[SOLVED] Should I upgrade?

NatanTajak

Commendable
Mar 29, 2020
20
3
1,515
Hello. I have an i5 2400 paired with my 980 AMP. The bottleneck is unreal. Would an upgrade to an i7 3770k be worth it? That is the best cpu my motherboard can support. Or should I scrap the motherboard completely, and get a new one which supports better cpus?
 
Solution
If you want to get on a newer platform, without breaking the bank, I would suggest an i5 10400/f, B560, and 16gb ddr4 3200. I wouldn't stick more money into a dead platform, unless you can by some miracle, get a 3770k for cheap. Ignore the ram compatibility error. PCPP has that wrong.

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: Intel Core i5-10400 2.9 GHz 6-Core Processor ($159.99 @ Adorama)
Motherboard: ASRock B560M PRO4 Micro ATX LGA1200 Motherboard ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Crucial Ballistix 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 CL16 Memory ($87.99 @ Adorama)
Total: $347.97
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2021-03-24 14:15 EDT-0400
What is the make/model of your motherboard?
What are the rest of your parts?
What is your budget?

Most games are gpu limited.
Run this simple test:
Run YOUR games, but lower your resolution and eye candy.
This makes the graphics card loaf a bit.
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.


Yes, a i7-3770K would be a nice cpu upgrade.
But, they are not cheap, going for $140 or so on ebay.
For comparison, a i3-10100 sells for $110 and is a fair amount stronger.
Yes, you would need a $70 motherboard and perhaps $75 for a 2 x 8gb ddr4 ram kit.
 
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NatanTajak

Commendable
Mar 29, 2020
20
3
1,515
Are you certain the 'bottleneck' is the CPU? Many current games have such heavy GPU demand it could be the 980 holding you back...especially if trying to play at a higher resolution.

Not that it matters much as you're not likely to find much better at a reasonable price.
I'll run the test of the reply below to be certain for sure. Thanks for the reply!
 
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NatanTajak

Commendable
Mar 29, 2020
20
3
1,515
What is the make/model of your motherboard?
What are the rest of your parts?
What is your budget?

Most games are gpu limited.
Run this simple test:
Run YOUR games, but lower your resolution and eye candy.
This makes the graphics card loaf a bit.
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.


Yes, a i7-3770K would be a nice cpu upgrade.
But, they are not cheap, going for $140 or so on ebay.
For comparison, a i3-10100 sells for $110 and is a fair amount stronger.
Yes, you would need a $70 motherboard and perhaps $75 for a 2 x 8gb ddr4 ram kit.
Thanks for the reply!
My specs are as follows:
ASUS P8P67 Motherboard
16GB Corsair Vengeance DDR3
OCZ 600W 80 PLUS PSU

My budget is quite tight at the moment.

I'll try your test & Update You on the result.
 
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jtk2515

Distinguished
If you have already have 16gb of dd3 i would get a 2678 v3 and huananzhi x99-tf you can get it off of aliexpress for 200$ for both. Amazon also sells both but they are 3x the price. 2678 v3 is 12 core 24 thread cpu.

Ive bought alot of 2678 v3 cpu's and they are powerful enough to do gaming and x264 streaming. Their also are some benchmarks on youtube if your interested.

View: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=hWjTraa-0T8

edited the link. posted link before was for mobile.
 
Last edited:
If you have already have 16gb of dd3 i would get a 2678 v3 and huananzhi x99-tf you can get it off of aliexpress for 200$ for both. Amazon also sells both but they are 3x the price. 2678 v3 is 12 core 24 thread cpu.

Ive bought alot of 2678 v3 cpu's and they are powerful enough to do gaming and x264 streaming. Their also are some benchmarks on youtube if your interested.

View: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=hWjTraa-0T8


https://m.aliexpress.com/item/4001051807122.html?spm=a2g0n.productlist.0.0.49452adf1WfxUm&browser_id=dcd74b8628e94e24b29078914338f930&aff_trace_key=225077754c7848ad97912208e5084afb-1616601803742-07046-UneMJZVf&aff_platform=msite&m_page_id=17864fa0183b440b0cdfa427f9613402b5cd10b0a0&gclid=&_imgsrc_=ae01.alicdn.com/kf/H7c8a5cddd88d424da1241c66d7b30896J.jpg_640x640Q90.jpg_.webp
I would never recommend buying direct from china--a lot of people get screwed out of their money that way with fakes, defective products, and even dangerous ones like bad thermal paste.
 

jtk2515

Distinguished
I would never recommend buying direct from china--a lot of people get screwed out of their money that way with fakes, defective products, and even dangerous ones like bad thermal paste.
That is true. the same thing happens with amazon with all their fake batterys. I have bought from huananzhi before but not on aliexpress as I make bulk orders on alibaba. Huananzhi has always had great customer service. But do your research and aliexpress has buyer protection. Also ebay and amazon also carry them both.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/HUANANZHI-...280180?hash=item2afcb3fb74:g:ORcAAOSwh1xgBxHI
 
Last edited:

logainofhades

Titan
Moderator
If you want to get on a newer platform, without breaking the bank, I would suggest an i5 10400/f, B560, and 16gb ddr4 3200. I wouldn't stick more money into a dead platform, unless you can by some miracle, get a 3770k for cheap. Ignore the ram compatibility error. PCPP has that wrong.

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: Intel Core i5-10400 2.9 GHz 6-Core Processor ($159.99 @ Adorama)
Motherboard: ASRock B560M PRO4 Micro ATX LGA1200 Motherboard ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Crucial Ballistix 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 CL16 Memory ($87.99 @ Adorama)
Total: $347.97
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2021-03-24 14:15 EDT-0400
 
Solution
That is true. the same thing happens with amazon with all their fake batterys. I have bought from huananzhi before but not on aliexpress as I make bulk orders on alibaba. Huananzhi has always had great customer service. But do your research and aliexpress has buyer protection. Also ebay and amazon also carry them both.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/HUANANZHI-...280180?hash=item2afcb3fb74:g:ORcAAOSwh1xgBxHI
Amazon and ebay are also full of fakes. I don't recommend buying any place where the fakers hawk their wares. Fakers are generally cheaters and bad people, and I don't want to have anything to do with them, or fund them.