Monitor/GPU upgrade or upgrade CPU/MOBO/RAM etc

[dbd_rage]

I am not one that really like to drop a ton of money all at once so I tend to upgrade peripherals more often. My uses are all pretty much for playing MMOs, but mainly Wow and other blizzard games specifically. (Over watch, Diablo, Wow\Legion etc.) I know I want to move to an ultra-wide monitor setup around the 27 inch + range...maybe as high as 35, but like I said I dont like to drop a ton of money all. I was thinking It might make sense for me to upgrade my GPU\Monitor now, but might make more sense to upgrade my CPU\MOBO etc now and in a year upgrade GPU\Monitor. I want to make sure if I upgrade a GPU and monitor, my current system is going to be able to handle everything...I want to run at pretty much ultra settings.

*One caveat is If I would go the GPU\Monitor route, I would like the ability to plug my Laptop in and use the larger monitor for work as the more screen real estate I have the better (Somewhat like a KVM but I prefer multiple keyboards and mice, but a KVM might make sense...and what I get rid of, like existing monitor etc goes to my sons PC

So here is current setup:

(MOBO) GIGABYTE GA-Z68A-D3H-B3 LGA 1155 Intel Z68 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard
(CPU) Intel Core i5-2500K Sandy Bridge Quad-Core 3.3GHz (3.7GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 1155 95W
(RAM) 2 of Corsair Vengeance 8 GB (2 x 4 GB) DDR3 1600 MHz PC3 12800 240-Pin DDR3 Dual Channel Memory Kit (CMZ8GX3M2A1600C9)
(HDD) Crucial M550 2.5" 512GB SATA 6Gbps MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD) CT512M550SSD1
(PSU) CORSAIR HX Series CMPSU-620HX 620W ATX12V v2.2 and EPS12V 2.91 SLI Certified CrossFire Ready

(GPU) EVGA SuperClocked 02G-P4-2765-KR G-SYNC Support GeForce GTX 760 2GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0
(MONITOR) ASUS VS239H-P 23" Full HD 1920x1080 IPS HDMI DVI-D VGA Back-lit LED Monitor

Looking to get the best bang for my buck, keep the price down while making the biggest step forward I can keeping in mind the games I play. I know a lot of people ask for budgets and it depends to be honest. I would say less than a grand either way, less than 700 would be even better. less that that would be the best, but if the prefect setup came in over budget, I might be able to justify it in my mind.

Thanks all for the help!

[Blackmist]

2500K is still pretty damn good. Especially if overclocked, it can compete well with a bang up to date Skylake system. Upgrading could net you 10-20% framerate increase on CPU bound games.

I'd go for a GPU upgrade, although it's up to you if it's worth it. 1080 (and 1070 coming soon) could be nice, but they could also pull down the price of the 970 which is nearly twice as fast as your current card.

If you go for a 1080, you'd probably like to push more pixels through it. Do you want higher refresh rates (GSync or 144Hz), or higher resolution (1440p is probably better value than 4K)? Or both? All at a price, of course. It honestly depends on how much you're looking to spend. Bear in mind that higher refresh rates will go hand in hand with increased CPU usage. A 1440p/60Hz setup would be my choice there.

[Zelendria]

The best bang for your buck by miles would be to move from a 760 to a 1070 with the rest of the system staying the same.

I also have a i5 2500K with modest 4ghz OC, and not once have I had issues running games with a 980. It was stable for months at 4.5ghz, and can push it to 5ghz, but what's the point?
The biggest leaps in CPUs since ours was onboard graphics, which isn't exactly important with a dedicated GFX card.
The only thing that will see me change my CPU based on what I've seen come out since is when it breaks.

[dbd_rage]

2500K is still pretty damn good. Especially if overclocked, it can compete well with a bang up to date Skylake system. Upgrading could net you 10-20% framerate increase on CPU bound games.

I'd go for a GPU upgrade, although it's up to you if it's worth it. 1080 (and 1070 coming soon) could be nice, but they could also pull down the price of the 970 which is nearly twice as fast as your current card.

If you go for a 1080, you'd probably like to push more pixels through it. Do you want higher refresh rates (GSync or 144Hz), or higher resolution (1440p is probably better value than 4K)? Or both? All at a price, of course. It honestly depends on how much you're looking to spend. Bear in mind that higher refresh rates will go hand in hand with increased CPU usage. A 1440p/60Hz setup would be my choice there.

So bear with me...I dont follow current tech any more..in fact I pretty much suck at understanding anything anymore. If a 1440p/60Hz setup with an appropriate FX card will let me run legion and over watch in ultra (or darn close) at 60 FPS or so in raids/matches in over watch, look absolutely amazing with vivid colors etc...and its under 1k...(assuming its not all on like a 23 inch monitor ) Sign me up! I like Nvidia cards...never failed on me..monitors no preference. What would make sense then for a nice combo? Would love some options like 700 dollar range, and 1k range...or hell if I can get cheaper going to a 29 inch monitor a 27...w00t.

and thanks for the quick reply...I VERY much appreciate it! Something I might actually order today and have it next day so I can play this weekend

[Deleted]

Something I might actually order today and have it next day so I can play this weekend

Don't buy now! Wait!

AMD will release new cards as well. And new cards from Nvidia will release in the next weeks. So I would wait untill we have all the info.

[Blackmist]

I'm not sure the new cards are out yet. The 1080 has been benchmarked, but it doesn't go on sale until later this month. It's also quite pricey, which is why you might want to wait for the 1070 which comes out in early June.

As for the monitors, it's hard to tell from specs alone. They're something I need to see before spending money on an expensive one. I'm sure somebody else who has bought one recently can make a recommendation there.

[dbd_rage]

Don't buy now! Wait!

AMD will release new cards as well. And new cards from Nvidia will release in the next weeks. So I would wait untill we have all the info.

Was just reading about the 1070 and yah...makes sense to wait a few weeks

[Ealyssa]

Wait for a GTX 1070/1080, depending on your budget. It's the only smart choice.

[dbd_rage]

Wait for a GTX 1070/1080, depending on your budget. It's the only smart choice.

Any suggestions for a monitor that would be a good compliment ?

[Denpepe]

The monitor will depend on which resolution you want to use, a 3440 x 1440 will be around 800-1100$ for the screen alone like this one (https://pcpartpicker.com/part/acer-monitor-umcx1aa001) full list here https://pcpartpicker.com/parts/monitor/#r=344001440

[Deleted]

Wait for a GTX 1070/1080, depending on your budget. It's the only smart choice.

And wait for Polaris.

[Fascinate]

Any suggestions for a monitor that would be a good compliment ?

Id go with a 1440p screen over a 144hz for the games you listed, something like this:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B009C3M7H0/?tag=pcpapi-20

[Denpepe]

Id go with a 1440p screen over a 144hz for the games you listed, something like this:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B009C3M7H0/?tag=pcpapi-20

While I have that screen and it's pretty decent, it's not ultra wide as the OP is looking for.

[Fascinate]

Hmm i missed that part, but are ultrawides even good for gaming? Is that native resolution supported by the games he listed? I know ultrawides are great for office work/productivity but i rarely see people seeking them out for gaming.

[Lathais]

Wait for a GTX 1070/1080, depending on your budget. It's the only smart choice.

The only smart choice would be to wait and see how Polaris 10 stacks up to the 1070/1080 and then make a decision with more information.

[Ealyssa]

The only smart choice would be to wait and see how Polaris 10 stacks up to the 1070/1080 and then make a decision with more information.

Only hardcore AMD fans still hopes for a miracle actually... We know the facts, we know that Nvidia will be in the lead. And that you'll have to wait 1-2 monthes to have the card. The only Polaris card we actually know something about is a "budget" card. Nothing wrong with this, but if you want some punch you'll have to go green.

But yes, you can wait. You can wait indefinitely until the "next big thing" may come. OP ask for some upgrade advice. And the only worth mentioning currently is to wait the few weeks before Nvidia's new card availability.

[dbd_rage]

The only smart choice would be to wait and see how Polaris 10 stacks up to the 1070/1080 and then make a decision with more information.

I can appreciate your choice in amd, but personally, having tried both for extended periods, I am an nvidia fan.

Thanks all for the info. I think it's looking like 1440 will be the way I go. And Facinate,...good point on the resolution...going to check the games in a bit to see what they support...might not make sense if they don't support it

[Lathais]

Only hardcore AMD fans still hopes for a miracle actually... We know the facts, we know that Nvidia will be in the lead. And that you'll have to wait 1-2 monthes to have the card. The only Polaris card we actually know something about is a "budget" card. Nothing wrong with this, but if you want some punch you'll have to go green.

But yes, you can wait. You can wait indefinitely until the "next big thing" may come. OP ask for some upgrade advice. And the only worth mentioning currently is to wait the few weeks before Nvidia's new card availability.

You mean the card they showed at CES in January running Hitman at 1440p with stable 60+ FPS even though it was running at only 800mhz was just a budget card? Here's some current benchmarks for the game:
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/N...X_1080/18.html

Above 60 at 1440p is something only the GTX1080 on that list does. Yet the Polaris GPU they showed is in Jan was doing that, yup, sounds like a budget card to me.

The only thing AMD has really said is that they are going to focus more on the mainstream market. Well guess what, 390/390X are considered mainstream and they matched up to the 970/980 so mainstream could easily mean the 490/490X which could match up nicely to the 1070/1080.

Also, they will have their press release at Computex, which is now confirmed, so we'll know a whole lot more on June 1st, including release dates hopefully. I don't think waiting less than 2 weeks for a little more information is the same as waiting indefinitely for the next big thing. It would be wise for anyone considering purchasing a 1070/1080 to wait for more information from the cards competition, since it's less than 2 weeks away, possibly sooner if we get any information from the press conference in Macau they had planned just before Computex.

[Ealyssa]

I can appreciate your choice in amd, but personally, having tried both for extended periods, I am an nvidia fan.

Thanks all for the info. I think it's looking like 1440 will be the way I go. And Facinate,...good point on the resolution...going to check the games in a bit to see what they support...might not make sense if they don't support it

Like I said, only die hard AMD fans still hope. Polaris may have some potential. But the reality is their is 99% chance that the only Polaris card we will see this year will be behind the 1070 on average.

Yes, you cant wait indefinitly that amd finally beat Nvidia. But Nvidia will only release their 1080Ti.

You can be a fan of a brand if you want. I only care about the best current offer, be it green or red.

[Lathais]

Like I said, only die hard AMD fans still hope. Polaris may have some potential. But the reality is their is 99% chance that the only Polaris card we will see this year will be behind the 1070 on average.

Yes, you cant wait indefinitly that amd finally beat Nvidia. But Nvidia will only release their 1080Ti.

You can be a fan of a brand if you want. I only care about the best current offer, be it green or red.

Actually, check my sig and see what I use. I am not an AMD fan, just looking at facts. How can you sit there and claim that the only card we'll see will be behind the 1070 when they quite literally showed us a card running Hitman at 1440p on Ultra setttings with a min FPS above 60. The 1080 has an average just above 60 and the 1070 will likely be 25-30% behind that, so not capable of 60FPS at 1440p on Ultra. We know AMD can beat this because they showed it to us, twice, once in Dec at Capsiacin and again in Jan at CES.

Also, yeah, 1080ti coming in Q1/2 of 2017, but Vega 10 is rumored to be releasing in Oct and that's the replacement to the Furies. Keep in mind, both Vega 10 and the 1080ti are planning on using HBM2. Which one of the 2 helped develop HBM2 in the first place and who already used HBM in cards and therefore has more experience working with it? Who do you think has priority on receiving and using HBM2? If there are any hiccups or delays in getting HBM2 to the market, AMD will have theirs first.

In addition, the Fury X already went head to head with the 980ti and they come out at pretty much a dead draw once the Crimson Drivers came out. The 980ti beats the Fury X by about 4% at 1080p, but you don't buy these cards for 1080p. At 1440p the Fury X averages out 1% ahead of the 980ti and 4% at 4k. Once you take DX12 into account, the Fury X is a pretty clear winner. So I am not waiting for AMD to beat nVidia, they really already have. Once Vega comes out, it will be interesting to see how it goes up against the best Pascal chip, whatever Titan they come out with or the 1080ti.

With an architecture improvement coupled with a die shrink(smaller than nVidias I might add) there is a good chance that Polaris will keep up with Pascal.

Don't get me wrong, that does not make me an AMD fan. I am still an nVidia fan and HOPE to be able to buy better nVidia GPUs when I upgrade next year in Feb like I normally do. AMD catching up to and possibly beating nVidia is still a good thing though, as it may either force nVidia to lower prices or better yet force their hand and make them put something even better out next gen. In addition, if AMD can continue to take market share from nVidia, the way they have the past 3 quarters, maybe nVidia will start to re-think some of their very anti-consumer policies. AMD getting better will only make nVidia better and that's why I hope AMD does well and there is evidence to show they could do well.