Help me upgrade my humble PC

[Deleted]

Hello guys. I would like to know what is the best upgrade for my computer for about 400 Euros. It's a bit over two and a half years old now and some new games don't work on high anymore. Some still do on ultra like Max Payne 3 but I think that's because of a good optimization. My budget is arround 400 Euros and I use my PC mostly for games, surfing the web, and writing seminar papers for college. Now here is my spec:

Intel Core i5 750 @ 2.67Ghz
4 GB DDR 3 Ram
ATI Radeon SAPPHIRE HD 4770 512MB DDR 5
Motherboard: ASRock P55M Pro

Is it possible to put in i5 3450 or will i have to change my motherboard?

Thank you very much

[Evil Inside]

The cpu ram and mobo are still fine, no need to upgrade them. Instead use that money to buy an awesome video card, how big is your powersupply?

[Butler to Baby Sloths]

The processor you have isn't too bad, I'd prioritize getting a new graphics card. An HD 7850 for 250 dollars would be a great upgrade for you. You could also get an SSD with the left-over money and run the OS and games off it. What PSU do you have?

Upgrading the processor would also mean getting a new motherboard.

[Deleted]

Heh i had to climb behind my computer to find out. It's 350W

[Evil Inside]

Haha, yeah you'll need a psu with that as well. So you can get a 7850 and a 650w~ psu and you'll be back to smashing those games.

[Butler to Baby Sloths]

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

Video Card: Asus Radeon HD 7850 2GB Video Card ($249.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: SeaSonic 520W ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($69.64 @ Newegg)
Total: $319.63
(Prices include shipping and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2012-06-13 10:00 EDT-0400)

I'd suggest something along those lines.

[Deleted]

Thank you very much =) Oh and another question. Would I gain anything on performance if i overclock my CPU? I've read somewhere that this one could be overclocked to 3,5 Ghz.

[Deleted]

Haha, yeah you'll need a psu with that as well. So you can get a 7850 and a 650w~ psu and you'll be back to smashing those games.

650w a little much?
http://pcpartpicker.com/part/seasoni...m12ii520bronze

[Cedimedi]

Do u have a SSD?
Its most noticeable compared to other stuff.

Yes, you will gain performance by overclocking, but you also need a good cooling system.

[Rekindled]

indeed the 7850 is a good buy, nd personally, I wouldnt go any less than a 650W. A PSU lasts for generations of parts; you wanna make sure you have a good one. Hell I might even go for a 700/750w model,
http://pcpartpicker.com/part/antec-p...pply-tp750blue
the difference would only be 20 euro since you are buying in euro, save the rest for a mobo and CPU upgrade in the future.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($189.99 @ Microcenter)
Motherboard: Asus P8Z68-V/GEN3 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($159.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $349.98
(Prices include shipping and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2012-06-13 10:00 EDT-0400)

btw here a list of places you can buy parts

http://www.mmo-champion.com/threads/912692?p=11640486 Good Luck.

[Deleted]

Nope I don't have a SSD. I have a Hard disk 1 TB with disk data transfer rate of 5,9 according to windows experience index. it's also the lowest score of all my components.

[tohyatvc]

New graphics card and a new quality PSU are definitely the best things you can do with that machine.
Radeon 7850 is definitely a fantastic choice for price/performance, but of course you know what your budget is.
Yes, the CPU could be overclocked for a good boost, it isn't worth replacing it yet, it's still very decent.

You could pick up another 4GB of RAM while you're at it because it is so cheap now, but I wouldn't say it's absolutely necessary, just recommended.

I wouldn't worry about an SSD yet, the graphics card is the weakest link.

[Deleted]

Oh lordy. asus HD 7850 really is expensive here in my god forgotten country. it's 279 euros in our cheapest online hardware store.

[Evil Inside]

650w a little much?
http://pcpartpicker.com/part/seasoni...m12ii520bronze

Since the OP said he wants to overclock a 650 would give him some headroom.

[Butler to Baby Sloths]

Have a look for the HD 6850 then, it is a generation old, should be a bit cheaper.

[Deleted]

Have a look for the HD 6850 then, it is a generation old, should be a bit cheaper.

Naah.. i'l just buy it from amazon and wait a bit longer for it to arrive. it's 80 euros cheaper on amazon.. could you belive that? =)

[Deleted]

You can get 8GB RAM for pretty much £30/$50 which will be all you will ever need for just gaming.

Get a good PSU, preferably one that has a strong 12V rail and decent wattage.

Other than the PSU, the graphics card is the most important upgrade here. I spent $150 on a new card, ATI 6850, fairly cheap compared to the expensive ones. Can run BF3 on mostly max settings with a steady frame rate.

You can play WoW on full max and feel comfortable anywhere. Although the capitals will still lag a bit.

If you are confident with it, try overclocking the GPU.