Hardware upgrades help PLZ - rookie here

[sabell300]

Hey guys, just signed up because this community seems to be very helpful, and I've done a lot of looking around but with my limited knowledge, I'm not sure where I should be focusing upgrades for my specific build.
Bought a custom build PC about 5-6 years ago and well I think its time to upgrade some components.

CPU: Intel Core i5 2500k CPU @ 3.30GHz (4 CPUs), ~3.6GHz
OS: Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit
Memory: 8GB DDR3
GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 260
PSU: Thermaltake smart 750W (this is relatively new)

I'm considering for my budget ($200-300 CAD seems fair) that a GTX 1050 like this one might be a good option.
https://www.amazon.ca/EVGA-GeForce-GAMING-Support-02G-P4-6152-KR/dp/B01M64G435/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1521780642&sr=8-1&keywords=gtx+950

I would like to be able to play games like PUBG/ Fortnite, or whatever comes out that suits my fancy. I also run dual monitors if that makes any difference.
Should I focus RAM (stick with ddr3 or go for ssd?), GPU, CPU, and should I upgrade to Windows 10?

Thanks for taking the time and I apologize for my ignorance!

 

[dontlistentome]

Fortnite would run pretty good with a 1050. PUBG is very demanding and it needs more than 2gb vram if you want to play with more than low settings at 1080p. I actually wouldn't want to run PUBG with less than a 1050 Ti.

If you're willing to lower settings, play closer to 30fps than 60fps, or even play at 720p, then a 1050 should make you happy with whatever comes out. That's because newer games are mostly needing more than 2gb vram these days. The way you deal with that if you have a 2gb card is by lowering settings or resolution.

New videocards only have digital outputs now. So if either of your monitors are VGA only you'll need an active adapter.

 

[photonboy]

PRICES ARE VERY HIGH right now due to cryptomining; you waited 5+ years so I'd wait a bit more. They may drop in the near future (weeks? months?).

8GB is fine if you aren't running web browsers or other system memory hungry programs while gaming. W10 is not needed for the most part. Only a few games that only support DX12 would need it so currently not a big deal.

GTX1050Ti is the best choice (4GB VRAM) though they cost now what a better GTX1060 6GB cost last year.

https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/products/video-card/#c=380&sort=price&page=1

THIS ONE is the same cost as the GTX1050 you linked (if it's in stock at $250CDN... cards keep going in and out of stock due to miners):
https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/product/D44NnQ/evga-geforce-gtx-1050-ti-4gb-ssc-gaming-acx-30-video-card-04g-p4-6255-kr

 

[photonboy]

https://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/NVIDIA/GeForce_GTX_1060/26.html

That's for relative performance. I'd get at least 3GB VRAM (i.e GTX1060 3GB) but again WAIT for prices.

I would NOT pay more than:

$200CDN - GTX1050Ti
$300CDN - GTX1060 6GB
$600CDN - GTX1080

Also, if you can OVERCLOCK your CPU (suitable motherboard and cooler) you may want to consider that.

GTX260 vs GTX1050Ti
If I had to guess I'd say the GTX1050Ti is about 5x as powerful. I saw a benchmark showing a GTX660Ti beating a GTX260 by over 3x and the 1050Ti is closer to a GTX680.

 

[sabell300]

Ah yea thats what I've been hearing. I'll likely end up waiting for prices to drop, or at least patiently pray they do! Good advice on the active adapter (1 is DVI, 1 is VGA). I generally tend to play a game on one screen with a guide on the other.
If I remember right, the guy who sold me this comp told me the CPU is overclocked.

Thanks for all the info guys, I'll keep this as reference for when prices settle!