CPU Upgrade Advice

Hey, looking to upgrade my CPU—budget is around $1000$400 max. I need something smooth for video editing and streaming gameplay without the constant stuttering...

Motherboard is an MSI 970A-G46 running the latest BIOS
EVGA 500
4 GB DDR3
HD 5770
Current CPU is an Intel Core i3 (can't unlock it)

Can I stick with AMD? Thanks.

James Castillo8 said:Hey, looking to upgrade my CPU—budget is around $1000$400 max. I need something smooth for video editing and streaming gameplay without the constant stuttering...

Motherboard is an MSI 970A-G46 running the latest BIOS
EVGA 500
4 GB DDR3
HD 5770
Current CPU is an Intel Core i3 (can't unlock it)

Can I stick with AMD? Thanks.

1 x Intel Core i5 3.5GHz, 14MB, 95W
One Zalman CNPS 5X case, fits 775/1155/1156/AM2/AM2/AM3 sockets.

$336

What's the actual difference between

an Intel Core i7 3.5GHz, 16MB, 125W, AM3+, FD8320FRHK and... well, nothing? I'm just wondering if those extra two cores are actually worth the cash...

It’s probably worth it, so I'd say just go ahead and grab the Intel Core i7

James Castillo8 said:What's the actual difference between

an Intel Core i7 3.5GHz, 16MB, 125W, AM3+, FD8320FRHK and... well, nothing? I'm just wondering if those extra two cores are actually worth the cash...

In terms of gaming, you won't notice much of a jump. If you look at the performance per dollar spent, it's just not worth shelling out $100 for the i7, much like how the higher-end model doesn't justify its $100 premium over the standard version.

I suppose there might be some games out there that actually make good use of an Intel Core i7, which could potentially offer better longevity down the road.

$408

That little Cooler Master Hyper 212 seems a bit undersized for an Intel Core i7.

It would be smarter to grab the Intel Core i7 now and once you've saved up enough, $67 pick up the Hyper 212 and then upgrade the processor. Until then, the stock cooler should hold up just fine.

Alternatively, if money is tight right now and those parts $67 aren't available, go with the Intel Core i5, the Hyper 212, and some extra RAM, since you're currently stuck with only 4 GB.

That motherboard isn't really built to handle overclocking a 125W CPU like that.

It might only work at stock voltage... maybe you could hit 4 GHz.

So I went with the Intel Core i7 thinking about the long game—but now I’m struggling just to record gameplay for StarCraft... playing a tower defense map with a 5770 and 4GB of RAM, and the FPS still dips to 30-40 whenever I hit record. I mean, sure, I'm recording in full HD at max settings, but it’s an old game by any stretch of the imagination...

Is the GPU the problem here then?

It’s most likely a GPU issue... But look on the bright side—you've got a solid processor now, so you can pretty much drop any graphics card you want in there down the road. Maybe try turning down the in-game settings for a bit and see if that helps?

Yeah, the graphics are definitely stuttering—though I honestly can't believe a game like this has such a massive FPS drop...

My case is wide open right now—not ideal—but my CPU fan is driving me insane. It’s hitting 4500-4700 RPM during tasks and the noise is just brutal... temps are climbing to 60C too. I'm looking for advice on a decent 120mm exhaust fan so I can actually close the side panel up. Maybe a new CPU cooler as well, provided it actually makes a noticeable difference in both heat and noise levels. Everything else stays cool, though—GPU is sitting at 30C, HDD is fine too...

Kind of a weird one:
http://www.newegg.com/?item=cooler-co...kl=050.903.240

If you're looking for this too:
http://www.newegg.com/?item=ventilato...kl=050.908.318

Thanks—any idea what kind of temps we're looking at here? And how loud is the fan...

Right now, I'm running a 400W power supply for this setup:

CPU
Intel Core 2 Duo
Brisbane 65nm Tech

RAM
3.00GB Single-Channel DDR2 @ 246MHz (4-4-4-12)

Motherboard
ASUS M61PM-S2 (Socket M2)

Graphics
L1512S (1024x768@60Hz)
1024MB Nvidia GeForce 210 (Undefined)

Storage
465GB Nvidia JBOD 465.76G (RAID)

I was just wondering if I might actually need a higher wattage power supply...

I'm not entirely sure if this is quite the right place to ask, but thanks for any help anyway.

No need—that setup of yours is pulling a bit too much power.

I was thinking maybe this could be why my CPU is running a bit hot, since the temps occasionally hit somewhere between 56 and 62 degrees according to CPU-Z. My GPU also tends to hover around 56 degrees at times. I haven't really noticed any other weird glitches while I'm actually using the computer, though.

The temps on your other components shouldn't have anything to do with the power supply. I guess you should try dusting them off if you haven't already... Is your CPU hitting around 60C just sitting idle?

My CPU hits about 60 degrees when I'm playing World of Tanks. During normal everyday use, it usually fluctuates somewhere between 43 and 50, and if I’m just idling, it stays roughly in the 32 to 40 range. There is also one pretty important detail I should probably mention... I didn't actually apply any new thermal paste when I swapped out the processor because I figured the old stuff was already spread out enough. I guess I'm wondering if replacing it with some fresh paste might help drop those temperatures by a few degrees or so?