What Should I Upgrade?

[Thomasthegreat]

Hello,

So the time has come to upgrade my PC. I have been thinking of replacing my Pentium G3258 with an i5 4690k or an i7 4790s (very cheap at microcenter). However, I am also concerned about my graphics card. Which is more important? I play games like Battlefield 4 and Arma 3 (barely) and would like to be able to play Battlefront when it comes out. Should I upgrade my GPU first? If so, what should I upgrade to? Should I consider a different processor? I would prefer to not go over $300 on each part

These are my components:
CPU- G3258 OC 4GHZ
GPU- EVGA GTX 750 TI FTW
MB: MSI Z97 PC Mate
Ram: Crucial Ballistix Sport 8GB
PSU: EVGA 500 WT
HD: WD 1 TB


Thanks guys,
Thomas

 

[JQB45]

Get the i5-4690k which is about $200 USD at Micro Center and an nVidia 970 about $320-$350 USD found at a variety of places.

 

[rollingbarrels]

If you are barely able to play the games you want to with your current GPU, then I think you will need to upgrade your GPU in order to play. I would also upgrade the CPU because most games use up to 4 cores and it will bottleneck your GPU.

For a CPU upgrade, the i5 you mentioned is a good option. For the GPU, I would suggest an R9 380 to stay inside your price range.

 

[Thomasthegreat]

Thanks bro, what do you think about the i5-2500k?

 

[Thomasthegreat]

Thank you so much for your help. I know it is impossible to build a "future proof" computer, but do you think this CPU/GPU combo will perform well for the next few years?

 

[Tradesman1]

Your GPU will be bottlenecked some by the G3258, so will want to get the i5 soon

 

[JQB45]

Thanks bro, what do you think about the i5-2500k?

Well its a nice CPU, runs cool and likes to be overclocked. Good luck finding it cheap. It requires a 1155 socket motherboard. If you're interested click on my signature and you can see my i5-2500k performance results with Pass Mark.

 

[Thomasthegreat]

Thanks bro, what do you think about the i5-2500k?

Well its a nice CPU, runs cool and likes to be overclocked. Good luck finding it cheap. It requires a 1155 socket motherboard. If you're interested click on my signature and you can see my i5-2500k performance results with Pass Mark.

Wow, that CPU was definitely ahead of its time. You're right though, it's very expensive and I can't afford to swap my MB right now. If I'm lucky, maybe I'll be able to get a sweet deal on an I7 after I get my hands on that GPU!