Upgrading msi Radeon R9 270 Twin Frozr, need suggestions

Clockwork Treefrog

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May 25, 2014
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My GPU died on me and needs to be replaced. This seems to be the hardest component for me to choose to go into an existing system. $350 US dollars is my top budget. I don't plan to upgrade anything else until absolutely necessary as money has gotten real tight. I would appreciate any help you guys can offer. Thanks.

APPROXIMATE PURCHASE DATE: This week
BUDGET: $350 US after rebates
USAGE: Gaming (Skyrim, GTAV, Ark: Survival Evolved, Cities Skylines, Fallout 4)

CURRENT GPU: MSI R9 270 GAMING 2GB 256-Bit GDDR5 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card
Link

OTHER RELEVANT SYSTEM SPECS:
XFX Pro 850W Core Edition Full Wired Power Supply
Link

MSI Z97-Gaming 3 LGA 1150 Intel Z97 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard
Link

Intel Pentium G3258 Haswell Dual-Core 3.2 GHz LGA 1150 53W BX80646G3258 Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics
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G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9D-8GBRL
Link

Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus - CPU Cooler with 4 Direct Contact Heatpipes
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Enermax Coenus ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - GunMetal Grey ECA3290A-G
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PREFERRED WEBSITE(S) FOR PARTS: Newegg and Amazon

PARTS PREFERENCES: Prefer AMD but anything else is fine

OVERCLOCKING: and SLI OR CROSSFIRE: Not likely but maybe

MONITOR RESOLUTION: a pitiful 1280x1024 (upgrading next)

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: I'm looking at the Radeon RX 480 Gaming X 4G, but I'm not entirely sure if it's compatible.
 
Well you say you won't upgrade anything else... I'm afraid that's a mistake.

Spend 85 of you budget on this

https://www.ebay.ca/itm/Intel-Core-i5-4590-Haswell-Quad-Core-3-30GHz-LGA1150-84W-6MB-Cache-SR1QJ-CPU-/332992718776?nav=SEARCH

And this gpu if you want to spend near that budget.
https://m.newegg.com/products/N82E16814202327

Get that CPU and this gpu and hold on to 70 dollars
https://m.newegg.com/products/N82E16814500454

Really that CPU you have has got to go. You need more processing power to get the gpu performance you want.

Hell you might was well spend the budget and get this i7 4770
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Intel-Core-i7-4770-3-40Ghz-8MB-Socket-1150-Haswell-Desktop-Processor-/123199576060?nav=SEARCH
 
Here's how I look at it:
1. For just a replacement of the performance you had, in a new card, and able to handle 1280x1024- GTX 1050.
2. For something one level up from what you had, new card, able to handle 1080p if you upgrade some day- RX 570
3. For smoother more consistent framerate in newer games, upgrade to an i5 4xxx CPU and GTX 1050 or RX 570, depending on how much the CPU upgrade costs.

The thing is, some of your games really need more CPU than you have, even if you're at low resolution. So since you're willing to spend $350 or so, I'd prioritize a CPU upgrade even if it means picking up a budget gaming card like the 1050.