Hey forgehub. Ive had my computer for about 3 years now and im going to upgrade it sometime soon, im not a techy guy so i was wondering if you guys could help me on what parts i should buy and they get my mate to install it. this was a cheap computer build only cost me 500 Australian dollars. My specs at the moment are: Operating system: Windows 8 64 bit Bios: Award Modular BIOS V6.00PG Processor: AMD FX(TM) 4100 Quad Core processor (4CPUs) 3.6 GHz Memory: 8192MB RAM Graphics: AMD Radeon HD 6870 Hard Drive: 1 TB Now i was going to spend around $500 to $1000 on upgrades. I use this computer mostly for gaming but i do have a Go Pro Camera in which i like to edit videos with. I know it lacks power for processing and editing videos like that but i would have a clue on what to buy haha. Any Recommendations?
I would recommend updating your motherboard and CPU to an Intel-based system and keeping the rest of your components until you absolutely need to upgrade them further. What is wrong with your current system though? What programs is it running slow in? If you're doing a lot of video editing, you might want to consider the flagship Intel i7 CPU because it allows for hyper-threading, which is only really useful in applications such as Adobe Premiere. If you're only doing some gaming with some light video editing, I would recommend an i5. Before I go into more detail, just answer some of the questions above.
Is it a prebuilt, and do you know your power supply rating or motherboard name? I would recommend using Speccy, I think it is called. Honestly, i'd just upgrade the 6870 to a 7950 or so and be done with it. You won't really garner any real visible performance increases by changing your processor to one of AMD's better options, but if you do, look at an 8350 (check your power supply rating first), which may be a real boost to you a few years down the line when games start using more than 4 cores and 3GB of RAM to compensate for current gen consoles. I wouldn't recommend changing to Intel, as you would need a new mobo, and intel have just released their processor refresh which requires a new socket, and you can't get cheap motherboards at the moment. I would also expect you to end up buying another copy of Windows, as if you have a prebuilt the license is tied to your motherboard. Besides which, for gaming expect no difference between the two. In aussieland, parts are stupidly expensive, so I would advise you to not bother with what Furry is saying (still love you bro!), and stick with your AMD. AMD generally comes out better for rendering with its flagship processor (which isn't really that great all round) For gaming, as long as your processor isn't bottlenecking your card (which yours wont be) then your processor does not create a difference. Seriously. A 3970x (About 3000 AU) may see an improvement of 4, 5 FPS if that over your 6870 atm. So come back to us with your full specs and power supply rating and if your build is a prebuilt or not. And potentially the kind of thing that you edit, and what you edit with (windows movie maker?) I would only advise the two changes, specs permitting; - Upgrade to a radeon 7950 (and get some free games in the process) - Upgrade your processor to an FX 8350 At no point should you bother with Intel for your build, as you will need a new mobo, processor, copy of windows and so on, and by the time you have barely seen a performance increase you will have probably spent $1000 AU. ATM you can get an 8350 for about $250 AU, and a 7950 for about $300
I gotta say im not the most techy kind of guy on this, i don't knowthe full specs i only know the Dxdiag option. I have a Mega Power Elite 650 as my power supply which is 650W yeah i was looking at nvidia cards but they are expensive. i use adobe after effects, also Sony Vegas and Cineform which is Go Pro's basic editor. the computer does slow down while using those programs. Edit: im willing to buy the Radeon 7970 which is only a bit more expensive but i guess it should offer better performance? and ill be buying the FX 8350
What is your motherboard? That will come up in dxdiag. As for NVidia options, you will see a big performance increase if you go with one of their cards, as your programs are built to use nVidia CUDA. Basically it means that the GPU can also assist in video previewing and rendering. I'd actually recommend you go with one of their options frankly. A GTX 670 can be bought for about 420 AU. It's a lot more money though, but that is the single part that will show a big performance increase. 7970 is basically just an overclocked 7950. If it's only a smidge more, go for it, but otherwise don't bother. It's more than powerful enough.
Its a GIGABYTE 970A-D3 Motherboard Just found my motherboard box hahah, a GTX 770 would be the most i spend on a graphics card, nearly 600 dollars how well do you think that would go? or would it better just to save a up a bit more and go for the GTX 780. Im guess im trying to say i want this computer to last me for the next 5 years or so since this is prob the last computer ill have for gaming.
Single-Card Results: Battlefield 3 - The GeForce GTX 770 Review: Calling In A Hit On Radeon HD 7970? That's the difference between a 770 and 780. But remember, that's BF3 at a resolution above HD at 55FPS, which is massive. I'd just go for a 770. It's comparable gaming power. It's also slightly more power efficient than a 780 too. You can also consider importing from America, which may well be cheaper. I'd see a 770 lasting for 5 years, not necessarily maxing stuff out come year 4+, but it will still perform adequately. It'll certainly max out the next 3 gens of games above 30FPS. Make sure a 770 will fit in your build though. Look up the name of the case. A 770 is about 10 inches big, a 6870 is about 9 inches big, so make sure you have space! Oh, and a quick update; i'm not sure if the 8350 is supported by your mobo. 8300 is though. I'd contact GIGABYTE. Link for info
cheers mate yeah i have an antec gaming case, i have about an extra 2 inchs of room if i move 2 cords which easily can be done. so a GTX 770 plus an AMD FX 8350 then, ill prob have to upgrade my power in order to run this but thats not expensive at all
Your power supply will be fine I reckon. But if you do upgrade, make sure you get a good quality brand, 80+ bronze minimum.
Cheers ill prob be buying the parts in the next few weeks, ill just get my mate, who works in a computer tech shop to put it in for me, cause i don't wanna risk blowing it up hahah
Glad to know I helped you, and best of luck! Also, if he works in a tech shop, see if he has it in stock and will give you a discount
Dude just tape some Monster decals to it, put a chip in the cooling fan to make it louder, and then buy a small metal frame to act as a lift kit for your tower.