Upgrading and need some advice

[Nexdeus]

Wanting to upgrade my PC guts this tax season but I have never even touched AM3 (I'm just now hitting the snag of gaming with my current platform and I avoid brand new technology for a few years anyhow)

OK, Ill start off with my current hardware:

Phenom IIx4 940 BE 3.0Gh/z
4GB DDR2 800 memory
Biostar Ta-790GX a2+ mobo
EVGA GTX-260
Sigma Shark 500w(?) PSU

Ok...Ive learned real fast that AM3 is not cheap but Im trying to get the best upgrades I can for the money. I AM a hardcore gamer so I need reliable parts.

To start with the Mobo I'm 100% going asus or Biostarhttp://www.tomshardware.com/forum/334933-31-advice-build-updrading#. I need the Full ATX form factor. Any thoughts there as to best budget mobo?

With the mobo in question I see the new platforms use the 8pin mobo connector. My psu only has the 4...I'm using the Sigma shark 635w psu (hasn't let me down yet) Is it safe to get the 4 to 8 pin adapters to keep my psu?

Next Im looking at which CPU to get. Im learning fast that Intel is really devastating AMD right now. I was looking at either the i3 or the 15 2500k. I see the other i5's share a factor...this Intel HD Graphics xxxx. For the extra 60$ or so difference from the HD 2000 to the HD 3000 (as seen on the i5 2500k) is it worth it?

And now the kicker question. Im running my GTX260. If I get into a full AM3 system with 16g of ram will my gaming performance be hindered or improved if I keep running the 260? If I would run into bottle-necking what would be a cost effective upgrade to the 260 that's NOT a 550 (WAY too expensive).

Hoping for some helpful responses here. I'm pretty tech savvy but I know nothing about AM3 on personal use. Thanks all!

 

[ElFenix]

please fill us in on the rest of the information in the sticky:
http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=80121


just off the top of my head, a 260 is going to be a bottleneck with recent games and recent processors running at the higher resolutions people use nowadays (1920x1080).

i've never heard of that power supply. not to say it's necessarily a bad unit or even underpowered for a new system. but having not heard of it i'm not confident in its capabilities or reliability either. further, these things do have a useful life before components die just from age/use. and if it doesn't have the 8 pin connector it's probably pretty old at this point.

intel graphics are pointless for you, the reason to go with the 2500k is for easy overclocking and 4 real cores (vs. the i3 with limited overclocking and only 2 real cores).

 

[Nexdeus]

Sorry forgot about that other info.

I mostly game but I from a small time to time do some 3d model work (3dsmax). Budget is at or around 500$. Buying from USA. Fanboy yes...asus or biostar motherboards and evga/msi for graphic cards. I prefer AMD but I'm willing to try intel. I would like to keep my GTX-260 but we'll see. Probably going to not overclock at this time. I use 1920x1080. Wont play a game if I cant. Plan to build in the next few weeks hopefully.

Now then, Sigma shark PSU: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817226002. Yeah its older but this thing has worked phenomenally better than any other psu Ive tried (Raidmax, OCZ, Logisys (yes I know lol)). I trust it 100%.

 

[T_Yamamoto]

i3 2100 ($99 at MC/NCIX)
H67 Mobo (~$100)
Reuse case ($0)
Reuse HDD [I presume] ($0)
NEW PSU 500watts (~$60)
Ram (1.5v 1600) (~$40)


FINAL: 300

1) want a new GPU?
2) reusing the case, hdd, etc?

GPU:560ti or 6870 (560ti=>200 6870=<200)

 

[Nexdeus]

Ive gotten that suggestion once before and Ill ask again, is the i3 dual core really that good? I mean vs an i5 or an am3 phenom? Ive never used them before so I really dont know but processor is my #2 priority above graphics, so I would probably need the i5 unless the i3 is like godmode.

 

[mfenn]

If you're a "hardcore gamer", you shouldn't even be looking at something like an i5 or 16GB of RAM until you've got your GPU situation sorted out. Your GTX 260 is roughly equivalent to an entry-level card like a 5770 and is easily the weakest component in your system from a gaming point of view.

Here's what I would do with $500:
GTX 560 Ti $203 AR
Core i5 2310 $185
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813138332Intel H67 $81
Geil DDR3 1333 8GB $34
Total: $503

Note that price/performance trumps fanboyism in my book.

 

[Nexdeus]

Can someone tell me why I keep hearing about these H67 mobos? Are they different from the other Intel socket boards somehow? I like your suggestion mfenn and I do agree, but its a shame things changed so fast, I only got that card what...2 years ago? Oh well...and I more "Was" a hardcore gamer as there's s*it for games anymore...diablo II holds more appeal to me than BF3...oh well lol.

 

[mfenn]

H67 is one of the 4 chipsets for Sandy Bridge. Basically it support SATA 6.0Gb/s and the IGP but not overclocking (which you can't do much of without a K processor anyway).

 

[Nexdeus]

Oh well thats fine, Im not much for overclocking anyways.