Could you guys give me some feedback on my 3 year plan for my desktop PC?

[Deleted]

I've had a nice chat with the folks over at Superuser.com to discuss my future plans for my computer. My current PC is an i2500K with a Geforce 770 GTX, a 1 TB HDD and 8 GB of RAM, running Windows 7 and a DVD drive.

I have 3 main parts I'd like to update over the next 2-3 years:

2015: Get an SSD as a boot disk and use my current HDD as a secondary drive. I'll also get the free update from Windows 7 to Windows 10 depending on reviews. I'm not yet sure whether I'd go for 500 GB or 1 TB, but leaning towards the latter. I might also get an actual PCI-E wireless network card to replace my current USB dongle and hopefully get a better signal (faster and clearer).
2016: Upgrade my i5(?) 2500K to a Skylake processor that's anticipated to be announced in a few months. I'll update my motherboard at the same time. Since my current Windows 7 install is an OEM and thus linked to my current mobo, I'll need to get a fresh Windows 10 license as well.
2017: Upgrade my Geforce 770 GTX to a Geforce 1080 or even 1180 if they're released by then. I only bought my 770 during the summer of last year, so i'd like to at least last 3 years with it. I'll also get 2 new monitors with Gsync technology, since I currently use 2 screens with completely different make, model, age, resolution and even aspect ratio.
Any of these 3 years: small budget to replace my DVD drive with a Blu-Ray drive, maybe a few sticks of RAM if necessary.

The intent is that I don't buy the hardware when it's completely new, but rather 6-12 months after the release so most of the early bird issues have been ironed out. I also hope that I can buy at the right time, I.e. right AFTER the next generation is released of whatever I am buying, and NOT right before as I've unfortunately done with both my current GPU and my current laptop.

So, any thoughts on this? Ideas, suggestions, feedback?

[Remilia]

Well, GPU and display I would just well, wait and not bother planning for that until you need it.
There's no point in two Gsync monitors. Only one is going to be used during game so the other kind of just has a $150 premium for no reason.
Not to mention there's a bug with it right now that is stuck on during desktop use which can cause flicker issues. Granted in two years I hope that's fixed.
RAM stick wait until you upgrade CPU/MoBo.

[Deleted]

hi
if you intent not to buy when is completely new, the best time imo is after the competition release their new generation, I.e the amd GPUs considerable dropped prices after nvidia release the 900 series, but procesors they dont always get cheaper as they get older in some cases they even get more expensive, a year ago i bought i7-4790k for 290€ there was no promotions or anything else, today same chip from same store costs 378€ and i dont think it will get cheaper not even after the new generation release in the next months, well actually now there is a promotion of intel of 50€ if u buy cpu+mobo

so whenever u want to change something just google or ask for upcoming releases just in case you should wait, and my advice would be that the right moment to buy is also when there is a good promotion, cyber monday ( the monday after thanksgiving day ) u might be able to find fantastic promotions (I.e i got a 300 usd headset for 145usd)and take in count that normaly upgrading gpu sometimes also needs new PSU but not always

[yurano]

Skylake doesn't support standard desktop DDR3 (240-pin). It only supports low-voltage (<= 1.35V) DDR3L 204-pin (laptop memory).

Manufacturers of mainboards will have to install either 288-pin slots for DDR4 DIMMs or 204-pin slots for DDR3L SO-DIMMs on their LGA1151 platforms, but not 240-pin slots for DDR3 memory modules.

[Deleted]

I'd say don't plan untill you need it. Get the ssd now when you need more cpu or gpu power get it then. New cpu will mean new mobo which will mean new ram. New gpu means new psu as well.

@Khuzdul. The prices atm have nothing to do with when they were released and how much time have passed since then. The prices in EU atm are insane cause euro has gone down alot last 2-3months and dollar up. Thus the prices....check US, everything is cheap now for them.

[Deleted]

How do I know when I'll need an upgrade? I mean, my CPU is rather old by now, 5 years old by the time I'm replacing it. Isn't that a really long time for computer hardware?

[Deleted]

How do I know when I'll need an upgrade? I mean, my CPU is rather old by now, 5 years old by the time I'm replacing it. Isn't that a really long time for computer hardware?

If you have a 2500k there just isnt a reason to upgrade at the moment. The performance gap between a 2500k and 4690k just isnt enough to justify the costs. Just OC it till at least 4,5 Ghz, I think that is possible on just about all chips.

I would wait till atleast skylake due to DDR4 support and see how AMDs ZEN will perform.

[Deleted]

If you have a 2500k there just isnt a reason to upgrade at the moment. The performance gap between a 2500k and 4690k just isnt enough to justify the costs. Just OC it till at least 4,5 Ghz, I think that is possible on just about all chips.

I would wait till atleast skylake due to DDR4 support and see how AMDs ZEN will perform.

That's my plan. Skylake is expected to be announced in August, so it should be out by 2016. I'm not going to upgrade it this year to a current CPU, I'm going to upgrade it next year to a Skylake CPU.

Same with my GPU: the 1000 series is expected in 2016, and the 1100 series in 2017. I'm not going to upgrade today, I'm going to upgrade in 2017.

I've tried OCing my CPU before, through a "Turbo" option on my motherboard, but about a week later, I got an error message that told me to revert my overclocks.

I also don't have the patience to do OCing the right way.

[Deleted]

I think you are overthinking this. There is no 3year plan thing with pc's.... Upgrade only when you are not satisfied with the games you play and have the money to do so. Its as simple as that. What if in 2 years you play the same game or a game that doesn't have ubber requirements and you don't need to upgrade? You will upgrade cause it was planned?

As i said if you want the luxury of an ssd thats another thing but i would not include it as an upgrade per se, like a cpu or gpu is.

[Deleted]

I think you are overthinking this. There is no 3year plan thing with pc's.... Upgrade only when you are not satisfied with the games you play and have the money to do so. Its as simple as that. What if in 2 years you play the same game or a game that doesn't have ubber requirements and you don't need to upgrade? You will upgrade cause it was planned?

As i said if you want the luxury of an ssd thats another thing but i would not include it as an upgrade per se, like a cpu or gpu is.

A) I'm a mainstream gamer. Just thinking about the games that are pretty likely to be released on PC, I'm likely going to be playing the following games on the upgraded machine:

1. Deus Ex: Mankind Divided;
2. The next Mass Effect game;
3. the PC version of Rise of the Tomb Raider;
4. Just Cause 3;
5. Star Wars: Battlefront;
6. Star Citizen;
7. Watch Dogs 2;
8. Assassin's Creed: Syndicate;
9. potential Halo remaster port to PC to promote Windows 10;
10. Wolfenstein Reboot sequel;

B) I already have games that I can't play the way I want to on my current machine, mainly Assassin's Creed: Unity and Watch Dogs. I'm probably going to give them another shot once my machine might handle them better.

C) I've been bitten multiple times by purchasing items without properly planning. I bought my current GPU the month before the 900 series arrived, and my current laptop a week before that model got a hardware update. From now on, I intend to plan purchases above 150 EUR in advance based on what I'm using right now and when the next major revision is scheduled. I REALLY do not want to spend another 600 EUR on a new CPU, motherboard and memory or a new GPU, only to realize that if I had waited a month, I could have gotten a bunch more power for the same price.

D) Waiting until you're forced to upgrade, either because an other purchase can't be used on the current device or because your current device is broken, is not a smart move. it means you need to make a decision under stress because you need that machine or really want to play that game.

E) Even if I won't need that extra power in 2016 or 2017, I'm making purchases for long-term considerations. my CPU will be 4 generations behind, so will my GPU, by the time I'm replacing them. planning my replacement properly means that I can replace them at the time of my choosing, not at a time that's forced on me.