What to upgrade?

Birkebusk · Sep 18, 2014

Hi TechPowerUp!

I'm getting some extra money in bonus from work and therefore i think it's time for an upgrade in my system.

My system is as follows:

Motherboard and CPU:
MSI Z77A-G43 Gaming
Intel Core i7-2600k 3,40 GHz

GPU:
MSI GeForce GTX 760 Twin Frozr - 4GB

RAM:
Corsair Vengeance Red 4x4GB DDR3 1600MHz

Storage:
Kingston HyperX 3K SSD 120 GB (Running my OS)
Seagate 1 TB HDD

Case and PSU:
Cooler Master HAF XB Modded
Corsair CX750M

Cooling:
Corsair Hydro H100i Extreme Performance
4x Corsair SP120 Quiet Edition (Push/Pull)
1x Corsair AF120 Quiet Edition
2x Noctua NF-R8 redux-1800 PWM - 80mm

Monitor:
BenQ XL2411T

OS:
Windows 7 Home Premium

Peripherals:
Corsair M65
Corsair Raptor K50
Corsair Vengeance 2100 Wireless Headset

I want to know what the best upgrade is for me at the moment because i cant really figure it out myself. Better GPU, SLI with my current GPU, Motherboard/CPU upgrade etc.
My build is color coordinated (Black/Red) and can be seen here (the website is danish so just look at the pictures!):
Cooler Master HAF XB "RedCube"

If you have any questions, feel free to ask!

Kursah · Sep 18, 2014

Well, honestly that's a nice build... I would go with Windows x64 SP1 professional if you must stick with 7, or upgrade to 8.1 pro x64...which is faster in every way.

Really if you don't know what to upgrade, and have no qualms with performance...I see no reason to upgrade really. Take your bonus and invest it, save it, use it for something you do need. That's a nice PC build. One thing you might consider is building a NAS for backup and media duty...maybe get a better router or build a more secure network. Not sure what you have there...you might already have that taken care of.

You could always blow your money on a 1TB SSD and use the 1TB HDD for storage or backup duties. You could get a different vid card...but why if you have no performance issues?

If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Welcome to TPU btw! :toast:

Jetster · Sep 18, 2014

It a tough question. It depends how much $. Say $300 then sell your current GPU and buy the best you can afford 290x or 780. Or a bigger SSD or a 3770K. I wouldn't go SLI

eidairaman1 · Sep 18, 2014

Id say go and grab another 760 or jump to a 290x/780Ti

GhostRyder · Sep 18, 2014

Might in all honesty especially if you wait a bit longer just upgrade your GPU. Everything is pretty top notch so if your waiting you will see some new GPU's hit the scene which maybe worth the investment and if nothing else you can always grab a cheaper second GTX 760 4gb to run SLI with.

You also may want to overclock the CPU.

BarbaricSoul · Sep 18, 2014

new higher resolution monitor? higher end motherboard and OC that 2600k (you already have everything else you need, motherboard might be a little weak for OC'ing)?

tehnika · Sep 18, 2014

hmm if you ask me get a better CPU
I7-4770 is good according the admins of http://aaspot.net

Deleted member 67555 · Sep 18, 2014

A second 760 and a second SSD for RAID0..That chipset does support TRIM in RAID0 if even needed....
I'm sure people will say RAID0 is pointless with an SSD...so I'll say it now...in all honesty they don't know what they are talking about....
And besides that your system is already quite good so why not have a few extra unneeded perks..

OneMoar · Sep 18, 2014

GPU get like a gtx 780TI
sli is a a headache
cpu is fine with tons of life left in it

GorbazTheDragon · Sep 18, 2014

I'd hold off for GM200

AlienIsGOD · Sep 18, 2014

tehnika said:
hmm if you ask me get a better CPU

an i7 2600K is no slouch, just needs a nice o/c and he will be set in that area.

rtwjunkie · Sep 18, 2014

Really, I would keep that 2600k and just overclock it. So few major advances have been made on the i7 front with each generation since Sandy Bridge, that anyone with a decent SB now is really not out of the game anymore. It's not like it was.

Other than that, there's nothing to change/upgrade. Possibly check out the 970 when they are released, if you want to upgrade GPU, but yours is no slouch either!

XSI · Sep 18, 2014

keep cpu for few more years.
oc it with your cooling should be easy.
wait for 970/980 reviews compare them to 760 in sli.
@OneMoar sli is not a headache.
another ssd for raid0 or simply for game instals.
maybe a new monitor or surround if you like it.
surround will need additional gpu

Birkebusk · Sep 18, 2014

Well thank you for all your inputs!

I want to OC my cpu, but i will probably do something wrong and ruin something instead!

I might go buy a 780ti and then sell my current card to get a decent upgrade on that part

Naito · Sep 18, 2014

Honestly? Your core system is fine. You won't see much of an improvement with anything newer. As others have said, look at upgrading your GPU and SSD storage and save the rest of your pennies for another day.

OneMoar · Sep 18, 2014

overclocking a 2600 isn't difficult just do some re-search and you will be good to go your cooling and power supply are more then up to the task 4.6 or even 4.8Ghz should be attainable

MxPhenom 216 · Sep 18, 2014

Birkebusk said:
Well thank you for all your inputs!

I want to OC my cpu, but i will probably do something wrong and ruin something instead!

I might go buy a 780ti and then sell my current card to get a decent upgrade on that part

Wait for gtx970/980. They release tomorrow.

rtwjunkie · Sep 18, 2014

OneMoar said:
overclocking a 2600 isn't difficult just do some re-search and you will be good to go your cooling and power supply are more then up to the task 4.6 or even 4.8Ghz should be attainable

Agreed. The 2600k is super, super easy to overclock. Just get the Intel tuning protection plan (or something similar (I forget at the moment the actual name), and you're good to go after 30 days.

Vayra86 · Sep 18, 2014

Maybe reverse the question you're asking?

- What games/applications are you using right now that would ask for a little more?

If there are none, wait it out, save it up, and your options will only get better as time passes. If there are some, post them and we can give more sound advice.

System Name	Kursah's Gaming Rig 2018 (2022 Upgrade) - Ryzen+ Edition \| Gaming Laptop (Lenovo Legion 5i Pro 2022)
Processor	R7 5800X @ Stock \| i7 12700H @ Stock
Motherboard	Asus ROG Strix X370-F Gaming BIOS 6203\| Legion 5i Pro NM-E231
Cooling	Noctua NH-U14S Push-Pull + NT-H1 \| Stock Cooling
Memory	TEAMGROUP T-Force Vulcan Z 32GB (2x16) DDR4 4000 @ 3600 18-20-20-42 1.35v \| 32GB DDR5 4800 (2x16)
Video Card(s)	Palit GeForce RTX 4070 JetStream 12GB \| CPU-based Intel Iris XE + RTX 3070 8GB 150W
Storage	4TB SP UD90 NVME, 960GB SATA SSD, 2TB HDD \| 1TB Samsung OEM NVME SSD + 4TB Crucial P3 Plus NVME SSD
Display(s)	Acer 28" 4K VG280K x2 \| 16" 2560x1600 built-in
Case	Corsair 600C - Stock Fans on Low \| Stock Metal/Plastic
Audio Device(s)	Aune T1 mk1 > AKG K553 Pro + JVC HA-RX 700 (Equalizer APO + PeaceUI) \| Bluetooth Earbuds (BX29)
Power Supply	EVGA 750G2 Modular + APC Back-UPS Pro 1500 \| 300W OEM (heavy use) or Lenovo Legion C135W GAN (light)
Mouse	Logitech G502 \| Logitech M330
Keyboard	HyperX Alloy Core RGB \| Built in Keyboard (Lenovo laptop KB FTW)
Software	Windows 11 Pro x64 \| Windows 11 Home x64

System Name	Juliette // HTPC
Processor	Intel i7 9700K // AMD Ryzen 5 5600G
Motherboard	ASUS Prime Z390X-A // ASRock B550 ITX-AC
Cooling	Noctua NH-U12 Black // Stock
Memory	Corsair DDR4 3600 32gb //G.SKILL Trident Z Royal Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) 3600
Video Card(s)	ASUS RTX4070 OC// GTX 1650
Storage	Samsung 970 EVO NVMe 1Tb, Intel 665p Series M.2 2280 1TB // Samsung 1Tb SSD
Display(s)	ASUS VP348QGL 34" Quad HD 3440 x 1440 // 55" LG 4K SK8000 Series
Case	Seasonic SYNCRO Q7// Silverstone Granada GD05
Audio Device(s)	Focusrite Scarlett 4i4 // HDMI to Samsung HW-R650 sound bar
Power Supply	Seasonic SYNCRO 750 W // CORSAIR Vengeance 650M
Mouse	Cooler Master MM710 53G
Keyboard	Logitech 920-009300 G512 SE
Software	Windows 10 Pro // Windows 10 Pro

System Name	PCGOD
Processor	AMD FX 8350@ 5.0GHz
Motherboard	Asus TUF 990FX Sabertooth R2 2901 Bios
Cooling	Scythe Ashura, 2×BitFenix 230mm Spectre Pro LED (Blue,Green), 2x BitFenix 140mm Spectre Pro LED
Memory	16 GB Gskill Ripjaws X 2133 (2400 OC, 10-10-12-20-20, 1T, 1.65V)
Video Card(s)	AMD Radeon 290 Sapphire Vapor-X
Storage	Samsung 840 Pro 256GB, WD Velociraptor 1TB
Display(s)	NEC Multisync LCD 1700V (Display Port Adapter)
Case	AeroCool Xpredator Evil Blue Edition
Audio Device(s)	Creative Labs Sound Blaster ZxR
Power Supply	Seasonic 1250 XM2 Series (XP3)
Mouse	Roccat Kone XTD
Keyboard	Roccat Ryos MK Pro
Software	Windows 7 Pro 64

System Name	SnowFire / The Reinforcer
Processor	i7 10700K 5.1ghz (24/7) / 2x Xeon E52650v2
Motherboard	Asus Strix Z490 / Dell Dual Socket (R720)
Cooling	RX 360mm + 140mm Custom Loop / Dell Stock
Memory	Corsair RGB 16gb DDR4 3000 CL 16 / DDR3 128gb 16 x 8gb
Video Card(s)	GTX Titan XP (2025mhz) / Asus GTX 950 (No Power Connector)
Storage	Samsung 970 1tb NVME and 2tb HDD x4 RAID 5 / 300gb x8 RAID 5
Display(s)	Acer XG270HU, Samsung G7 Odyssey (1440p 240hz)
Case	Thermaltake Cube / Dell Poweredge R720 Rack Mount Case
Audio Device(s)	Realtec ALC1150 (On board)
Power Supply	Rosewill Lightning 1300Watt / Dell Stock 750 / Brick
Mouse	Logitech G5
Keyboard	Logitech G19S
Software	Windows 11 Pro / Windows Server 2016

System Name	Barb's Domain
Processor	i9 10850k 5.1GHz all cores
Motherboard	MSI MPG Z490 GAMING EDGE WIFI
Cooling	Deep Cool Assassin III
Memory	2*16gig Corsair LPX DDR4 3200
Video Card(s)	RTX 4080 FE
Storage	500gb Samsung 980 Pro M2 SSD, 500GB WD Blue SATA SSD, 2TB Seagate Hybrid SSHD
Display(s)	Dell - S3222DGM 32" 2k Curved/ASUS VP28UQG 28" 4K (ran at 2k), Sanyo 75" 4k TV
Case	SilverStone Fortress FT04
Audio Device(s)	Bose Companion II speakers, Corsair - HS70 PRO headphones
Power Supply	Corsair RM850x (2021)
Mouse	Logitech G502
Keyboard	Logitech Orion Spectrum G910
VR HMD	Oculus Quest 2
Software	Windows 10 Pro 64 bit
Benchmark Scores	https://www.3dmark.com/spy/34962882

What to upgrade?

Birkebusk

Kursah

Super Moderator

Jetster

eidairaman1

The Exiled Airman

GhostRyder

BarbaricSoul

tehnika

New Member

Deleted member 67555

Guest

OneMoar

There is Always Moar

GorbazTheDragon

AlienIsGOD

Vanguard Beta Tester

rtwjunkie

PC Gaming Enthusiast

XSI

Birkebusk

Naito

OneMoar

There is Always Moar

MxPhenom 216

ASIC Engineer

rtwjunkie

PC Gaming Enthusiast

Vayra86

System Name	RedCube
Processor	Intel Core i7-2600k 3,40 GHz
Motherboard	MSI Z77A-G43 Gaming
Cooling	Corsair Hydro H100i Extreme Performance, 4xCorsair SP120 Quiet Edition (Push/Pull), 1xCorsair AF120
Memory	Corsair Vengeance Red 4x4GB DDR3 1600MHz
Video Card(s)	MSI GeForce GTX 760 Twin Frozr - 4GB
Storage	Kingston HyperX 3K SSD 120 GB, Seagate 1 TB HDD
Display(s)	BenQ XL2411T
Case	Cooler Master HAF XB
Power Supply	Corsair CX750M
Software	Windows 7 Home Premium

System Name	RPC MK2.5
Processor	Ryzen 5800x
Motherboard	Gigabyte Aorus Pro V2
Cooling	Enermax ETX-T50RGB
Memory	CL16 BL2K16G36C16U4RL 3600 1:1 micron e-die
Video Card(s)	GIGABYTE RTX 3070 Ti GAMING OC
Storage	ADATA SX8200PRO NVME 512GB, Intel 545s 500GBSSD, ADATA SU800 SSD, 3TB Spinner
Display(s)	LG Ultra Gear 32 1440p 165hz Dell 1440p 75hz
Case	Phanteks P300 /w 300A front panel conversion
Audio Device(s)	onboard
Power Supply	SeaSonic Focus+ Platinum 750W
Mouse	Kone burst Pro
Keyboard	EVGA Z15
Software	Windows 11 +startisallback

System Name	Indis the Fair (cursed edition)
Processor	11900k 5.1/4.9 undervolted.
Motherboard	MSI Z590 Unify-X
Cooling	Heatkiller VI Pro, VPP755 V.3, XSPC TX360 slim radiator, 3xA12x25, 4x Arctic P14 case fans
Memory	G.Skill Ripjaws V 2x16GB 4000 16-19-19 (b-die@3600 14-14-14 1.45v)
Video Card(s)	EVGA 2080 Super Hybrid (T30-120 fan)
Storage	970EVO 1TB, 660p 1TB, WD Blue 3D 1TB, Sandisk Ultra 3D 2TB
Display(s)	BenQ XL2546K, Dell P2417H
Case	FD Define 7
Audio Device(s)	DT770 Pro, Topping A50, Focusrite Scarlett 2i2, Røde VXLR+, Modmic 5
Power Supply	Seasonic 860w Platinum
Mouse	Razer Viper Mini, Odin Infinity mousepad
Keyboard	GMMK Fullsize v2 (Boba U4Ts)
Software	Win10 x64/Win7 x64/Ubuntu

System Name	Aliens Ryzen Rig \| 2nd Hand Omen
Processor	Ryzen R5 5600 \| Ryzen R5 3600
Motherboard	Gigabyte B450 Aorus Elite (F61 BIOS) \| B450 matx
Cooling	DeepCool Castle EX V2 240mm AIO\| stock for now
Memory	8GB X 2 DDR4 3000mhz Team Group Vulcan \| 16GB DDR4
Video Card(s)	Sapphire Pulse RX 5700 8GB \| GTX 1650 4GB
Storage	Adata XPG 8200 PRO 512GB SSD OS / 240 SSD + 2TB M.2 SSD Games / 1000 GB Data \| SSD + HDD
Display(s)	Acer ED273 27" VA 144hz Freesync \|TCL 32" 1080P w/ HDR
Case	NZXT H500 Black \| HP Omen Obelisk
Audio Device(s)	Onboard Realtek \| Onboard Realtek
Power Supply	EVGA SuperNOVA G3 650w 80+ Gold \| 500w
Mouse	Steelseries Rival 500 15 button mouse w/ Razor Goliathus Chroma XL mousemat \| Logitech G502
Keyboard	Logitech G910 Orion Spark RGB w/ Romer G tactile keys \| Logitech G513 Carbon w/ Romer G tactile keys
Software	Windows 10 Pro \| Windows 10 Pro

System Name	Bayou Phantom
Processor	Core i7-8700k 4.4Ghz @ 1.18v
Motherboard	ASRock Z390 Phantom Gaming 6
Cooling	All air: 2x140mm Fractal exhaust; 3x 140mm Cougar Intake; Enermax T40F Black CPU cooler
Memory	2x 16GB Mushkin Redline DDR-4 3200
Video Card(s)	EVGA RTX 2080 Ti Xc
Storage	1x 500 MX500 SSD; 2x 6TB WD Black; 1x 4TB WD Black; 1x400GB VelRptr; 1x 4TB WD Blue storage (eSATA)
Display(s)	HP 27q 27" IPS @ 2560 x 1440
Case	Fractal Design Define R4 Black w/Titanium front -windowed
Audio Device(s)	Soundblaster Z
Power Supply	Seasonic X-850
Mouse	Coolermaster Sentinel III (large palm grip!)
Keyboard	Logitech G610 Orion mechanical (Cherry Brown switches)
Software	Windows 10 Pro 64-bit (Start10 & Fences 3.0 installed)

System Name	Mother PC/XSI PC/ Laptop
Processor	I3 6100 Skylake@3.7/Intel Core2Duo E8400@3.0-3.7Ghz/Amd sempron 2100+
Motherboard	B150M MSI Night ELF/ASUS P5Q PRO P45/
Cooling	Cooler Master Hyper Evo 212/ X 2
Memory	Kingston HyperX Fury 2x4GB DDR4@2133 Dual channel /Adata 2x2 GB DDR2@800 dual channel/ 2,5GB
Video Card(s)	Gigabyte Windforce 950GTX/MSI 8800GT OC Zilent edition@660/1650/950 / ATI Radeon x1250
Storage	1pc:240GB SSD Kingston HyperX Fury/2PC:Intel 330 SSD 60GB/Samsung 500 GB/Samsung 320GB/80 GB
Display(s)	LG 22MP58VQ 1920x1080/ Samsung 2232BW - 22" 1680X1050 and LG Full HDTV 50" / 15" 1280x800
Case	Deepcool Tesseract Red/ Modded no name case
Audio Device(s)	Realtec 1150/Creative X-FI, Xtreme Gamer + Samsung 5.1 HT + additional 4 speakers and subwoofer
Power Supply	EVGA 500B Bronze 80+/ Chieftek 650W 80+.
Mouse	Cheapo 5$ mouse/ trackpad :)
Keyboard	Some cheap 10$
Software	Windows 10/Win 10/ Win 8.1
Benchmark Scores	later :)

System Name	Desktop \| Laptop
Processor	AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D \| Intel Core i7 7700HQ
Motherboard	MAG X570S Torpedo Max\| Neptune KLS HM175
Cooling	Corsair H100x \| Twin fan, fin stack & heat pipes
Memory	32GB G.Skill F4-3600C16-8GVK @ 3600MHz / 16-16-16-36-1T \| 16GB DDR4 @ 2400MHz / 17-17-17-39-2T
Video Card(s)	EVGA RTX 3080 Ti FTW3 Ultra \| GTX 1050 Ti 4GB
Storage	Kingston KC3000 1TB + Kingston KC3000 2TB + Samsung 860 EVO 1TB \| 970 Evo 500GB
Display(s)	32" Dell G3223Q (2160p @ 144Hz) \| 17" IPS 1920x1080P
Case	Fractal Meshify 2 Compact \| Aspire V Nitro BE
Audio Device(s)	ifi Audio ZEN DAC V2 + Focal Radiance / HyperX Solocast
Power Supply	Super Flower Leadex V Platinum Pro 1000W \| 150W
Mouse	Razer Viper Ultimate \| Logitech MX Anywhere 2
Keyboard	Razer Huntsman V2 Optical (Linear Red)
Software	Windows 11 Pro x64

System Name	Ryzen Reflection
Processor	AMD Ryzen 9 5900x
Motherboard	Gigabyte X570S Aorus Master
Cooling	2x EK PE360 \| TechN AM4 AMD Block Black \| EK Quantum Vector Trinity GPU Nickel + Plexi
Memory	Teamgroup T-Force Xtreem 2x16GB B-Die 3600 @ 14-14-14-28-42-288-2T 1.45v
Video Card(s)	Zotac AMP HoloBlack RTX 3080Ti 12G \| 950mV 1950Mhz
Storage	WD SN850 500GB (OS) \| Samsung 980 Pro 1TB (Games_1) \| Samsung 970 Evo 1TB (Games_2)
Display(s)	Asus XG27AQM 240Hz G-Sync Fast-IPS \| Gigabyte M27Q-P 165Hz 1440P IPS \| Asus 24" IPS (portrait mode)
Case	Lian Li PC-011D XL \| Custom cables by Cablemodz
Audio Device(s)	FiiO K7 \| Sennheiser HD650 + Beyerdynamic FOX Mic
Power Supply	Seasonic Prime Ultra Platinum 850
Mouse	Razer Viper v2 Pro
Keyboard	Razer Huntsman Tournament Edition
Software	Windows 11 Pro 64-Bit

Processor	i7 8700k 4.6Ghz @ 1.24V
Motherboard	AsRock Fatal1ty K6 Z370
Cooling	beQuiet! Dark Rock Pro 3
Memory	16GB Corsair Vengeance LPX 3200/C16
Video Card(s)	ASRock RX7900XT Phantom Gaming
Storage	Samsung 850 EVO 1TB + Samsung 830 256GB + Crucial BX100 250GB + Toshiba 1TB HDD
Display(s)	Gigabyte G34QWC (3440x1440)
Case	Fractal Design Define R5
Audio Device(s)	Harman Kardon AVR137 + 2.1
Power Supply	EVGA Supernova G2 750W
Mouse	XTRFY M42
Keyboard	Lenovo Thinkpad Trackpoint II
Software	W10 x64