ghost420 Posted February 18, 2013 Share Posted February 18, 2013 (edited) Here are my specs: Intel® Core i5-2300 CPU @ 2.80GHz 8 GB RAM AMD Radeon HD 6600 Series 1 TB Hard Drive Should I get a better video card, or rather a better processor? I'm looking to play my PC games on high to max settings without any lag. If I do change my processor or video card, must I get better PSU? Sorry if I come out as a noobie, but I'm still learning about PC's and what not. Edited February 18, 2013 by ghost420 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yoječ Posted February 18, 2013 Share Posted February 18, 2013 Please post what PSU you have (not just the wattage, but brand and model as well). As for the upgrade - changin the GPU is the most sensible option, though you'd have to spend quite a lot to make a sizeable difference. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghost420 Posted February 18, 2013 Author Share Posted February 18, 2013 Please post what PSU you have (not just the wattage, but brand and model as well). As for the upgrade - changin the GPU is the most sensible option, though you'd have to spend quite a lot to make a sizeable difference. Not really sure, I'd have to open it up. So a better processor would be the better choice compared to a graphics card? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yoječ Posted February 18, 2013 Share Posted February 18, 2013 There is no point in changing the CPU. The one you have is very powerful already. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shoumaker Posted February 18, 2013 Share Posted February 18, 2013 How much money are you putting into the upgrade exactly? It would be smart to upgrade your graphics card but we need to know what PSU you are using. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stinky12 Posted February 18, 2013 Share Posted February 18, 2013 HD6600 series sounds more like integrated graphics, but Intel Core i5 don't have AMD GPU. Is this a brand name computer or pre/self built? How fast is that 1TB HDD? A 7200rpm will perform better than a 5400rpm drive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yoječ Posted February 18, 2013 Share Posted February 18, 2013 HD6600 series sounds more like integrated graphics, but Intel Core i5 don't have AMD GPU. No, it's just either HD6850 or HD6870. Most apps show only a series number instead of model for some reason. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trund Posted February 18, 2013 Share Posted February 18, 2013 How fast is that 1TB HDD? A 7200rpm will perform better than a 5400rpm drive. Geez. If anyone ever gets a 5400rpm drive for a PC (not laptop) here, I will have to slap them in the face. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghost420 Posted February 19, 2013 Author Share Posted February 19, 2013 (edited) HD6600 series sounds more like integrated graphics, but Intel Core i5 don't have AMD GPU. Is this a brand name computer or pre/self built? How fast is that 1TB HDD? A 7200rpm will perform better than a 5400rpm drive. This is a pre built PC that I purchased from a guy. The PSU is Raidmax atx12v 500w. The RPM for the hard drive I believe is 5900. Edited February 19, 2013 by ghost420 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stinky12 Posted February 19, 2013 Share Posted February 19, 2013 Ah Raidmax isn't a good brand. Need to change the power supply before getting a video card. Corsair, Antec, XFX are all good. A 600w is a good start and for the HDD 5900rpm are mostly Seagate Green drives. If it's a 5900rpm drive, then it's mostly slower, but there is no need to waste money on it. As others said go with a graphic card, just remember to also change your power supply. Some benchmark I've done as I've own 3 out of 4 color WD drives: Black, Blue, and Green. Black and Blue are rated at 7200, Green is mostly 5400 but never specify as WD calls it Intelliseek. Higher is better WD Green: R=85.5MB/s, W=84.6MB/s WD Blue: R=78.6MB/s, W=72.2MB/s WD Black: R=104.6MB/s, W=109.4MB/s Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghost420 Posted February 19, 2013 Author Share Posted February 19, 2013 So upgrade to a 600w psu and what would be a good graphics card that would be a reasonable price and play most current games out? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yoječ Posted February 19, 2013 Share Posted February 19, 2013 You don't need to buy a 600W PSU you just have to buy one that's better build.As for the graphics card, HD7870 XT is a very interesing option - costs roughly the same as regular HD7870, and it's almost as fast as HD7950. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghost420 Posted February 19, 2013 Author Share Posted February 19, 2013 You don't need to buy a 600W PSU you just have to buy one that's better build.As for the graphics card, HD7870 XT is a very interesing option - costs roughly the same as regular HD7870, and it's almost as fast as HD7950. Are you saying the one I have might go bad? An HD7870 XT will play any PC game out on high settings? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yoječ Posted February 19, 2013 Share Posted February 19, 2013 Yes, the Raidmax might go bad, but it also depends which exact model do you have - there were several Raidmaxes 500W. As for the card - it should be more than sufficient. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghost420 Posted February 19, 2013 Author Share Posted February 19, 2013 Ok yojo, I will take your advice and probably in a few weeks, will upgrade. Are you sure my CPU can handle this or will it bottleneck? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yoječ Posted February 19, 2013 Share Posted February 19, 2013 It will do the job. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghost420 Posted February 21, 2013 Author Share Posted February 21, 2013 Should I buy a 600W or 500W PSU? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Finn 7 five 11 Posted February 21, 2013 Share Posted February 21, 2013 A 500 watt will be fine... Here is a suggestion, Yoyo knows a lot more about PSU's than I so perhaps he could suggest a better one, and the 7870 XT is a brilliant choice, it will last many years. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx...N82E16817139050 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghost420 Posted February 21, 2013 Author Share Posted February 21, 2013 Ok just making sure can the 7870 play GTA IV on high detail settings? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prometheus Posted February 21, 2013 Share Posted February 21, 2013 With the i5 it definitely will, at a smooth framerate as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghost420 Posted February 21, 2013 Author Share Posted February 21, 2013 (edited) Smooth framerate is best. Where could I purchase a cheap HD7870 XT card? Edit: I read my motherboard manual and it lists this: Expansion options: The motherboard comes with the following expansion options: One PCI Express x16 slot for Graphic Interface Two PCI Express x1 slots Four SATA 3.0 Gb/s The HD7870 XT says it requires PCI Express 3.0 x16 This will fit my motherboard correct? Edited February 21, 2013 by ghost420 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Finn 7 five 11 Posted February 22, 2013 Share Posted February 22, 2013 ^ Yes, PCIE 3.0 cards a backwards compatible with PCIE 2.0, and as of right now 3.0 has no performance differences over 2.0 with current cards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghost420 Posted February 23, 2013 Author Share Posted February 23, 2013 Ok, so just to confirm this is the card ? It recommends 650W PSU or are they just trying to get me to buy into it? Video Card Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yoječ Posted February 23, 2013 Share Posted February 23, 2013 It's a regular HD7870, not HD7870 XT. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghost420 Posted February 23, 2013 Author Share Posted February 23, 2013 Thank goodness I didn't buy it yet! It must be this one LINK It says with boost, what exactly does that mean? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yoječ Posted February 23, 2013 Share Posted February 23, 2013 Yup, that's the one. Boost means that the card will overclock itself slightly under load. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghost420 Posted February 23, 2013 Author Share Posted February 23, 2013 Yup, that's the one. Boost means that the card will overclock itself slightly under load. Sounds kickass, thanks Yojo for helping me choose a video card. Your on my respect list! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Finn 7 five 11 Posted February 23, 2013 Share Posted February 23, 2013 No 500watts should be plenty, you can buy more if you want, but it's unnecessary and will cost you more money. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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