Worth it to buy a new GPU? Or better to save and upgrade everything at once?
6 replies, posted
So my current specs are really outdated:
Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 @ 3.00GHz
Gigabye G31M-S2L
4GB DDR2 RAM
ATI Radeon HD 4850 512MB
I'm wondering if it would be worth it to upgrade the GPU (to something like a 760) or would the bottleneck be too bad to get any real performance boost?
I just want to play a few games I'm having trouble running, such as BF3 (40FPS on medium in open areas), Mirror's Edge (Can only run it at a low res, even then it's unbearably slow), Final Fantasy XIV.
Also I'm planning on getting a 1440p monitor eventually because my current monitor is gross.
Except for the 512MB graphics RAM, the specs aren't bad actually, but then again newer games tend to require even more than what you have. I'd say save up to upgrade everything at once, it saves money in the long run and it means you don't have to open up your computer every time you get a new part.
Or you could just invest in a graphics card with a higher RAM. That really just seems to be the only problem. Up to you, mate.
Specs aren't really good, especially with the new generation coming out, your specs will be pushed to worthlessness very soon.
[URL]http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121775[/URL] - gtx 760, $260
[URL]http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131837[/URL] - mobo, $140
[URL]http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819116504[/URL] - cpu, $220
I don't know what to do about ram, the mobo says (OC) next to almost all the ram speeds so I don't know what that changes.
I have a 660 ti which is apparently a bit worse than the 760 (or about the same) and an i5 2400 which is probably not as good as that cpu, and I run BF3 on all ultra with 60+ FPS, and Mirror's Edge on all max, really the only games I can't max are Crysis, but even then I get them pretty high.
You can probably keep your case, nothing is any bigger, in fact things are smaller now-a-days.
[editline]26th August 2013[/editline]
And yes, your cpu won't do too well in games like BF3, and in the future in general.
[QUOTE=Lambadvanced;41979464]Specs aren't really good, especially with the new generation coming out, your specs will be pushed to worthlessness very soon.
[URL]http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121775[/URL] - gtx 760, $260
[URL]http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131837[/URL] - mobo, $140
[URL]http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819116504[/URL] - cpu, $220
I don't know what to do about ram, the mobo says (OC) next to almost all the ram speeds so I don't know what that changes.
I have a 660 ti which is apparently a bit worse than the 760 (or about the same) and an i5 2400 which is probably not as good as that cpu, and I run BF3 on all ultra with 60+ FPS, and Mirror's Edge on all max, really the only games I can't max are Crysis, but even then I get them pretty high.
You can probably keep your case, nothing is any bigger, in fact things are smaller now-a-days.
[editline]26th August 2013[/editline]
And yes, your cpu won't do too well in games like BF3, and in the future in general.[/QUOTE]
As far as CPU, why the hell would you upgrade to the last generation? The 4670k is only about $15 more expensive. I also wouldn't get that motherboard, go with the G45-gaming or z87x-d3h for that price range, and you'll get more for your money. The G41 is a good cheaper option if no SLI is planned. If you're going with the GTX 760 (which I recommend), go with Gigabyte's windforce version (best air cooling you can get, faster clock, and it costs the exact same). The last thing is this doesn't include RAM, which will need to be upgraded to be compatible (recommended 1600 MHz DDR3 2 x 4GB).
Also yes, the 660 ti is worse than the 760, and a poor choice in video cards in general in my opinion.
No matter what GPU you buy that cpu will be holding you back (especially in bf3).
believe me I know, I just upgraded from an E8500 to an i5-4670K.
Flayne's advice is solid.
Thanks for the advice guys, but I'm just wondering if buying a GPU alone will be able to get me from 40 to 60 fps, especially in games where the things that lag me the most are AA, AO, bloom and things like that.
[QUOTE=Jellyman;41986766]Thanks for the advice guys, but I'm just wondering if buying a GPU alone will be able to get me from 40 to 60 fps, especially in games where the things that lag me the most are AA, AO, bloom and things like that.[/QUOTE]
It's really hard to say because there aren't benchmarks for things like this (where your processor bottlenecks things), especially not for something this old. 20 FPS [I]might[/I] be reasonable, but it really is going to depend on the game and settings. Anisotropic filtering and MSAA are heavily reliant on the GPU, but that doesn't mean bottlenecking is eliminated.
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