Hp Pre-Built Computer - What should i upgrade?

[Number1BlackGuy]

I have an hp p7-1010z desktop that i want to upgrade for gaming in hope to save some money instead of buying a new computer. I bought the computer in 2011 so you can expect all parts to be pretty old. MY BUDGET IS $500. Here are the specs:

Motherboard: Foxconn H-ALVORIX_HF-RS880-uATX
CPU: Athlon ll X4 645 (Propus) (95W), 3.1 GHz
GPU: GeForce GT520 (1 GB)
Hard Disk: 1 TB, 7200 rpm, SATA 3G
PCU: 250 Watt Power Supply
RAM: 6 GB (1 x 4 GB, 1 x 2 GB) DDR3 PC3-10600

Notes and Links to Computer Parts:

Model Name: Hp Pavilion p7-1010z

Motherboard Specs: http://h20565.www2.hp.com/portal/site/hpsc/template.PAGE/public/kb/docDisplay/?spf_p.tpst=kbDocDisplay&spf_p.prp_kbDocDisplay=wsrp-navigationalState%3DdocId%253Demr_na-c02560084-8%257CdocLocale%253D%257CcalledBy%253D&javax.portlet.begCacheTok=com.vignette.cachetoken&javax.portlet.endCacheTok=com.vignette.cachetoken

I know that i will need a new power supply and graphics card but i dont know what to get. And i will probably need a new motherboard too. I do not know the size of the case but if anyone can help me find it that would be appreciated. Also if you reply to this can you give me some suggestions on good gaming monitors too. I really need a good overview on where to get started when it comes to upgrading and getting serious into PC Gaming, I am looking to have a rig that is able to play games at 1080p and have a obvious visual upgrade from the Xbox one. I dont know the specifics as far as AA and textures but if you can assure me that the upgrades i make can get me visuals that are obviously better than the PS4 and Xbox one i will be happy. And lastly if their are any other suggestions that you may have for me feel free to post them also. I AM A COMPLETE NOOB all information is welcomed!

Thanks in advance for helping me get into PC Gaming!

 

[Darkbreeze]

This would be a heck of a nice improvement over what you've got now and all components are compatible with your HP case. The biggest problem was finding a decent graphics card that would fit since it seems your case will only support a 9" or smaller graphics card and most the decent ones are at least 10-11".

I included pretty much the best budget motherboard for overclocking with an 8+2 power phase to keep things fairly cool and stable. Also a Hyper 212 EVO CPU cooler. You should have no problems overclocking this FX-8320 to 4.3-4.5Ghz. And the overclocking in this BIOS is a fairly simple affair. It shouldn't really take more than a few clicks.

All in all, you can probably expect about 40-50% increase in performance on CPU intensive tasks and maybe as much as a 200% performance increase in gaming with it's 179.2GB/sec GDDR5 memory bandwidth versus your current adapters 10.7GB/sec DDR3. Here's a full comparison if you'd like to check it out just for kicks.

http://www.game-debate.com/gpu/index.php?gid=1863&gid2=1662&compare=radeon-r9-270x-vs-geforce-gt-520-gigabyte-1gb-edition

You can either use the 8GB of RAM I included by themselves in dual channel mode, or try using them in conjunction with the 6GB you have now for a total of 14GB of RAM. They may, or may not play well together. Just make sure to keep the two modules that are paired for dual channel in the channel 1 slots for the best chance at compatibility and dual channel operation.



Here's the upgrades:


PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: AMD FX-8320 3.5GHz 8-Core Processor ($139.97 @ OutletPC)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($28.99 @ Micro Center)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-970A-UD3P ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($74.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Team Elite Plus 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1333 Memory ($65.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: MSI Radeon R9 270X 2GB Video Card ($142.00 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: SeaSonic 620W 80+ Bronze Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($39.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $491.93
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-10-18 04:22 EDT-0400

 

[Number1BlackGuy]

This would be a heck of a nice improvement over what you've got now and all components are compatible with your HP case. The biggest problem was finding a decent graphics card that would fit since it seems your case will only support a 9" or smaller graphics card and most the decent ones are at least 10-11".

I included pretty much the best budget motherboard for overclocking with an 8+2 power phase to keep things fairly cool and stable. Also a Hyper 212 EVO CPU cooler. You should have no problems overclocking this FX-8320 to 4.3-4.5Ghz. And the overclocking in this BIOS is a fairly simple affair. It shouldn't really take more than a few clicks.

All in all, you can probably expect about 40-50% increase in performance on CPU intensive tasks and maybe as much as a 200% performance increase in gaming with it's 179.2GB/sec GDDR5 memory bandwidth versus your current adapters 10.7GB/sec DDR3. Here's a full comparison if you'd like to check it out just for kicks.

http://www.game-debate.com/gpu/index.php?gid=1863&gid2=1662&compare=radeon-r9-270x-vs-geforce-gt-520-gigabyte-1gb-edition

You can either use the 8GB of RAM I included by themselves in dual channel mode, or try using them in conjunction with the 6GB you have now for a total of 14GB of RAM. They may, or may not play well together. Just make sure to keep the two modules that are paired for dual channel in the channel 1 slots for the best chance at compatibility and dual channel operation.



Here's the upgrades:


PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: AMD FX-8320 3.5GHz 8-Core Processor ($139.97 @ OutletPC)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($28.99 @ Micro Center)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-970A-UD3P ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($74.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Team Elite Plus 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1333 Memory ($65.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: MSI Radeon R9 270X 2GB Video Card ($142.00 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: SeaSonic 620W 80+ Bronze Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($39.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $491.93
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-10-18 04:22 EDT-0400

Thanks man i really appreciate the help. One last question if i ever get a new case which one should i buy and what gaming monitor should i get

 

[Darkbreeze]

There are three cases I like to recommend in the under $100.00 range. The Corsair 300R, The Cooler Master Storm Enforcer and the Bitfenix Shinobi. All three have nice features, enough room for large coolers (Which, by the way, after further thought I don't think that the Hyper 212 EVO I recommended will fit in your case as I believe it's too tall.

If you can take a measurement from the top of your processor to the inner edge of the case panel I can tell you for sure.). There are shorter downdraft coolers that would work though if you think that you will go ahead and overclock with that setup, which I would highly recommend in order for it to be any kind of substantial improvement over what you have now. I mean, it has eight cores so it's already an improvement but the additional clock speed is highly desireable.

As far as gaming monitors go, it all depends on what you can live with. Do you have a size, resolution and refresh rate that you're most interested in. There are some very good 24" monitors at good prices. When you get up to 27" the prices increase quickly but there are still some pretty darn good ones in the 250.00 range.

 

[Number1BlackGuy]

There are three cases I like to recommend in the under $100.00 range. The Corsair 300R, The Cooler Master Storm Enforcer and the Bitfenix Shinobi. All three have nice features, enough room for large coolers (Which, by the way, after further thought I don't think that the Hyper 212 EVO I recommended will fit in your case as I believe it's too tall.

If you can take a measurement from the top of your processor to the inner edge of the case panel I can tell you for sure.). There are shorter downdraft coolers that would work though if you think that you will go ahead and overclock with that setup, which I would highly recommend in order for it to be any kind of substantial improvement over what you have now. I mean, it has eight cores so it's already an improvement but the additional clock speed is highly desireable.

As far as gaming monitors go, it all depends on what you can live with. Do you have a size, resolution and refresh rate that you're most interested in. There are some very good 24" monitors at good prices. When you get up to 27" the prices increase quickly but there are still some pretty darn good ones in the 250.00 range.

You know im sorry but i have no idea what those technical terms mean except resolution. So the best description of what im looking for is a monitor that has 1080p resolution and has a good response time if that makes sense

 

[Darkbreeze]

Since you can't really fit a great card in there due to the size, the choice of monitors is sort of limited as well. You don't want something with too high of a refresh rate, if the graphics card is incapable of keeping up with frames versus the refresh rate you could end up with some screen tearing during gaming. In light of that you probably don't want to go over 60hz on the refresh rate so this is probably a pretty decent choice that's not going to rip your wallet out your throat.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Monitor: Asus VE248Q 24.0" Monitor ($157.58 @ Newegg)
Total: $157.58
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-10-18 22:20 EDT-0400