GPU Upgrade Advice

[rrockwood]

I've got a gaming/htpc that I'm looking to upgrade the GPU. Current setup is:

i3-4160
GTX750
8GB DDR3-1600
450W PSU

I'm currently gaming at 720p but will probably upgrade to 1080p at some point not too far off. I'm already playing heavily modded Skyrim, and I'm looking to play Witcher 3, Arkham Knight and Just Cause 3 in the near future. At the very least I want to achieve PS4 level graphics as I'm selling my PS4 to fund the GPU upgrade.

Now here's the big question:
Do I stick with my i3 and get a GTX970 or do I get an i5 and a GTX960.

i5 and GTX970 is not an option due to budget, so please don't suggest this. Also, I'm not interested in AMD solutions; the TDP is unacceptable for my purposes at the performance levels I want.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Eldy]

The current CPU will have a hard time, i suggest upgrading both your CPU and your GPU. I suggest getting the i5 4690 + GTX960 if you have the money. I'm not 100% sure it will be able to max out some of the newer released titles at 60+ frames, but it will achieve a satisfying standard. It will be better than a console

 

[rrockwood]

The current CPU will have a hard time, i suggest upgrading both your CPU and your GPU. I suggest getting the i5 4690 + GTX960 if you have the money. I'm not 100% sure it will be able to max out some of the newer released titles at 60+ frames, but it will achieve a satisfying standard. It will be better than a console

Thanks for the response!

I understand that the i3 won't really keep up with the 970, but I guess I should have been a little more explicit with my question. Even in the presence of that bottleneck, wouldn't it be a possibility that the i3/970 combo will still be more capable overall than the i5/960 combo? (Perhaps especially with the arrival of DX12?)

I figure I would at some point upgrade the CPU (maybe when skylake releases I could score a deal on a Haswell?) but it would be nice if the GPU will hold up for at least a couple years.

Direct personal experience with either of the combinations I've described would be much appreciated.