Which to upgrade 1st?

[crazy32]

I'm looking to upgrade my PC. Overall, I'm happy with it's performance, but I've been getting a lot of micro-stuttering in games. I currently have an i7-930 OC'd to 4.02ghz, and 2 HD 5770's in crossfire. From what I've been reading in the articles on the site, it seems I should upgrade to a single HD 7970 first to see the biggest improvement. Also, from what I've been reading, going to a i7-3770k really wouldn't be that much of an improvement at all.

 

[FinneousPJ]

Your conclusions are quite valid. I'd hold off upgrading CPU but definitely go for the 7970 if not two :lol:

 

[nokiddingboss]

you don't have to upgrade your proc since thats more or less on equal footing vs an IVB i5, the 7970 would be a major step up for you and will definitely eliminate stutters in games with the recently released catalyst beta drivers.

 

[jay2tall]

Most definitely your graphics card. I am running an i7 920 @ 4GHz and it runs everything I throw at it just fine. I've always kept my graphics card up to date and my base system only when absolutely necessary. I am running a GTX680 OCed somewhat and it runs everything I throw at it. There are only a few titles I have to tone the settings down for. An AMD 7970 would suit you just fine. Or you can go for a GTX670 or 680 if you are batting for the Green Team.