Which to upgrade first? Cpu or Gpu?

bulletgoboom

Reputable
Mar 29, 2015
43
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4,530
Hi guys, so this is my first post on this website and I was wondering. What should I upgrade first on my pc? Should I upgrade my cpu from an FX-8320 to something like an I5, or should I upgrade my R9 280 Gigabyte OC to something like a GTX 970? I hear that if I get the GTX 970 with the FX 8320, the FX 8320 will "bottleneck" the GTX 970. That's why I'm not sure which I should upgrade first.

My current pc rig is:
-FX-8320
-R9 280 Gigabyte OC
-M5A99X EVO R2.0
-Seagate 1TB harddrive
-Asus dvd drive
-EVGA 600w psu
-Kingston HyperX 8gb (2x4) ram
-Windows 7
-Bitfenix Merc Beta mid tower case
 
Solution
Of course you realize upgrading to an i5 is moving to a whole different platform and will require a MB upgrade to, right? And a fresh install of Win.
OC'ed the FX-8320 can handle the GTX 970. Probably even not OC'ed. I had my R9-290X in use with my FX-8350 @ 4.2 GHz with no bottleneck.

But if you are gaming at 1080p, you should have no issues getting high settings and smooth frame rates with the system you have now. If you do, it may be due to other issues. I had a R9-280 with my old Phenom II X4 @ 4.0GHz and had no problem nearly maxing out most games. Those I couldn't near max out settings in, ran smooth at slightly reduced settings.

clutchc

Titan
Ambassador
Of course you realize upgrading to an i5 is moving to a whole different platform and will require a MB upgrade to, right? And a fresh install of Win.
OC'ed the FX-8320 can handle the GTX 970. Probably even not OC'ed. I had my R9-290X in use with my FX-8350 @ 4.2 GHz with no bottleneck.

But if you are gaming at 1080p, you should have no issues getting high settings and smooth frame rates with the system you have now. If you do, it may be due to other issues. I had a R9-280 with my old Phenom II X4 @ 4.0GHz and had no problem nearly maxing out most games. Those I couldn't near max out settings in, ran smooth at slightly reduced settings.
 
Solution

Frankenstein002

Honorable
Apr 27, 2014
198
0
10,760
No the 8350 wont bottleneck ur gpu unless u move to the resolutions above 1440p. Its a good cpu. No upgrade needed on cpu for a couple of years. Jst pair it with an 970 or 290x and u'l b able to play any game at max settings (at least most of them).
Go with 970 and oc ur cpu to 4.0ghz. Cor if u go with the 290x, u'l need a 750w psu.
Gud luck...
Dnt 4get 2 select d bst answer...