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Time for an upgrade

S

simplesid242002

Junior Member
PLEASE when you POST threads asking for input on system builds tell us...

1. What YOUR PC will be used for. That means what types of tasks you'll be performing.
Games, Racing, action platform etc.

2. What YOUR budget is. A price range is acceptable as long as it's not more than a 20% spread
Don't really know. Looking for low cost upgrade

3. What country YOU will be buying YOUR parts from.
USA

4. IF you're buying parts OUTSIDE the US, please post a link to the vendor you'll be buying from.
We can't be expected to scour the internet on your behalf, chasing down deals in your specific country... Again, help us, help YOU.

5. IF YOU have a brand preference. That means, are you an Intel-Fanboy, AMD-Fanboy, ATI-Fanboy, nVidia-Fanboy, Seagate-Fanboy, WD-Fanboy, etc.
No preference, but would like to keep some current hardware to reduce cost

6. If YOU intend on using any of YOUR current parts, and if so, what those parts are.
I'm not sure what parts are worth keeping so here's what i got...
Motherboard Gigabyte M3970AM
Processor FX-6100
Memory 10 Gig DDR3-1333
Video Nvidia GT 240 1gb
HDD 1 335 GB internal 3.5
1 1.5 TB internal 3.5

7. IF YOU plan on overclocking or run the system at default speeds.
either way don't matter

8. What resolution, not monitor size, will you be using?
Monitor default 1680x1050 which is my prefered

9. WHEN do you plan to build it?
Note that it is usually not cost or time effective to choose your build more than a month before you actually plan to be using it.
Within the next month

X. Do you need to purchase any software to go with the system, such as Windows or Blu Ray playback software?
I purchased Windows 7 ultimate.
 
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My vote would be to get a video card, like a HD 7950, or GTX 760, and keep the rest, for now. Even if you had a $1000 budget, is it worth it, right now, to upgrade much more of what you have than by a new video card, and maybbe SSD?
 
Is that a prebuilt PC? What is the case like, and can you find out the power supply specifications?

For FX-6100, I think a 7950 is quite overkill. It is also a bit overkill for 1680x1050. The CPU is going to choke in a lot of demanding games as well as games limited to two CPU cores.

A 7850 would be a good match and a low cost upgrade. It's three times as fast as GT 640. Sapphire 7850 1GB $115 AR (1GB VRAM is fine for your resolution). You get 3% better framerate for every dollar spent, which is pretty crazy. If you want to squeeze some extra performance out of it, it's pretty overclockable.

After this upgrade, I'd aim for a larger overhaul in 12-20 months. First off, a new 1080p or better monitor and a faster GPU. Will also need a faster CPU (probably Intel) to support it, and a new motherboard for the new CPU. May also need a new PSU, new RAM and new case. Should cost about $600 minimum.

Optionally add an SSD for improving responsiveness in general use (e.g. Kingston V300 $90).
 
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lehtv said:
After this upgrade, I'd aim for a larger overhaul in 12-20 months. First off, a new 1080p or better monitor and a faster GPU. Will also need a faster CPU (probably Intel) to support it (...)
Click to expand...
Exactly why to go a bit high on the video card now, IMO, instead of a stop-gap model. A $250+ card now will not need replacing that quickly, not by a long shot, with a single about 1080P display. A stop-gap does make it cheaper for now, though.
 
I think spending $115 on a card that won't be bottlenecked is infinitely more sensible when you consider where he's upgrading from.
 
Yeah. An OEM unit that's only 300W probably doesn't even come with a PCIe connector. Is the form factor standard ATX?
 
OK, go for the 7850 + either CX430 or CX600, depending on how tight money is. The CX600 supports higher end graphics cards that require two PCIe power connectors (e.g. 7970-class).

The Sapphire 7850 1GB is up to $130 AR from $115 AR now. It's still a nice card, but also consider these: Sapphire 7850 2GB $145 AR or Sapphire 7870 2GB $160 AR (the latter requires 2x PCIe connectors)
 
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