Gaming PC upgrade for my bro, but which mobo to buy?

[Ladic]

SO my brothers gaming PC is starting to show its age, he games in 1080p (might upgrade sometime down the line).
And these are his current specs:

CPU: AMD FX 8320 (3.5GHZ - 8 cores)
MOBO: Not sure
RAM: 8gb
GPU: Sapphire Dual X Radeon R9 280 3GB
SAPPHIRE DUAL-X Radeon R9 280

Budget is not huge, so this is what I am recommending (no overclocking will be done:

CPU: Intel Core i5-6500 3.2ghz $190.99

MOBO: Now these part I am not sure, so many options:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128892&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-PCPartPicker, LLC-_-na-_-na-_-na&cm_sp=&AID=10446076&PID=3938566&SID=

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128863&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-PCPartPicker, LLC-_-na-_-na-_-na&cm_sp=&AID=10446076&PID=3938566&SID=

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130892&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-PCPartPicker, LLC-_-na-_-na-_-na&cm_sp=&AID=10446076&PID=3938566&SID=

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130939&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-PCPartPicker, LLC-_-na-_-na-_-na&cm_sp=&AID=10446076&PID=3938566&SID=

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130886&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-PCPartPicker, LLC-_-na-_-na-_-na&cm_sp=&AID=10446076&PID=3938566&SID=

RAM: 16GB

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820233833&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-PCPartPicker, LLC-_-na-_-na-_-na&cm_sp=&AID=10446076&PID=3938566&SID=

GPU: $199.99 (either a Radeon 480 8gb or Nvidia 1060 6gb)

does that looks like a decent upgrade on the cheap? and which mobo is best? I am feeling a bit more inclined for the GIGABYTE G1 Gaming GA-H170-Gaming 3 since it has creative audio?

 

[DrLobotomy]

Put a decent cooler on that AMD and overclock it. Then take all that money you saved on a new MB,CPU,RAM and buy a GTX 1070. Maybe replace power supply if it is old, weak, or a crap brand.

 

[Ladic]

Put a decent cooler on that AMD and overclock it. Then take all that money you saved on a new MB,CPU,RAM and buy a GTX 1070. Maybe replace power supply if it is old, weak, or a crap brand.

thank you, the thing it I wont be doing the installation myself, so the person doing it doesnt know about ocing. But I might just stick to a new gpu. He lives abroad so not sure when he will be able to buy a new monitor, is the 1070 still worth it for 1080p? or too overkill?

 

[DrLobotomy]

We don't believe in overkill here at the [H]ardOCP!!!

 

[Track Drew]

...gaming PC is starting to show its age, he games in 1080p (might upgrade sometime down the line).

What games? The latest and greatest?

I agree - find out what the mobo and cooler are and overclock that CPU - It's unlocked, you might as well try to get some free performance out of it.

Since you can't do the OC yourself, I would familiarize myself with the BIOS using the manual and youtube videos ahead of time. Skype/hang-out/facetime your brother with him using a phone so he can point it at the bios screen and walk him through exactly what to do.

Depending on the games and settings - there's a good chance he's currently GPU bound. A moderate CPU OC and a new GPU would likely breathe new life into the system. Then replace the whole thing in a year or so, carrying over the new GPU.

 

[cageymaru]

If you replace the CPU and not going to OC, try to get the highest base clocked CPU that fits the budget. Raw Core speed is always a great thing to have. I agree that a GTX 1070 would be the way to go. I saw a 1070 for $389 yesterday on NewEgg I believe. It was an EVGA.