Upgrade dilemma

gotnyerked · June 23, 2014

LF: CPU&MOBO. wallet 260 USD

Hey everyone!

As the title suggests, I'm looking for ways to improve my pc's performance, especially in the CPU front. Now, this is my current build:

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/V7MYQ7

CPU: AMD Phenom II X4 965 Black 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor

CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper N520 43.8 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($36.97 @ OutletPC)

Motherboard: Asus M4A89GTD PRO/USB3 ATX AM3 Motherboard

Memory: Corsair XMS3 4GB (2 x 2GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($52.99 @ Newegg)

Storage: Kingston HyperX 3K 120GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($74.99 @ Amazon)

Storage: Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 500GB 2.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive ($59.98 @ OutletPC)

Storage: Samsung Spinpoint F1 DT 160GB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive

Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 660 2GB Video Card ($199.98 @ SuperBiiz)

Power Supply: Cooler Master GX 750W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($122.49 @ Amazon)

Optical Drive: LG GH22NS50 Bulk DVD/CD Writer

Lately I've began to feel heavy bottleneck-ish stuff, in newer releases. This bothers me a lot, because I'm a heavy MMO player, and everything else seems to handle pretty well, but once I get into BG's and stuff, my performance drops, and I assume by CPU plays catch-up, because the GPU doesn't even hit 75% load.

From what I heard, MMO's mostly rely on single-thread performance, so I've searched for a CPU accordingly. And that's when I ran into a few obstacles.

I will need to switch from AMD to Intel. This will allow me to SLI that GPU in the future anyway, but it also means that I will have to get a new mobo.
Then I figured, the new mobo must be mATX, because I like to go to lan parties, and an smaller case like a Prodigy would help me a lot in terms of carrying stuff around.
The total should go above 260 USD. This is completely non-negotiable (it's even a bit too much, but hey, masterrace or not?)

Now, on the CPU front, I have some idea of what I'd like, namely the:

Core i5-4690K

Which is the best i5 processor, in the single-thread performance, according to cpuboss.com; or the

Core i5-4460

From the /r/pcmasterrace build section.

But on the MOBO section; I have no damn idea what to buy, at all.

So, my question is; is this upgrade doable if I want the best single-threaded perf. CPU there is, and a new mobo with this wallet? Can you recommend something? Or should I save some more money?

Thanks for helping me out!

DarrenP · June 23, 2014

LF: CPU&MOBO. wallet 260 USD

Hey everyone!

As the title suggests, I'm looking for ways to improve my pc's performance, especially in the CPU front. Now, this is my current build:

Lately I've began to feel heavy bottleneck-ish stuff, in newer releases. This bothers me a lot, because I'm a heavy MMO player, and everything else seems to handle pretty well, but once I get into BG's and stuff, my performance drops, and I assume by CPU plays catch-up, because the GPU doesn't even hit 75% load.

From what I heard, MMO's mostly rely on single-thread performance, so I've searched for a CPU accordingly. And that's when I ran into a few obstacles.

I will need to switch from AMD to Intel. This will allow me to SLI that GPU in the future anyway, but it also means that I will have to get a new mobo.

Then I figured, the new mobo must be mATX, because I like to go to lan parties, and an smaller case like a Prodigy would help me a lot in terms of carrying stuff around.

The total should go above 260 USD. This is completely non-negotiable (it's even a bit too much, but hey, masterrace or not?)

Now, on the CPU front, I have some idea of what I'd like, namely the:
Core i5-4690K
Which is the best i5 processor, in the single-thread performance, according to cpuboss.com; or the
Core i5-4460
From the /r/pcmasterrace build section.
But on the MOBO section; I have no damn idea what to buy, at all.

So, my question is; is this upgrade doable if I want the best single-threaded perf. CPU there is, and a new mobo with this wallet? Can you recommend something? Or should I save some more money?

Thanks for helping me out!

CPUBoss should be taken with a grain of salt.

Do you plan to overclock? Also do you live in the United States? I'd suggest going to your local Microcenter. As you can get amazing deals on CPU+Mobo combo's.

Faceman · June 23, 2014

@gotnyerked

If you live in the US, you can pick up an i5-4690k for ~$200 at Microcenter, in-store only. Microcenter also does amazing deals on CPU + mobo combos, so if you live near a Microcenter, definitely make your purchases with them.

If you don't live near a Microcenter, you can use Staples.com Price Match feature to get the CPU shipped to you. To do that, you will have to call them up, or live chat through their website.

I think you will need to realistically extend your budget to around $320+ to get what you want.

Here is a good Z97 Micro-ATX Motherboard that is SLI capable: Gigabyte GA-Z97MX Gaming 5 - $120.

gotnyerked · June 24, 2014

@DarrenP

I live in Hungary, so no micro centers, or mobo+cpu combo discounts for me. Also, we have 27% VAT (which is not even funny), so my $260 actually worth a bit less.

As for overclocking; my trusty old 965 has been running at 4.1 GHz for more than 3 years, with every ounce of performance squeezed out of it, so yeah, oc ing would be nice

@Faceman

Thanks for the mobo recommendation!

Unfortunately, I checked the local prices for the parts I've been looking at, the 4670k clocks in at $245, and the mobo at $165.

So, I guess no steam summer sales for me

One more thing...since you said that cpuboss should not be taken very seriously, if I upgrade from this old configuration of mine, will the performance increase be noticeable? I mean I get that I'm using a config from 2010, but will this upgrade actually solve my issue with CPU heavy games, or do I need to throw even more money at my system to get what I really want?

Faceman · June 24, 2014

@gotnyerked

Because you are an MMO player, you will see a drastic improvement by switching to Intel. Even an i3 would suit your needs for MMOs. The i3 is a very capable CPU, and is capable of handling games like Battlefield4, but I would still recommend holding out for an i5 to get the most life out of your purchase. If all you do is play MMOs, then an i3 is a good alternative and will last you for quite some time.

I would also get more RAM when funds become available. 4GB is enough to play most games, but 8GB will give you more headroom to multitask and play any game out there.

MMOs aren't extremely graphics intensive, although ESO was beautiful to look at, not so much to play, but that's more of a personal preference. The next upgrade that you should make is a better GPU. The 660 still has a year of useful life left in it, more if you use lower settings. Nothing will have more of an impact on performance in games than your GPU. Most games are GPU dependent, only a handful being CPU dependent. MMOs/Battlefield/Crysis3/Watch Dogs/Arma3/LoL being CPU dependent just to name a few.