advice for upgrade/ new gaming rig for 600-650 dollar range

[emenos]

Hi, I wanted to upgrade my rig for newer games since it is getting a bit dated.
what i have:

• 
  -MB: asrock a770de+
  -CPU: athlon 64 x2 5400+ 2.8 ghz
  -MEM: 4x 2gb ddr2 1866
  -Vid: geforce 9600 GT 512MB
  -HDD: 2x SATA 2 (want to keep using and not buy new if possible)
  -optical drives: various dvd/bluray sata drives scattered around in and out of pc (no need to get more)
  -cooler master atx case
  -logisys 550w PS

what i'm after:
to upgrade while keeping as much pieces as possible. priority from greatest to least:

• 
  -CPU
  -Vid
  -MB
  -MEM
  -HD

the budget needs to be $600-650 max or below.
all advice on possible builds is welcome, not necessarily picky about being intel or amd main goal is something stable that will last for many years before next upgrade. thanks for any help you can give

 

[emenos]

yeah, thats why its temporary. every day i expect it to burn out, explode, or release some kind of nano virus that will consume my soul

yeah, the logisys was a quick replacement for the 650w coolermaster psu that had a fan burn out. i didnt have a replacement fan on hand and the logisys was cheaper than buying a new fan(for some odd reason) so i got it as a temporary solution. if there is room left in this new build i will get a new psu for it.

Speaking of noodles, there is no way I'd allow a 760 or 270x near a Logisys "550W" PSU. Normal 270 might be ok, but anything that wants real power is going to fry that poor PSU.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($229.99 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: ASRock Z87 Extreme4 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($114.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($72.00 @ Newegg)
Video Card: XFX Radeon R9 270 2GB Double Dissipation Video Card ($159.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: XFX 550W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($47.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $624.96
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-05-08 23:21 EDT-0400)

There having a sale on 550 watt XFX psu's, which are fantastic little ones.

and the logisys was cheaper than buying a new fan(for some odd reason)

Really? You are using a PSU that is cheaper then a FAN? Ok...

Edit: I'd like to change my answer. I wouldn't run any video card that needs a PCIe 6pin plug off that "psu". So no higher then the GTX750, etc.

 

[Rationale]

few questions on your choices: why is intel/radeon a common choice for builds when amd/nvidia tend to be much cheaper for a budget build (also run faster in my experience from the past though this may have changed recently)? also, what is a "locked" processor? (im assuming its either locked cores or hardwired so it cant be overclocked) i never overclock, i prefer a build that will run smoothly with good framerate across the board without it. I know many people like MSI and Asus but i have had bad experiences with them using cheap components such as caps and mosfets that burn out too fast(i like asrock because they seem to use well built components for a low price). need something that will hit the 5 year mark and still be running newer games at lower settings while running all games at high settings now. my current rig i built in 2006(not counting MB which was replaced later on) and it still runs pretty much any game with medium to low settings, some on high. i would like this build to last about the same length if possible. hope im not being too picky for ya, and thanks for the input

It depends more on the specific model of GPU and CPU than the company.

Intel's i3-4130 costs the same as an FX-6300 and performs about the same, for example, but nobody ever recommends it because they assume it must be weak since it's a dual core.
Meanwhile, AMD's Athlon 760K costs much less than an i3 or FX-6300 and runs almost as well, but people rarely mention it because until recently AM3+ was AMD's flagship socket. Now FM2+ is their best supported socket, and the AM1 socket allows for even greater power efficiency than Intel in the low-end.

Some GPUs and CPUs have the advantage in heat or power (typically Intel+Nvidia runs cooler, quieter, and with less power consumption), while others have the advantage in raw power or specific effects.

It's all kind of a clusterf*** with Nvidia and AMD trading blows, and AMD retiring AM3+ so recently.

It used to be Nvidia were the high-cost, high-performance, high-heat monsters. Now that's AMD, and Nvidia is going for efficiency and new technology. The 750 TI performs worse than AMD's offering for $150, for example, but the 750 TI supports more effects and is possibly the most efficient card ever created.

Anyway, I would recommend you switch to mATX. Micro ATX boards are getting increasingly popular since they cost less for the same quality (assuming you don't OC) and allow smaller cases, and ATX boards have so many expansion slots now you could never use all of them. Mini ITX is the new mATX, and mATX is the new ATX.

 

[emenos]

interesting. so would a micro atx be cheaper than upgrading my current setup? could you throw up a full micro atx build minus optical drive and hdd that would still fit the 600-650 budget while containing enough gaming juice to make things rock? (im not sure if my current case can hold a micro board properly)

few questions on your choices: why is intel/radeon a common choice for builds when amd/nvidia tend to be much cheaper for a budget build (also run faster in my experience from the past though this may have changed recently)? also, what is a "locked" processor? (im assuming its either locked cores or hardwired so it cant be overclocked) i never overclock, i prefer a build that will run smoothly with good framerate across the board without it. I know many people like MSI and Asus but i have had bad experiences with them using cheap components such as caps and mosfets that burn out too fast(i like asrock because they seem to use well built components for a low price). need something that will hit the 5 year mark and still be running newer games at lower settings while running all games at high settings now. my current rig i built in 2006(not counting MB which was replaced later on) and it still runs pretty much any game with medium to low settings, some on high. i would like this build to last about the same length if possible. hope im not being too picky for ya, and thanks for the input

It depends more on the specific model of GPU and CPU than the company.

Intel's i3-4130 costs the same as an FX-6300 and performs about the same, for example, but nobody ever recommends it because they assume it must be weak since it's a dual core.
Meanwhile, AMD's Athlon 760K costs much less than an i3 or FX-6300 and runs almost as well, but people rarely mention it because until recently AM3+ was AMD's flagship socket. Now FM2+ is their best supported socket, and the AM1 socket allows for even greater power efficiency than Intel in the low-end.

Some GPUs and CPUs have the advantage in heat or power (typically Intel+Nvidia runs cooler, quieter, and with less power consumption), while others have the advantage in raw power or specific effects.

It's all kind of a clusterf*** with Nvidia and AMD trading blows, and AMD retiring AM3+ so recently.

It used to be Nvidia were the high-cost, high-performance, high-heat monsters. Now that's AMD, and Nvidia is going for efficiency and new technology. The 750 TI performs worse than AMD's offering for $150, for example, but the 750 TI supports more effects and is possibly the most efficient card ever created.

Anyway, I would recommend you switch to mATX. Micro ATX boards are getting increasingly popular since they cost less for the same quality (assuming you don't OC) and allow smaller cases, and ATX boards have so many expansion slots now you could never use all of them. Mini ITX is the new mATX, and mATX is the new ATX.

 

[Rationale]

Micro ATX boards generally cost about 50% or 60% of what a full ATX board would cost (once again, that's assuming you don't overclock since full ATX boards have a monopoly on that). For example, an ATX board might cost $110 and a comparable mATX board would cost $60, and the difference is mostly because full ATX boards are currently getting loaded with extra features.

I could try. No idea if you'll like the results.
I'm also assuming you're going to try to use your current copy of Windows; it'd be tough to use your current mobo either way since it's DDR2.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4570 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($199.97 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: ASRock H81M Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($59.99 @ Mwave)
Memory: G.Skill Sniper Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($79.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: MSI Radeon R9 270X 2GB TWIN FROZR Video Card ($199.99 @ TigerDirect)
Case: Thermaltake Urban S1 MicroATX Mini Tower Case ($39.26 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: XFX 550W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($57.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $637.19
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-05-09 00:47 EDT-0400)

Or, a cheaper option that would still be a nice upgrade.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: AMD Athlon X4 760K 3.8GHz Quad-Core Processor ($84.73 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: ASRock FM2A75M Pro4+ Micro ATX FM2+ Motherboard ($59.49 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Sniper Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($79.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: MSI Radeon R9 270X 2GB TWIN FROZR Video Card ($199.99 @ TigerDirect)
Case: Thermaltake Urban S1 MicroATX Mini Tower Case ($39.26 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: XFX 550W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($57.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $521.45
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-05-09 00:48 EDT-0400)

As you can see, the i5-4570 is quite a ways ahead of the Athlon X4 760K, and that's really where all the difference in price between the 2 builds comes from. http://cpuboss.com/cpus/Intel-Core-i5-4570-vs-AMD-Athlon-X4-760K

However, even the Athlon X4 760K is a big upgrade over your current CPU. Though obviously the i5-4570 would last longer before becoming out of date.

 

[emenos]

that is a huge price difference with intel and amd. is there a significant performance increase with intel (i.e. framerate) to justify the price gap?

 

[Rationale]

that is a huge price difference with intel and amd. is there a significant performance increase with intel (i.e. framerate) to justify the price gap?

That depends entirely on the game. Some games, especially ones optimized for 4 or more cores, will perform well on either CPU and your graphics card will still limit you first.

Other games that either rely on the CPU heavily or only use a couple cores, the Athlon 760K will choke and the i5-4570 will be able to power through.

There is certainly a performance difference, in fact the i5 is ahead by about 50%. How much that'll actually be noticeable will depend on how heavily each game or program relies on the CPU.

It's also worth noting that part of the increased price of the i5 is because it includes an iGPU, which is required if you don't have a video card, but which becomes a useless money and power sink when paired with a video card.

 

[emenos]

hows this look, kind of a mix up of builds everyone has posted. i removed the case since the one i have is supposed to be compatible with micro atx boards and i can replace it later if its not a good fit. main concern is: will i see a performance drop from using the 270 instead of 270x and are the grfx and ram manufacturers known to be good/bad, ive never heard of either one but the price is cheap so... edit: changed from 1866 ram to 1600 since the MB will auto downgrade to 1600 anyway.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4570 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($199.97 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: ASRock H81M Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($59.99 @ Mwave)
Memory: A-Data XPG V1.0 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($64.99 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: XFX Radeon R9 270 2GB Double Dissipation Video Card ($159.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: XFX 550W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($47.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $532.93
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-05-09 01:20 EDT-0400)

 

[Rationale]

hows this look, kind of a mix up of builds everyone has posted. i removed the case since the one i have is supposed to be compatible with micro atx boards and i can replace it later if its not a good fit. main concern is: will i see a performance drop from using the 270 instead of 270x and are the grfx and ram manufacturers known to be good/bad, ive never heard of either one but the price is cheap so... edit: changed from 1866 ram to 1600 since the MB will auto downgrade to 1600 anyway.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4570 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($199.97 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: ASRock H81M Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($59.99 @ Mwave)
Memory: A-Data XPG V1.0 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($64.99 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: XFX Radeon R9 270 2GB Double Dissipation Video Card ($159.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: XFX 550W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($47.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $532.93
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-05-09 01:20 EDT-0400)

Yes, that's good.

1. You will see a performance drop in games from the 270X to the 270. Not a big performance drop, but it'll certainly be there. Maybe a 5-10% performance difference, as the 270X is really just a factory overclocked 270.

2. I haven't heard much about ADATA. I have an ADATA flash drive and it hasn't broken yet, at least. I know XFX has quite a good reputation for reliability and performance.

 

[emenos]

so after much time wasting standing in the store mulling over choices, the final build i will most likely go for is this:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4570 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($199.97 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: ASRock H81M Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($59.99 @ Mwave)
Memory: A-Data XPG V1.0 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($64.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($54.43 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: MSI Radeon R9 270X 2GB TWIN FROZR Video Card ($199.99 @ TigerDirect)
Power Supply: XFX 550W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($47.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $627.36
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-05-09 01:46 EDT-0400)
did not need the hd but since there was room still in budget i figured save some headache from constantly deleting stuff to make more room. seagate happened to be slightly cheaper than western for the 1tb drive and i've had the same experience with both companies since the 486 days; they either last forever or fail miserably either way you know within a month. Thank you very much everyone for all your helpfulness (gonna pick rationale's build as the solution since i feel you were the most helpful with info)