1. #1
    Brewmaster Xl House lX's Avatar
    10+ Year Old Account
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
    Location
    Kentucky, USA
    Posts
    1,262

    New Mobo/CPU or new GPU?

    Ok so I am a computer building noob, and I am wondering whether at this point in time its time to upgrade mobo and cpu or just upgrade my GPU. There are some factors to take in, I'll list them below.

    Current Build:
    Mobo - General Pegatron Motherboard (came from an OEM machine) 6 x 240 slots, microATX, 2 PCI Express (x16), 2 PCI Express (4 total)
    CPU - Intel Core i7 930 series (not unlocked) @ 2.80 Ghz
    GPU - GTX 550 Ti
    RAM - 9gb triple channel memory

    I also have outside of my computer ready to put in at any given moment...
    RAM - 16gb Dual Channel Kit Corsair Vegeance.

    So I have my renter's paycheck coming in a few days, I have roughly $500 to spend on upgrades. I am 95% sure I am just going to get the Asrock Extreme4 Z77 motherboard and intel core i5 ivy bridge 3570k, and just install those, but I do have a few concerns.

    1.) If I install a new motherboard and CPU, will I have to re-verify Windows and other programs?
    2.) Since my machine is OEM, will Windows even let me verify it?
    3.) When upgrading motherboards, what are some important notes to keep in mind?
    4.) Will the dual channel memory work in my current mobo? If so, should I just install the memory and just upgrade my GPU?

    The reason I'm wanting to beef up my computer is to do Xsplit recordings and livestreams. Thanks for the help in advance!

    EDIT: Basically what I'm asking is what is better for me to upgrade to start doing Xsplit recordings and livestreams.
    Last edited by Xl House lX; 2012-07-31 at 06:44 PM.
    Call me House.

  2. #2
    The i7 930 should be enough for streaming, that GPU of yours is way worse.
    If you change motherboard you will most likely have issues verifying an OEM version of Windows.

  3. #3
    Brewmaster Xl House lX's Avatar
    10+ Year Old Account
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
    Location
    Kentucky, USA
    Posts
    1,262
    Quote Originally Posted by n0cturnal View Post
    The i7 930 should be enough for streaming, that GPU of yours is way worse.
    If you change motherboard you will most likely have issues verifying an OEM version of Windows.
    Will it be impossible to verify the Windows?

    And will the RAM work with my motherboard?

    GPU before that was even worse, Radeon HD 5450 before that lol.
    Call me House.

  4. #4
    High Overlord Ofire's Avatar
    10+ Year Old Account
    Join Date
    Jul 2012
    Location
    Exactly where I want to be :)
    Posts
    168
    Quote Originally Posted by Trogdora View Post
    Will it be impossible to verify the Windows?

    And will the RAM work with my motherboard?

    GPU before that was even worse, Radeon HD 5450 before that lol.
    No, it is not impossible, there are tools you can use to re-verify windows. (cannot say what for legal reasons though)

    RAM will work as long as your motherboard supports the specs listed on your new RAM or has the ability to downclock them if they are too fast.
    Last edited by Ofire; 2012-07-31 at 06:56 PM.

  5. #5
    the cpu is quite a good one even now - so if you have the urge , change your gpu to something like a GTX 670

  6. #6
    Could some one explain me why would he be unable to reactivate windows? It's not like you need to be connected to the internet to do it, and if he formats his hard drive, windows will never know it was already activated before.
    Intel Core i5 2500k @ 4.7GHz | MSI GTX 980 Gaming 4G x2 in SLI | ASRock Extreme3 Gen3 Motherboard
    8 GB of Kingston HyperX DDR3 | Western Digital Caviar Green 1 TB | Western Digital Caviar Blue 1 TB
    2x Samsung 840 Pro 128 GB + Corsair Force 3 120 GB SSDs (three-way raid 0)
    Cooler Master HAF 912 plus case | Corsair AX1200 power supply | Thermaltake NiC C5 Untouchable CPU cooler
    Asus PG278Q ROG SWIFT (1440p @ 144 Hz, GSync + 3D vision)

  7. #7
    Brewmaster Xl House lX's Avatar
    10+ Year Old Account
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
    Location
    Kentucky, USA
    Posts
    1,262
    Quote Originally Posted by Tanthalus View Post
    the cpu is quite a good one even now - so if you have the urge , change your gpu to something like a GTX 670
    Would the GTX 570 be an equal upgrade? I don't feel like dishing out that much money for one piece of hardware.
    Call me House.

  8. #8
    if you want to wait , the `incoming` gtx 660Ti is rumoured to be as fast if not faster than a gtx 570

  9. #9
    Quote Originally Posted by Trogdora View Post
    Would the GTX 570 be an equal upgrade? I don't feel like dishing out that much money for one piece of hardware.
    It would be very much behind the 670. If you have $500 to spend, I'd suggest 3 things:

    1. AMD 7870 - ahead of the suggested 570, and much more current. It also has massive amounts of potential for overclocking. There's nothing really better at the price point.

    http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814127662

    2. A new PSU to run your new video card since the one you have is most likely the one that came with the prebuilt, and those aren't equipped for higher end cards. Here's a very good model from XFX with your budget in mind:

    http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817207013

    3. An SSD. You can gain huge improvements in boot time and game loading. All around it will make your system feel 10x quicker. You'd want to put Windows and a handful of your most played games on it. Then use your existing drive for storage.

    http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820148529
    i7-4770k - GTX 780 Ti - 16GB DDR3 Ripjaws - (2) HyperX 120s / Vertex 3 120
    ASRock Extreme3 - Sennheiser Momentums - Xonar DG - EVGA Supernova 650G - Corsair H80i

    build pics

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •