Upgrading my computer?

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dag3220

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Aug 11, 2014
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I'm looking to upgrade my computer or possibly build a new one here shortly, primarily for gaming. My budget will be around $1500-2000. I currently live in the upper peninsula of Michigan.I'm hoping to transition into 2560x1440 resolution.My current setup is nothing special. Asus 23" monitor 1920x1080,Intel core i5 3450, nvidia gtx 660 ti, asus p8b75-m, 12gb gddr3 ram at 1333mhz and 1tb 7200 rpm.Any suggestions?
 
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I already know someone is gonna ask for more info :) These are the questions in the "Asking for build advice?" sticky that will make it easier for people to help and recommend parts for you:
"If you're gonna ask us to build/list a PC for you or seek advice about a build, please answer all of the following questions:

1) What will you be doing with this PC? Gaming? Photoshop? Web browsing? etc
2) What's your budget? Are tax and shipping included?
3) Which country do you live in? If the U.S, please tell us the state and city if possible.
4) What exact parts do you need for that budget? CPU, RAM, case, etc. The word "Everything" is not a valid answer. Please list out all the parts you'll need.
5) If reusing any parts, what parts will you be reusing? Please be especially specific about the power supply. List make and model.
6) Will you be overclocking?
7) What is the max resolution of your monitor? What size is it?
8) When do you plan on building/buying the PC?
9) What features do you need in a motherboard? RAID? Firewire? Crossfire or SLI support? USB 3.0? SATA 6Gb/s? eSATA? Onboard video (as a backup or main GPU)? UEFI? etc.
10) Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license? If yes, what OS? Is it 32bit or 64bit?"
 
I'm also happy to start from scratch and just build a whole new computer that is capable of gaming on 2560x1440 with all the bells and whistles while still having room to upgrade sometime in the future. My budget is still in the $1500-2000 range and more if need be. I love using eBay to get really good deals and saving money and buying used is totally fine with me
 
What are the brand, model name or number, and age of:
- RAM?
- PSU?
- Case?

When are you planning on buying the new 1440p monitor? What are you considering?

You don't really need to upgrade much. At first glance, you only really need to upgrade the video card. If you don't have you, then you should also consider an SSD to use as your primary drive.

But could you answer my questions first?
 
tiraides said:
What are the brand, model name or number, and age of:
- RAM?
- PSU?
- Case?

When are you planning on buying the new 1440p monitor? What are you considering?

You don't really need to upgrade much. At first glance, you only really need to upgrade the video card. If you don't have you, then you should also consider an SSD to use as your primary drive.

QUOTE]

ASUS CM6870-US-2AA is technically the computer I bought but with a few differences. I put in a thermaltake tr2 600w psu. It apparently has 1600mhz ram( it's some stock variation). As for the case,like I said it as an asus essentio series computer. But I would like to get a larger case because it little room for extras such as am additional graphics card.
Click to expand...
 
tiraides said:
What are the brand, model name or number, and age of:
- RAM?
- PSU?
- Case?

When are you planning on buying the new 1440p monitor? What are you considering?

You don't really need to upgrade much. At first glance, you only really need to upgrade the video card. If you don't have you, then you should also consider an SSD to use as your primary drive.

But could you answer my questions first?
Click to expand...


ASUS CM6870-US-2AA is technically the computer I bought but with a few differences. I put in a thermaltake tr2 600w psu. It apparently has 1600mhz ram( it's some stock variation). As for the case,like I said it as an asus essentio series computer. But I would like to get a larger case because it little room for extras such as am additional graphics card. The monitor I just read the asus pg278q caught my attention as well as the Korean X-STAR DP2710 LED MULTI 27inch AH-VA Panel WQHD 2560x1440 Computer Monitor
 
I have a machine capable of those resolutions. Chose to go water cooled. You should be able to stay in your price range if you don't water cool. Or if you find a nice water cooled setup for a nice deal, you may be able to snag one up!
 
dag3220 said:
The monitor I just read the asus pg278q caught my attention as well as the Korean X-STAR DP2710 LED MULTI 27inch AH-VA Panel WQHD 2560x1440 Computer Monitor
Click to expand...

When are you planning to buy the monitor? Which one are you leaning toward?

dag3220 said:
As for the case,like I said it as an asus essentio series computer. But I would like to get a larger case because it little room for extras such as am additional graphics card.
Click to expand...

Corsair has a few good (and relatively inexpensive) options. Consider the 230T for starters.

dag3220 said:
ASUS CM6870-US-2AA is technically the computer I bought but with a few differences. I put in a thermaltake tr2 600w psu. It apparently has 1600mhz ram( it's some stock variation).
Click to expand...

For 2560x1440, you need either a good dual card SLI or CFX setup (e.g. two R9 280X cards) or a high-end card (R9 290/R9 290X/GTX 780/GTX 780 Ti). You'll also need a good PSU (ideally with at least 65A on the 12V rail), which means that you'll have to replace your Thermaltake TR2.

If you're serious about a dual-card setup, then you'll have to replace your motherboard. So again, when are you planning on buying the new, larger resolution monitor?
 
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tiraides said:
When are you planning to buy the monitor? Which one are you leaning toward?

If you're serious about a dual-card setup, then you'll have to replace your motherboard. So again, when are you planning on buying the new, larger resolution monitor?
Click to expand...

I'm going to be purchasing the new larger resolution monitor around the last week in September or first week in October. The rest of the components I will be getting beforehand most likely.
 
Definitely agree with high wattage psu. I'm running 1000W comfortably with two 780 SC.
 
FNtastic said:
Definitely agree with high wattage psu. I'm running 1000W comfortably with two 780 SC.
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With your two 780's SC, what resolution do you play on? I want to get a 2560x1440 monitor but also want room for improvement to 4K later down the road w/o having to upgrade the graphics card again.
 
dag3220 said:
With your two 780's SC, what resolution do you play on? I want to get a 2560x1440 monitor but also want room for improvement to 4K later down the road w/o having to upgrade the graphics card again.
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That's what I get for posting from my phone. I have two 770 SCs. Resolution is not an issue on my setup. It will run games at 4K resolution. Depending on the game, the framerate will vary. But, for most games, framerates are not an issue. I also have the luxury of over clocking considerably should the circumstance arrive because of the water cooling. Check out my for sale thread and see more about what I'm talking about. Hope that gives you a better idea. :)

EDIT: Putting some more thought into it, I'm not sure if it's the fact that these have 4GB of ram EACH or that it's water cooled that makes it handle everything so well. Maybe it's a combination of both...
 
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FNtastic said:
That's what I get for posting from my phone. I have two 770 SCs. Resolution is not an issue on my setup. It will run games at 4K resolution. Depending on the game, the framerate will vary. But, for most games, framerates are not an issue. I also have the luxury of over clocking considerably should the circumstance arrive because of the water cooling. Check out my for sale thread and see more about what I'm talking about. Hope that gives you a better idea. :)

EDIT: Putting some more thought into it, I'm not sure if it's the fact that these have 4GB of ram EACH or that it's water cooled that makes it handle everything so well. Maybe it's a combination of both...
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Looking at your build definitely makes me wonder about water cooling as an option. I have absolutely no experience with this but I am one who likes to get the most out of what I have. Plus it makes your computer look that more badass!!
 
dag3220 said:
Looking at your build definitely makes me wonder about water cooling as an option. I have absolutely no experience with this but I am one who likes to get the most out of what I have. Plus it makes your computer look that more badass!!
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Water cooling is fun. It can get pricey for the initial setup. I wouldn't have it any other way at this point. I'm very happy with the way mine turned out. However, I won't be doing 4K gaming, or much gaming at all for that matter. Hence why I've put my rig up for sale. I'm a modest overclocker. I like to see if something will work and then go back to stock settings. And stock for this rig is very impressive! And plenty for anything I'm doing. Somebody else can get much more out of this than I can. Be happy to help if you have anymore questions.
 
Tiraides....is REALLY try'n to help you..............
So, be a good lad and fill out the questions on the Sticky Post (1st post )
Hardware/prices change so fast they usually only give out builds a week or 2 before you plan to build....

Im running a 27" 2560x1440 look at my Sig...Ebay has some great deals. I think I used GREEN-SUM(seller)
 
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