wiredotter14 said:That processor is an absolute steal and definitely worth it. The AMD Ryzen 5 5600X is better, but it’s nearly twice the price. If you aren't in a rush, you could just wait for the next generation from both Intel and AMD—they'll be moving to new platforms and DDR5, so you could just pull the trigger on an upgrade in about six months. Plus, prices might drop on the current high-end stuff like the 5600X.
I didn't catch what your budget is looking like?
I don't really have a strict limit; I just want to grab a best buy so I can play games at 1080p. I don't need ultra settings—speaking of which, I was actually totally happy with my old AMD Radeon RX 480. I'm not planning on jumping all the way up to something like a 3080. Going with a new socket would definitely be the smarter move, so maybe it's better to just hang tight for a few more months. I've got nothing but time.
Battlefield 2042 is the main one, maybe some WRC, Dirt, Forza, or FIFA—basically whatever holds up well over the next few years. And obviously the big titles like RDR, Witcher, Cyberpunk, Metro...
urbanheron4 said:I see this mistake all the time, and honestly, the logic is flawed. Your CPU isn't "too weak" for an AMD Radeon RX 480. Look, sure, some games are heavy on the CPU—usually real-time strategy titles where you have massive amounts of units moving on screen at once. But most modern games lean heavily on the GPU, while the processor isn't even breaking a sweat. If you slap a monster graphics card on an old CPU, you might run into a bottleneck where the chip can't keep up with the card, but even then, it doesn't happen constantly. It depends entirely on the game; CPU usage fluctuates, and it only starts dragging down other components when it hits that 100% ceiling. What I'm saying is, if you swap in a beefier CPU but keep the same GPU, I'm certain you won't notice a difference in 99% of your games. Upgrading the CPU only makes sense when you're also planning to grab a new GPU, though you shouldn't overdo it there either. If gaming is your main focus, put your money into the GPU and RAM rather than the CPU. Those top-tier processors only really shine when they're paired with high-end cards like an RTX 3080 or 2080 series. With mid-range stuff like a 3060 or 2060, a powerful CPU will just sit there underutilized because the GPU is what's actually capping your FPS, not the processor. Bottom line: I wouldn't go out and buy a whole new rig until you've decided on a GPU, especially if gaming is why you're building it. You won't see any real gains without a new graphics card, and right now, prices are absolutely ridiculous across the board, not just for GPUs. Once you settle on a card, it’ll be much easier to pick balanced components for a cohesive build.
I get what you're saying and I appreciate the advice, but the bottleneck is very real for me right now in something like Battlefield V. I'm stuck hovering around 55-60 FPS, and the CPU hits its limit and causes stuttering, which is exactly why I was thinking about just rebuilding the whole thing. I figured I'd try running things on my current GPU for now and wait for prices to stabilize—though I'm skeptical that'll actually happen. My GPU is relatively recent, but this CPU is practically a decade old. I know I could probably crawl through games on minimum settings, but that's not ideal when I'm trying to play Battlefield, Project CARS 2, Forza, and stuff like that.
Hey everyone, I need a little help here. I'm looking to upgrade my rig so I can actually play modern titles like Battlefield V and stuff like that without everything lagging out. Right now, I've got an AMD Radeon RX 480 with 8GB, and honestly, I think I can hang onto that until the prices on newer cards finally drop. My current Intel Core i5-3570K is just way too weak for what today's games demand. I'm using an ASUS VG248QE, which is a 144hz monitor. So, the plan is to swap out everything except the GPU and the monitor. Any recommendations for a solid 1080p gaming build? Budget isn't really a huge issue, though obviously, I'd prefer to find the best deals possible. I don't care which retailer I use as long as they're based in the States; I'm more than capable of putting the whole thing together myself.
Is he even going to hit 144 fps on newer titles like BF5 with that GPU? If it were my money, I’d just grab an Intel setup and a beefier card regardless of the price, but he’s still sitting there second-guessing everything. That first option might actually be his best bet. The monitor you linked me is just 1080p, right? Can it handle 1440p?
Just one more question—I haven't really been keeping up with the latest hardware since I'm still rocking an (i7-3770K) 🙂 will this Ryzen be a decent match for this GPU? I'm asking because the price seems almost too good to be true.
A buddy of mine is looking to pick up a gaming rig, mainly for FPS titles and sports sims—basically anything hitting the market soon. He’s aiming for a budget around $1,500, though he might stretch it a bit since he'll be putting it on a Diners Club card anyway, so an extra couple hundred isn't a dealbreaker. Is it realistic to hit 1040 FPS at 144Hz for that kind of money? If it is, throw some monitor suggestions my way too, even if we have to bump up the budget a little. 😵 Just a heads-up: he doesn't need an HDD; he wants to go with two SSDs, one 120GB and another 250GB or larger. I don't care which shop he uses in New York City or the surrounding area, and I don't care who builds it. Thanks in advance.
Alright, I'm picking up the GTR today then. 🙂 Just a quick tip regarding the RAM: right now I've got four 2GB sticks running at 9 latency—two are 1333MHz and two are 1600MHz, so everything is just settling at 1333. If I pulled out those 1333 ones and swapped in two 4GB sticks, I'd be sitting at 12GB total running at 1600MHz. Will I actually feel a difference if I go with 1600, or should I just ditch them all for some new sticks at, say, 2400MHz? Is there a noticeable jump, or is it just some marketing gimmick that won't change how the PC feels?
What about this one? It’s already factory overclocked... so what’s the real difference? Should I grab the factory version, or just overclock it myself—meaning, do I go for the GTR if it's significantly better, or just stick with this cheaper option if they're basically the same thing?
Every single spec sheet out there says you need at least a 550W power supply for an RX 480.
To me, it makes zero sense because even under full load, I'm nowhere near hitting those specs. I'm running an XFX 450 w unit that's only a year old and still has five years of warranty left, so I don't see any reason to bother swapping out my power supply.
It’s not like I’m specifically planning to buy from AMD; I just mentioned them because they have a solid selection. I'll just grab whatever ends up being the cheapest, though having overclocking headroom is definitely an advantage for the XFX, and since my CPU and motherboard are already unlocked, it only makes sense to get a card that can be overclocked too.😁 I've always been the type to hunt for best-buy components, so I used to go with Sapphire because their cooling was top-tier and they were cheaper than the competition without sacrificing any performance. The selection is way broader now than it was a few years back when I was buying parts, so I'm going to dig through some more reviews before I make a final call. Anyway, thanks for the pointers, you've been a huge help.
Like the title says, I'm looking for a GPU that can actually handle current titles and whatever comes next at settings leaning toward High. My current setup is an I5 3570 k on a Z77 pro3 with an HD7850 2gb OC, and honestly, most games have been stuck between Medium and High, while something like Battlefield 1 benchmark 1080 p Ultra barely runs on minimum, so it's definitely time for a new card. I’m willing to stretch my budget up to $833, paying cash. What’s the best move here, and am I going to run into a massive bottleneck with my other parts? Given the CPU, I shouldn't be seeing major issues for a little while longer, right? Thanks.
I've got plus So, I have these two power supplies sitting here, both brand new. The XFX one comes with a 5-year warranty, while the CORSAIR one is only rated for 3 years. My build consists of an i5 3570K, a SAPPHIRE HD 7850 2GB OC, a Samsung 840 evo, an AS rock z77 PRO3, a 1TB HDD, and 8GB of Kingston HyperX DDR3 RAM. I happened to come across both of these units, so now I’m asking a total newbie question: which one should I stick with for this specific setup? I'll probably be doing some light overclocking down the road, though there's no real need for it right now. Don't bother telling me "this one is better" because I'm pretty sure the XFX is superior, but what I actually want to know is if that 408W from the XFX will hold up once I start overclocking, or if I should just opt for more headroom even if it means using a lower-quality unit?
Just realized a buddy here asked this exact same thing a few days ago and got the same answers I did, so honestly, what else is there to say? Thanks for the help, guys! 🙂
I’m not starting a new thread because everything I need has already been covered here—I'm just putting together a PC and trying to figure out how to set aside cash without relying on credit, and you guys have actually been a huge help so far, so I'm sticking to the advice I've received. I’ve already picked up an SSD, a case, and bumped the RAM up to 8 gigs. All that's left is the CPU, but now I'm stuck. I have a Z77 Pro3 board with the 1155 socket, and I was thinking about grabbing the Intel Core i5 3570, but... honestly, the rig is decent enough. Most of the parts are less than a year old and I know they'll serve me well for at least another two years, so I'm wondering if it's even worth dropping about $533 on that processor to call it a day, or if I should just bite the bullet, go with Haswell for maybe $33 more, and grab a new motherboard too? 🙂 I reckon I could probably sell my current motherboard for $133, which means the actual jump in investment is only about $167 if I factor in the cost of a new board. So, what's the smarter move here? Does that gap between 1155 and 1150 really matter that much?
Look, I know overclocking is an option, but I didn't want to bore everyone with stupid questions. I was just curious if there’s actually a functional difference between them or if there's some hidden catch. If you can just overclock them anyway and they end up being identical, then paying that extra hundred bucks is basically just throwing money away for nothing. 😁 Probably someone with actual expertise should handle the first one, while anyone can mess around with the version marked for overclocking.
Larry Ortiz5 said:It’d be a waste to grab a non-K processor since you’re running a Z77 motherboard specifically designed for overclocking. The price gap between a K-series chip and the standard one is roughly $50. If you decide to overclock down the road, you'll regret not getting the K version because it won't be nearly as easy to push. My advice? Get the K series; you aren't going to go broke over an extra $150-$$53. That’s just how I see it, take it or leave it.
I get what you're saying and I'll do exactly that, I was honestly just asking about the technical difference between those two CPUs. Anyway, thanks for the tip.