pc upgrading advice needed

[Hanscel11]

So I was thinking about getting myself an early Christmas present. I want to upgraded my ever-aging computer so she can handle the growing market of system-stressing games. Problem is, being a PC idiot, I have absolutely no idea how to go about that.

my specs are here:
ASUS M5A99FX R2.0
AMD FX8350 Eight-core
8GB RAM
GeForce GTX 770
Windows 8.1

How could I achieve the biggest increase in performance for around 500 dollars?

Thanks for any help. I've been so pleased with the generosity of this community.

 

[Newbbuilder11]

So I was thinking about getting myself an early Christmas present. I want to upgraded my ever-aging computer so she can handle the growing market of system-stressing games. Problem is, being a PC idiot, I have absolutely no idea how to go about that.

my specs are here:
ASUS M5A99FX R2.0
AMD FX8350 Eight-core
8GB RAM
GeForce GTX 770
Windows 8.1

How could I achieve the biggest increase in performance for around 500 dollars?

Thanks for any help. I've been so pleased with the generosity of this community.

If you are currently using the 8350 then you could just buy a 970/980, a new GPU would see better performance increase in video-games.

You could also OC your CPU to get higher performance, but a new card is the biggest impact .

 

[geofelt]

Your pc would seem to be very good already.

If cpu is the limiter, a i7-4690K and a Z97 based motherboard would be within your budget with some left over.
Even a i7-4790K would meet the budget.

If graphics is the limiter, you need a big jump or you may be dissatisfied.
A second GTX770 in sli would be possible if you have the requisite 850w psu.
Or a GTX980 is as good as it gets, but it will be more like $550.

To help clarify your CPU/GPU options, run these two tests:

a) Run your games, but lower your resolution and eye candy.
If your FPS increases, it indicates that your cpu is strong enough to drive a better graphics configuration.
If your FPS stays the same, you are likely more cpu limited.

b) Limit your cpu, either by reducing the OC, or, in windows power management, limit the maximum cpu% to something like 70%.
Go to control panel/power options/change plan settings/change advanced power settings/processor power management/maximum processor state/
This will simulate what a lack of cpu power will do.
Conversely what a 30% improvement in core speed might do.

You could also experiment with removing one core in the bios. You can also do this in the windows start configuration.
This will tell you how sensitive your games are to the benefits of many cores.

If your FPS drops significantly, it is an indicator that your cpu is the limiting factor, and a cpu upgrade is in order.

It is possible that both tests are positive, indicating that you have a well balanced system, and both cpu and gpu need to be upgraded to get better gaming FPS.

 

[bootcher]

Well the 8350 wouldn't bottleneck any single gpu, so a gpu upgrade would have the most impact and be the easiest upgrade. If you don't have a SSD that is also a major upgrade from a 'regular' harddrive, it will dramatically boost your windows startup speed as well as gaming loading times.
Or also go for a better gaming experience and upgrade your monitor and peripherals if needed.