A CPU & Graphics Upgrade...

[detvar]

Hi everyone, I really need your expert advise. I don't feel ready to ditch my current computer to buy a new computer just yet. I'm planning to upgrade the CPU and the graphics card. I've got an ASUS P5QL-E (LGA775) motherboard with Intel Core 2 Duo E8400. The graphics card is from the ATI Radeon HD 4800 Series. What is the best/fastest compatible CPU and graphics card? I'm looking forward to read your suggestions. thanks!

 

[Dunkan77]

Hello,

I really don't think you will get that much of a performance improvement if you just swap out the cpu and gpu because the cpu's that fit LGA 775 are really old and don't offer for much compelling value today. If you need an upgrade, I would suggest going for LGA 1150 and a core i5-4690K (or non K), a GTX 960, asus mobo preferbaly and at least a 80+ bronze psu.

I'm sorry if this isn't what you are looking for but not getting a new computer would just be a wate of money as for just a little more money, you are getting much better performance and a machine that will last you a few more cpu and gpu generations while still being reasonably powerful to run the upcoming titles at 1080p. My recommendation is, in short, wait a little more, save some pennies here and there and you will not regret buying a completely new PC and you will only be happier.

A nice setup I would recommend would be:

Intel core i5-4690(K)
Asus Maximus VII Hero
Asus GTX 960 Strix or EVGA GTX 960 SSC ACX 2.0+
8 GB of a reputable brand RAM like Corsair, HyperX, Kingston...
WD Green 1 TB HDD (storage is really versatile and you can take a smaller capacity one if you won't use all of that space)
(totally optional but recommended) Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO CPU cooler
A reputable brand PSU of at least 600W and 80+ bronze
Decent case with plenty of case fan and radiator mounts for eventual future upgrades and good airflow.

Hope this helped 😀
PS: Please note that this system build is customisable and you shouldn't hesitate to save a few bucks if you can but NEVER, really never buy hardware form a small company that no one heard of just for 10 or 15 dollars and trust me on this one especially for the PSU as this can lead to many problems

 

[Tzn]

Sell it and get a i3 4130, 2X4gb ddr3 ram and a gtx 750 if you are on a budget if not, get a gtx 960 instead, in either cases you will play all games out there on high settings with 960 getting 60 fps in most of them. i3 is enough for any game out there.

 

[detvar]

Hello,

I really don't think you will get that much of a performance improvement if you just swap out the cpu and gpu because the cpu's that fit LGA 775 are really old and don't offer for much compelling value today. If you need an upgrade, I would suggest going for LGA 1150 and a core i5-4690K (or non K), a GTX 960, asus mobo preferbaly and at least a 80+ bronze psu.

I'm sorry if this isn't what you are looking for but not getting a new computer would just be a wate of money as for just a little more money, you are getting much better performance and a machine that will last you a few more cpu and gpu generations while still being reasonably powerful to run the upcoming titles at 1080p. My recommendation is, in short, wait a little more, save some pennies here and there and you will not regret buying a completely new PC and you will only be happier.

A nice setup I would recommend would be:

Intel core i5-4690(K)
Asus Maximus VII Hero
Asus GTX 960 Strix or EVGA GTX 960 SSC ACX 2.0+
8 GB of a reputable brand RAM like Corsair, HyperX, Kingston...
WD Green 1 TB HDD (storage is really versatile and you can take a smaller capacity one if you won't use all of that space)
(totally optional but recommended) Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO CPU cooler
A reputable brand PSU of at least 600W and 80+ bronze
Decent case with plenty of case fan and radiator mounts for eventual future upgrades and good airflow.

Hope this helped 😀
PS: Please note that this system build is customisable and you shouldn't hesitate to save a few bucks if you can but NEVER, really never buy hardware form a small company that no one heard of just for 10 or 15 dollars and trust me on this one especially for the PSU as this can lead to many problems

Thank you for your quick and great reply. Very helpful. I'll aim for the nice setup. Checked PCHome here in Taiwan and they have everything. However, now I probably also have to buy a new tower with room for more fans. Taiwan is very hot. Any suggestions?

Again, thanks!

Many regards...

 

[detvar]

Sell it and get a i3 4130, 2X4gb ddr3 ram and a gtx 750 if you are on a budget if not, get a gtx 960 instead, in either cases you will play all games out there on high settings with 960 getting 60 fps in most of them. i3 is enough for any game out there.

Thanks for the reply. I'll try to sell it, although my local computer guy here in Wufeng says it will be difficult. Anyway, I made some extra coin these past months, so, inspired by the helpful answers, I've decided to spend some of it on a nice, new setup.

Best regards,

Detvar

 

[Dunkan77]

Hello again,

If you are buying a new case, you probably will be looking at sub 50 or 100 $ depending on how much you can afford to spend on the case. A good case for less that 50 USD would be the Cooler Master HAF 912 for around 50 USD but prices fluctuate. This case looks kinda box-like but it has great cable mangement space at the back and very good airflow and versatile fan mounts for all kinds of fans. Btw, take static pressure optimized fans for case fans as they offer more flexibility should you decide to move the fan to another spot.

If you can find the money to go with a case that's more than 50$ but less than 100$, your choice is much wider and more of the cases are likely to suit your personal taste. You can get the sleek looking NZXT Phantom 410, the CM Carbide 400R with even more airflow and the case loks great but not as stunning as the first.

As you told me that Taiwan is really hot and it must be so all the time I included an extra option for you: the Rosewill Thor V2 which is an insane case with 200 mm fan slots and it is the most airflow optimized case I could find without getting crazy on the price. Speaking of the price, unfortunately, because it's a good case with very good build quality it costs around 120-130$ but you would want this case only if it is REALLY hot in your house. the CM 400R will serve you about as well if you don't live in an absolute inferno.

I hope this helps you in making the good decisions and keep in mind that I am only showing you in which way you should go and if you find something that suits you even better than my suggestions, please feel free to disregard this and if you ever are in doubt or need help, you can post a question and I will try my best to answer it!