Upgrading PC advice

[kristapsg]

Hi, this is my current spec:
Motherboard: Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd. GA-990XA-UD3
CPU: AMD FX(tm)-8320 Eight-Core Processor, 3500 Mhz
RAM: 8 GB of DDR3 RAM though don't recall the manufacturer or the model
GPU: AMD R9 280x 3GB GDDR5
SSD: Samsung EVO850 128GB.


I'm looking to upgrade CPU/Motherboard/RAM.


I think to allocate around 400$ for this upgrade, what would be your suggestions? Any other suggestions would also be appreciated.
I am looking for a smooth 1080p gaming experience.

 

[feelinfroggy777]

I would wait and ask this question on Friday. AMD is releasing new CPUs this week and I would take a look at their performance before jumping into anything.

Your CPU is out of date and you should look at a more modern CPU and hang on to your GPU for now.

But for today, I would go with this:

PCPartPicker part list: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/CTCL29
Price breakdown by merchant: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/CTCL29/by_merchant/

CPU: Intel - Core i5-8400 2.8GHz 6-Core Processor ($178.90 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: Gigabyte - B360M DS3H Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($67.66 @ Amazon)
Memory: ADATA - XPG GAMMIX D10 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2666 Memory ($152.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $399.55
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2018-04-16 14:38 EDT-0400

 

[geofelt]

If cpu is your current limitation, a
I5-8400 as mentioned above would be a nice upgrade.
I would spend a bit more for a Z370 motherboard to allow you to later upgrade to an overclockable K suffix processor.
Budget $100-$120

To verify that cpu is your limitation, and not gpu,
Run YOUR games, but lower your resolution and eye candy.
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.

Your R9-280X is already a pretty good card.
If you want a significant graphics upgrade, you will need a better budget for a GTX1070 class card.

 

[King_V]

As suggested, I'd second the recommendation to wait and see how the new 12nm Ryzen chips perform when they get officially released this Friday.