What should I improve first?

[theKarn]

I currently have a machine with the following specs:

750w PSU
AMD Radeon HD 5770
m4a88t-v evo (Will not accept the FX-Series of AMD processers)
AMD phenom II x4 955 (3.2GHZ)
2x G.Skill Ripjaws 4gb 1333 (8gb in total)
120gb Critical SSD (main drive)

I do fairly well in game with these specs but I've been thinking of taking $500 and upgrading something.

I feel like if i upgrade my video card(HD 7970 Ghz edition) that my motherboard will be bottlenecking me but if I upgrade by motherboard(ASUS SABERTOOTH Z77) and cpu(i5-3570K) that my video card may only improve slightly... So i'm unsure where to go first.

Would overclocking the CPU help in any meaningful fashion?

[n0cturnal]

For WoW getting a better CPU will give you better FPS when it comes to raids, for everything else getting a better GPU will give you much better FPS.

[Azyure]

Is your PSU 750 constant or 750 peak? They go so unnoticed most of the time, a better (not necessarily bigger) will run all of your components more smoothly.

[Danno]

I personally would upgrade your CPU and motherboard. An i5 3570k and an ASRock Z77 Extreme3 or 4 (depending on features you need). ASUS is nice, but add an extra $100 premium on their boards that you could invest in a new GPU with.

[theKarn]

Is your PSU 750 constant or 750 peak? They go so unnoticed most of the time, a better (not necessarily bigger) will run all of your components more smoothly.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817371051

is my PSU

[Toffie]

If you play WoW upgrade the cpu/motherboard. For everything else buy the 7970 ghz

[jholdaway]

I would go with this then when you get a little more cash get an aftermarket cpu cooler.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($189.99 @ Microcenter)
Motherboard: ASRock Z77 Pro3 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($87.55 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 660 2GB Video Card ($199.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $477.53
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-01-25 20:21 EST-0500)

It's $504 before mail in rebates

Ignore what I posted above. Apparently I wasn't thinking right lol.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($189.99 @ Microcenter)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock Z77 Extreme4 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($124.99 @ Microcenter)
Total: $344.97
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-01-26 12:00 EST-0500)

This is the same set up I have and it works nicely. With that cooler I have my processor clocked at 4.5ghz stable at 75c under heavy load.

Or if you could wait a little longer and save up an extra hundred or so

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($189.99 @ Microcenter)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock Z77 Extreme4 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($124.99 @ Microcenter)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 660 2GB Video Card ($199.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $544.96
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-01-26 12:09 EST-0500)