Upgrade to i3-2120 or Upgrade GPU?

[8bitloser]

I have a Celeron E3400 OC @ 3.2GHz And a XFX HD6770. Im wondering if I should upgrade my cpu to a 2120 (also gonna need new mobo) or if i should just wait and get a better GPU? The GPU would HAVE to be under 200$ Absolutely MAX would prob be 200.

Oh and im a gamer so yeah, itll be for gaming. Right now I play minecraft(Sometimes not that often), BFBC2(Get about 25-35FPS low, although raising to med/high doesnt cause my fps drop that much for some reason), SKYRIM-High preset no AA about 30(intense) 45-60(not intense area), TF2 Rarely-Max AAx4 about 45-60FPS Vsync so no more than 60-, and Killing Floor(highest preset, Runs perfect but its not an intense game). SOOO Im just kinda stumped at what to get, not to mention,I really want a 2500k so the 2120 would be a place holder till i get that or the '3550k'(The ivy bridge 2500k not sure if its the 3550k just a guess)

So im started thinking the 2120 would be a big waste of money since im just wanting to upgrade higher later on once i get a job. Is my Cpu decent enough to benefit from a better gpu or would it be basically the same? Either way should i opt for a better gpu now and save for the 2500k and new mobo(prob 350$ which will take a while)

So whatcha guys thinkin? Should i get a better GPU and save my money for a 2500k? Or just go for the 2120 and save for the 2500k then get myself a new gpu after?

 

[sk1939]

Preferably both. I would upgrade your CPU first personally.

 

[8bitloser]

Im going to upgrade both but im wanting a 2500k which is out of the question for now. So would it be a waste to get a 2120

 

[sk1939]

Im going to upgrade both but im wanting a 2500k which is out of the question for now. So would it be a waste to get a 2120

Yes, because you are going to get rid of it sooner rather than later.

 

[8bitloser]

Sooooooo If its a waste should i go for a GPU? maybe a hd6850?

 

[sk1939]

GPU yes. What exactly is your budget?

 

[sk1939]

keep your HD 6770 for now and upgrade the platform (CPU and motherboard).

I have both units in question:
1.) i3-2120 + N550GTX-Ti (competitor to HD 6770)
2.) i5-2500K @ (4.1GHz) + SLi N560GTX-Ti Hawks (almost GTX 570's)

with the HD 6770 being a mid card it will still get you buy for now.
your CPU is killing you.
even if going for an i3-2120 you will see a vast improvement over what you have now.
with the addition to the new technology over the old C2D that you have it will seem like a quad core upgrade (hyper-threading).
your current CPU doesn't have that.

invest heavily in the motherboard either Z68 Gen3 or Z77 board and the i3-2120.
then next upgrade would be to a better GPU.

Interesting suggestion, I have never considered upgrading anything piecemeal like that, but doable in the OP's situation. The i3 is quite capable as a gaming CPU, although that is slowly changing.

 

[8bitloser]

My budget? well right now as we speak i only have 70 bucks saved up but im getting a decent amount the 20th of may so thats around the time. Also the only probleem i had with the cpu is i have to spend 130 on that then save for another few months and get the motherboard(probably 70-120$) cause i wont cheap on it i plan on using it with a 2500k. But with the GPU I could Get it rather soon then start saving for the other stuff
*Edit* Not to mention the extra 50$ on ram im gonna spend.

 

[8bitloser]

I guess my main question now is will the 2500k be alot better with a hd6850(or something priced similar) than what i have now? If so ill get a gpu and save directly for a 2500k

 

[8bitloser]

not really because you should try and get something better than the HD 6850 and that will cost more money.
because upgrading to the HD 6850 when you have the HD 6770 is a waste of money..

So what do you have in mind as better? What price range is it in?

 

[8bitloser]

Whats a good GPU under 200 that would be a good pair with a 2500k?

 

[8bitloser]

Alright so how about i just squeeze as much cash out of my dad as i can on his paydays. till i get 230$ and get a 2500k. then save up another 70-120 for a mobo for it. then i get a 560ti/7850? thats about 5-10months of work. I just dont want to end up not getting as good as i saved for cause theres something way better for less later on. I guess Ill just save up alot and comeback after i get a 2500k and mobo/ram then get some more advice on a gpu

 

[Aquila87]

In my opinon, your GPU should be the last thing you upgrade. I would highly recommend saving money on the side now until you are ready for a system overhaul.

I'll explain myself, since you are looking at a 3570k or a 2500k, I will make the assumption that you are planning on overclocking your build, and that you will be getting a Z77 motherboard as well. This will set you back easily $350.

In addition, if you are going to overclock, you will need to go aftermarket cooling for the cpu, which can easily set you back another 50-100 (for a good liquid cooling kit).

I'm not sure what kind of memory you have now, but if you're upgrading to ivy or sandy bridge with a new Z77 chipset, then you probably want to get faster gaming spec ddr3 ram as well, which will run you about $45 for 8gb.

Assuming that you have a existing psu and a case, you can either choose to swap it out of your old system, or for another $100, just get a brand new setup and swap out the gpu to it as well.

I guess what i'm trying to say is, upgrading the CPU will net you the biggest performance gain by far, yet, its not as simple as saying I want to upgrade the CPU. All the other parts are inteconnected and it makes a lot more sense to make the upgrade all in one shot when you are ready, then to go about it one by one.

If money is a issue, I would wait a year, save up, and get haswell and swap the entire system.