PC Upgrade Ideas

Windows 8.1 32
. Thanks.

Just one more thing... since my bank account isn't exactly looking like a Fortune 500 company right now—not that I'm complaining, just being realistic—is it actually okay if I grab the power supply and the GPU first, and then deal with the CPU and RAM down the road?

You can, just please don't pick the HD 6450 😛

A Corsair 400W unit and a Radeon 4830 512 mb—is that really what you're linking me? 😉.

Grab it while you can... it probably won't last long.

EDIT:

I wouldn't really suggest grabbing anything else until you've got the PSU and GPU sorted, just so you know it actually works... the BIOS is really just for the processor. A better graphics card might help, but I guess you'll still be held back by that processor and having only 1GB of RAM.

So, will this thing actually be able to run anything? And do I need to mess with the BIOS for the graphics card, or is it just plug-and-play? Also, will the card fit on the motherboard, and is my power supply up to the task... sorry if I'm being a total pain here—I don't really know much about computer hardware, so please don't judge me too hard. 🙂

You don't need a BIOS update just for the graphics card. I'd suggest updating it before you swap out the processor, though. Once you upgrade both the CPU and add some RAM, your PC is going to feel like a completely different machine. Right now, your current CPU is basically acting like a bottleneck, preventing that graphics card from actually reaching its full potential—but even with just the GPU, you'll definitely notice an improvement. That said, you still won't be able to run those specific games where a single-core processor is too weak and 1GB of memory is just nowhere near enough.

Hey, I'm dropping this here so I don't clutter up the forum with a whole new thread, but I really need some help figuring out a PC upgrade for gaming. My budget is sitting around $3,500-$1333, and I'm planning on hanging onto a few things from my old rig—specifically the case, my Chieftec Smart 550w power supply, 4GB of RAM, and a 500GB HDD. So, here's what I'm thinking: maybe grab an R9 270 x or an R9280 for the graphics? For the CPU, should I go with an AMD x8 8320 or an AMD x6 6300? Plus, I definitely need another 4GB of RAM. Also, if anyone knows a solid motherboard that can actually handle all that together, please let me know! But honestly, if there are better ways to spend my money or different parts entirely, I'm totally open to suggestions. Any advice at all would be huge!

redmason12 said:Hey, I'm dropping this here so I don't clutter up the forum with a whole new thread, but I really need some help figuring out a PC upgrade for gaming. My budget is sitting around $3,500-$1333, and I'm planning on hanging onto a few things from my old rig—specifically the case, my Chieftec Smart 550w power supply, 4GB of RAM, and a 500GB HDD. So, here's what I'm thinking: maybe grab an R9 270 x or an R9280 for the graphics? For the CPU, should I go with an AMD x8 8320 or an AMD x6 6300? Plus, I definitely need another 4GB of RAM. Also, if anyone knows a solid motherboard that can actually handle all that together, please let me know! But honestly, if there are better ways to spend my money or different parts entirely, I'm totally open to suggestions. Any advice at all would be huge!

The Smart series from Chieftec isn't exactly the most exciting solution out there, but it gets the job done. How old is this power supply, anyway? If you aren't planning on swapping the PSU, then try something like this...

1 x Gigabyte 970A-DS3P, AM3+, AMD 970 SB950, 4x DDR3 2000(O.C.)/1866
1 x FX 8300 3.3GHz Processor, 16MB, 125W, AM3+ FD8300WMHK
1 x 4GB DDR3 Kingston Value, 1600MHz, CL11
1 x MSI GTX 960 2GD5T OC, 2GB GDDR5, Armor 2x, DVI, HDMI, 3x DP
1 x SCYTHE Katana 3 SCKTN-3000A White Box, 754/939/AM2/AM2+/AM3

$1251 adm.hr

I didn't go with the Radeon R9 280 because it pulls noticeably more power than the GTX 960, even though their performance is pretty much neck and neck. Plus, you're going to need an aftermarket cooler for that FX chip I put in there. If you already have one lying around, let me know which model—maybe we can save you from having to buy a new one...

redmason12 said:Hey, I'm dropping this here so I don't clutter up the forum with a whole new thread, but I really need some help figuring out a PC upgrade for gaming. My budget is sitting around $3,500-$1333, and I'm planning on hanging onto a few things from my old rig—specifically the case, my Chieftec Smart 550w power supply, 4GB of RAM, and a 500GB HDD. So, here's what I'm thinking: maybe grab an R9 270 x or an R9280 for the graphics? For the CPU, should I go with an AMD x8 8320 or an AMD x6 6300? Plus, I definitely need another 4GB of RAM. Also, if anyone knows a solid motherboard that can actually handle all that together, please let me know! But honestly, if there are better ways to spend my money or different parts entirely, I'm totally open to suggestions. Any advice at all would be huge!

I'd swap the power supply too. Keep the case, the HDD, and those 4GB of RAM,

Go with something like this:
1 x Gigabyte 970A-DS3P, AM3+, AMD 970 SB950, 4x DDR3 2000(O.C.)/1866
1 x Procesor AMD FX-Series X8 8300 3.3GHz,16MB,125W,AM3+, FD8300WMHK
1 x DDR3 4GB (1x4GB) Kingston, 1600MHz, CL11, Value
1 x XFX R9-280A-TDFD, Double Dissipation Edition Radeon R9 280 933M
1 x Napajanje Fortron 500W, Hyper, PPA5005003, 12cm ventilator
1 x Spire Kepler Rev.2 ,hladnjak, 1156/775/FM1, 96.5×51×125 mm ,92mm
$1352
www.newegg.com

So, since I don't have a cooler right now, should I maybe grab an AMD x6 6300 instead of the x8? Like, would I still need to pick up a cooler if I went that route? And would I be able to throw an R9 280 in there too?

You’re going to need a decent cooler if you want your PC to stay functional rather than melting under pressure.

The FX 6300 is basically just a $50 budget-friendly alternative to the FX 8300; it’s a bit of a shame to settle for the lesser chip, but if your wallet is feeling the squeeze, it’ll get the job done.

EDIT

Honestly, your best bet is to grab a GTX 960 instead of the R9 280 and stick with that Chieftec power supply.

Kimberly Gomez34 said:You’re going to need a decent cooler if you want your PC to stay functional rather than melting under pressure.

The FX 6300 is basically just a $50 budget-friendly alternative to the FX 8300; it’s a bit of a shame to settle for the lesser chip, but if your wallet is feeling the squeeze, it’ll get the job done.

EDIT

Honestly, your best bet is to grab a GTX 960 instead of the R9 280 and stick with that Chieftec power supply.

For sure, the 960 barely pulls any power considering how much punch it packs, so even a Chieftec will handle it—even though that specific series isn't exactly top-tier. You'll save about $50, which gives you enough breathing room to pick up a better cooler instead.🙂