My CPU - Upgrade worth it or no?

[conordavidthomas10]

I currently have a intel i3-3240
I was thinking of upgrading to an intel Pentium g4500 or such in that class.
Would the upgrade be worth it or should I upgrade another component. Current specs:
Nvidia GTX 660
WD Blue 500GB (2010
RAM: CT25664BA160B.M8FM 859B ST51264BA1339.16FK 6GB (two x 4gb sticks)
RAM STRENGTHS (Avg. Physical RAM Latency 67.7ns
Avg. 16 Core Read Bench 12.9GB/s)
RAM WEAKNESSES (Avg. 1 Core Read Bench 11GB/s
Avg. 1 Core Write Bench 11.7GB/s)
ANY IDEAS AND SUGGESTIONS ON PARTS TO UPGRADE WILL BE HUGELY APPRECIATED

 

[jgustin7b]

That cpu upgrade would have no real effect whatsoever. I’d say save up for a better cpu (i5 or i7) or be ready to start saving for a new system. I wouldn’t really recommend an upgrade right now.

 

[volkgren]

No that's not worth it. The G4500 is a simple dual-core. Your i3 is a dual-core with hyper-threading. Besides that the G4500 would require a new motherboard and DDR4 RAM.

You can still upgrade to a better CPU and keep your motherboard and RAM. I would want to know the exact motherboard you have before you purchase a CPU. But I would recommend you get the i7-3770 if you can.

That will give you some boost in performance. But your GPU would then become your limiting factor. GPUs are a mess right now if you're looking to buy, so maybe save your money and wait until some cards become more available.

*Actually, the member above me has the better idea. No need to get a better CPU right now. You wouldn't gain much from just a CPU upgrade if you didn't get a GPU with it. Might as well wait for something new.

 

[rgd1101]

MERGED QUESTION
Question from kevin.davies2010 : "CPU or ram?"

Hi, I’ve recently upgraded my pc to have a gtx 660 (from intel hd graphics) and was wondering if I should upgrade my cpu or ram sticks,, it currently has a intel 3240 and I have 6gb ram but I think it’s bottlenecking the card,, need ideas and suggestions,
OTHER SPECS
WD Blue 500gb 2010

That's an i3 3240? If so it shouldn't be bottlenecking anything other than very CPU dependent games, but those games tend to need more than a 660 anyways. How many memory slots do you have and what does your 6gb ram consist of? Ideally you'd have at least 8gb, and it'd be nice if it was dual channel.

 

[conordavidthomas10]

I could also upgrade RAM and GPU or a new motherboard and a gpu but Im on a budget, keep the suggestions coming as they are really helpful
Got more specs coming your way

System ZOOSTORM 7910-4317A
Motherboard Gigabyte H61M-DS2 DVI
Memory 3.8 GB free of 6 GB @ 1.3 GHz
Display 1366 x 768 - 32 Bit colors
OS Windows 10

 

[dontlistentome]

That motherboard has two slots, so you have a stick of 2gb and a stick of 4gb in there right? I'd probably take the 2gb stick out and replace it with a 4gb stick. The fact you are using 768p resolution takes some pressure off your 660.

You haven't said what you are hoping to accomplish with this upgrade. There's no way to judge if a computer upgrade is worth it if no one knows what the goal is.

 

[conordavidthomas10]

Im looking to accomplish a better gaming experience, as the 660 I brought recently was very beneficial to my gaming life (from integrated graphics) however Its not as complete as I hope it would be. This is why I have come to forums for ideas and suggestions from you guys @dontlisten to me. - UPDATE, would like to be able to accomplish a higher average fps and to be able to run & play more modern(ish) games without having to bang them out on low settings or a lower resolution , e.g COD, Battlefield, GTA ect ect. < more direct goal

 

[dontlistentome]

You need a CPU upgrade.

In your case you have an i3, which is sufficient for most games. Some games could really use a quad core, your motherboard supports i5 and i7 CPUs. Your current CPU is a 3.4ghz part, so I'd suggest if you upgrade the CPU you pick an i5 or i7 rated for 3.4ghz or higher. For instance, the i5 3570 or i7 3770. This way, in games which rely on core clock speed, you won't experience any reduction in performance.

 

[conordavidthomas10]

Got it thanks, so cpu upgrade will be first on the list, anything else you think I should recommend upgrading?

 

[dontlistentome]

Well, if you move up to a quad core or better then a videocard upgrade is next. However, as long as you're sticking with a 768p monitor I'd hold off on the videocard upgrade. Prices are really high right now. At some point in the future both a monitor upgrade and a videocard upgrade would be the next step.

 

[conordavidthomas10]

Okay any CPU suggestions? Was thinking an i5