I'm looking for upgrade reccomendations

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May 13, 2016
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(If there's a more appropriate place to post this, please point me in the right direction)

Hello everyone.

I haven't upgraded my PC since 2013 and I'm looking to run a few new games at a decent setting. Please excuse my lack of knowledge in hardware, as I'm just a devoted gamer. I'm willing to purchase a new CPU and a graphics card, but I'm not looking for anything too fancy, just enough to get by for now. Before I do my research, I'd like to know if there's any deals floating around and what's recommended based on what I already have. I'm looking to spend 300 - 400$, but am willing to shell out some more cash if necessary.

Here are my current specs:
AMD Phenom(tm) II X4 945 Processor
AMD Radeon HD 7700
Dedicated Video RAM 1024 MB
8 gigs of RAM

The games I'd like to play are: DOOM, Paragon, Battleborn, and Overwatch.

Thanks in advance.
 
According to Canyourunit.com I'm in need of a new CPU and a graphics card.

Sorry for the double post, adding in the snippet of information wasn't allowed through the edit button.
 
you need to list your exact motherboard, ram, hard drives and power supply
 
I'd say if you are going to keep what you have hardware wise and just replace the 7700, the r9 390 is a good card if you want to stick with AMD. For nvidia alternative the 970 is about equal, minus the Vram difference. I personally run a 970 on a gsync 1440p monitor and love it. The resolution you want to push will determine a lot as to what video card you need.

I'll say though, your mobo / cpu / ram is quite old and you won't get full performance out of pretty much any new card you want to purchase.

Keep in mind new cards are getting ready to launch in the coming months, so prices should start really dropping on these cards if they haven't already.
 
Best advice would be to purchase the Polaris 10 when it goes on sale then save up for upgrading the cpu and or system when you have more funds...So there you go
 
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$300-400 wont get you far. I would suggest:

A Core i5 Skylake CPU - $205
New Motherboard - $55
16gb of DDR4 - $50
At least a gtx 950 GPU - $150

This puts you at $460 without rebates or shipping. I would invest another $140 and get a better GPU. The motherboard I quoted is pretty bare bones in terms of features too.
 
You could try to get a used AMD Phenom II X6 that is compatible with your motherboard for $100 or less.
You could also try to get a used AMD R9 290 for $180 or less if it is compatible with your power supply.
 
At least wait for Polaris 10 or GP106/104-150. Save up some more cash as well.
 
I would recommend a new graphic card first and maybe motherboard, processor when you have enough dough
 
For as long as you keep hardware, I would not go with just another 4 core cpu if you want to run a high end gpu. You cant even stay above 45 fps in parts of Crysis 3 with an i5 and some other games will also peg 4 cores at times.
 
Wait for Polaris, you are the perfect target audience for it, they will shake up the midrange pricing and the rest big time.
 
I'd suggest grabbing something used for cheap, as people are starting to get rid of threir gtx 980 / gtx 970. Get a used unlocked i7/i5 with a suitable motherboard. Nothing new will be that good for your budget, but if you shop smart and buy used you may be able to get a 4xxxK cpu and a 970/980 which should be more than enough at 1080p. And I doubt "waiting" for polaris is worth it - it's all marketing hype for now, just like it was with 1080/1070 - "double the performance of titan x" or whatever, turns out in real life it's just 20-30% faster than a 980ti, far from 2x and doesn't really change the game as everyone was talking about. There is always something better on the horizon, so either get new parts that you can afford, or get a used unlocked I7, overclock it, get a used higher - tier gpu and you will be happy for quite a while at 1080p
 
Everyone mentions switching to Intel, which I support lol, but in your budget Id recommend getting a Phen II x6 for now (~$100). You can pick one up used for pretty cheap. And like previously mentioned, the R9 380/390 are a pretty good option (~$200). Id spend a bit more on graphics card, even if you are processor bottlenecked slightly, as you can keep that through a real processor/socket upgrade. Id go for used parts now, because all the Polaris and Pascal stuff will be hitting market very soon and those will be the ones to go for. Id say futureproof yourself for another year, and then build a whole new system once the hardware hits the market. That's my plan at least.
 
My advice, buy a video card first and see what it nets you. I am running an AMD Fm2+ 860k that i picked up for $55 and i get 51FPS 1080p high settings on the division. This is with a single ghz 7970 i got for $125 shipped. To my eyes your 7700 is the biggest bottleneck, followed by the 945/motherboard. Try a video card first because your going to need it either way and it will work in any new system you end up with.

Id really try for at least a 290 if you can find one for $180 used, otherwise a new 380x will run you about $190 after rebate. A 945 with a mild FSB overclock should still play games, my old phenom I 2.5ghz quad played mechwarrior online decent.
 
You really should wait a month and then reassess the situation. Within the next month the GTX 1080 and 1070 will launch, likely Polaris as well, and the community will get real reviews on their performance with a BUNCH of different hardware combinations. The second market for GTX 970/980/980TI is about to blow up and people will be selling at big discounts.

Looking at your system and looking into my crystal ball, a GTX 1070 or used 970 + CPU/mobo/ram bundle will do you best. I assume your power supply will support either of these options. I'm not familiar with your CPU but for gaming GPUs are going to pack more performance per $, unless of course your CPU/mobo can't meet bare minimum requirements.

Regardless, it'd be better for you to table your eager trigger finger and wait a month; lots of great tech coming out! :)
 
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