Which part of my computer needs an upgrade?

[ak890927]

Hello. I am planning to upgrade my computer for gaming uses. I am thinking of being able to play 'more-public' games such as Diablo 3, wow on highest setting. However, I do not care about running demanding games like crysis series at highest possible graphic. (I plan to use 1920 x 1080 for my resolution). Based on my parts listed below, would I need an upgrade, or should I wait a bit longer? If I do require an upgrade, could you please recommend me a part to upgrade first? Thank you.

I'll be obtaining my parts from either US and Canada. I do not have any preference on certain company's product.

My Internet plan/router is:

Internet plan: Shaw Broadband 100 (http://www.shaw.ca/Internet/Compare-Plans/)

Router: Linksys E3000



My current system is:

CPU: AMD Phenom II X6 1055T Thuban 6 Core Processor 2.8GHZ Socket AM3 Retail Box

CPU Cooling: Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro REV.2

Motherboard: Gigabyte 890GPA-UD3H 890GX AM3 ATX DDR3 2PCI-E 2PCI SATA3 USB3.0 HDMI GBLAN CrossFireX Motherboard

DDR3 Desktop Memory: G.SKILL F3-12800CL9D-4GBRL Ripjaws PC3-12800 4GB 2X2GB DDR3-1600 CL9-9-9-24 Core i5 1.5V Memory Kit

Monitor: ViewSonic VA2431wm

Video Card: Radeon HD 5830 825MHZ 1GB GDDR5 4.2GHZ PCI-E 2XDVI HDMI Display Port

Power Supply: Seasonic SS-600ET 600W EPS12V 24PIN ATX PowerSupply

Hard Drive: Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 1TB SATA2 3.5IN 8.5MS 7200RPM 32MB Hard Drive OEM

 

[gevorg]

Here are my suggestions if you want to keep your current system rather than going with a new mobo/CPU/etc:

- RAM upgrade to 8GB+, its very cheap nowadays
- Add SSD for your boot/gaming drive such as Crucial M4 128GB (under $100)
- Optional: GPU card upgrade to something like HD7850

 

[Ken g6]

- RAM upgrade to 8GB+, its very cheap nowadays
- Add SSD for your boot/gaming drive such as Crucial M4 128GB (under $100)
- Optional: GPU card upgrade to something like HD7850

I would call all these optional. More RAM only allows you to multitask with a game; 4GB should be enough for now. An SSD only allows you to load the game faster (and any other program you put on it, including Windows.)

So, basically, I'd say try what you've got and see how it does before upgrading anything.

 

[sm625]

You dont really need to upgrade anything. An SSD will make your system feel much faster, but it wont increase your gaming average fps. A 5830 and 6 core cpu is plenty for the type of gaming you specified. I would try overclocking it though. You should be able to eek out an extra 10-15% without any trouble at all. I dont see why you bought that cooler if you are running stock.

 

[mfenn]

I agree with the guys above. A 5830 and a 1055T aren't the fastest kids on the block, but they are not terrible either. For gaming, the first upgrade I'd make is the GPU to a 7850 or thereabouts, but it shouldn't be necessary right away.