Upgrading on a budget

**Leonidas The Lion** · July 12, 2012, 03:26 AM

Here is the pc I built last year:
Processor:Intel(R) Core(TM) i7 CPU 950 @ 3.07GHz (8 CPUs), ~3.1GHz
PSU:TX650 Corsair
Memory:6144MB RAM
Video Card:NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570(ASUS DCII variant)
HDD:1 GB Caviar Black
SSD:60 GB Corsair
Operation System:Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
Motherboard:ASUS Sabertooth X58 LGA 1366
Computer Case:ASUS VENTO TA-M2

Runs most things on the highest settings but I also want to see if I can upgrade cetain components on budget, most likely for the next 2 years. Basically so I can prepare for R2TW etc etc.

Budget is around 350-400 euros.

Thoughts.

**Incontinenta Buttox** · July 12, 2012, 05:27 AM

That's a pretty powerful system. Why would you need to upgrade it? It should eat R2TW for breakfast.

**Leonidas The Lion** · July 12, 2012, 05:31 AM

Originally Posted by ♔Incontinenta Buttox♔

That's a pretty powerful system. Why would you need to upgrade it? It should eat R2TW for breakfast.

"Should" is not "Would", I'd rather not find that out in 2013.

**irishron** · July 12, 2012, 06:43 AM

they have not even posted the specs, yet. Wait until then.

**Leonidas The Lion** · July 12, 2012, 06:51 AM

Its not just for RIITW.

**irishron** · July 12, 2012, 07:45 AM

What games besides Total War? How is it handling Shogun2?

**Leonidas The Lion** · July 12, 2012, 08:58 AM

I don't play Shogun 2. It funs bf3 well with everything on max, and skyrim with everything on max. FPS is around 40 something.

**Totalheadache** · July 12, 2012, 10:30 AM

oc cpu and more powerfull gpu....

not sure when next nvidia card is out but that might be up your street. try and get cpu speed up to around 4ghz if poss. that should bump up your fps now.

p.s you'll need a good cooler for cpu. ideally 60fps is what you are after + or _. your 570 is being held back a but by your current cpu at stock speed.

**Leonidas The Lion** · July 12, 2012, 05:54 PM

Well I know next to nothing about overclocking and rather wouldn't shoot myself in the foot.

**Totalheadache** · July 12, 2012, 06:56 PM

Originally Posted by Leonidas The Lion

Well I know next to nothing about overclocking and rather wouldn't shoot myself in the foot.

well overclocking your cpu is more or less the cheapest way to get a good perf boost without spending 2 much money..

ok you have to rebuild pc but that isnt hard.

nor is overclocking. just google your current cpu and see how it's done and what u need.

www.guru.3d.com/forums is a good knowledge base.

in short u add more voltage to your cpu which allows u 2 increase its speed (your gpu will thank you for this), which increases heat, hence the aftermarket cooler and also means you have to change settings in bios. but search online and usually within hrs you can figure it out..it will involve restarting the pc a few times and testing stability over x hrs..

**Leonidas The Lion** · July 13, 2012, 02:52 AM

My main concern isnt with OCing its with the fact the my MOBO's socket isn't supported anymore. As I was thinking of getting an unlocked 3rd generation i5.

**MortenJessen** · July 13, 2012, 12:02 PM

Hi there.
First, nice rig...
Second; what did you expect to upgrade on it, having such a low (compared to the rig value) budget?? The best way, as I see it, if you insist on upgrading, is to buy a second NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570(ASUS DCII variant) (or equivalent) and make it an sli system, and spend the rest on cooling.... Thats about how far that low budget could benefit that rig...
Edit; if you really really insist on an upgrade of that system, the budget should be doubled, as new cpu, more ram, better ssd, new gpu generation, is the way to go (you see the trend ??).

**karamazovmm** · July 13, 2012, 01:23 PM

If you want to change your mobo to gain more future cpu upgrades just forget it. LGA 1155 is EOL with ivy, and the LGA 2011 it will probably follow the same path. And sincerely the latter is aimed at pro that need the more cpu power and cores and will pay accordingly much more for that.

I would wait a bit to get a more interesting power ratio upgrade. Its true that notebooks have the same performance that you have now, however its still good enough, wait another year to upgrade is the most interesting opinion.

**Bolkonsky** · July 13, 2012, 02:47 PM

You could get Ivy Bridge. I'd wait a bit longer though.

**CoconutFred** · July 13, 2012, 02:53 PM

If you're thinking of upgrading your GPU, it might not be the best choice to SLI with 2x GTX 570s, considering the power draw of Fermi and your limited 650W PSU, unless you plan on upgrading your PSU as well. Nvidia's newer Kepler cards might be a better choice, given the future-proofing that you'd get by upgrading to a much cooler/quieter/efficient GTX 670 or 680. However, if you plan to sue your rig mainly for RTW2, keep in mind that the Warscape engine runs smoother and better on AMD cards, judging by benchmarks on Shogun 2 and Napoleon. Nvidia, though, still has a slight edge in price/performance ratio, and has a history of substantially better driver and software support than AMD. The best choice for your GPU right now would probably be a newer Nvidia Kepler GPU. One can find a GTX 680 for $500 USD (not sure about in EU) and a 670 for $400, and the best way to future-proof your rig without swapping out an entirely new mobo and CPU would be to upgrade your GPU.

**Leonidas The Lion** · July 14, 2012, 05:49 AM

The 670 is about 420 euros over here.

**Ishan** · July 14, 2012, 10:20 AM

Smooth gaming is all about fps, so one should mention his native resolution if he wants some advice on maximizing his games. A game may give 70 fps at 1600x1050 resolution and below 30 at 2560x1920, so it all depends on that.

Anyways spending more cash on upgrade just to play TWR2 is quite a waste imo, the game will be playable with your current rig so you're covered. If you're determined then buy when recommended system requirements are published and when you feel that these requirements can't run it on extreme settings. Otherwise no matter what they're releasing you can definitely max it in DX9 mode.

And spend cash when computer market sees anything fresh now. A top config of one time should be dragged for at least 2.5 years but if you're an enthusiast and like to experiment with everything being released then that's another matter. Replace a PC completely when latest games demand latest hardware and this sort of thing happens every 3-5 years.

Lastly you must overclock, that rig you bought is meant for that purpose and will increase your PC's performance both in general purpose and gaming. Otherwise buying a MOBO with that power & then not using it to OC your CPU is an absolute waste of money. My i7-920 is running on 3.8 GHz since the day i bought it, October 2009. You can easily OC your 950 to 4.2 GHz.

Btw don't Xfire\SLI your rig for Rome 2, you never know when games might be released half arsed and then they give us negative scaling, so one needs to wait like an idiot until they fix it for multi-GPU users. Moreover Fred already told you about the PSU factor.

**Leonidas The Lion** · July 14, 2012, 11:39 AM

Thanks I also play everything on 1920x1080. I'll need to look into overclocking it seems.

**Totalheadache** · July 15, 2012, 07:37 PM

well here is someone with a 950..

http://www.techreaction.net/forums/i...-i7-950-a.html

but yeah does depend on your mobo a bit and if no aftermarket cooler then you will need to buy one. can suggest one or ask mmm/crazy/others to suggest one..

3.8-4.0ghz is about spot on for a 570...it is worth doing in my opinion. plus if you dont know how to do it it's something worth learning for future builds..

p.s edit in that thread can see someone with a sabertooth mobo @4.2ghz even so seems like you have a nice mobo and cpu def oc's unless am mistaken..