What to upgrade first (if at all)

[awmc82]

Hello all,

My friend built this computer for me about 4-5 years ago and for the most part it still runs very well. However, I am now having to run some game on lower graphics, getting long load times, freezing, and some slower game play (the two main games I play are WOW and Total War series to give an idea). Right now I am trying to figure out what to upgrade as I don't know a whole lot about computers and my buddy said this was a good place to ask. Money is not necessarily an options but if it gets to much I would probably just buy a new comp (which I'm not entirely wanting to do).

Here are my specs:

Processor: Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-4670K CPU @ 3.40GHz, 3401 Mhz, 4 Core(s), 4 Logical Processor(s)
RAM: 4GB
Graphics Card: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 750 Ti
Mother Board: ASUS

If you need anymore information or more detailed information please let me know. Thanks in advance.

 

[Hellfire13]

First you need atleast 8gb RAM for playing games on decent framerates, 16gb should be even better. So thats your first upgrade. That, along with a decent SSD should increase your boot and load times.

GTX 750TI was good back in the day, but nowadays its a bit old school. A better graphics card like 1060 should give you high settings with enough FPS.

You have not mentioned the PSU, but maybe you will need a good one of that too.
.

 

[awmc82]

I could not figure out how to look up my PSU and I did forget to mention that I have a SSD (232GB). How can I find my PSU and does that really make a huge difference? Thanks for quick response!

 

[Hellfire13]

A good quality PSU maintains stable power delivery and refined efficiency for best performance. PSU matters a lot and people usually cheap out on it not knowing the consequences. You can check the label on the rear of the PSU for make/model/variant.

 

[awmc82]

Okay, I'll check it out once I get home. Been looking at that Graphics card you posted and probably going to buy. Do I need to make sure it is compatible with anything first or just kinda plug/play? Also buying more RAM. Does it need to be same as current RAM or does it not matter. Thanks!

 

[Hellfire13]

Your processor is good enough to support the card. Your motherboard wont be a problem as it can fit any board. This where the PSU quality comes in. Make sure your wattage is adequate and you have the adequate connectors depending on the variant of the card you choose.
For RAM, it has to be exactly identical to the ones you have including latency and timing. Or buy a new kit altogether. Download a program like Speccy to get the details of your RAM and other parts if you want.

 

[awmc82]

After looking at pricing for GPU and RAM I am now starting to think I may just buy a new pre-built computer. I was looking at amazon and they seem to be very reasonably priced compared to what I would be spending to upgrade. The one I am actually looking at is this: http://. This will only cost me $578 due to Prime and rewards card. In your opinion would this be a decent by for what I'm looking for compared to upgrading?

 

[Hellfire13]

Yes, that is decently priced for its specs. They(pre-builds) do not always come with quality PSU, but it should be under waranty, and you can change it later on.

 

[awmc82]

This is their response to PSU: Manufacturer on the power supply will vary
as it is based upon availability but it is guaranteed that you will receive an 80 Plus Bronze. How does this rank for PSU and should I buy a new one?

 

[Hellfire13]

80+ usually means optimal efficiency compliant but it does not mean anything significant. This will help... https://linustechtips.com/main/topic/631048-psu-tier-list-updated/