To Buy or Not to Buy?

[Sythmod]

I recently went away to uni and didn't bring my desktop with an i5 2500k and gtx 970 because it's really heavy and I also want to be able to play some games when I go home during vacations and some weekends.

I put together another one of some spare parts consisting of an AMD Athlon II X3 445 cpu and a gtx 570 plus 4gig ram. I mostly play CS:GO and League of Legends and it works fine for that, but now that BF1 is out I'd like to be able to play that on okay quality. Right now it can only pull the singleplayer on the lowest possible graphics. My first thought was to get a new processor for the home computer and bring the older hardware to uni, but when I compare the 2500k to what is available on the market now I see that the improvement would be minimal, especially compared to the cost, since I'd also need a new mobo cuz socket plus other things.

I don't really see a way to solve this without either buying lower-end stuff for the uni computer (If there is a point to that)
Or shelling out for expensive new things that won't improve the at-home computer a lot but will help with the uni one. Or just forgetting about it completely and staying with what I've got. I don't mind spending a bit though, I just want it to be sensible spending and not such a waste.

Do you guys maybe have any suggestions? Would be appreciated!
Thanks

 

[timeconsumer]

Leave the low end computer at home and bring your 2500k and 970 rig to school.

 

[Sythmod]

Leave the low end computer at home and bring your 2500k and 970 rig to school.

I've thought about that, it's just that the tower is so very heavy. I could of course try to fit it in a smaller one and bring that one back and forth, it's just that I'd have to carry it for extended periods of time. But it could work, you're right.

(sorry)

 

[timeconsumer]

How heavy could it be? Is it a Cosmos II or something? Consider it a free workout.

Would you really have to carry it back and forth a lot? Assuming you spend most of your time at school you could just leave it there and settle for your cheaper Athlon computer when you visit home for a few days here and there.

 

[why_wolf]

have you considered just taking your gtx 970 back and forth? Otherwise I'd probably go for getting the 2500k into small case though I guess that depends on what size motherboard you have already or ones that you can still find for sale today that support it.

 

[Sythmod]

How heavy could it be? Is it a Cosmos II or something? Consider it a free workout.

Would you really have to carry it back and forth a lot? Assuming you spend most of your time at school you could just leave it there and settle for your cheaper Athlon computer when you visit home for a few days here and there.

Not a lot, tbh. Just before and after holidays, I suppose. It's an old chieftec, all metal, like 1 meter tall.. so carrying the case is really no option. It's impossible to get your arms around it.

@why_wolf
But wouldn't the cpu limit what good the 970 could do anyway?

 

[Sythmod]

Thank you for your answers, btw. I might just do what timeconsumer says and carry it back and forth, just want to see if there are any other suggestions that might be easier since it will involve some nifty tricks, insane arm length, a sleigh or a smaller case.

Edit: My motherboard wouldn't fit in the smaller case since it's 30cm and the case is like 23 :/

 

[timeconsumer]

Impossible to get your arms around? I can't imagine it being much more difficult to carry than the 36" CRT TV I hauled around college with me from dorm to dorm and apartment to apartment.

 

[Sythmod]

Impossible to get your arms around? I can't imagine it being much more difficult to carry than the 36" CRT TV I hauled around college with me from dorm to dorm and apartment to apartment.

It's been a while since I tried. I'll have another go at it.