Upgrading Pc, want some advice.

[Cajon]

Hi, I'm upgrading my gaming PC.

 

I am sticking with AMD and am upgrading from an FX 6300 to an FX 8350.

 

My GPU which i am keeping is a HD 7850 2GB.

 

My psu is 550W, Coolermaster or some brand. (It's pretty good, not cheaply made)

 

My Mobo is this http://www.ebuyer.com/269072-asus-m5a78l-m-usb3-socket-am3-8-channel-hd-audio-matx-motherboard-m5a78l-m-usb3?utm_source=google&utm_medium=products&gclid=Cj0KEQjw_byiBRCu9qm5lc28ufgBEiQAWq-taxyh7yBN28tklLW8EggF6POE8j1AGXv75irgprJjQ6UaAiEV8P8HAQ

 

It's mini atx, can I use a normal case or will I have to find another matx case?

Is the Mobo powerful enough to not bottleneck the CPU and GPU?

 

Thanks.

[yoječ]

Yes, you can use a bigger case than mATX (minitower).

As for the mobo it's pretty weak, there's a risk of overheating the VRMs (which will result in CPU frequency drop). Anyway, there's not much point in upgrading from FX-6300 to FX-8350, don't expect it to make any substantial differnce in games. You'd have to get the i5 in order for that to happen.

[AzO]

I'm just going to second what yojo2 said. There is no point in upgrading from that to that, at the moment. You wouldn't see any performance difference in games, maybe you would end up shaving a second or two in rendering times (video editing) and speedier loading times. But that's about it.

 

I would invest that money elsewhere on the system. A better cooler would probably do more good overall than switching CPUs.

 

Save the money and buy a new motherboard together with the i5 later, imho.

Edited October 29, 2014 by AzO

[AZAZEL]

I'm third'ing this bitch. Waiting and putting some money aside for a proper upgrade at a later date, is a much better solution.

[TheMcSame]

In a nutshell...

 

Don't upgrade your CPU, there's little benefit.

The motherboard doesn't have cooling on the VRMs which could limit your overclock.

Use the money saved by not going with a new CPU for a motherboard.

If the case has mounting holes for a MATX board then it'll fit.

 

Also, what model is your PSU? Brand is almost meaningless, OEM and overall quality is what matters here.

Edited October 29, 2014 by TheMcSame

[Cajon]

So this http://www.ebuyer.com/349029-intel-core-i5-3570k-3-4ghz-socket-1155-6mb-cache-retail-boxed-processor-bx80637i53570k

 

This: http://www.ebuyer.com/363228-asus-p8z77-v-lx-socket-1155-vga-dvi-hdmi-8-channel-audio-atx-p8z77-v-lx

 

Decent upgrade?

 

Edit:

 

What PSU would be good for this rig? thinking about selling current system and buying a new pc.

 

CPU: http://www.ebuyer.com/349029-intel-core-i5-3570k-3-4ghz-socket-1155-6mb-cache-retail-boxed-processor-bx80637i53570k

Mobo: http://www.ebuyer.com/363228-asus-p8z77-v-lx-socket-1155-vga-dvi-hdmi-8-channel-audio-atx-p8z77-v-lx

GPU: http://www.ebuyer.com/663138-msi-r9-280-gaming-3gb-gddr5-dvi-hdmi-dual-mini-displayport-pci-e-r9-280-gaming-3g

Edited October 29, 2014 by Zefy

[yoječ]

What's the exact model of the PSU you have? Maybe it's good enough to leave it. But if you insist on buying a new one - how much can you spend?

 

You chose a previous gen CPU, and a pretty mediocre mobo. Instead get the i5-4690k + eg. Z97 Pro4 or similar. Maybe MSI Z97-G43 if you want something cheaper, but I wouldn't go below that if you're thinking about overclocking the CPU.

The GPU is decent. GTX760 is also worth considering.

[Cajon]

What's the exact model of the PSU you have? Maybe it's good enough to leave it. But if you insist on buying a new one - how much can you spend?

 

You chose a previous gen CPU, and a pretty mediocre mobo. Instead get the i5-4690k + eg. Z97 Pro4 or similar. Maybe MSI Z97-G43 if you want something cheaper, but I wouldn't go below that if you're thinking about overclocking the CPU.

The GPU is decent. GTX760 is also worth considering.

 

Lost the box and account I ordered it on. I'm pretty sure its Coolermaster 500W. Don't know what series though. GOLD was in the title though I guess I can spend around £60

Edited October 29, 2014 by Zefy

[yoječ]

Well, is it Silent Pro Gold by any chance? It should say on the label on the PSU. If it is, you won't find a better PSU for these Ł60.

[TheMcSame]

Lost the box and account I ordered it on. I'm pretty sure its Coolermaster 500W. Don't know what series though. GOLD was in the title though I guess I can spend around £60

Doesn't it have some sort of label with a code? Brand and efficiency aren't really relevant as OEM is the most important factor when determining quality.

Edited October 29, 2014 by TheMcSame

[Cajon]

Ok, so deciding to sell my Xbone, PissStain3, and SandBox 360.

 

I got quite a bit to put into this new rig.

 

How does this look?

 

CPU http://www.ebuyer.com/645547-intel-core-i5-4690k-3-5ghz-socket-1150-6mb-l3-cache-retail-boxed-bx80646i54690k

 

GPU http://www.ebuyer.com/652174-gigabyte-gtx-780-windforce-3x-450w-3gb-gddr5-dual-dvi-hdmi-displayport-gv-n780wf3-3gd

 

Mobo http://www.ebuyer.com/642677-msi-z97-g43-socket-1150-vga-dvi-hdmi-8-channel-audio-atx-motherboard-z97-g43

 

PSU http://www.ebuyer.com/584217-corsair-csm-750w-semi-modular-80-gold-power-supply-cp-9020078-uk

 

Case http://www.ebuyer.com/510496-cooler-master-n-series-n400-usb-3-0-atx-case-nse-400-kkn1

 

CPU Cooler http://www.ebuyer.com/176157-arctic-cooling-freezer-7-pro-rev-2-socket-775-1150-1156-1155-ac-frz-7pr2

 

Edit: Not ignoring you TheMcSame, just going all out. The psu I have now isn't too good, just going to sell it with my older parts.

Edited November 1, 2014 by Zefy

[yoječ]

GTX780 is not a smart idea, you'll be better off buying GTX970 - lower power consumption, similar (if not better) performance.

http://www.ebuyer.com/665415-evga-gtx-970-acx-4gb-gddr5-dual-dvi-hdmi-displayport-pci-e-graphics-04g-p4-0972-kr

http://www.ebuyer.com/663452-zotac-gtx-970-4gb-gddr5-dual-dvi-hdmi-displayport-pci-e-graphics-card-zt-90101-10p

http://www.ebuyer.com/663848-msi-gtx-970-gaming-twin-frozr-v-4gb-gddr5-dual-dvi-hdmi-gtx-970-gaming-4g

http://www.ebuyer.com/666210-evga-gtx-970-superclocked-acx-2-0-4gb-gddr5-dual-dvi-hdmi-displayport-04g-p4-2974-kr

 

The cooler you chose is far too weak for overclocking. I wouldn't go below http://www.ebuyer.com/288855-cooler-master-hyper-212-evo-amd-intel-processor-cooler-rr-212e-16pk-r1- but even that might not cut it.

 

Also, you do realize that 750W is a huge overkill? Of course it's good to have power in reserve, but that's like 3x more than you actually need...

A higher-end 550W unit would fit this rig nicely: http://www.ebuyer.com/618812-xfx-xtr-550w-fully-modular-80-gold-power-supply-p1-550b-befx

Edited November 1, 2014 by yojo2

[TheMcSame]

Ok, so deciding to sell my Xbone, PissStain3, and SandBox 360.

 

I got quite a bit to put into this new rig.

 

How does this look?

 

CPU http://www.ebuyer.com/645547-intel-core-i5-4690k-3-5ghz-socket-1150-6mb-l3-cache-retail-boxed-bx80646i54690k

 

GPU http://www.ebuyer.com/652174-gigabyte-gtx-780-windforce-3x-450w-3gb-gddr5-dual-dvi-hdmi-displayport-gv-n780wf3-3gd

 

Mobo http://www.ebuyer.com/642677-msi-z97-g43-socket-1150-vga-dvi-hdmi-8-channel-audio-atx-motherboard-z97-g43

 

PSU http://www.ebuyer.com/584217-corsair-csm-750w-semi-modular-80-gold-power-supply-cp-9020078-uk

 

Case http://www.ebuyer.com/510496-cooler-master-n-series-n400-usb-3-0-atx-case-nse-400-kkn1

 

CPU Cooler http://www.ebuyer.com/176157-arctic-cooling-freezer-7-pro-rev-2-socket-775-1150-1156-1155-ac-frz-7pr2

 

Edit: Not ignoring you TheMcSame, just going all out. The psu I have now isn't too good, just going to sell it with my older parts.

Looks good, personally there's three things I change.

 

I'd change the PSU to this: http://www.ebuyer.com/413806-xfx-ts-750w-fully-wired-80-bronze-power-supply-p1-750s-nlb9

It's a tier 2 supply whereas the Corsair PSU is a tier 3 supply. The XFX supply is made by Seasonic where as the Corsair PSU is (apparently) made by Great wall... Lets just say you don't see Great wall PSUs at the top in terms of quality.

 

I'd also change the CPU cooler to this: http://www.ebuyer.com/288855-cooler-master-hyper-212-evo-amd-intel-processor-cooler-rr-212e-16pk-r1

The Hyper 212 is commonly regarded as the best budget aftermarket cooler.

The CPU cooler should come with some thermal paste but just in case you don't have any/non comes with it I'd recommend Arctic MX-4.

 

 

I'd also recommend you go with a 900 series card that's within your budget.

Edited November 1, 2014 by TheMcSame

[AzO]

Definitely go with the GTX970, you can find one for £280-300 and it will be a way smarter investment than 780.

 

Are you really going to overclock?

[Cajon]

Thanks guys, just selling my consoles and I'll order it.

 

I'm going with the 970 and PSU by TheMcSame.

 

!threadclose

[yoječ]

While the PSU he linked to is good, it doesn't have modular cables, which can be a real pain. I'd take that into consideration.

IMHO it'd make more sense to get a lower wattage PSU, but with modular cables. Especially since you don't need that extra power at all.

Edited November 1, 2014 by yojo2

[Cajon]

Just before I order tomorrow, this is big enough for all components ? http://www.ebuyer.com/391898-fractal-design-define-r4-silent-black-pearl-case-fd-ca-def-r4-bl

[AZAZEL]

Just before I order tomorrow, this is big enough for all components ? http://www.ebuyer.com/391898-fractal-design-define-r4-silent-black-pearl-case-fd-ca-def-r4-bl

 

Seems like it. The only things that could prove troublesome would be the length of your graphics card, or the height of your CPU cooler. The Fractal R4 fits up to 295mm long cards, and the 970 is 267mm, so that's fine. If you choose to go with the CPU cooler TheMcSame linked above, you probably won't be able to fit a fan in the side panel of the case, as it supports up to 170mm tall CPU coolers, and the Cooler Master mentioned is 159mm.

[Cajon]

 

 

 

Just before I order tomorrow, this is big enough for all components ? http://www.ebuyer.com/391898-fractal-design-define-r4-silent-black-pearl-case-fd-ca-def-r4-bl

 

Seems like it. The only things that could prove troublesome would be the length of your graphics card, or the height of your CPU cooler. The Fractal R4 fits up to 295mm long cards, and the 970 is 267mm, so that's fine. If you choose to go with the CPU cooler TheMcSame linked above, you probably won't be able to fit a fan in the side panel of the case, as it supports up to 170mm tall CPU coolers, and the Cooler Master mentioned is 159mm.

 

It'll be alright with just 4 fans right if I can't get the 5th one to fit?

[reiniat]

Disregard this comment

Edited November 2, 2014 by reiniat

[yoječ]

It'll be alright.

 

As for the VRAM, 2GB is plenty.

Edited November 2, 2014 by yojo2

[Cajon]

WAIT A MOMENT DUDE. Youll want 4gb VRAM, for many games will have this as recommended specs for the next years (Shadow of Mordor is a good example).

It has to do with ported games and how consoles have unified RAM, trust me, youll need the 4gb VRAM, at least until companies stop fancying consoles first (it usually happens 2-4 years into the gen), or it will become a standard anyway.

I am getting the 970 4 GB... I can actually play SoM with my 7850 @1080 30-40 fps

on high, But AC Unity is the killer for my current rig, Anyways, Got all the moneys I need, ordering tomorrow, thanks guys.

[TheMcSame]

WAIT A MOMENT DUDE. Youll want 4gb VRAM, for many games will have this as recommended specs for the next years (Shadow of Mordor is a good example).

He said he's getting a 970 which, IIRC, has 4GB of VRAM.

[AZAZEL]

It'll be alright.

 

As for the VRAM, 2GB is plenty.

Maybe a few years ago, but not today. As an example, the relatively new Shadow of Mordor has a high-quality texture setting that requires 6GB VRAM. I'm not saying that all games, or even many require these amounts of VRAM yet, but some do, and more will in the future. Besides, most of the new cards will come with 4GB anyways.

[TheMcSame]

 

It'll be alright.

 

As for the VRAM, 2GB is plenty.

Maybe a few years ago, but not today. As an example, the relatively new Shadow of Mordor has a high-quality texture setting that requires 6GB VRAM. I'm not saying that all games, or even many require these amounts of VRAM yet, but some do, and more will in the future. Besides, most of the new cards will come with 4GB anyways.

 

2GB is okay for optimised games, if Crysis 3 can run on a 2GB card then there's really no reason for other games to go over 2GB at 1080p. Games like WD that need 4GB or SoM that need 6GB for ultra are just unoptimised and in all honesty they should be avoided.

[yoječ]

Well, does SoM actually require 6GBs of VRAM @ Full HD? I mean, did someone actually test if it's really necessary? Requirements given by the devs are often untrue.

Edited November 2, 2014 by yojo2

[TheMcSame]

Well, does SoM actually require 6GBs of VRAM @ Full HD? I mean, did someone actually test if it's really necessary? Requirements given by the devs are often untrue.

I'll have a look.

So far I've found a test with a 3GB card and the VRAM is basically maxed out: http://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/shadow-of-mordor-pc-testing-1080p-1440p-4k/

 

 

EDIT:

Found one that uses a Titan GPU

 

 

 

Monolith recommends a 6GB GPU for the highest possible quality level - and we found that at both 1080p and 2560x1440 resolutions, the game's art ate up between 5.4 to 5.6GB of onboard GDDR5.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/digitalfoundry-2014-eyes-on-with-pc-shadow-of-mordors-6gb-textures

Edited November 2, 2014 by TheMcSame

[yoječ]

Well, it still doesn't answer the question if having less than 6GBs of VRAm gives any significant negative effect. All in all some of the memory might have been just allocated, but not used.

Edited November 2, 2014 by yojo2

[Cajon]

I haven't logged in for a while, but I thought I should let you guys know I built it. i5 4690k and the MSI GTX 970. Cheers for the help.