New mobo to sli(and CPU) or new mid Graphics Card?

[tyler2time]

So I noticed my 9800 GTX+ has not been able to handle newer games like it used to so I picked up a second one for dirt cheap with intentions to see if sli would help out. Only problem is I didn't realize it wasnt supported on my board. So I was going to get a better card. I was thinking either a HD 7850 or GTX 660. Then I started thinking maybe its just time to upgrade system but I am not sure which would see the better improvements. Heres my 2 options:

Keep current system with new card:

Core 2 Quad q6600
8 gigs DDR2 RAM
GTX 660 or HD 7850

Or a new board and CPU for SLi:

i5 2500k
4 gigs DDR3 1600 RAM
a cheaper MSI Mobo
2x9800 GTX+ via SLi

Any input would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

[masterman467]

your cpu would bottlekneck those gpus, and finding lga775 mobos is geting harder and harder. sli has issues, like micro stuttering... dont expect your fps to go up much if you do that.

i would go 3570k and gtx 660 (HD 7850 1gb if only using one screen. 1gb will be more then enough and is much cheeper.)

 

[DarkSable]

Master, read the OP again - he'd be upgrading the CPU.

(That being said, OP, you should spend the little bit extra to get a 3570k and 8GB of ram.)

I personally would wait just a little bit, though - Intel is going to be rolling out their Haswell processors in a little bit, and it would make a lot of sense to hold off the upgrade till then. (But I would definitely upgrade.)

 

[masterman467]

Master, read the OP again - he'd be upgrading the CPU.

Dark, read the OP again

Keep current system with new card:

Core 2 Quad q6600
8 gigs DDR2 RAM
GTX 660 or HD 7850

Or a new board and CPU for SLi:

i5 2500k
4 gigs DDR3 1600 RAM
a cheaper MSI Mobo
2x9800 GTX+ via SLi

keep his old arse cpu on lga 775 and get a new gpu or drop the old arse cpu for an i5 and use Sli'd old ass gpu's.

i say do both, but the i5 and 9800's (that he has already) will be good enough for a while, until he gets more green.

 

[tyler2time]

Best answer selected by tyler2time.

 

[tyler2time]

Thanks for the input guys. Based on my budget of around 200-300 I decided to pick up a HD 7850. Got a good deal on it too. So far the only bottlenecking Ive had was a little bit on Borderlands 2 on my 40inch TV. But running 1920x1200 on 24inch I can run BF3, FC3, Skyrim and Borderlands 2 all on Ultra with no lag.