4 Yr Old Gaming PC: What upgrades would let me play/future-proof for upcoming games?

JoeFig44

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My current setup is almost 4 years old now, and I'm wondering which parts of it would best benefit from an upgrade.

I'm looking to be able to run some of the following games at full quality and at least 1080 resolution.
I'm looking for good enough, so not ego-driven gaming PC :)

i3-2120
Asus P8Z68-V PRO mobo
Asus HD6870
G.Skill Ripjaws X 2x4GB DDR3 1600
Crucial m4 128GB SSD
Corsair CX600 PSU

If recommending a CPU upgrade, please advise on if worth it to upgrade mobo or maybe wait for LGA1151?


Finally, about my monitor: it's a Dell 2408WFP and has served me well, but wondering if somethign out there worth it to upgrade to for gaming.

 
Solution
I believe what your thinking would suit you fine. I currently have the GTX 760 2GB and it suits me fine with the games I play on max settings (guild wars 2 and BF4). 2gb is good up to 1920x1080 resolution and games currently only require 2GB but if you plan to SLI this card then opt for 4GB or you want 2k displays then consider the 4GB. If the price is much higher for the 4GB then perhaps consider a 780 but this choice is personal preference to you. The CPU you've chosen is a wise decision, it comes clocked at 3.4ghz and can be easily OC'ed to 3.8Ghz+ . The SSD is decent size for your OS and perhaps some favorite games. Things you could upgrade later would be a after market cooler like a Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO if you OC or you run...

EdMaxfield

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You might want to think about upgrading to a cheap i5, as it will give you some extra power for newer games. Also, another 2 x 4gb RAM sticks would help. What are the specs of your graphics card?
 

JoeFig44

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Here's a link to the specs page.

http://www.asus.com/Graphics_Cards/EAH6870_DC2DI2S1GD5/

Any point in upgrading my monitor?
 

JoeFig44

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Also, which i5 should I get that will fit in mobo?
 

JoeFig44

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So are you saying if I can get an i5 and an R9 270X, 280 or GTX760 I would be good for another few years likely?

 

JoeFig44

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So here's what I'm thinking:

Upgrade CPU to i5-3570K
Upgrade graphics card to MSI N760 GTX760 Twin Frozen 4GB (Not sure if instead I should just opt for the 2GB version?)
Add Samsung 840 Pro 256GB SSD

Thoughts?
 

animositygamers

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I believe what your thinking would suit you fine. I currently have the GTX 760 2GB and it suits me fine with the games I play on max settings (guild wars 2 and BF4). 2gb is good up to 1920x1080 resolution and games currently only require 2GB but if you plan to SLI this card then opt for 4GB or you want 2k displays then consider the 4GB. If the price is much higher for the 4GB then perhaps consider a 780 but this choice is personal preference to you. The CPU you've chosen is a wise decision, it comes clocked at 3.4ghz and can be easily OC'ed to 3.8Ghz+ . The SSD is decent size for your OS and perhaps some favorite games. Things you could upgrade later would be a after market cooler like a Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO if you OC or you run hot now, a new mobo as you stated later that will support LGA1151 socket + the CPU for it. Ram can be upgraded as you see fit.
 
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JoeFig44

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Thanks.

One other thing I think I will do is upgrade my Dell 2408WFP 60Hz 6ms 24" monitor to an Asus VG248QE Monitor that is 144Hz 1ms.

A. Would this be a wise decision for my gaming use? My 2408 has served me well for color accuracy though over the last 5 years.
B. Should any of my above choices for hardware upgrades be changed given I'm going for the faster refresh/response rates on the Asus monitor?
 

animositygamers

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A. I don't really know enough about monitors to answer if its a good decision because I've always used w/e monitor was cheaper but im considering going for 2k display very soon. I know people who state that 144hz makes a decent increase to viewing pleasure in games so it could be a nice choice but like i said my knowledge is limited.
B. No, your build with your upgrades stated will run it fine.
 

JoeFig44

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Ok, last question, and this one is totally from left field:

How would this rig as stated for upgrade above compare to a 27" iMAC 3.5GHz with upgraded 780M graphics and 16GB ram?
I know value wise it doesn't compare, but would it still approximate in regards to gaming, especially from a graphics/monitor/refresh rate/response perspective?

Main reason is room where I need to put this in my wife doesn't want big black PC tower box and all the wires, so thinking of just a good iMAC?


Only other option, is a 15" Macbook Pro with dedicated graphics, but obviously the gaming would mostly be out then.