use the PC for.

I do some photo work in Photoshop CS6, I design game levels in UDK and Unity. I wan't to be able to play Skyrim on Max with High Res Texture Kit.

Battlefield 3, Crysis 3, GW2. I probably won't get max settings with newer games, but I'd like at least High, with 4x AA at 1920 x 1080 res.

 

[Ken g6]

Your general plan looks good - except that I don't know what your goal is. What is it about your current computer that isn't performing well enough for you? Edit: Posts passing in the night.

As for your selected parts...
- Newegg has a better rebate on the GPU.
- Newegg also has better RAM for a better price.
- Consider a Samsung 840 or Crucial M4 SSD. OCZ is not good.

Edit2: If your priority is gaming, GPU first. If your priority is PS or anything else, SSD first. RAM last if at all. How exactly did they get 9GB in there? 2x4+1? Might you just want to replace the 1 with a single 4GB stick?

 

[Termie]

That GPU isn't enough for your intended settings (High, 4xAA, 1080p, high res textures). I'd jump to the HD7950, and skip the RAM upgrade (I don't see a need for it when you already have 9GB). The 7950 is bit overkill for your CPU (which you can't overclock since it's OEM), but the RAM will help in Skyrim and the raw power will help with BF3 and Crysis 3. Don't expect anywhere near High/Max in Crysis 3, though. You don't have the CPU for it.

Here's a link to an HD7950 that comes with Crysis 3: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814202006

And here's the Samsung 840 120GB SSD you should buy: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...pf_rd_i=507846

One, two, and you're done, for $385AR.

By the way, better make sure you have 12" clearance for the GPU in your case. Also, your PSU is probably borderline for a 920/7950 combo, but you'll probably be ok since you're not overclocking. It's an OEM 500w model: http://www.asus.com/Desktops/Essentio_CG5290/#specifications

 

[InterestCurve]

Good question about the RAM. I haven't looked inside that thing for a while, so I'll check when I get home. It's possible there are 3 x 3? Is it important what kind of configuration they are in?

I remember last time I built a PC, I need two matching RAM to get hyperthreading, or some such thing.

 

[InterestCurve]

(Double Posted)

 

[Termie]

Good question about the RAM. I haven't looked inside that thing for a while, so I'll check when I get home. It's possible there are 3 x 3? Is it important what kind of configuration they are in?

I remember last time I built a PC, I need two matching RAM to get hyperthreading, or some such thing.

Your RAM is 3x2GB + 3x1GB. You needed matching sets of three to get triple-channel memory speeds (which are slightly higher than dual-channel).

Again, you don't need a RAM upgrade. Put the money towards the GPU. See my comments above on that point.

 

[mfenn]

Again, you don't need a RAM upgrade. Put the money towards the GPU. See my comments above on that point.

Agree. Paying for a full set of 12GB to go from 9GB to 12GB isn't really worth it.