Computer Upgrades, What to get?

[David Ralph]

So I am thinking of getting an upgrade to my computer but I don't know what. Aesthetically, a new case would be great, although since I have pets, a dust filter is a must. At the same time I have a relatively weak CPU, so maybe that should be upgraded? However at the same time, I only have 8 gigabytes of some no-name ram. Although again should I just go with a new motherboard that can handle more? Hopefully you can see why I am having problems picking a part to upgrade. The only thing I would say that doesn't need upgrading (and I refuse to upgrade because I would rather have some other part) is the graphics card. So, what should I get?

I currently have:
Case - Thermaltake Commander G42 (Black)
Motherboard - MSI 760GM - P34 (FX)
Memory - No brand name on the sticks. Although it is 8gb
CPU - AMD FX 4300
Graphics Card - Nvidia Geforce 750 Ti FTW Edition
PSU - EVGA 500W

Notes:

(The case still has stock fans which I plan to replace with some corsair fans regardless of whatever upgrade you suggest)

(Also I would prefer to have an intel cpu however upgrading both the board and processor at once is out of budget)

(I already have an aftermarket heatsink fan)

(The case, although serviceable, is quite ugly in my opinion and lets dust in far too easily)


BUDGET PRICE : > or = $100 (Preferably, unless some super deal shows up for like $10 more)



MY THOUGHTS : Originally I was thinking some sort of motherboard to build my pc around, but then I was considering how I kind of like intel more than AMD for some reason. After this I was thinking maybe just a new case (I kind of still am) but I am searching in the category of just about anything (fx 6300?) and I know that when searching for things it is best to ask people who have the product to get an honest review, thank you for your opinions!

 

[ThatVietGuy]

Save up money so you can upgrade to an Intel build.

Upgrading to something like an FX-6300 or even an FX-8300 would just keep you stuck in a dead platform.

 

[sizzling]

I'd say do nothing, save your money until you can move to an Intel build which will need a new motherboard, RAM and cpu. Investing more money in an end of life AMD FM3+ platform is a waste and will yield very little gain.

 

[rhysiam]

OK, so you're in a tricky spot upgrade wise. At the moment you have a well balanced entry-level gaming rig. There's no stand-out high end components, but no stand out problems either.

The problem is that to really step up to a higher tier gaming PC, you need a better CPU and GPU. Then the second concern is that while you could put a 6300 or 8300/8350 in your motherboard, that is a dead-end platform. At best you get a mediocre CPU with no upgrade path beyond it whatsoever.

So, you could put something like an RX 470/480/GTX 1060 in there and add a 8320. That would be a significant upgrade. BUT, it's $300, well over budget. And, a chunk of that cash is being poured into a CPU for a dead-end socket.
You might actually be better off selling the machine as-is, as an entry level gaming machine, and putting together something new with a bigger budget.

Short answer, I don't think there's a meaningful $100~ upgrade you can make to that rig. At least not performance wise. New case, KB + Mouse, sure. But you need to spend more to get a worthwhile performance bump.

 

[David Ralph]

I'd say do nothing, save your money until you can move to an Intel build which will need a new motherboard, RAM and cpu. Investing more money in an end of life AMD FM3+ platform is a waste and will yield very little gain.

Well, that is understandable. And I won't buy anything, but if you were to purchase a case for that price, what would it be? Out of interest.

 

[rhysiam]

Well, that is understandable. And I won't buy anything, but if you were to purchase a case for that price, what would it be? Out of interest.

Cases are really personal things. It's 90% price + aesthetics. If you're going a specalised rig with custom liquid cooling, or multi-gpus, then layout and airflow start to matter. But any case can handle the maybe 150W coming from your rig.

Pick one you like the look of in your budget.

 

[David Ralph]

Thanks to everyone who responded and gave input. I greatly appreciate it and will save up for a larger upgrade to get out of this dead end chip that I got myself into!