Building my next Gaming Rig

[Boramir]

This is the current system I am using (it was my first computer build):

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K
CPU Cooler: XIGMATEK Gaia
MB: ASUS P8Z77-V LK
HDD: WD Caviar Black 1TB
RAM: G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3
GPU: ASUS GTX660 TI
PSU: Corsair CX600M
Case: Rosewill Blackhawk ATX Mid-Tower
OS: Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit OEM
Mouse: Razer Naga
Keyboard: Logitech G710

I am looking to do an upgrade to the CPU, CPU Cooler, MB, RAM, GPU (preferably a 970), PSU, OS (preferably windows 10), Monitor (24" 1080p, 144hz if possible); I would also like to add an SSD. I would like to play mmo's on high to ultra settings. My budget is ~$1,300.00 (US, I live in Massachusetts). I plan on reusing the case, HDD and peripherals if possible. I am mostly playing WoW these days with the occasional venture into SWTOR, Wildstar and Archeage.

This is with I've come up with so far:

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/bPL4yc

I got some great info from the people who post on this site when I built my last rig, so thank you in advance for your help with this project!

[Denpepe]

Overclock the CPU and get a new GPU and you should be set, your CPU when overclocked is still powerful enough, if you go with skylake you would get like 10-15% better performance tops.

And on the subject of GPU's there should be new strong ones coming out in the next 6 months, unless you need to upgrade right now, I would wait for those.

[Boramir]

Thanks for the quick reply.

Not really in a rush, really just trying to get a jump start so I'm ready to go once Legion comes out this Summer/Fall.

- - - Updated - - -

Overclock the CPU and get a new GPU and you should be set, your CPU when overclocked is still powerful enough, if you go with skylake you would get like 10-15% better performance tops.

And on the subject of GPU's there should be new strong ones coming out in the next 6 months, unless you need to upgrade right now, I would wait for those.

So would something like http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3yTPjX work until the new GPU's come out?

[Lathais]

As Denpepe said, you won;t see any major increases with upgrading your CPU. Only CPU Bound games like WoW will get much use out of it and it's not much, 15% or so.

Are you looking to upgrade because performance is lacking for you in anything in particular? If so, let us know where. Often times, people think they need an upgrade, but it's just something that has gone wonky and fixing it gets you back in a better position and no need to spend money.

That GPU is getting a little old now though, but again, as Denpepe said, next gen is on the horizon so unless you are really struggling to play something currently, it would be better to wait.

[Boramir]

As Denpepe said, you won;t see any major increases with upgrading your CPU. Only CPU Bound games like WoW will get much use out of it and it's not much, 15% or so.

Are you looking to upgrade because performance is lacking for you in anything in particular? If so, let us know where. Often times, people think they need an upgrade, but it's just something that has gone wonky and fixing it gets you back in a better position and no need to spend money.

That GPU is getting a little old now though, but again, as Denpepe said, next gen is on the horizon so unless you are really struggling to play something currently, it would be better to wait.

I have started to notice a little drop in my FPS overall in WoW. But other than that, I was just reading through the forums and saw people's builds they were doing and I got the itch to build a new rig mostly, lol. I will prob just upgrade my ram to 16gb and get a new monitor for now.

[Artorius]

You don't need to buy Windows 10, if you bought Windows 7. And yeah, no reason whatsoever to upgrade your CPU.

SSD is a good one. More RAM won't really make any noticeable difference but it's cheap, so why not?

Wait until the next cards and then do a big upgrade, better than wasting money on a card without full dx12 support like the 970.

[Lathais]

I have started to notice a little drop in my FPS overall in WoW. But other than that, I was just reading through the forums and saw people's builds they were doing and I got the itch to build a new rig mostly, lol. I will prob just upgrade my ram to 16gb and get a new monitor for now.

Have you OCed your current CPU? That can give you pretty good gains in WoW if you have not already. Actually, if you OC your current build you could end up in better shape than an non-OCed Skaylake CPU. Even further, depending on silicon lottery, if your current chip won and your new chip loses, it could end up a wash with no real gain.

[vindicatorx]

SSD is a good one. More RAM won't really make any noticeable difference but it's cheap, so why not?

.

Can a DDR3 board use DDr4 RAM?

[Lathais]

Can a DDR3 board use DDr4 RAM?

No.

/10char

[Artorius]

Can a DDR3 board use DDr4 RAM?

No. Did he put DDR4 at his pcpartpicker list? If yes, then change it to DDR3 1333/1600 OP.

But really, 8GBs is still fine.

[Idrinkwhiterussians]

Yeah, not much to upgrade really. I have a similar setup, but upgraded to a 970 last year (from a 670). OC a bit and be merry till the new GPUs come out. Nothing else is really needed unless you want to add SSD space. (which, I would never be able to go back to mechanicals for anything other than storage now that I have them)

[MMKing]

This is the current system I am using (it was my first computer build):

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K Keep
CPU Cooler: XIGMATEK Gaia Keep
MB: ASUS P8Z77-V LK Keep
HDD: WD Caviar Black 1TB Keep
RAM: G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 Keep
GPU: ASUS GTX660 TI Throw
PSU: Corsair CX600M Change if possible
Case: Rosewill Blackhawk ATX Mid-Tower Keep
OS: Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit OEM Keep, you can upgrade to W10 for free
Mouse: Razer Naga Keep
Keyboard: Logitech G710 Keep

Though i would wait for Nvidia and AMD to release their new cards. The next generation is an upgrade in memory and GPU technology. Because of this, i would also wait with buying a monitor as you want either G-sync or Freesync but you don't want to commit to a brand before you see some numbers. So keep your system and buy an SSD is my recommendation.

[Boramir]

Thanks everyone for the input. I will grab an SSD and sit tight for a bit.

I have not tried to OC my CPU yet. I watched some videos on how to do it and just haven't had the guts to pull the trigger (I'm still a rookie when it comes to this stuff). I will look into it a bit more though and see if I can get my nerve up to give it a shot.

[Nips]

With this setup it would also be an option to buy a cheap (possibly used) Gtx 660 ti for SLI. The psu should handle it and and the motherboard is suitable as well. Gets you a decent performance boost for very little money.