Do I buy a new build or upgrade certain parts :/ stuck

[agli]

Could someone help me with trying to either upgrade my computer or to either buy one whichever is cheaper, I'm not confident enough in myself to mess with boards and processors for fear of frying them.

My current build is now 5 years old


The video card I got with the system was a GT8800 but it burnt out after constant use and I replaced it with a HD4850 1gb and recently a HD7770.

The only game I tend to play is World of Warcraft but I did buy a few games in the steam summer sale, Portal, Half Life, TSW, Tomb Raider, Bioshock so I'd like to play those too.

I'm looking at spending about £600 on a PC that will last me a fair few years, I'm starting to notice not very good fps in WoW, it is playable but I want something a bit more fluid.

Any help would be gratefully appreciated.

~ Mike

[Deleted]

likely best to atleast upgrade the cpu/mobo/cooler and if the budget allows for it you can change the case/add a SSD/add more storage if wanted.

[Deleted]

Look at Scan.co.uk weekly offers listing. They usually have custom-builds without GPU and peripherals. The two current ones that should interest you are the 4670k builds on their "Today only" page - both coming to around £450.

[vesseblah]

What you should do it replace the motherboard+cpu+ram as a bundle, upgrading one or two of those parts is complete waste of money and time. Graphics card, HDD and windows can be probably reused all without any problems.

[Quintana]

Replacing the motherboard, RAM, and CPU together is the next logical step. Now you just need to decide what your budget is, 8GB of RAM is going to run between $50-$60 and you can pick up a nice motherboard for well under $100. Just depends on what you want to spend on the CPU. If you have a Microcenter somewhat close to you, they offer the best deals on Intel CPU's and bundles by miles.

[Deleted]

To wit, the OP is UK-cased, hence the pound-sign usage.

This is an example combo deal that would get you everything you need: 4670k bundle - £435.

Overclockers UK i5-4670k bundle - £419.99.

Scan's bundle similar to these is £448.00...or you can buy the core of a PC for £455 from them.

[yurano]

This is an example combo deal that would get you everything you need: 4670k bundle - £435.

Overclockers UK i5-4670k bundle - £419.99.

Those combo deals don't actually seem like "deals".

The combos linked include a CPU, motherboard, heatsink and RAM for > $400.

The Gigabyte Z87-HD3 isn't very high quality and the ASUS motherboard pictured is the Z87-K, the cheapest ASUS Z87 motherboard available. Although, the page says it includes the Z87-Pro, which is pretty high end.

It is possible to get a slightly higher quality build (ASUS Z87-A) for $365.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor (£179.99 @ Aria PC)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler (£22.85 @ CCL Computers)
Motherboard: Asus Z87-A ATX LGA1150 Motherboard (£110.97 @ Amazon UK)
Memory: Patriot Intel Extreme Master, Limited Ed 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory (£49.98 @ CCL Computers)
Total: £363.79
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-07-23 20:05 BST+0100)

A $220 760 fills out the budget nicely.

A cheaper graphics card such as the 660 $150 or the 7870 $160 would allow for other upgrades (PSU, case, HDD). A cheaper graphics card won't affect WoW performance, but will diminish performance in games like Tomb Raider and Bioshock.

[vesseblah]

Those combo deals don't actually seem like "deals".

Those bundles are pre-overclocked and everything comes from one store. Great for people who want decent hardware at decent price, but not the best bargains.

[agli]

Thank you for the information, just to add I can get this from work for just under £200 with discounts applied
http://www.maplin.co.uk/cataclysm-qu...-bundle-686074

[Fluorescent0]

Thank you for the information, just to add I can get this from work for just under £200 with discounts applied
http://www.maplin.co.uk/cataclysm-qu...-bundle-686074

That's actually a pretty good deal for <200£ and I'd recommend getting it. I don't see any specifications for the cooler used though, so I think it's the stock one and you'll have to upgrade it. The 212 EVO linked above should suffice to reach 4.3-4.5 on ivy.

I'd invest into a Gigabyte 760 and save leftover money.

[agli]

That's actually a pretty good deal for <200£ and I'd recommend getting it. I don't see any specifications for the cooler used though, so I think it's the stock one and you'll have to upgrade it. The 212 EVO linked above should suffice to reach 4.3-4.5 on ivy.

I'd invest into a Gigabyte 760 and save leftover money.

Thank you ^_^ <3

[Deleted]

Thank you for the information, just to add I can get this from work for just under £200 with discounts applied
http://www.maplin.co.uk/cataclysm-qu...-bundle-686074

...Okay. Get that, and enjoy.