CPU Upgrade

[TechUkie]

I have an Intel Core 2 Quad Q9550, XFX 6870, and an NVIDIA 9500 GT for my third monitor. My CPU is getting to the point where it needs to be upgraded because it is the bottleneck in most games. I usually game at 1080p Med-High settings. My GPU is more than enough for me but I noticed it's the processor that falls behind. Should I get a 3570k and new MOBO or upgrade my whole system?

[BlackOutCrisis]

Well you can always upgrade in steps so you could get a new motherboard and cpu now then get a new gpu later. But I would wait like another month for haswell to launch and then upgrade to the new i5 and motherboard

[TechUkie]

Would the price of the i5 drop a bit by then?

[BlackOutCrisis]

Haswell will be the same price as ivy and sandy were and ivy probably will not drop in price at all, maybe 10$ at most but you may find a couple deals on retailers trying to clear out extra ivy stock.

[TechFan@ic]

How much are you willing to spend ?

[mgsstar]

If you want to update your cpu and motherboard, I would recommend getting the P8Z77-V LK, very nice budget board and a 3570k. This will prevent bottleneck if you plan on upgrading your gpu.

[BlackOutCrisis]

If you want to update your cpu and motherboard, I would recommend getting the P8Z77-V LK, very nice budget board and a 3570k. This will prevent bottleneck if you plan on upgrading your gpu.

Everybody recommends that board and I have no clue why. The msi z77a g45 and the asrock z77 extreme3/4 are both better boards in every way in my opinion.

[TechUkie]

Alright thanks everybody! I'll look over those motherboards and see which one I love best.

[Quaker]

The choice of motherboard is mainly a matter of "features". You want a motherboard with enough USB and SATA ports and any connectors you may need. If you plan to overclock the CPU you'll want a Z77 based board with good power regulating features.

If you don't plan to overclock, then a less expensive H77, B75, or Z75 based board would be fine if it has the required features.

A minor consideration is the size of the case - if you have a small case, you may need to limit your choices to mATX boards.

 

For a CPU you want, preferably, an i5-3570(K), but any i5 will do for gaming - or you could consider an i7-3770.

 

Waiting to see what Haswell has to offer, would be a good idea at this point. If Intel keeps it's normal pricing structure, the older Ivy-Bridge processor's prices won't change much after Haswell is released.