Old computer upgrade

[Reydan]

Hey all,

I want to upgrade my computer but I don't really know what to do atm, I hope I can get some help with this.

First here are my specs:

Case: Cooler Master CM 690 II
CPU: i5 2500k 3.3Ghz Sandy Bridge (used to be overclocked, but I've updated the BIOS so it's standard atm)
MOBO: ASRock P67 Extreme4
Cooler: Scythe Mugen 2
RAM: Ballistix 16 GB DDR3-1600
GPU: MSI gaming GTX 970
PSU: Corsair TX750

I was thinking to upgrade my CPU mainly, since i've bought a secondhand GTX 970 in March.

My budget atm is limited I can afford up to € 500,-. I've seen a upgrade kit that comes with the new i5 6600k and a MSI Z170A GAMING M5 motherboard and 8gb RAM DDR4 Fury HyperX (for those who wants to know brands), which cost around €469,-. However i've been reading that the i5 6600k isn't much better than my own old i5 2500k. And I don't know if I can use my cooler and PSU with the new gen motherboards?

I also have another option where I can buy the i7 4790K, which only costs €379,-. This way I can use my old motherboard and later during Christmas buy a SSD. If my motherboard dies because of his age, I can simply buy a new motherboard for the 1150 sockets which doesn't cost as much anymore.

It's important for me that I can last aslong as I last now with my CPU. And when needed replace the GPU down the road.

Hope it's not to confusing and someone can give my a hand .

Edit:

Import thing to add I still play at 1080p

[Nips]

If I were in your place, I wouldn't upgrade - especially if the budget is limited. The i5 2500k is still a strong cpu and can handle almost anything well, especially when overclocked.

Since you do not have a ssd in your build, I would start by adding one, overclocking your cpu to 4.2-4.4 Ghz and saving yourself some money for the future.

[Reydan]

Thanks for the reply.

Thing is I have OC'ed my CPU to 4.4 Ghz before and run Prime tests for a whole night, and it passed. Eventually I got some random BSOD's (CLOCK_WATCHDOG_TIMEOUT). So last night I updated my BIOS and I might let it run on stock for a month or so, to see if the BSOD's are no more.

[Lathais]

I also have another option where I can buy the i7 4790K, which only costs €379,-. This way I can use my old motherboard

You would not be able to use your old motherboard. Your 2500k is socket LGA1155 and the 4790K is LGA1150, so you would need a new motherboard anyway. Also, going from the 3500k to the 4790k would not be much of an upgrade anyway. Like a 5-10% increase in performance, if that. Even going to a Skylake i5/i7 would not be much more than that. Most people with 2500k's are still not planning on upgrading, as the performance increase between generations has been pretty small. If I were you, I would just save up. Really not much of a point in upgrading.

[Reydan]

You would not be able to use your old motherboard. Your 2500k is socket LGA1155 and the 4790K is LGA1150, so you would need a new motherboard anyway. Also, going from the 3500k to the 4790k would not be much of an upgrade anyway. Like a 5-10% increase in performance, if that. Even going to a Skylake i5/i7 would not be much more than that. Most people with 2500k's are still not planning on upgrading, as the performance increase between generations has been pretty small. If I were you, I would just save up. Really not much of a point in upgrading.

Totally forgot that the i5 2500k is a 1155 socket... =/

Seems everyone advice against upgrading, then I might spend it on a SSD. Which I still want to have, any recommendations for that? I am aiming for a 500gb one. Since I have a 1TB HDD which I will still use obviously.

[Thunderball]

Get a decent cooler that is universally compatible with Intel platforms, overclock your CPU and get an SSD. Probably the most you can do with a limited budget.

[Reydan]

Get a decent cooler that is universally compatible with Intel platforms, overclock your CPU and get an SSD. Probably the most you can do with a limited budget.

I've got a Scythe Mugen 2 as a cooler which was pretty hot back in the day. I already had it OC'ed before to 4,4Ghz. But I updated my BIOS so it's standard atm. I am planning on a SSD, any recommendations?

[Thunderball]

I've got a Scythe Mugen 2 as a cooler which was pretty hot back in the day. I already had it OC'ed before to 4,4Ghz. But I updated my BIOS so it's standard atm. I am planning on a SSD, any recommendations?

Depending on the budget: OCZ Trion 150 = Corsair Force LE (same hardware, although Trion 150 is original) < Crucial MX200 < Samsung 850 EVO. I wouldnt advice going cheaper. There is also Crucial MX300 but it's quite controversial at the moment - it has good hardware but loses in performance to MX200 (has faster reads but slower writes). It could be a firmware issue which can potentially be fixed. So if you can find it substantially cheaper than MX200 it's an option too.

[Reydan]

I had my eyes on the Samsung 850 evo, the 500gb version. So I think I will get that, now I just need to reinstall Windows 10 on it. And I have no idea how yet lol.

[Thunderball]

I had my eyes on the Samsung 850 evo, the 500gb version. So I think I will get that, now I just need to reinstall Windows 10 on it. And I have no idea how yet lol.

Download the image, make a bootable USB with it and reinstall.

[Reydan]

I don't need a windows key or anything? Since I used the free update.

[Thunderball]

I don't need a windows key or anything? Since I used the free update.

If you upgraded and are using a Microsoft account your OS will activate when you log in with the same account on fresh install.