What path when upgrading PC?

[73cn0109y]

I am about to come to own an Asrock H97 Performance and I currently have an Asrock Z97 Pro4.
I currently have an I7 4770 (No K...) and I am hoping to get either a Sapphire R9 285 or a Gainward GTX 970 Phantom.

My question is...
What motherboard and Graphics Card would be best suit for running games at high-ultra settings and support the possibility for upgrades (possibly 4770/90K and CrossFire/SLI)?

My current PSU is a PowerCase 650w (Model: PSUPOW650MAXPFC)
Also would I need to upgrade my PSU if I get either ONE of those cards.

 

[RookieOfTheYear]

Your PSU would be enought to run either one of those cards...however it is of low quality, and therefore you run the risk of frying your other components (CPU, GPU, motherboard ect.).

Now as to which motherboard, I would stick with your Z97 over the H97 board. They have almost identical specs, except the Z97 board allows you to overclock a K series CPU. The H97 has two more sata ports, but most people don't need more than 4 anyways.

the i7 4770 is more than enough processing power for any game you will be playing for years to come. As for the two GPU's you are looking to get, definitely go with the GTX 970. It is, in my opinion, the best card for the money on the market right now. You might want to go with a more reputable brand than Gainward though. I would suggest either Asus, XFX, Gigabyte, EVGA, Sapphire, or MSI.

 

[Brunostako]

About the MoBo, why changing a Z97 with a H97? It's like going backwards. Still, motherboard don't affect gaming performance. They only matter if you will do OC.

About the GPU, between those 2, the GTX 970 is what you need.

Buy a good PSU, never go generic with this hardware. (I learned this in the bad way).

 

[73cn0109y]

So if I spend the extra and get something like Galaxy GF GTX970 4gd EX OC Black Edition, and a PSU like the XFX XTR Series 650W 80+ Gold, I should be good for some time in the future?

EDIT: As for my current PSU, It was just what I had from my last PC that a mate gave me. Definitely wouldn't of bought it myself.

 

[RookieOfTheYear]

Absolutely! Great choice on the PSU. But I would still go with one of the brands I suggested above for the GTX 970.

 

[73cn0109y]

Absolutely! Great choice on the PSU. But I would still go with one of the brands I suggested above for the GTX 970.

Ok last try

How about a Gigabyte GeForce GTX 970 Windforce OverClocked 4GB?

P.S. Would love the Galax GeForce GTX 970 HOF 4GB but out of my price range

 

[Brunostako]

Yes, that would be awesome.

You won't go bad with any aftermarket GTX 970, so don't worry about your choice. Just take the one with the highest clock speed that you can afford.

 

[RookieOfTheYear]

Absolutely! Great choice on the PSU. But I would still go with one of the brands I suggested above for the GTX 970.

Ok last try

How about a Gigabyte GeForce GTX 970 Windforce OverClocked 4GB?

P.S. Would love the Galax GeForce GTX 970 HOF 4GB but out of my price range

That will make for one very badass gaming rig paired with your i7. Happy gaming friend.

 

[geofelt]

1. Keep the Z97. There are two reasons.
a. Z97 can support a overclockable "K".
b. Z97 can run dual cards at X8/X8. H97 is limited with a second card to X4

2. As to graphics, A GTX970 will be stronger and more power efficient than a R9-285
Your psu may not be the best, but since it is working and has more than enough wattage, you might as well keep it.
If it does not have 2 6 pin pcie-X16 power leads, dump it though.

As to which GTX970, realize that they all perform about the same, or so close that you need a synthetic benchmark to tell the difference. Fancy coolers sell, and vendors know this.
My suggestion is to spend a small bit more for a factory warranted superclock version and forget all about trying to get more; you won't need it.
Actually, I prefer the stock blower type coolers anyway. They do a better job of keeping your case cooler by getting hot air out the back of the case directly.
I think EVGA and palit make them.

My take on a future upgrade would be to replace the current graphics card with a GTX980ti or whatever when you need the grunt and such a card arrives. A single card will play smoother and not require a psu upgrade.

On the cpu side, next spring should see the broadwell 14nm desktop chips released. If the past is any guide, Intel will offer about a 15% price/performance boost over current gen chips. That would be a good time to upgrade if you need it.

 

[73cn0109y]

Deleted...

Did some research and find what I thought to be wrong.

Thankyou all for your help. I will be getting a GTX970 and will keep the Z97