Built a rig 3 years ago, where is it throttling, where should I invest in improvements?

[Jonathan Anderson]

Current Specification:

Mobo: Gigabyte Z77 - D3H
CPU: Intel i3570k (Clocked to 4.2k)
Power Supply: Core XStream 500W
RAM: 8GB (2*4GB) Corsai Vengeance Ram
SSD: Sandisk 128gb
HDD: Seagate 1TB 7200rpm
GPU: AMD HD Radeon 7870
CPUCooler: Coolermasster Hyper 212
Case: NZXT Phanstom 410 midi tower


Approximate Purchase Date: Around Christmas, potentially post Christmas Sales

Budget Range: £200-£500

System Usage from Most to Least Important: Gaming, Watching Videos, Internet Browsing

Are you buying a monitor: Not planning on it, currently using two Samsung Syncmaster b2430s

Parts to Upgrade: (e.g.: CPU, mobo, RAM) **Include Power Supply Make & Model If Re-using**

Do you need to buy OS: Probably, unsure but imagine I've got an OEM licence

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: Tend to use Scan.co.uk

Location: Peterborough, United Kingdom

Parts Preferences: No preferences, looking for guidance

Overclocking: Yes

SLI or Crossfire: Maybe

Your Monitor Resolution: Dual 1920x1080p

And Most Importantly, Why Are You Upgrading: I built this rig three years ago and overall I've been very happy with it. However, the performance seems to be dropping over time and I'm looking to run the latest games on higher settings. Currently I'm primarily playing Fifa 17, which runs with no issues, and Paragon, which I can't run above the lowest settings without experiencing freezes in combat. This may be partially due to the game not being optimised.

I also had a complete mare with setting up my PC correctly. I have the SSD and the hard drive and initially everything was stored on the SSD. When that got full I attempted to migrate a series of programs to the SSD by copying and pasting them over... I know, I screwed up! Looking to put that right in a fresh install. The other issue I have is that the computer doesn't boot flawlessly everytime, it often stutters and switches off after the lights and fans have come on and can do this multiple times. Once it starts up however it runs perfectly.

Any help would be really appreciated!

 

[vrumor]

Buy a GTX 1060 or 1070 and call it a day. And buy a quality PSU.

 

[joshyboy82]

Your GPU and RAM are pretty much minimum for that resolution. You could definitely up your game by getting something more powerful. RAM will speed up your system in general.

 

[Jonathan Anderson]

Buy a GTX 1060 or 1070 and call it a day. And buy a quality PSU.

Did you suggest a PSU because of the Posting issues I sometimes have? I can't see any reason to replace it unless that graphics card puts a huge amount more demand on it?

 

[vrumor]

If it isnt a Tier 2 or above PSU, it is basically a fire hazard. I have no idea who makes your PSU, but it sounds low quality. The PSU is the single most important piece of hardware you can put into your PC. And yes, the posting issues made me suggest a better PSU.