Should I upgrade?

[Filipe Mata]

So right know my rig consist in a AMD 860K and a GTX 950, really surprising results on some games. You guessed by now that i play on 1080p Medium-Ultra Settings(I happened to play on low on some details twice, some more demanding games)

I don't want to Upgrade to a 4K monitor as of yet, but i think that 1 or 2 more years and that will be very affordable, and "almost" standard upgrade that everyone will make.

So my question is do you think that i should keep my gtx 950 or get a gtx 1060(300€ Promotion) or gtx 1070(500€)? The RX 480 is around 310€ and the gtx 1060 around (340€) but there is a promotion on website of my country.

If you think that i should probably upgrade my cpu i am waiting for AMD new cpu line and maybe a i9 intel? dont know what intel plans to do.

Do you think its worth the upgrade or should i just save money for a 4k/5k build for 2018?

 

[timeconsumer]

I wouldn't spend money on a 1060, 1070, or 480 with your CPU, I think you'll encounter a lot of stuttering in many games if you attempt to run Ultra 1080p @ 60FPS. If you wanted to upgrade both the CPU and GPU then that becomes a feasible option.

The decision to upgrade everything or wait 2 more years is up to you. I agree the next generation of GPUs should be more suited to gaming at 4k, but you may not want to wait that long.

In the end, I think only you can decide if your current performance is acceptable and worth hanging onto, or if it is time to upgrade.

 

[ajpaolello]

Do you feel like you should upgrade? Are games not performing well enough or are there new games you want to play that the 950 can't handle? If they are performing well enough for you or there aren't new games you want to play that the 950 can't handle, I'd say save your cash. Now if that's not the case then yes upgrade. I would advise a CPU upgrade because a 1060 or 1070 will be bottlenecked by the 860K. It'll be interesting to see Intel's reaction to Zen and what new processors they push for. Might be good to wait on that. So waiting for a whole new build might be the good option if you have no issues currently.

 

[geofelt]

If your pc is no longer doing the job then it is time to change.
It would be easiest to just upgrade the graphics card to a GTX1060/GTX1070.

But I fear that you would be disappointed because your cpu is likely holding you back.
There are no good upgrades for a gamer with AMD today.
Nobody knows what zen will bring, how good it will be, how much it will cost and when it will arrive.
If you need a cpu upgrade you are looking at Intel.
I might expect that even a I3-6100 would be a good cpu upgrade.

------------------------------------------------------------
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 should also experiment with removing one core. You can do this in the windows msconfig boot advanced options option. You will need to reboot for the change to take effect. Set the number of processors to less than you have.
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.
-------------------------------------------------------------

 

[StoneyCashew]

You got your timeline all planned out already and here I am drooling over anything new that comes out. Intel just came out with their line of CPU's for the 2011-v3 platform and the Skylake series just came out not too long ago. So Intel is done for the year, and there is no conformation for the i9 series. I think upgrading in two years would be sufficent and have a huge selection to pick from. By then the 2011-v3 platform will really have good parts out, and 4k might be more affordable then it is now. If nothing is wrong with your system and your looking for a little boost for the next two years then, I would purchase the GTX 1060 and it will hold you over, and give you great results at a low price. Then when the two years are up you can get a great 6 core Intel CPU and pick a great video card from the massive selection that would be out at the time. Plan big in two years and future proof the hell out of the system. Good luck on your endeavors!

 

[Filipe Mata]

If your pc is no longer doing the job then it is time to change.
It would be easiest to just upgrade the graphics card to a GTX1060/GTX1070.

But I fear that you would be disappointed because your cpu is likely holding you back.

-------------------------------------------------------------

My CPU max 60ºC under full load, has no OC.
And it doesn't bottleneck, however, it may happen with a better GPU..

 

[ajpaolello]

An 860K will bottleneck a 1060. I can promise that.

 

[Filipe Mata]

It'll be interesting to see Intel's reaction to Zen and what new processors they push for. Might be good to wait on that. So waiting for a whole new build might be the good option if you have no issues currently.

Yeah, i would like a strong product from AMD because unfortunately Intel have stagnated the market... that really bad.
That is what would have happened if AMD stopped making GPUs.. We wouldn't get these great GPUs that are know on the market.

If i can sell my GTX 950 i will probably buy a GTX1060

 

[Filipe Mata]

An 860K will bottleneck a 1060. I can promise that.

Most probably..

 

[Filipe Mata]

An 860K will bottleneck a 1060. I can promise that.

A GTX 1060 has almost the same performance the GTX 970 does right?
I could ask for my friends GTX 970 and test it out to see how the CPU would react, not an exact example but close enough to test bottleneck

 

[ajpaolello]

It would be an adequate way of testing but it can't promise that the results will aslo/not also happen to you when you get the 1060.