Asking for opinions.

[HiVan]

Hello guys, I am just a guy who owns an average PC (or even below average). This Christmas, I am looking forward to upgrade some of my parts (hopefully). I wish I would have enough money to uprade all of it, but I am not gonna get my hopes up. Anyways,

I only have
AMD A4-6300 for my processor
Emaxx E55 FM2 motherboard
4GB of RAM
R4770 Cyclone graphics card
and a (cheap & shady) 450w powersupply

YES, I don't own any ROG products so forgive me if I am posting here. But I just need opinions on knowledgeable computer users here. Without a doubt, ROG fans would know these things... So yeah. Generally, I would want to upgrade my graphics card and a get a good PSU. Along with some fans (I only have one, lol). If perhaps I have some more money... Should I upgrade to a quad-core FM2 processor? (Surely, I can't afford to upgrade my motherboard so I'm sticking to FM2) OR should I prioritize to upgrade my RAM to 8gbs instead?

Thank you for reading. Any advice would be a big help.

[Nate152]

Hi HiVan

It's probably not the wisest decision to upgrade an older pc.

What is your budget and what monitor do you have?

You can upgrade to skylake for under 1,000.00 u.s. dollars.

Motherboard - Asus Z170-E - 104.99 after rebate.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813132691&ignorebbr=1&nm_mc=KNC-GoogleAdwords-...

CPU i5-6600k - 229.99

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819117561&cm_re=6600k-_-19-117-561-_-Product

Graphics card - GTX 1070 - 379.99 with free game watch dogs 2

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125875&cm_re=gtx_1070-_-14-125-875-_-Produc...

16GB DDR4 3200MHz RAM - 99.99

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231929&cm_re=trident_z-_-20-231-929-_-Produ...

PSU - EVGA Supernova 750w - 89.99 after rebate

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817438017&cm_re=evga_supernova-_-17-438-017-_-...

If your pc case is mid tower and supports the 1070 you can use it as well as your drives. You may need to upgrade your operating system too.

Total - $904.95 (taxes and shipping may apply)

That's not bad considering you'd have all but a brand new pc (the important parts are upgraded) and the gtx 1070 has the performance of the titan x maxwell which is a 1,000.00 dollar gpu alone.

If you can't afford to upgrade then I will suggest using what you have and stick it out until you have enough saved. If you save a little more you can throw in some nice ROG components, they cost more because they are premium components and are well worth it. 🙂

What do you think?

[HiVan]

Nate152 wrote:
Hi HiVan

It's probably not the wisest decision to upgrade an older pc.

What is your budget and what monitor do you have?

You can upgrade to skylake for under 1,000.00 u.s. dollars.

Motherboard - Asus Z170-E - 104.99 after rebate.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813132691&ignorebbr=1&nm_mc=KNC-GoogleAdwords-...

CPU i5-6600k - 229.99

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819117561&cm_re=6600k-_-19-117-561-_-Product

Graphics card - GTX 1070 - 379.99 with free game watch dogs 2

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125875&cm_re=gtx_1070-_-14-125-875-_-Produc...

16GB DDR4 3200MHz RAM - 99.99

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231929&cm_re=trident_z-_-20-231-929-_-Produ...

PSU - EVGA Supernova 750w - 89.99 after rebate

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817438017&cm_re=evga_supernova-_-17-438-017-_-...

If your pc case is mid tower and supports the 1070 you can use it as well as your drives. You may need to upgrade your operating system too.

Total - $904.95 (taxes and shipping may apply)

That's not bad considering you'd have all but a brand new pc (the important parts are upgraded) and the gtx 1070 has the performance of the titan x maxwell which is a 1,000.00 dollar gpu alone.

If you can't afford to upgrade then I will suggest using what you have and stick it out until you have enough saved. If you save a little more you can throw in some nice ROG components, they cost more because they are premium components and are well worth it. 🙂

What do you think?

Hello, Nate. Oh my, sorry for your troubles that you went ahead and listed a good build for me. Sadly, I am still a student almost graduating college. I am not employed nor have I started any business so I don't earn any money. Thus, I can't afford to buy a whole new build or buy brand new parts at least. That is the reason I am gradually upgrading my old one. And by part, not the whole thing. This is embarrassing, but I have less than $200 if our currency is converted. I'm from the Philippines, and believe me, brand new computer parts here are really expensive. >.<

Right now I am looking to buy a good graphics card, maybe GDDR5 2GB and at least 128-bit. And of course I need to upgrade my PSU, I don't know how much wattage I would need though. And then i'll prioritize getting as much fans as I can. Sounds about right?

[Korth]

You need to ask yourself two questions:
1) What do you plan to do with the computer?
2) How much are you willing to pay?

Your system has CPU power, GPU power, RAM capacity, and overall performance roughly comparable to today's entry tablets and low-end laptops costing around $200 or less - newer devices which have slick Android operating systems, pretty touchscreens, and greater intercompatibility (with each other, USB gizmos, peripherals, cameras, DVR/PVR boxes, TVs, etc). Such devices are basically equipped with (barely) enough performance and capacity for browsing/surfing, social media, and streaming videos - they're only one step more powerful than highest-end ($500+) smartphones. Worth keeping in mind before you choose to spend $$$ upgrading your existing hardware.

My Bang-For-The-Buck suggestions:

I would upgrade that low-end dual-core 3.7GHz CPU. FM2-socket offerings on newegg.ca range from slightly beefier low-end dual-core A6 parts (starting at $45) all the way up to quad-core high-speed "Black Edition" A10 parts (costing up to $281). I think this quad-core 3.5GHz A8-6500 is a good deal at $130.

And I would upgrade memory capacity. A 16GB (2x8GB) dual-channel DDR3 kit would serve you quite well - >16GB RAM would be wasteful, 8GB-12GB is okay but will slow you down some with today's software/games (and slow you down more with tomorrow's software/games), and <8GB is just not enough anymore, the operating system itself eats up most of 4GB. Get the fastest stuff your FM2 CPU natively supports: DDR3-1600 for your A4-6300, DDR3-1866 for the A8-6500, up to DDR3-2133 on the costliest A10-6300 CPUs. I couldn't find specs for your mobo, but most E55 FM2 mobos can accommodate up to 32GB (2x16GB) of DDR3. A large variety of 16GB (2x8GB) DDR3-1866 dual-channel kits are available for $130-$140. I would pair the above-recommended A8-6500 CPU with this $130 16GB G.Skill memory kit. Buy a real dual-channel kit, don't combine mixed memory sticks, don't just add memory sticks to empty slot(s) - your system will become unstable and require constant fine tweaking, the time and frustrations you'll sink into it over the years is not worth saving ten bucks.

GPU ... if you run today's games, or plan to run today's/tomorrow's games, then there's no question you'll need to upgrade that 512MB HD4770. It's almost a given that you'll also need to upgrade that old "cheap & shady" 450W PSU at the same time. Opinions about GPUs and PSUs can fill pages all by themselves, I think it's best you answer the top questions before proceeding, lol, so we know what sorts of recommendations would be appropriate.

You can try selling your old CPU and RAM online, through craigslist or auction sites or whatever. Don't expect to get a lot for them, but it's better than throwing them away.

Logical Increments provides excellent summaries about what's out there, what it costs, what it can do, and what you really need.

[HiVan]

Korth wrote:
You need to ask yourself two questions:
1) What do you plan to do with the computer?
2) How much are you willing to pay?

Your system has CPU power, GPU power, RAM capacity, and overall performance roughly comparable to today's entry tablets and low-end laptops costing around $200 or less - newer devices which have slick Android operating systems, pretty touchscreens, and greater intercompatibility (with each other, USB gizmos, peripherals, cameras, DVR/PVR boxes, TVs, etc). Such devices are basically equipped with (barely) enough performance and capacity for browsing/surfing, social media, and streaming videos - they're only one step more powerful than highest-end ($500+) smartphones. Worth keeping in mind before you choose to spend $$$ upgrading your existing hardware.

My Bang-For-The-Buck suggestions:

I would upgrade that low-end dual-core 3.7GHz CPU. FM2-socket offerings on newegg.ca range from slightly beefier low-end dual-core A6 parts (starting at $45) all the way up to quad-core high-speed "Black Edition" A10 parts (costing up to $281). I think this quad-core 3.5GHz A8-6500 is a good deal at $130.

And I would upgrade memory capacity. A 16GB (2x8GB) dual-channel DDR3 kit would serve you quite well - >16GB RAM would be wasteful, 8GB-12GB is okay but will slow you down some with today's software/games (and slow you down more with tomorrow's software/games), and <8GB is just not enough anymore, the operating system itself eats up most of 4GB. Get the fastest stuff your FM2 CPU natively supports: DDR3-1600 for your A4-6300, DDR3-1866 for the A8-6500, up to DDR3-2133 on the costliest A10-6300 CPUs. I couldn't find specs for your mobo, but most E55 FM2 mobos can accommodate up to 32GB (2x16GB) of DDR3. A large variety of 16GB (2x8GB) DDR3-1866 dual-channel kits are available for $130-$140. I would pair the above-recommended A8-6500 CPU with this $130 16GB G.Skill memory kit. Buy a real dual-channel kit, don't combine mixed memory sticks, don't just add memory sticks to empty slot(s) - your system will become unstable and require constant fine tweaking, the time and frustrations you'll sink into it over the years is not worth saving ten bucks.

GPU ... if you run today's games, or plan to run today's/tomorrow's games, then there's no question you'll need to upgrade that 512MB HD4770. It's almost a given that you'll also need to upgrade that old "cheap & shady" 450W PSU at the same time. Opinions about GPUs and PSUs can fill pages all by themselves, I think it's best you answer the top questions before proceeding, lol, so we know what sorts of recommendations would be appropriate.

You can try selling your old CPU and RAM online, through craigslist or auction sites or whatever. Don't expect to get a lot for them, but it's better than throwing them away.

Logical Increments provides excellent summaries about what's out there, what it costs, what it can do, and what you really need.

1) What do you plan to do with the computer? I have no other intentions than to game. Just game. I am aiming to atleast run some good RPG games. But with where im standing, playing at least Witcher 3 on low settings might still be a dream for me.
2) How much are you willing to pay? less than 200$, i think?

I am unable to buy parts from online sites because shipping will only cost me more money. I am not from the US, sadly. I really appreciate what you guys are doing for me though. Moving on, I think I can pick some good second hand stuff from buy & sell groups here in the Philippines. I just don't know what to prioritize, really. Should I go for the Graphics card and PSU first? And then fans? And then Processor? Or RAM sticks would go first before upgrading my processor.
OR should I upgrade my processor and ram sticks instead, and then fans, and then the GPU and PSU? -- I'm helpless, haha. I really am overthinking because I wouldn't want to upgrade my PC and not "feel" it. You know what I mean? Haha. First time being committed in the PC race, thank you for all the help.

[Korth]

$200 is tight, especially when hardware options and availability are also restricted.

RPG/MMORPG/MOBO games don't really need huge GPU power - it helps, and looks prettier, and will give you a bit of an "edge" (instead of "increasing difficulty" by forcing you to workaround fps drops) - but it's not critical. That being said, you'd notice huge performance gains on these games if you could upgrade your old HD4770 to an old 2GB GPU card. You might be able to find used stuff like HD79xx/89xx or GTX660/750Ti cards for around $50, and upgrade your PSU (to something like a 600W Silver) for less than $100. Witcher 3 is indeed going to still be a dream for a while - you would probably be able to play it at lower resolution and lower quality, but this game leans heavily on its awesome graphics, so turning it down might ruin the experience and greatly diminish your enjoyment.

You should be able to upgrade your RAM to 16GB quite inexpensively. 8GB would help you a lot, 12GB would be better, and 16GB would be best. You could buy DDR3-1600 for your current CPU or DDR3-1833+ for your next one. You could try adding memory to your existing memory, filling empty slots or upgrading slots one DIMM at a time, and it might work, but it's likely to cause all sorts of stability/performance issues and I strongly recommend replacing whatever you've got with a proper dual-channel DDR3 kit.

In the long run it's not worth upgrading old tech to old tech. As Nate pointed out above, there comes a point where the old system is so gutless, incompatible, and obsolete that maintaining and upgrading it costs more than just buying a new entry-level system. Maybe no gaming for a couple months while you save up $500 or so for an entry-level "gaming" laptop?

[HiVan]

Korth wrote:
$200 is tight, especially when hardware options and availability are also restricted.

RPG/MMORPG/MOBO games don't really need huge GPU power - it helps, and looks prettier, and will give you a bit of an "edge" (instead of "increasing difficulty" by forcing you to workaround fps drops) - but it's not critical. That being said, you'd notice huge performance gains on these games if you could upgrade your old HD4770 to an old 2GB GPU card. You might be able to find used stuff like HD79xx/89xx or GTX660/750Ti cards for around $50, and upgrade your PSU (to something like a 600W Silver) for less than $100. Witcher 3 is indeed going to still be a dream for a while - you would probably be able to play it at lower resolution and lower quality, but this game leans heavily on its awesome graphics, so turning it down might ruin the experience and greatly diminish your enjoyment.

You should be able to upgrade your RAM to 16GB quite inexpensively. 8GB would help you a lot, 12GB would be better, and 16GB would be best. You could buy DDR3-1600 for your current CPU or DDR3-1833+ for your next one. You could try adding memory to your existing memory, filling empty slots or upgrading slots one DIMM at a time, and it might work, but it's likely to cause all sorts of stability/performance issues and I strongly recommend replacing whatever you've got with a proper dual-channel DDR3 kit.

In the long run it's not worth upgrading old tech to old tech. As Nate pointed out above, there comes a point where the old system is so gutless, incompatible, and obsolete that maintaining and upgrading it costs more than just buying a new entry-level system. Maybe no gaming for a couple months while you save up $500 or so for an entry-level "gaming" laptop?

I'll think about it. I'm already so itchy to play some "newer" games. xD But yeah, maybe saving up first would be better. Question though, a GTX 750 ti 2GB GDDR5. Would that be enough to play Witcher 3? Let's also say that I have a quad-core amd cpu, and 8gb of RAM? Does that pass for the minimum requirements?

(Yes, I am pitiful *sob*)

[Nate152]

You want at least 60 FPS for the smoothest gameplay.

Here is the witcher 3 with a gtx 750 ti and an intel i3-4150 cpu, it struggles to maintain 30 FPS at 1080p. Performance isn't much better with an i5 cpu.

[HiVan]

Nate152 wrote:
You want at least 60 FPS for the smoothest gameplay.

Here is the witcher 3 with a gtx 750 ti and an intel i3-4150 cpu, it struggles to maintain 30 FPS at 1080p. Performance isn't much better with an i5 cpu.

the 1080 test wasn't that bad, and it wasn't in the lowest settings too! But i should probably just save for nowI don't even have an i3. I shouldn't get my hopes up. Thank you so much, man!

[panzlock]

Best advice is to save some money. You use that $200 on upgrades now, you just blew $200.

$1000 would be ideal as Nate pointed out. That will buy you a decent, somewhat modern platform.

I was in the same boat as you. I had no money, my parents were helping me pay for school. I made money where I could and when friends went out for lunch I just wouldn't get anything extravagant. Dollar by dollar I saved up enough to buy a new PC. When I finished school I got a job, saved up enough for a new car and to pay my parents back little by little. Eventually got married, had a child and now I do what I want.

Point I'm trying to make is don't settle for garbage because you want to play now. Exercise patience. Good things come to those who wait.