Stop gap upgrade of video card, is it viable?

[Mofogo]

Hi,

TL;DR My question is with my current build, can I get a mid range video card and hope to eek some more playable frame rates. How about like a GTX 760 or something sub-300$ (I'm usually an ATI guy).

Current Build (circa 2008) was right as the i-series chips were releasing and I didn't have the money, so I went with the previous gen, big mistake... DDR2 RAM, incompatible motherboards, etc.

What I'm hoping to get is playable FPS in 25 man raiding as a stop gap until I can get the money for a full build. Last night I dropped to like less than 5 on Iron Jugg pull (on fair settings, low isn't much better) and ended up dying from shit I didn't see. Will just a video card replacement get me to playable at current settings or will the CPU be too much still? I just need to drag out the build over some months but want to keep raiding...

CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo E8600 Wolfdale 3.33GHz LGA 775 65W
MB: ASUS P5E LGA 775 Intel X38 ATX Intel Motherboard
GPU: ASUS EAH4870/HTDI/1G Radeon HD 4870 1GB 256-Bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card
RAM: G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500)
PSU: Antec TPQ-850 850W Continuous Power ATX12V / EPS12V SLI

Appreciate any help. Thanks!

[Denpepe]

Wow is more CPU then GPU bound so a CPU upgrade will give you a lot better results then a GPU upgrade, if you can provide a budget people around here can give you some suggestions in what is the best bang for your buck, should be a sticky around you can use to provide info

[Butler to Baby Sloths]

I used to have that CPU. It was a great workhorse, but around Dragon Soul it was really starting to show its age. Upgrading your CPU would give you more performance. Something like a Core i3 4330, 2x4GB DDR3 and maybe an Asrock H87 Pro3 (or similar) would just about fit a 300 dollar budget and be a significant upgrade, and then when you have another 150-200 bucks you can upgrade the graphics card.

[Mofogo]

OK. Thanks for replies so far.

I understand its quite a bit CPU driven. I'd rather not have an entry CPU, since that goes towards entry this and entry that. I was more hoping that I could get the video card now, drop it in, get a bit of performance boost and then spend the rest of the 1000$ on some of these flavor of the month builds over the next few months (without putting it on credit card now and paying).

Ya know what I mean? The eventual build would be with like i5-4670, SSD, extra RAM etc. But just don't to do all that today.

[chazus]

You could get a better GPU.. But it won't help much.

As everyone else said... CPU driven means exactly that. Driven by CPU.

Your best bet is getting a Z87 or Z97 board, an i3-4150 or something, and then go whole hog later, or just deal with it for now. You aren't going to really be spending much more on a GPU anyway for the 'stop gap'. The only difference is... You'll actually get a performance boost out of the middle ground CPU.

Again, what is your budget?

[Mofogo]

Ok...so basically not viable. That's what I was looking for. Looks like I'll be saving and for awhile and dealing with crap FPS.

I threw out 250-300 for GPU.

Then looking at Narwhal type build from last setup of month 1000-1200 overall build budget...spread out over some time.

Buying a stopgap CPU seems dumb to me unless I'm missing something, b/c when I go whole hog later, I've now got a CPU to switch out...b/c its not the one I wanted and I throw the i3 in the closet as dead money as I'm not going to buy another MB to put it in. But I'll look at it anyways.

Thanks.

[Idrinkwhiterussians]

I am not 100% sure if MicroCenter is still doing the promo for money off a CPU/MB when you buy them together, but that might be an option to get high end i5/MB for your budget now...

Should run about $300 with the discount and RAM thrown in. Might be a bit more. IF you have a MicroCenter near. You have to get them in store, the only real big drawback.

[chazus]

Buying a stopgap CPU seems dumb to me unless I'm missing something

Wow is more CPU then GPU bound

Upgrading your CPU would give you more performance.

I understand its quite a bit CPU driven.

You said you understood, but ... the missing part is you don't? I'm confused.

I throw the i3 in the closet as dead money as I'm not going to buy another MB to put it in. But I'll look at it anyways.

How is throwing a $120 CPU in the closet as dead money and different from throwing a $120 GPU in the closet? You CAN just sell them. But again... why is a CPU any more worthless than a GPU when you upgrade?

[Mofogo]

Because I can get what I want for a final build, drop it into an existing system b/c its the only SINGLE COMPONENT that is even remotely compatible. Whether that would give ANY performance boost was what I was wondering before, but has since been answered as NO. Not sure how that is not understanding. If the answer is not NO, it certainly wasn't addressed, only that CPU would give me MORE than GPU. I said I understand that and you say I don't. Seems clear.

How is throwing a $120 CPU in the closet as dead money and different from throwing a $120 GPU in the closet? You CAN just sell them. But again... why is a CPU any more worthless than a GPU when you upgrade?

I'm not going to buy a lower grade GPU and then get a better one for the final build. I would buy the GOOD GPU now, drop it into current build and keep playing while simultaneously acquiring parts on the side and building up the other system, then drop good GPU into new system. I feel like its you guys not understanding that aspect of the thread. And maybe that wasn't clear in OP. I dunno. I accept that its CPU driven as I said and will look at other avenues (i.e. just playing as is until I can build the whole thing)

Buying a lower grade CPU now and then better one later is not something I want to do either. I asked if it was viable. Got responses that its not, so will look at something else.

- - - Updated - - -

I am not 100% sure if MicroCenter is still doing the promo for money off a CPU/MB when you buy them together, but that might be an option to get high end i5/MB for your budget now...

Should run about $300 with the discount and RAM thrown in. Might be a bit more. IF you have a MicroCenter near. You have to get them in store, the only real big drawback.

OK I'll look around for something like that.

[chazus]

Okay, that... makes a lot more sense. The confusion was using 'stopgap'.. which is not the situation. Stopgap implies 'temporary fix', i.e. getting a cheap GPU.

Annnnyway.

To be honest, the Microcenter option might be good.

$189 + Tax for 4670K
$100 for some Z87 board
$65 for RAM (or get 1 stick now, to hold you over, you just wont be able to run WoW + X + Y + Z at the same time)

Another option is to get an i3+Z87/Z97 now... And see how it runs. A LOT of people run i3-4330/4350, and are very happy with it. You may not feel the desire to upgrade your CPU from that, but still have the option to. I still feel that would give you the most 'leverage', and those CPU's sell well, so you'd probably only lose like $20-$30 on it.

[Mofogo]

Sooo....just thought I'd drop this by because I thought it was funny.

My CPU fan just died. Some kind of omen

[Deleted]

I wouldn't buy i3 if I planned to play anything besides WoW. Even with HT 2 physical cores are lackluster in new and upcoming titles.