Wondering about upgrading parts 1 by 1.

[Martynas LT]

Hello TW community. Once again I'm here because I don't know what should I do.

My current pc specs:
I5-4690k
H81 mobo ( had z97 but I had an accident and ruined it and replaced by cheap H81 )
8GB ram 1600 mhz 9cl
1TB seagate baracuda 7200 rpm
SEASONIC S12II-620 PSU.

So I have quite a few questions.

When answering keep in mind that I'm trying to keep on low budget for best performance/future proof.

Next thing I'm going to buy is a GTX 970.
I'll buy a new one or second hand. Second hand in my place go for around 160-180€ while new ones go for around 200-220€ if on sale ( only buying new if I get it on sale ).

So here comes the questions.

I'm not a hardcore gamer but I would like to keep games performance for stable 60 fps medium-high settings at 1080p for next few years. That's why I'm thinking about going for 970 sli.
With sli also comes bigger mobo price. New z97 with sli support would cost around 150-180€.

So here's the part where I don't know what to do. Is i5-4690k will be good enough for 970 sli in next like 2-3 years or will it start struggling?

What I think I can do in best case scenario for best price I can get:

Grab new mobo 160€, double 970 320€ and OC my I5-4690k, sell H81 mobo -20€. Total: 460€.

Grab new mobo 160€, double 970 320€, sell I5 -150€, buy i7 4670k/4690k 250€?. Total: 580€.

Or grab a single 970 and wait till I have enough money to buy new mobo, new gen I5 and second gpu?
I5-7600k 250€, MOBO 200€, 2xGPU 320€, new 8GB RAM 2133 mhz cl 11 70€.
Total 840 - 190 for selling old parts = 650€.

Well I think that's all I have to say. Also I did not consider new PSU so just forget it for now.

So what you guys think would be the best path for upgrade staying on lower budget with best performance gained? Whole upgrade would take me like 3-5 months to complete.

 

[coozie7]

I'd do none of those things because I don't like SLI/Crossfire configurations, they rely too much on manufacturer support to function, more than a few top games don't support it or don't scale well with it, and cooling dual cards can be a pain. In short, it's just too much trouble compqared with a single, strong card.

There's nothing wrong with a H81 mobo for a gaming rig-unless you want to overclock or are looking to use faster memory and TBH the cost really isn't justified for either reason, you'll get far better bang-per-(fill in your local currency here ) by dropping all the money on the fastest graphics card you can afford and live with the slight memory restriction and lack of overclocking.

If the mobo supports 4 DIMM slots I'd also consider adding an extra pair of 4Gb modules, ideally they should be the same as those installed, if not the same timings and voltage will do, modern MBs aren't anything like as fussy as older ones with regards to mix'n-match memory.

 

[SkyNetRising]

I agree - SLI not worth it in this case.
Get GTX 1070, upgrade ram to 16GB and be done.

Edit: If there's still spare cash left, get SSD also.

 

[Martynas LT]

No the mobo does not support 4 slots of ram.

So as I undestand best bang per euro would be be a single GPU.
Ok lets say I go with 980/980ti/1070. Everything depends on price.
And later on just switch to a z97 board with no sli support for around 100-120€, add extra 8 GB ram and OC my cpu when needed?

 

[SkyNetRising]

No the mobo does not support 4 slots of ram.

You can get 2x 8GB ram modules.

 

[coozie7]

From my perspective, yes, go for a single GPU, but let others have their say before making a decision, SLI may be the right choice for YOU and that's the important thing.

Again, aim as high as possible, the GTX980 isn't a great deal faster than the GTX 970, a GTX980Ti or '1070 would be better options.

This is a decision I can't make, it all depends on you, if you are certain you WILL overclock then take this route, but be aware, finding a new Z97 MB may prove difficult.
If you're unsure about oveclocking, keep the current MB but upgrade the RAM first, faster parts will just downclock on the H81 motherboard but run at full speed if, later on, you try for the Z97/overclock.

 

[Martynas LT]

No the mobo does not support 4 slots of ram.

You can get 2x 8GB ram modules.

Yes but wouldnt getting z97 for CPU OC be a good idea? Or OC is just not worth extra cost?

 

[Martynas LT]

Well funny how long it took me to post this and get answer so fast lol.

So I'll go with single gpu and a z97 board if sli of 970 is not worth