Should I upgrade my CPU?(A6-3620)

[parmpreet001]

Specs:
A6-3620(Quad core @ 2.2 GHZ)
6gb ram
MSI Low profile GTX 750 Ti
280 Watt PSU(It works better than you think 😛)

My motherboard has a FM1 CPU Socket, the best CPU I can get for it is the A8-3870k, which goes for about 60 bucks on amazon. However, if I were to upgrade to said CPU, then I would also need a new PSU since I would be putting my current one under more load than it can (safely) handle. Thus, a new cpu essentially costs a 100 bucks.

It should also be noted that a new PSU would also allow me to overclock my GPU, which would be a nice bonus for me as well.

Another thing that im worried about is weather my current CPU fan would suffice for the new CPU. The 3870k has a higher TDP(100W) than my current CPU(65W). It should be noted that my CPU temps rarely go above 70, even when the CPU is near or at 100% use.

I'm a highschool student, so a 100 dollars is a lot to me.

 

[Ecky]

I would imagine the 3870K would come with its own heatsink.

The debate here, I think, is whether it's worth spending $60 on a CPU that's still extremely low-end by today's standards, or whether it's better served saving up for a platform upgrade. Your performance improvement will be significant, but it will still be slow.

 

[parmpreet001]

I would imagine the 3870K would come with its own heatsink.

The debate here, I think, is whether it's worth spending $60 on a CPU that's still extremely low-end by today's standards, or whether it's better served saving up for a platform upgrade. Your performance improvement will be significant, but it will still be slow.

If i want to get something better, then I'd also have to get a new motherboard. The cheapest quad core the comes to mind is the FX 4300, which goes around for 80 bucks on amazon, but a new AM3+ motherboard costs ~50 bucks. To me, that's essentially spending 130 bucks for a new CPU.

Although in the long run, I suppose it does seem more justified to purchase a new motherboard rather than upgrade to a CPU that is already starting to get outdated.

 

[Ecky]

An FX-4300 is a bit better than the 3870K would be, but not as much as you'd think. IMO, it's really between a $60 3870K and an Core i3 6100. FX CPUs just aren't a good choice if you don't already own an AM3+ motherboard - they're already starting to get outdated too. AM3+ is a dead socket which hasn't received a new CPU design since 2012.

I suppose you could always sell the 3870K on eBay when you do finally change sockets. Given that it's the fastest CPU for AM1, it will probably hold its resale value pretty well.