What should i upgrade on my PC(mostly for gaming)

[Saturnman]

I'm not really knowledgeable when it comes to hardware but i use my PC a lot for gaming,so now that the new consoles are out i wanna get ready for the "next-gen" games.Here are my specs:

Motherboard:Asus P5K Premium
CPU:Intel Core 2 Quad Q9450 @2.66GHz
RAM:4Gb DDR2 (2x2)
GPU:AMD Radeon HD 6950 2Gb

So my question would be what do you think i should go for?I'm planning to go for more memory,but what about my motherboard/CPU?Do you think they will be able to handle future games or should i immediately change them?

I usually like to play games on high settings but i don't mind not getting the highest.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.Thanks in advance

 

[Konnefke]

getting RAM upgrade won't help alot, as you are using DDR2.
getting DDR2 RAM is difficult these days is it is outdated, so your motherbord seems to be a bit outdated.

you could upgrade by buying a new motherboard,RAM and proccesor (your graphics card should be fine) .

as this is a quite big upgrade, you could make a new pc, take your graphics card out (for your 'good' gaming pc) and use the older one for diffrent aplications , like Server or a gift to family.

 

[jimmysmitty]

The CPU you have is pretty good but it is old. I upgraded from a QX6800 to a 2500K and it was a massive change.

I think you need a new motherboard and CPU as your is a bit older. I did have the P5K-E which I will say the P5K series was a great setup. The GPU is ok and could also use a upgrade but I would say first and foremost you should get at least a i5 4670 and a decent Asus motherboard. Do you have any price limits?

 

[Saturnman]

First of all,thanks for the answers.

a)About RAM,i guess i can just replace with a new DDR3 completely.I'm thinking 8Gb.

b)jimmysmitty:Right now i would limit my price budget to around 350$ so i need to set my priorities.Do you think my motherboard/cpu can keep me going for a little bit more?Maybe replace the RAM first?If not, do you have any good picks for a motherboard/cpu i could use?

 

[Konnefke]

you can't put DDR3 in a DDR2 system

 

[Saturnman]

ah i see.So i guess motherboard is my priority after all.Any good picks for a motherboard and cpu around my budget?