Upgrade

[Moofacekilla]

Hello everyone I am planning an upgrade soon for my current build I was torn but after hearing from everyone I have been persuaded that Intel has better single thread performance which is whats important currently in gaming. Here is what I was thinking of going for, I have about a $500 budget. What do you guys think?

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/CmF6qs

 

[LaytonJnr]

Hello,

I'm curious to see how your 4870 X2 is holding up - the architecture is becoming quite old, but if you're getting good frames, then you should be fine. But I personally think the GPU would end up bottlenecking the i5 a bit though, although that is dependent on the resolution. For a 1080p gaming rig, here is a possible set of parts including a GPU upgrade too:

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3vKmmG

While it cannot be overclocked, the performance of the i5 in this situation will be far greater than the system in your System Specs. Overclocking isn't always needed.

Layton

 

[Dent1]

Hello everyone I am planning an upgrade soon for my current build I was torn but after hearing from everyone I have been persuaded that Intel has better single thread performance which is whats important currently in gaming. Here is what I was thinking of going for, I have about a $500 budget. What do you guys think?

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/CmF6qs

I agree with LaytonJnr. The 4870X2 isn't going to hold up.

You've already maxed out your budget without a new GPU. I would drop to an i3 or a FX 83xxx or FX 6300 and squeeze in a better GPU.

The i5 is out your price zone.

 

[LaytonJnr]

I agree with LaytonJnr. The 4870X2 isn't going to hold up.

You've already maxed out your budget without a new GPU. I would drop to an i3 or a FX 83xxx or FX 6300 and squeeze in a better GPU.

The i5 is out your price zone.

I just looked back at the original thread, and the OP missed out one piece of information in this new thread - he already has an R9 280 which has been purchased.

http://www.techpowerup.com/forums/threads/new-amd-gaming-uprade.203420/

Hello everyone I am planning an upgrade soon for my current build I was torn but after hearing from everyone I have been persuaded that Intel has better single thread performance which is whats important currently in gaming. Here is what I was thinking of going for, I have about a $500 budget. What do you guys think?

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/CmF6qs

In which case, ignore what I said about getting a GPU upgrade because it seems like you already have. So the choice of the i5 4690K is a bit more suitable. Is there a reason why you need such high frequency RAM? I also think the RAM heatsink may cause CPU cooler clearance issues in the future.

EDIT: Speaking of CPU cooling, you might as well throw in a CM Hyper 212 cooler as well.

http://pcpartpicker.com/part/cooler-master-cpu-cooler-rr212e20pkr2

Layton

 

[Moofacekilla]

Yes I'm sorry I forgot to add that I have a R9 280 already. OK I can go with slower ram just thought faster was better.

 

[LaytonJnr]

Yes I'm sorry I forgot to add that I have a R9 280 already. OK I can gone it slower ram just thought faster was better.

You are correct that faster is better, however there comes a point at which the increase in frequency has no real world noticeable difference. We're talking a matter of a maximum of 1-2 nanoseconds quicker for $20-$50 more. My recommendation of the sweet spot is 2x4GB 1600MHz CL9 RAM from any major manufacturer (Kingston, Corsair, Crucial, Patriot, etc.). I also prefer lower profile RAM heatsinks for better clearance.

Layton

 

[Moofacekilla]

OK that makes sense. Thank you for the help.