Help upgrading my current system with minimal spending.

[ArieHon]

Hi, I would like to upgrade my current system to play more modern games but need advice and guidance on how to go about doing so.

Current System:

• 
  CPU: AMD HDZ965FBGMBOX Phenom II X4 965 - 3.4 Ghz Black Edition
  MOBO: ASRock 960GM-GS3 FX Motherboard
  RAM: 4GB G.Skill DDR3 PC3-12800 1600MHz
  GPU: Gigabyte 1GB 7770
  PSU: Corsair Builder Series CXM 500W Modular 80 PLUS Bronze

Parts I thought of upgrading:
Getting a Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO (120mm) for my CPU to overclock.
Adding an extra 4GB of RAM, not sure if I need the same ones or just any 1600MHZ DDR3 stick.
And upgrading my current GPU to 770, 280x or 960. Not sure if my current PSU with me OC'ing my CPU can handle a 280x or a 770 (getting a used 770 from amazon since it fits my budget).

And is slapping an extra HDD plausible without me having to reinstall windows?

Any advice, are greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

 

[kwa-e]

Thanks alot of your help, hope this upgrade runs for sometime.

Hope all goes well

Well, worse case scenario is I have to build a completely new rig.

Quick question, will this cooler

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Cooler-Master-Hyper-212-120mm/dp/B0068OI7T8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1432732622&sr=8-1&keywords=212+evo

Compatible with this mobo?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B006HHD8AY?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00

Should work completely fine, The cooler has brackets for every known MB on earth, But you'll still have to verify if it fits in your case. (212 EVO is 161MM tall)

And with the CPU slot close to the RAM slots I'd imagine that you've got to get RAM without any tall heatspreaders in order to fit it. (Plenty of RAM modules like that though, Corsair XMS3 and Mushkin Stealth for example.)

Thanks again for your help, I really appreciate it.

Glad to help

 

[madmatt30]

Dude - that's bad timing - a week ago you could have grabbed a r9 285 for £120 which is pretty much on par with the 770

 

[sarfrazk638]

Then i would buy a new 8GB stick (or 2x4 for dual channel).

Because maybe you buy another stick of 4gb and you realize that you can't use it with the one you already have, and you will have to spend even more money to buy a stick of 8GB.

If I would to buy a 1x8gb RAM, would buying the same one a year from now still work together?

if you are using an hd 7770 then there is no need for a 500 psu . use a 400 or 450 watts instead . and it's better to upgrade the ram first to 8gb . and secondly upgrade the gpu to r9 270x , it is double faster then hd 7770 if you have more money .

But the R9 270x performs less than the 3 GPUs I stated above, does it not?

I know r9 270x is slower than the 3 gpu's you stated . But if you use r9 270x instead of hd 7770 , then it would be great and the rest of the money which will be saved can be used to buy another stick of 4gb ram

 

[kwa-e]

A better graphics card is always at a higher in priority over RAM as far as upgrades are concerned