What should I upgrade on my PC build?

[Extreme Peanut]

I built my PC a little over a year and a half ago so I figured with all the sales going on right now I figured it would be a good time to upgrade my PC.

My Specs:
CPU: Intel i5-3570k
Motherboard: Asus P8Z77-V LE Plus
RAM: G Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1333
Hard drive: 1 TB Western Digital Hard drive (sorry I can't remember the specific model.)
GPU: Geforce 660ti
Power supply: CoolMax 800W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply

So my question is what do you think I should upgrade. I personally was thinking that I should upgrade my gpu and I would also buy 8 more gigs of RAM. If I got a second graphics card could I use both of them at the same time? If so what does having two graphics cards do?

 

[TomThePotato]

That power supply, and possibly your graphics card. What's your budget? Also, 8gb ram should be fine.

 

[Extreme Peanut]

That power supply, and possibly your graphics card. What's your budget? Also, 8gb ram should be fine.

My budget's around $1,000 but it's flexible. What exactly does upgrading your power supply do?

 

[TomThePotato]

Nothing, but Coolmax doesn't make good power supplies. I guess upgrading it decreases the chance of it blowing up.. I guess you can get a gtx 970 and a better power supply.

You can do this..

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 970 4GB ACX 2.0 Video Card ($319.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Power Supply: EVGA 750W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $369.97
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-11-30 15:43 EST-0500

Or, just live with your current graphics card, upgrade only the power supply, and wait for a 390x/980 TI.

 

[flamefire999]

If your budget is 1k then you could get a new CPU, motherboard, PSU and GPU. You could get an i7, a motherboard to overclock it and an aftermarket CPU cooler.

 

[TomThePotato]

Sure, but is the new processor/mobo worth it..? I think an I5 3570k is still alright, even though it's dated.

 

[Extreme Peanut]

I could always overclock my CPU if I felt like I needed more power

 

[flamefire999]

Sure, but is the new processor/mobo worth it..? I think an I5 3570k is still alright, even though it's dated.

It would be worth it if he took a step up to an i7. He could keep the same motherboard and get an i7-3770k ($320) with a GTX 970 ($350). Thats only $670 of his $1000 budget. Or he could get an Asus Maximus VI Hero ($130) an i7-4770k ($320) or i7-4790k ($300) with a GTX 970 ($350). That's only $780 or $800 and with the remainder of the money he can get an SSD and a new copy of windows (assuming he bought an OEM of windows)

 

[TomThePotato]

And the power supply! Don't forget about the power supply! I guess.. but IF it was me, I'd just wait for Broadwell/Skylake (<-- I think that's what it's called..) and the new graphic cards coming out. (Gtx 980 ti / R9 390x / etc )

 

[flamefire999]

I agree with waiting for some better chips and such before making a big upgrade, but I would get a better GPU right now. The 970 is right up your alley

 

[RazerZ]

You won't see a difference in gaming if you upgrade to an i7. Just upgrade your graphics card and psu. An SSD would be nice for quicker boot/load times but isn't necessary (if you're on a budget).

You could also buy an aftermarket cooler and overclock your 3570k, if you haven't done so already.

 

[flamefire999]

You won't see a difference in gaming if you upgrade to an i7. Just upgrade your graphics card and psu.

He won't but if he has the money, why not? It's not close to necessary, but it's not like it isn't within the budget.

 

[RazerZ]

Because the money put for an i7, which will provide a minimal difference in games, will be much better put towards another 970 if needed. If he games at 1080p one 970 should be enough for now. I can see he has a 1k budget but it's always nice to save money.

@OP you can't run sli or crossfire with your current board since your second PCI slot runs at x4 speed, crippling performance of high end cards.