Looking for advice for upgrading build this summer

[Shcotttty]

Hi everyone.

First of all, I want to thank everyone who takes the time to offer advice to me, I really appreciate your help. While I am pretty familiar with computer in general, computer hardware really isn't my strong suit. I especially have not kept up with the newest features and which ones are really worth getting, such as GDDR5 and lots of other stuff. I also am not sure where there may be compatibility issue or anything like that.

I am currently running a 3 year old rig and looking to do a massive upgrade if not complete rebuild (and keep what I have as a fully intact ready to go second gaming ready computer) to jump into the 4k gaming world. I'm not so much worried about buying new hard drives/ssd's, and I have extra 1080p monitors to use. I am more worried about things like the CPU, GPU, Mobo, Ram, and anything else you guys think I should be concerned with.


What I am currently using is:


CPU Intel i7 4770k

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819116901

GPU : HIS 7870 IceQ 2 GB(256bit) GDDR5

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007HYIRES?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00

Motherboard: Asus z87-Pro

(I think this is the one) http://www.amazon.com/ASUS-Z87-PRO-1150-Motherboard/dp/B00CRJSXR4

PSU : Seasonic M12II-850 BRONZE ATX 850 Power Supply

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00607JNIM?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s01

Ram :Crucial Ballistix Sport 8GBx2 Single DDR3-1600

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00A14ZTWE?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s02


I have been considering getting a 980ti for a while now, but like many have been entranced by all the talk of Polaris and Pascal. Since I don't get have a 1440/4k monitor yet, it has been a little easier to hold back. I am going to do my best to wait until summer/end of summer and then re-evaluate the situation on GPU's as that is my biggest deciding factor. I am looking to spend $600+ if that seems to be the best option / 'best bang for the buck' at the time.

Ultimately, I want to get some good hardware to support 4k gaming. I don't necessarily need 60fps with no dipping on ultra AAA games (although if that is doable I would LOVE it!), but I am looking to get something pretty powerful. I was looking for some somewhat specific advice as to part to replace the ones I listed above, and anything else I may have missed. Also, any and all input/opinions about 4k gaming rigs, the new GPUs (no NV vs AMD talk pls), or anything regarding this post is welcomed!

If it's best I replace everything I have listed above, I'd consider just leaving it and buying an entirely new rig...which I kind of want to do, but my wallet and better judgment are saying no. But if the only thing I need to replace is the GPU and Ram or something like that, I'd probably just do that.

Thanks again everyone! Please let me know me know if there is any info you require to help better analyse my situation and I'll post it asap.

 

[Gingerbread]

CPU is still a killer, along with this board, you can overclock it, it can hold its own for at least 2-3 years more, even on 4k. All you need is as you guessed GPUs. But as you said, pascal and polaris are close, so no point in investing into 18 months old GPUs which price hasn't went down a single dollar for all this time. I'd suggest save some money for the new GPUs which should arrive in 2-3 months time and also save money for a monitor because 1440p/2160p monitors cost a fortune (good ones that is).

 

[Shcotttty]

CPU is still a killer, along with this board, you can overclock it, it can hold its own for at least 2-3 years more, even on 4k. All you need is as you guessed GPUs. But as you said, pascal and polaris are close, so no point in investing into 18 months old GPUs which price hasn't went down a single dollar for all this time. I'd suggest save some money for the new GPUs which should arrive in 2-3 months time and also save money for a monitor because 1440p/2160p monitors cost a fortune (good ones that is).

Yeah, along with waiting for Polaris/Pascal I am also waiting for G-Sync and Free-Sync monitor prices to level out also. Or for a really good deal from a reliable company that sets a competitive price bar for other name brands.

As for the motherboard and the CPU, you are saying they are both still good to go for next gen stuff? Do I need to overclock them to make them viable, or are they fine in their current state? I don't know much about overclocking anything. I used to overclock my video card just a little bit using AMD software, but then I stopped because I wasn't sure what I was doing. I just copied some settings that were stable from a forum.

Anyway, if the mobo is still good, I just wanted to make sure that it is compatible with whatever the next gen cards will bring. I am clueless to any hardware changes in the last years, or if any are in store for the new stuff. Also, I wasn't sure if new mobo's or ram or anything like that take advantage of any new technology that significantly improve performance in any desirable area for gaming. I am really looking forward to DX12 and the new HBM2 and all that cool stuff xD. My GPU has been huffin' and puffin' lately but she has treated me well for many years, and we are going to keep chuggin' along together till then!

 

[Gingerbread]

Well the CPU can hold without an overclock, but it's a good CPU so you can reach 4ghz easily and this will make it an even bigger beast. Also GPUs will still be PCI-E 3.0 and even if they become PCI-E 4.0 (which won't be any time soon since gpus still cant even reach the potential of PCI-E 3.0) it will be backward compatible. HBM2 is just the new vram, it was DDR3 before it became GDDR5 but other PC components don't care about the VRAM of the GPU so it doesn't matter. Also from what it seems, Nvidia might actually go for GDDR5X before jumping on the HBM2 ship. So actually your PC is fully compatible all you have to do is wait. As for the prices on monitors dropping, I wouldn't hold my breath, premium monitors will most likely remain premium since there are a lot of people who still buy them (personally I wouldn't spend more on monitor than I have spent on a GPU, but that's just me).

 

[Shcotttty]

Well the CPU can hold without an overclock, but it's a good CPU so you can reach 4ghz easily and this will make it an even bigger beast. Also GPUs will still be PCI-E 3.0 and even if they become PCI-E 4.0 (which won't be any time soon since gpus still cant even reach the potential of PCI-E 3.0) it will be backward compatible. HBM2 is just the new vram, it was DDR3 before it became GDDR5 but other PC components don't care about the VRAM of the GPU so it doesn't matter. Also from what it seems, Nvidia might actually go for GDDR5X before jumping on the HBM2 ship. So actually your PC is fully compatible all you have to do is wait. As for the prices on monitors dropping, I wouldn't hold my breath, premium monitors will most likely remain premium since there are a lot of people who still buy them (personally I wouldn't spend more on monitor than I have spent on a GPU, but that's just me).

Awesome, thanks for the detailed response - that put it into perspective a lot better. For the monitors, I have seen a few what *seemed* to be good deals on a few 27 and 28 inch.

Acer Predator XB271HU bmiprz 27-inch WQHD (2560 x 1440) NVIDIA G-Sync Widescreen Display

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0173PEX20/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0173PEX20&linkCode=as2&tag=thtebusgu-20&linkId=ZZSD5Z5BQCNEA5GN

Dell UltraSharp U2715H 27-Inch Screen LED-Lit Monitor -

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00P0EQD1Q/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00P0EQD1Q&linkCode=as2&tag=thtebusgu-20&linkId=L3QCYKCS5BSVDOTD

and a few others. That is my general price point for monitors, give or take. When I go for a GPU later into the year I'll probably make a thread about monitors to get a better idea of what to go for, because once again I don't know much about what to look for.

I will need to look into overclocking my GPU, if you have any recommendations as to how to do it or a guide I could refer to, that would be great. If not, no worries. Thanks again.

 

[Gingerbread]

Well those are expensive monitors but pretty stacked so they are a good option overall. And if you want to overclock your GPU then the easiest way is using MSI afterburner. Try increasing the speed little by little and test after each increase, as long as you stay below 80 degrees under full load, you will be fine.