Upgrading off asrock z77 pro4

Jordon_3

Prominent
Mar 26, 2017
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Deciding to upgrade graphics card on my gaming pc
I7-3770
Asrock z77 pro4
Gtx 960 rog strix 2gb
1000w cooler master silent pro m psu
Wondering what graphics card can go with the motherboard without bottlenecking
 
Solution
You can put just about anything in there. You don't mention the resolution of your monitor, what you choose will in part be determined by that. At the very least you'd want a 1060 or RX 480, that's the minimum jump from a 960 worth considering. If you're running a 1440p monitor then a 1070 is a better choice.
You can put just about anything in there. You don't mention the resolution of your monitor, what you choose will in part be determined by that. At the very least you'd want a 1060 or RX 480, that's the minimum jump from a 960 worth considering. If you're running a 1440p monitor then a 1070 is a better choice.
 
Solution


 


Well, unless you get the system cheap enough it may not be worth it.

I have the i7-3770K but it's overclocked to 4.3GHz (all cores under load). It's about 16% faster than a stock i7-3770.

Your best comparison would be a RYZEN system as the 4C/8T ($200USD?) is a little faster than the CPU you have and the same number of cores/threads.

*And of course there's the WARRANTY on parts etc so think carefully about buying an older system. I wouldn't spend much more than $400USD on the one you listed if you plan to replace the GPU.
 


 
The GTX1070 is probably the best upgrade I can recommend right now for that system.

Whether a GTX1080 or GTX1080Ti is a good idea depends on what that system costs you, but if you were going that HIGH for a GPU I'd build a new system from scratch (Ryzen or Intel 4C/8T, possibly Ryzen 6C/12T).
 
I'd rather have the i7. However, I will also say that if you are just buying the system and don't actually already have it, buy it and use it as is for a while. You seem like you're in a rush to buy a new videocard for a system you don't even have yet. How do you know what you need? Use the system, game on it, then decide.
 


 


That's got a worse CPU than the i7-3770 (it's not a great gaming system), and the GPU is similar in performance GTX960 vs GTX1050Ti (mainly helps for games that need more than 2GB which isn't that common at that level of performance).

Did you say you'd considered replacing the i7-3770? You already said you were replacing the GPU as well. Why even buy the system?

The i7-3770K is the best CPU you can go up from the i7-3770 and it's only at best going to overclock about 20% higher. And it may not be cheap to get one so if you start replacing parts you're going to probably be better off buying new.

*At this point I suggest you invest in a 4C/8T Ryzen CPU if the price is about $200USD. Get an inexpensive AM4 motherboard that supports overclocking, and investigate what is the best DDR4 memory (as there are a few compatibility issues).

Keep an eye out for new BIOS updates.

Yes, Intel beats AMD's Ryzen but for the budget I think trying to build around a 4C/8T CPU that costs $200 will get you the longest life out of that computer. Buy a half decent GPU (GTX1050Ti or better), 16GB DDR4 (2x8GB) etc, then in a few years get a better GPU if you want.
 
http://www.cpubenchmark.net/cpu.php?cpu=Intel+Core+i5-7500+%40+3.40GHz

Use PASSMARK for reference.

I recommend you get a CPU that has at least 2000 points for single thread, and has at least FOUR PHYSICAL CORES (4C/4T) or four with hyperthreading (Intel)/SMT(AMD).

Note that if you have at least FOUR physical cores then usually the Single thread rating is the most important GAMING metric. TOTAL is hard to compare unless you know what you're doing.