Next Step Is a New PC Core, Right?

[cpmackenzi]

I'm pretty certain that I have my current PC maxed out, at least in terms of common sense. Yes, there is a better CPU I could get, but given the price, I'm better off saving for a new PC, right? I should note that I have no current complaints with my machine. I run 1440p well enough for the casual gaming I do. And even if I wanted to, I don't currently have the money to make the major upgrade needed: buying a new mobo, CPU, and RAM.

I just want to make sure I'm not missing some smaller, inexpensive way to boost performance. Again, an i7-4790 may be the last thing I can do, and at $300 for a new one I don't think it's worth it.

PCPartPicker part list: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/qMDVWD
Price breakdown by merchant: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/qMDVWD/by_merchant/

CPU: Intel - Core i5-4690 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor
Motherboard: MSI - B85-G41 PC Mate ATX LGA1150 Motherboard
Memory: G.Skill - Trident X 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory
Storage: Crucial - MX100 256GB 2.5" Solid State Drive
Storage: Western Digital - Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive
Video Card: Sapphire - Radeon R9 390 8GB Nitro Video Card
Case: Corsair - 400R ATX Mid Tower Case
Power Supply: EVGA - SuperNOVA NEX 750W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply
Operating System: Microsoft - Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit
Monitor: Asus - PB258Q 25.0" 2560x1440 60Hz Monitor
Keyboard: Logitech - G610 Wired Gaming Keyboard
Mouse: Logitech - G100s Wired Optical Mouse
Headphones: Logitech - G430 7.1 Channel Headset
Speakers: Logitech - Z200 0W 2ch Speakers

Generated by PCPartPicker 2018-06-22 08:06 EDT-0400

 

[DRagor]

Things like new GPU or new SSD can be transferred to new build without problem, if you think you would need to upgrade them. Other than that you are right, saving for completely new machine is most sensible thing to do.

 

[DonQuixoteMC]

I just want to make sure I'm not missing some smaller, inexpensive way to boost performance. Again, an i7-4790 may be the last thing I can do, and at $300 for a new one I don't think it's worth it.

I'd be inclined to agree with you. You've got all the requisite boxes checked for PC performance without a platform shift. SSD, modern GPU, powerful processor, plenty of RAM.

As for the 4790K upgrade, I used to run the i5-4690K, but upgraded to the 4790K shortly after Devil's Canyon launched. I can tell you, I've never REALLY seen the difference in games I play since then. Though to be fair, my system is bottle-necked with the GTX 770 for newer titles.

Bottom Line: Seems like you have a handle on the possible upgrades, and sinking more money into a 4-5 year old platform is just a waste when you could save up for a meaningful upgrade to modern, supported platforms down the road

Hope that helps!

 

[camieabz]

One possible improvement would be to get the fastest 2.5" SSD over your current MX100. Whether the gains vs the price is worth it is your call. Example:

http://ssd.userbenchmark.com/Compare/Samsung-860-Pro-256GB-vs-Crucial-MX100-256GB/3950vs2317

Assuming it's your boot drive, it might add some zing to your boots, and to general performance. The 860 Pro 256GB look like a great starter drive when building from scratch (assuming M.2 isn't an option).

 

[DonQuixoteMC]

You could turn your PC into the Ship of Theseus theoretically. If you wanted marginal performance improvements here and there, just upgrade individual components piecemeal until you have a whole new rig haha

That said, the most substantial upgrades for the kind of gaming you describe:

1. Next gen GPUs (e.g. Nvidia's Turing architecture)
2. Upgraded system platform (Motherboard + CPU)
3. Everything else

 

[King_V]

If you were doing more than casual gaming, then I'd say that, depending on the game - the video card is the "weak" (ish) link in your system. It's power hungry, and performance capability is more or less for maxing out 1920x1080 rather than the 1440p you're running at.

Otherwise, if it's not letting you down with any of your typical usage, then I'd suggest there's no need for any upgrades.

 

[cpmackenzi]

Thanks, all. The 390 may not be the best 1440p card, but it does the job for me. I love the new Tomb Raider games, and they're so gorgeous in 1440p. Maybe in another year or two, I'll be doing that full rebuild and will get a card that can handle 4K. That also means a new monitor though.

I think my most likely path is (1) eventually replacing the mobo/CPU/RAM in a year or two, then (2) a newer/better SSD because it's a cheap upgrade, then (3) later, getting a higher end GPU, and finally (4) a 4K monitor when I can justify it.

 

[King_V]

I can say that I am definitely a fan of large, Ultrawide aspect ratio screens - 21:9 (ish) in the following resolutions:
2560x1080
3440x1440
3840x1600

For gaming, people would keep talking about how the wider, curved screens offered a more immersive experience. I know I sound like a broken record to the regulars here, but I used to say "oh, that's a bunch of marketing BS"

Well, I'm a true believer now. They definitely are pricey, though - but at least I could justify it by needing it to serve the functionality of my dual 1920x1080 monitors at work, so I went with a 3840x1600 screen.

Of course, that necessitated a better video card. Had it not been for work, I probably would've gone with 3440x1440 instead.

 

[cpmackenzi]

I can say that I am definitely a fan of large, Ultrawide aspect ratio screens - 21:9 (ish) in the following resolutions:
2560x1080
3440x1440
3840x1600

For gaming, people would keep talking about how the wider, curved screens offered a more immersive experience. I know I sound like a broken record to the regulars here, but I used to say "oh, that's a bunch of marketing BS"

Well, I'm a true believer now. They definitely are pricey, though - but at least I could justify it by needing it to serve the functionality of my dual 1920x1080 monitors at work, so I went with a 3840x1600 screen.

Of course, that necessitated a better video card. Had it not been for work, I probably would've gone with 3440x1440 instead.

I run a second monitor (just a 22" 1080p, for MLB.tv and other streaming while working), and though I can understand the appeal of ultrawide, I don't think I'd have the budget for a big one anytime soon. Maybe down the line, but see my earlier priority list. My 1440p 25" monitor is still relatively new, so unless it suddenly dies on me, I'm sticking with it for a while!

But I'll have to take a look at those ultrawide at some point and see what I think. Two monitors is probably still the way I'll go, so I can have two things going on at once.

 

[King_V]

That's true, definitely a luxury and, even with my work situation, I kept repeating to myself "Can I *really* justify this?"

Also, It's definitely something that, if possible, you want to see in person, if there are any stores relatively nearby that have a lot of monitors on display.

Still, it's a "some time in the future thing" and of course prices should come down somewhat by then.