Seeking assistance on upgrades

[Strazy]

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System Information
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Operating System: Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
System Manufacturer: ASUSTeK Computer INC.
System Model: CG5275
BIOS: BIOS Date: 01/08/10 10:14:40 Ver: 08.00.15
Processor: Intel(R) Core(TM) i5 CPU 650 @ 3.20GHz (4 CPUs), ~3.2GHz
Memory: 8192MB RAM
Available OS Memory: 8120MB RAM
Page File: 2974MB used, 13262MB available
DirectX Version: DirectX 11

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Display Devices
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Card name: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 470
Manufacturer: NVIDIA
Chip type: GeForce GTX 470
Display Memory: 4049 MB
Dedicated Memory: 1233 MB
Shared Memory: 2815 MB
Current Mode: 1920 x 1080 (32 bit) (60Hz)
Monitor Name: Generic PnP Monitor
Monitor Model: VE245
Native Mode: 1920 x 1080(p) (60.000Hz)
Output Type: DVI (wish it was a actual HDMI port not a mini)

I think it had max 600Watts.


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I seek to improve performance of this PC. I want to see what upgrades that are less than $500, I am thinking of the $300 EVGA GeForce GTX 660 and hope it would increase my Frames per second. Primary use is gaming. I know people said to get a SSD but I want more frames than loading faster. I am seeking the largest improvement for this rig.

Next would be longevity of the PC, What sort of cooling can I add that will help, something effective and easy to install would be good..

 

[Hazle]

unless you live in a country where a GTX660 costs so much, i'm assuming you meant the 660ti. in either cases, they're an improvement. alternatively, there's also the 7950.

but if you really want to save up there's the 7870XT/LE (not to be confused with a generic 7870 or 7870ghz); very, VERY close performance to the 7950/660ti for far less.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814202024&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_sp=&AID=10446076&PID=3938566&SID=

comes with 2 free games,btw. better be quick while stocks lasts. if you wanna spend up that whole $500 budget, there's the 7970. though i suggest you take a good look at your PSU first. it helps to know whether it's from a good brand or not.



if you're not overclocking, and there's ample airflow through the case, i wouldn't worry much about cooling. worst off, if you haven't yet, arranging the cables for better airflow can help a bit. maybe an extra fan for more airflow.

if you're extra paranoid about the deterioration of your CPU by heat, feel free to invest on a Hyper 212 EVO. not easy per say if you find accessing the back plate too much a task.

as for the rest of that $500 budget, you have a few choices; invest on an SSD and/or save it up, and wait for intel Haswell, and see how that goes. best case scenario; either IB would get a price cut, or Haswell outperforms it's preliminary benchmarks/ performs much better in games.

 

[e_X]

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: AMD FX-6300 3.5GHz 6-Core Processor ($119.99 @ Microcenter)
Motherboard: Asus M5A97 R2.0 ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($85.49 @ Amazon)
Video Card: PNY GeForce GTX 660 Ti 2GB Video Card ($274.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $480.47
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-03-06 22:22 EST-0500)

If you want to upgrade your cpu and mobo to.

 

[Strazy]

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: AMD FX-6300 3.5GHz 6-Core Processor ($119.99 @ Microcenter)
Motherboard: Asus M5A97 R2.0 ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($85.49 @ Amazon)
Video Card: PNY GeForce GTX 660 Ti 2GB Video Card ($274.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $480.47
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-03-06 22:22 EST-0500)


I dont feel savy enough to add a Motherboard, or a new CPU.

a video card I can do as easy. I do not know anyone that can work on my pc in this area cheaply.


heres some questions:

can you explain how a newer motherboard can(by amount) be a improvement? is my current motherboard could or is a bottleneck to my current video card or possibly to GTX 660 Ti?. and how about the i5 core?

Also Why not get the card newer than 660? would improvement be less because the other hardware is much older?

why PNY version, is it the best / cheapest? why are there so many different version of the same card. and what should I look for in the different versions.

 

[Strazy]

Also Why not get the card newer than 660? would improvement be less because the other hardware is much older?

why PNY version, is it the best / cheapest? why are there so many different version of the same card. and what should I look for in the different versions.

 

[Strazy]

I am looking at the GeForce GTX 670 and GeForce GTX 660ti, I know 660ti is older and 670 is newer but like $100+ more.

and when I go to buy theres so many different types. like PNY, EVGA. are they different for looks or is there a difference?

 

[Hazle]

err... yeah, i suggest you don't use the term "older" & " newer" as it can be confusing, especially for cards in the same generation. generally the 670 came out May 2013, and 660ti in August, so the 670 is older.

just refer to the model number; those who've read GPU reviews have a general idea on it's performance from there. the only time age plays a factor in GPU performance is when you compare one generation to the other. price also plays something of a general indicator on performance but they don't always show the best bang for your buck (*cough*Titan*cough*).

as for your questions; people don't recommend the 660 because for your budget, you can do better; your CPU is still a very capable gaming CPU, and you gain more performance going with a GPU upgrade for now. you could upgrade the CPU to a more current i5 as well, with a few compromises. but seeing you're not all that interested nor comfortable with it, no use in forcing you to.

as for GPU brands, it comes down to the quality of the cards & customer service. some run cooler. some are noisy. some OC very well. others have a very reliable customer support. popular preferences are Asus, EVGA, MSI, Gigabyte, XFX & Sapphire. personally not all that familiar with PNY; heard of it, seen a few who owns it, never heard much complaint about it. but again, for your budget, and your discomfort in upgrading the CPU, you can definitely splurge a bit on branding.

 

[Strazy]

Is it worth to get the 4gb GDDR5 version? What does that improve?

 

[Strazy]

Thanks Tourist!

 

[Strazy]

Best answer selected by Strazy.