What Part/Parts Should I Upgrade?

[JustOneAndDone]

I am fairly new to PC Gaming and i'm still trying to get a REALLY GOOD Gaming PC. I would like to know, what parts I should upgrade next?

My current PC Specs:

-Intel Core i5-4460 Processor
-Stock Intel CPU Cooler
-MSI H81M-E35 V2 (MS-7817)
-4,096 MB G.Skill DDR3 @ 1,598 MHz (2 Ram Stick) (8GB Total)
-1TB Hard Drive
-500GB Hard Drive
-Sapphire TOXIC AMD Radeon R9 280X
-Corsair 750 Watt CS750M 80+ Modular Power Supply
-DIYPC Zondda-O Black/Orange Mid-Tower

Thank you.

 

[EtnoNyt]

Do you have a SSD?
If not, get one

 

[CTurbo]

I would get a better psu and gpu. Maybe add a ssd.

 

[Marcus52]

Installing your OS on an SSD will give you the most perceived performance across the board (starting your computer, response of apps, loading times in games). I prefer an SSD large enough to hold my games as well, but you will gain plenty of performance from using a smaller SSD for your OS and putting your games on a hard drive if your budget doesn't allow for a larger SSD.

If you want higher frame rates or to be able to turn up the eye candy on games you can't run at max, then upgrade the graphics card. Using Tomshardware's hierarchy chart will be a good and easy way to help you decide what to get.

Everything else in your system is more than adequate - but I would upgrade the quantity of RAM to 8 GB. This may help with loading times in some games, or help you run more apps at the same time without slowing down your game's performance. 8GB is more or less the sweet spot, more is always better - but with diminishing returns.

(A note on upgrading memory - I prefer to replace the memory, not add to it, as problems can arise from mismatched memory, and it has been shown that less sticks is better than more, So, buy a 2x4 8GB kit rather than add a 2x2 4GB kit.)

Your decisions should be heavily influenced by your monitor. If you are running at 1080p 60 Hz, your demands aren't terribly taxing for modern hardware. If you plan to upgrade to a higher refresh rate or pixel density (say 120Hz, 1440p, or 4K) then a top end card will be much better. In the case of 4K I'd suggest waiting until Nvidia's Pascal comes out (should be this summer), or AMD's next gen (Polaris, should also be out in the summer) if you prefer AMD, as no current single-card solution will get you a steady 60 fps today @ 4K resolutions.

Speaking of monitors, the single best thing you can do to improve your experience is get one with a variable refresh rate technology, Nvidia's G-Sync or AMD's FreeSync. However, I personally won't be buying one until the exclusivity issues get ironed out; I'm strongly against buying any kind of monitor that locks me into using one brand of video card.

And, the more you know, the better choices you can make. Read reviews on sites like Toms, The Tech Report, and PCPerspective (there are of course other good sites as well). Depending on advice from forum posts isn't the best solution because we are pretty much all self-taught and have our prejudices.

 

[Marcus52]

I would get a better psu and gpu. Maybe add a ssd.

That's a good quality PSU and provides plenty of power with today's hardware. An upgrade won't be necessary unless a second (or more) graphics card is installed - and depending on cards used it might still be enough.

 

[JustOneAndDone]

Installing your OS on an SSD will give you the most perceived performance across the board (starting your computer, response of apps, loading times in games). I prefer an SSD large enough to hold my games as well, but you will gain plenty of performance from using a smaller SSD for your OS and putting your games on a hard drive if your budget doesn't allow for a larger SSD.

If you want higher frame rates or to be able to turn up the eye candy on games you can't run at max, then upgrade the graphics card. Using Tomshardware's hierarchy chart will be a good and easy way to help you decide what to get.

Everything else in your system is more than adequate - but I would upgrade the quantity of RAM to 8 GB. This may help with loading times in some games, or help you run more apps at the same time without slowing down your game's performance. 8GB is more or less the sweet spot, more is always better - but with diminishing returns.

Your decisions should be heavily influenced by your monitor. If you are running at 1080p 60 Hz, your demands aren't terribly taxing for modern hardware. If you plan to upgrade to a higher refresh rate or pixel density (say 120Hz, 1440p, or 4K) then a top end card will be much better. In the case of 4K I'd suggest waiting until Nvidia's Pascal comes out (should be this summer), or AMD's next gen (Polaris, should also be out in the summer) if you prefer AMD, as no current single-card solution will get you a steady 60 fps today @ 4K resolutions.

Speaking of monitors, the single best thing you can do to improve your experience is get one with a variable refresh rate technology, Nvidia's G-Sync or AMD's FreeSync. However, I personally won't be buying one until the exclusivity issues get ironed out; I'm strongly against buying any kind of monitor that locks me into using one brand of video card.

And, the more you know, the better choices you can make. Read reviews on sites like Toms, The tech Report, and PCPerspective (there are of course other good sites as well). Depending on advice from forum posts isn't the best solution because we are pretty much all self-taught and have our prejudices.

What do you think is a good SSD size? I was thinking of getting a 120GB SSD, all i'm gonna put is the current game i'm playing along with my OS.

I have 2 (4GB) RAM sticks. So 8GB total.

As of now, i'm sticking to 1080p gaming. 4K gaming, is a bit into my future. I get 40-50FPS on most new games at 1080p. What should I upgrade to get the full 60FPS?

 

[rhysiam]

As of now, i'm sticking to 1080p gaming. 4K gaming, is a bit into my future. I get 40-50FPS on most new games at 1080p. What should I upgrade to get the full 60FPS?

I agree with others that by far the most tangible upgrade would be an SSD. 128GB is enough, but a little tight. Plus, the price difference between 128 & 250GB SSDs is usually very small, so unless the budget is super tight it's definitely worth springing for a 250GB unit.

Having said that, if your primary goal is higher FPS or detail settings, then for sure the graphics card is the main (and only) thing holding you back. You'd have to spend a good chunk of money to get a significant upgrade on a 280X though. Look at GTX 970s or R9 390s or above.

Those Corsair CS units aren't great, but they're not terrible either. Even a 390/390X won't get anywhere near pushing that unit near it's limits, so you'd be fine IMHO. If we were advising you on a purchase I'd for sure suggest you look elsewhere, but you already have it, it'll get the job done.

 

[CTurbo]

That's a good quality PSU and provides plenty of power with today's hardware. An upgrade won't be necessary unless a second (or more) graphics card is installed - and depending on cards used it might still be enough.

The Corsair CS series are mediocre on their best day. His psu is not a fire hazard or anything, but it's not going to last very long.

 

[kwa-e]

That's a good quality PSU and provides plenty of power with today's hardware. An upgrade won't be necessary unless a second (or more) graphics card is installed - and depending on cards used it might still be enough.

The Corsair CS series are mediocre on their best day. His psu is not a fire hazard or anything, but it's not going to last very long.

Best course of action would just be to replace it on the day it goes out.

 

[kwa-e]

For the SSD avoid v300's and go straight for the PNY CS's/Trions/BX's if you want something cheaper but samsung and intels are great if you have the money.

 

[rhysiam]

If you're in the US, best budget SSD that I can see is a 250GB BX100 for $67: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00RQA6TEI/?tag=pcpapi-20

It's a whole $3 more than the Trion or it's successor the BX200, but they're both very slow planar TLC drives. In fact the BX200 is atrocious as SSDs go and massively inferior to the BX100 that came before it which is still a very capable budget drive: http://www.anandtech.com/show/9756/the-crucial-bx200-480gb-960gb-ssd-review-crucials-first-tlc-nand-ssd

The 850 EVO is a better drive all round, but quite a bit more expensive at $87: http://pcpartpicker.com/part/samsung-internal-hard-drive-mz75e250bam

 

[CTurbo]

Crucial makes some of the most reliable ssds too