Upgrade options?

My current setup consists of an ASUS ROG Z 77 Pro, a Sapphire HD 7850 2GB OC, an XFX 450 PRO power supply, and 4GB of Kingston HyperX 1600C9 RAM—honestly, those parts are solid enough for me right now.
The weak links are my Intel Pentium G 620 processor, a basic office-style case, and a standard 500GB hard drive. Since the rest of the build is fine, I’m looking to upgrade just the CPU, the case, and a decent SSD.
I use this rig for everything, though mostly for gaming, and even with that mediocre processor, I've managed to run most titles on High or Ultra settings so far. 😕
So, I need some recommendations. Since the holidays are coming up, I’m hoping to snag some extra discounts on parts. Just a heads-up: the case height can't exceed 46 cm, otherwise I'll have to start modifying my desk setup too. 😁

Ryan Allen32 said:My current setup is as follows: an ASUS ROCKZ Z77 Pro3, a SAPPHIRE HD 7850 2 GB OC, an XFX 450 PRO power supply, and 4 gigs of KINGSTON HYPERX 1600C9 RAM—so those are the components I’m currently happy with.
The rest of the build consists of an Intel Pentium G 620 processor, a basic office-style case, and just a standard 500 GB hard drive. My plan is to upgrade everything to match the quality of those main parts—meaning I specifically need a new processor, a case, and a solid SSD, since I feel like the other components are actually doing a decent job for now.
The PC handles pretty much anything; primarily gaming, really, and despite that lackluster processor, it has managed to run most games on High or Ultra settings so far. 😕
So, I’m looking for some recommendations! Since we’re heading into the holiday season, I’m hoping to snag some extra discounts on parts. Just a quick heads-up: the height for the case can't exceed 46 cm, otherwise I’ll have to start making structural changes to my desk setup. 😁

What kind of budget are we looking at, and will you be paying cash or using a credit card?

Intel Pentium G 620
Kingston SSD 120 GB V300
Zalman mid Tower case Black Zalman Z1

Well, if you ended up picking up that option from Amy Vaughn12, you’d probably see about a 50% jump in gaming performance thanks to the CPU upgrade. On the other hand, grabbing that SSD would just make the whole system feel snappier overall—and you'd definitely notice that speed boost in your day-to-day use.

I can pay cash, or just use a card if I run out of money 😁
But look, what if I don't want to overclock my processor? Is this basically the same thing or is there actually a noticeable difference between them?

Honestly, it would be a real shame to grab a processor without the K suffix—especially since you’ve got a Z77 motherboard sitting there, which was practically built for overclocking. There's usually about a $50 price gap between the K-series and the non-K models. If you ever decide to mess around with overclocking down the road, you might regret not having that extra headroom, since it'll be much harder to push a standard chip. My two cents? Just go for the K. When you're buying new gear, it's hardly worth passing up the chance to save a little more later just to miss out on that performance for maybe 150-$53. That's just how I see it, though—it's totally up to you what you want to do.

Ryan Allen32 said:I'll pay cash—though I might use a credit card if I run short on funds😁
But let me ask you this—if I really don't want to deal with overclocking, is there much of a difference between this onehttp://www.adm.hr/product_info.php?c...ducts_id=11985 and the other option, or is the gap between them actually noticeable?

Alright, let's try laying it out like this then:

Intel Core i5 3570
Kingston SSD 120 GB V300

Best Buy$729 cash

And here is a case you could pick up with your card

Zalman mid Tower case Black Zalman Z1

Best Buy$102

Total: $831

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.

Timothy Fisher79 said:Alright, let's go with this then:

Intel Core i5 3570k
Kingston SSD 120 GB V300

Best Buy $729 cash

And here’s a case you can put on your credit card:

Zalman mid Tower case Black Zalman Z1

Micro Center $102

Total: $831

They're actually cheaper, almost $67 but it says the CPU is out of stock! 😁

Well, you have the unlocked multipliers on K-series chips, whereas the non-K models don't offer that, which theoretically makes overclocking them much more straightforward. That said, I still see plenty of reviews showing people pushing the clock speeds higher even on the standard processors without the multiplier advantage.

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.

Ryan Allen32 said:I’ll take your word for it—I'm going to follow your lead on this one. Honestly, I was just curious about the actual performance gap between those two processors. Anyway, thanks so much for the advice!

They are actually quite a bit cheaper, almost $67 but the listing says the processor is totally out of stock! 😁

Well, if that's the case, good luck with the AMD build then... 🙂

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?

Ivy Bridge runs cooler and uses less power, plus it's easier to overclock. Since Haswell is only about 5% faster at the same clock speed, I guess there isn't much point in jumping all the way up to 1150.

Go with the Intel Core i5 3570.

EDIT: Gise, please, you're late 😬

Ryan Allen32 said:So, in your opinion, which route is better? Does the difference between the 1155 and 1150 sockets actually matter?

There isn't any difference (at least nothing you're going to feel)

If you're happy with what you've got, just keep running it. When you're finally ready for an upgrade, go grab an i5.

Ryan Allen32 said:Not starting a new thread since everything I need is already here. You guys helped me figure out how to save up cash instead of using credit, so I'm following your lead.
I picked up an SSD, a new case, and bumped my RAM up to 8 gigs. Now it's just the CPU. I'm stuck because I have a Z77 Pro3 board (socket 1155) and was thinking about grabbing an Intel Core i5 3570K... BUT... the rig is actually decent. Most parts are less than a year old and they'll serve me well for another two years. Is it worth dropping roughly $533 on that CPU to call it a day, or should I bite the bullet, spend $33 more for a Haswell setup with a new motherboard? 🙂
I reckon I could flip my current board for $133, so the extra investment is basically just $167 for the new motherboard.
So, what's the move? Does the jump from 1150 to 1155 actually matter?

Stick with the 1155 socket. Performance gains are tiny. It’s a waste of money, and honestly, Haswell runs hotter than Ivy Bridge anyway. :O

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! 🙂

Just jumping in here so I don't clutter things up with a brand new thread.
My GeForce 8800 just gave up the ghost.

Here is what I'm currently running:

Asrock G31M-GS motherboard
An E8400, I think, or maybe an 8200
2 GB of RAM
Chieftec GPS-450AA-101A power supply

So, I'm looking for some advice on which graphics card to pick up. I need something that can actually handle gaming—stuff like Diablo 3, Battlefield 4, Call of Duty, and things in that vein. My budget is around $667 if I can find something that fits this setup.
I've been looking at the R9 270X or maybe a GeForce GTX 760. I realize they might be a bit overkill for this specific build, but I'm thinking ahead; if I eventually upgrade the rest of the system, I won't have to buy a whole new card all over again. Honestly, I just don't have the funds right now to overhaul the entire computer, and I really need this machine for work...
I am also planning to grab another 4 GB of RAM soon.

Thanks for the help.

I’ve already given myself an answer here. You could go with a GTX 270/X or a GeForce GTX 760, provided you upgrade your CPU to something more substantial—think an FX 6300 or an Intel Core i5 or better. I’d personally recommend looking at MSI Gaming cards with Twin Frozr cooling or some Gigabyte models...

Given the CPU you're running now, you're looking at a GeForce GTX 750 or maybe a GTX 260X. Just keep in mind that even with those, you're going to hit a massive bottleneck if you try to play multiplayer modes in Battlefield 4 or single-player titles like Crysis 2.

You’re going to run into stutters in Battlefield 4, Crysis 2, and even Crysis 3—it happens everywhere, though sometimes it's just more subtle. In other games, you'll notice it as an occasional hiccup. You can squeeze out a few extra FPS by turning down certain settings, but even a brand-new i5 will struggle with those kinds of spikes. If you can live with the occasional frame drops, then honestly, any of these options will work for you.

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy

So, it sounds like the motherboard handles everything needed on the graphics front... but what about the CPU? Can I stick an i3-5 in there, or am I looking at a full motherboard replacement? If I go that route, I might as well stretch my budget a bit more for a better processor too...

Thanks.