Advise me bros!

[99Reaper99]

Originally Posted by Drann

For a game like Skyrim his processor still has some kick in it. It's not paticularly intensive until you start stacking up tons of mods. He could get a GPU upgrade now for £100-130 (Such as a 7850) that would potentially last him until Haswell, which would be my recommendation.

Yes it has some. But Skyrim sure loves the new models. By the time he probably gets enough money Haswell may be out. I always suggest buying at the same time. If you buy parts overtime, something new may come out and you could've gotten that or gotten the earlier cheaper. There's more long term use buying a new rig versus picking and choosing over a long time.

[Drann]

Yet he'd have to wait quite awhile until Haswell is out before he could get acceptable frames in the like of Skyrim. Gaming isn't about forced sufferance - it's a hobby. I highly doubt that 9800gt is giving him what he needs in the meantime. I do believe a GPU upgrade will allow him to game until Haswell is out with comfort. He could always sell when he fully updates his PC.

The system he has - purely for gaming (especially for the games he's stated) still has a GPU upgrade in it. Your very argument of longevity undermines itself in that respect.

[joshc9]

Thankyou all

If I do decide to upgrade my motherboard, could anyone please show me one which is reasonably priced and would allow me to make a big upgrade on my CPU.

Dimensions of my case: 200mm (W) x 430mm (H) x 440mm (D) -without front panel.

Would a combination of something like this be more efficient?

New motherboard

CPU with new motherboard

As well as the 7850 graphics card.

[dosbox]

Originally Posted by joshc9

Thankyou all

If I do decide to upgrade my motherboard, could anyone please show me one which is reasonably priced and would allow me to make a big upgrade on my CPU.

Dimensions of my case: 200mm (W) x 430mm (H) x 440mm (D) -without front panel.

Would a combination of something like this be more efficient?

New motherboard

CPU with new motherboard

As well as the 7850 graphics card.

Yes, you'll get a noticeable bump with that combination.

[Doc_Gonzo]

You would be better off with the current Generation of CPU, Ivy Bridge.
Something like this for the motherboard
And the i5 3450 for the CPU
The 7850 is a good card choice. I go tone a few days ago and it's eating every game I've played so far

[dosbox]

Originally Posted by Doc_Gonzo

You would be better off with the current Generation of CPU, Ivy Bridge.
Something like this for the motherboard
And the i5 3450 for the CPU
The 7850 is a good card choice. I go tone a few days ago and it's eating every game I've played so far

That would work too, but bear in mind the H77 motherboard is 50% more expensive than the H61. I don't think the price difference is worth it, but if the OP can afford it, it would be a better choice in the long term.

[joshc9]

Cheers for your advice guys !. I've decided on what I'm getting:

CPU
Motherboard
GFX Card

Few things;

I've only got 4GB of DDR2 RAM, so I'm assuming I have to buy some DDR3 for the new MOBO, if so, how much should I get and what type? (Links are welcome )

And do I have to buy a new PSU as well? Because the 7850 card recommends 500W+ PSU and the i5 3450 CPU says TDP (Thermal Design Power) 77 W in its specs. Does that mean it needs 77W to function and my PSU is only 550W so is there a risk of it blowing up in my face because 500W is already being used by the GFX card?

[Doc_Gonzo]

You'll need a H77 or Z77 motherboard to support that CPU. The H61 MIGHT support it with a BIOS update, but it's best to have the correct chipset for that CPU.
Your PSU will be fine. The 500W figure is not just for the graphics card but for a system in total, including the graphics card ;o)
I'd go for 2 x 4Gb of DDR3 1600Mhz RAM. Stick to kits rated at 1.5V and you should be fine. I'll have a look for links when I get home. Something like this

[fincher234]

That motherboard should have a bios that can handle the 3450 ivy chips(unless it has been sitting there since the spring of the year. I checked this on the compatibility list).


Yes you need to replace your ram if you do this.
Here is some gskill 1600 ddr3:

http://www.cclonline.com/product/547...-DDR3/RAM1230/

No, you don't need to replace your corsair 550vx.

[joshc9]

Ok my bad. thanks.

So THIS motherboard will work with that CPU.

And two of these? RAM

EDIT: or as fincher234 has linked which is a better price and seems to be the better choice.

[Doc_Gonzo]

No problem!
Yes, that motherboard will be fine.
The RAM you linked to will be fine too, but it's cheaper buying the kit of 2 that I linked to ;o) Same RAM but your link is for a single stick, my link is for two

[joshc9]

Thanks a lot mate!

I'm sorted now. <3

Internet highfive.