Decent PC Build

[Aegenn]

Hello,
I want to upgrade the CPU, GPU, Motherboard or RAM of my PC.
But I am on a tight budget of $300 only.
I want to play modern games but not on ultra high resolutions. Maximum, I'll go to 1280x1024. So please suggest me a rig.
I have been going through articles but i don't seem to understand the CPU-GPU bottleneck issues. I want to build a system in which the CPU doesn't limit the GPU's performance and vice-versa.
So kindly suggest me components. Thank you.

My current setup is:
CPU: Pentium(R) Dual-Core E6500 2.93 - 2.94 Ghz
GPU: AMD R7 240
RAM: 4GB

 

[nooneisback]

Are there free RAM slots on your mobo? If there are, then you should buy another card of the same size to get 8GB. You should wait before upgrading your CPU because it isn't the most important part and the bottleneck is only visible with GPUs in the 390/980 class or higher. You can go with the GTX960 m.newegg.com/Product/index?itemnumber=N82E16814487091, its price is just bellow 190 or you could go with a 2nd hand AMD r9 280x. That is the maximum your budget allows, but considering the settings you want to use, even a GTX950 will do.

 

[maxalge]

Are there free RAM slots on your mobo? If there are, then you should buy another card of the same size to get 8GB. You should wait before upgrading your CPU because it isn't the most important part and the bottleneck is only visible with GPUs in the 390/980 class or higher. You can go with the GTX960 m.newegg.com/Product/index?itemnumber=N82E16814487091, its price is just bellow 190 or you could go with a 2nd hand AMD r9 280x. That is the maximum your budget allows, but considering the settings you want to use, even a GTX950 will do.

at such low resolutions the cpu matters even more, as the gpu is not taxed at all, the cpu becomes the fps limiting factor

weaker cpu = lower fps


a dual core like his would not be able to keep up with a 960 at all

 

[maxalge]

Hello,
I want to upgrade the CPU, GPU, Motherboard or RAM of my PC.
But I am on a tight budget of $300 only.
I want to play modern games but not on ultra high resolutions. Maximum, I'll go to 1280x1024. So please suggest me a rig.
I have been going through articles but i don't seem to understand the CPU-GPU bottleneck issues. I want to build a system in which the CPU doesn't limit the GPU's performance and vice-versa.
So kindly suggest me components. Thank you.

My current setup is:
CPU: Pentium(R) Dual-Core E6500 2.93 - 2.94 Ghz
GPU: AMD R7 240
RAM: 4GB

get the best core 2 quad your motherboard is compatible with and a gtx 950 ( if you have a good enough power supply with the right 6-pin pcie cable )

also upgrade to 8gb of ram if your running 64-bit windows

that is the best you can do within your budget


I recommend saving more, and building a new setup though

 

[nooneisback]

It is true that CPU matters more in this case, but not more than a GPU. The 240 is really weak and is barely useful for office tasks.

 

[Aegenn]

Hi! Thank you for the replies! My motherboard is H-I41-uATX (Eton/EtonL). Can help me to look for what's the best CPU compatible with mine?

My PC specs: http://support.hp.com/us-en/document/c02017989

Everything in here is the same except for RAM I upgraded it to 4GB and the GPU to AMD R7 240.

 

[Aegenn]

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