Budget upgrade

[SiriousArts]

Hey Guys,

a friend of mine currently has a pretty old PC and is strugelling to get many games running on it at times even has problems booting it.

Budget: 300-400€ right now some more later

Use: gaming (mainly LoL) and office stuff

First of all he certainly needs a fresh install of Windows on a new SSD but some of his other Components probably need to e exchanged aswell.

Current build:

- MoBo: A quite decent 775 MoBo (dont know the exact model right now)

- CPU: Intel Q9505

- 8GB DDR2 RAM

- Graphics: GTX 275

- PSU 750W (dont know the brand atm, but it was good back when he build the system)

- 1TB HDD

Is it worth upgrading or should he buy a new Mainboard?

I thought, also concerning future-proofness it might be good to build a new Z97 system and reusing some parts (PSU and HDD)

Additionally I still have some parts laying around here which I would use for the build:

- 12x 2GB DDR3 RAM -> 4x2=8GB could be used for his build

- Radeon HD 6850 -> not the best card but still an improvement comparing to the GTX 275

My current plan would be: (focused on future proofness)

- A good but not extremely expensive Z97(suggestions?)

- i5 4690k

- 8GB of my RAM (no costs)

- My HD 6850 (get a good one when he has more money)

- Getting a 128GB SSD

- Reusing the PSU

- Reusing the Case

Thanks for your advice

[Xenift]

Get a 4460, more than enough.

[Bazilias]

-snip- 

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

 

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($227.99 @ SuperBiiz) 

CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler  ($24.88 @ OutletPC) 

Motherboard: ASRock Z97 Extreme3 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($82.98 @ Newegg) 

Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($89.88 @ OutletPC) 

Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($65.88 @ OutletPC) 

Case: NZXT S340 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case  ($64.99 @ Directron) 

Total: $556.60

Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-01-13 03:46 EST-0500

 

Use the card he now has and save some money for an R9 390.

[Guest SkyFall]

I would do the following additionally to your own parts:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: AMD Athlon X4 860K 3.7GHz Quad-Core Processor (€81.35 @ Mindfactory)
CPU Cooler: ARCTIC Freezer 7 Pro Rev.2 45.0 CFM Fluid Dynamic Bearing CPU Cooler (€19.90 @ Caseking)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-F2A88XM-D3H Micro ATX FM2+ Motherboard (€63.92 @ Amazon Deutschland)
Storage: A-Data Premier Pro SP900 128GB 2.5" Solid State Drive (€55.00 @ Amazon Deutschland)
Total: €220.17
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-01-13 10:55 CET+0100
 
EDIT: Changed Mainboard

Edited January 13, 2016 by SkyFall

[Guest SkyFall]

Austin Evans once did a nice video comparing the i5 to the "cheap" 750k:

 

[Nena Trinity]

Since its a quad-core you can grab up to a 370 or 950! (sadly anything over these will be bottled to much sorry)

[SiriousArts]

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

 

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($227.99 @ SuperBiiz) 

CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler  ($24.88 @ OutletPC) 

Motherboard: ASRock Z97 Extreme3 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($82.98 @ Newegg) 

Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($89.88 @ OutletPC) 

Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($65.88 @ OutletPC) 

Case: NZXT S340 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case  ($64.99 @ Directron) 

Total: $556.60

Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-01-13 03:46 EST-0500

 

Use the card he now has and save some money for an R9 390.

 

That is about the build I had in mind so far minus the case and the HDD as they will be reused.

 

 

Austin Evans once did a nice video comparing the i5 to the "cheap" 750k:

 

 

Yeah.. As I want to build it kinda future proof, I guess, the extra money is worth the performance gain. Especially when a higher end GPU is gonna be added later on.

[Qwerty2323]

just saying you can also get  i5 6400 with b150 or h170 motherboard and dd4 ram not much of price difference between haswell and skylake system if you feel like going for new gen

like i5 6400 cost same as i5 4460 

motherboards seem to be around 100$~so like 20 more

ddr4 seem to cost same as ddr3 

 

i5 will cost like 100$ more but it will never bottleneck your gpu what ever you might get in future but with that budget seems like if your friend gets cash he could get something like gtx 950 (also known as moba gpu) for around 150$

[SiriousArts]

just saying you can also get  i5 6400 with b150 or h170 motherboard and dd4 ram not much of price difference between haswell and skylake system if you feel like going for new gen

like i5 6400 cost same as i5 4460 

motherboards seem to be around 100$~so like 20 more

ddr4 seem to cost same as ddr3 

 

That might be right, but as I have DDR3 RAM that I dont have to spend money on, a board that uses ddr3 probably is the better choice.

[Guest SkyFall]

 

-snip-

 

Yeah.. As I want to build it kinda future proof, I guess, the extra money is worth the performance gain. Especially when a higher end GPU is gonna be added later on.

 

If your friend mainly plays LoL and similar games, why should he need a high end GPU?

 

And looking at the performance statistics, the 860K can, with a 270x/370x, handle most games today at 1080p with medium to high settings.

 

Only if your friend plans to play games like Witcher in 1-2 years, the i5 will pay off.

[flipped_bit]

Nice of you to give him those parts.

 

A Haswell i3 or i5 will be a huge - and very noticeable - upgrade over what he has currently.

 

Not familiar with European pricing, but I'd think for 300-400 you should be able to upgrade to a quad-core Haswell cpu + mobo.  If you need to add the OS on top of that you may have to go over budget.  If things are especially tight you can stick with a high-clocked i3 to save a little more; for LoL that should be just fine. 

 

A Haswell K CPU like the 4690K requires a Z97 chipset mobo; otherwise you could save a little money and go with a different socket 1150 chipset (e.g. H97).

[flipped_bit]

If your friend mainly plays LoL and similar games, why should he need a high end GPU?

 

And looking at the performance statistics, the 860K can, with a 270x/370x, handle most games today at 1080p with medium to high settings.

 

Only if your friend plans to play games like Witcher in 1-2 years, the i5 will pay off.

 

He has the budget for an i3 and possibly an i5, so why would he go w/ an 860K?  A Haswell i3 or i5 will blow it out of the water, and I'm sure his friend will be much happier with it over the long-term as it also provides an upgrade path to an i7.

[Guest SkyFall]

He has the budget for an i3 and possibly an i5, so why would he go w/ an 860K?  A Haswell i3 or i5 will blow it out of the water, and I'm sure his friend will be much happier with it over the long-term as it also provides an upgrade path to an i7.

 

Yes, I agree with you.

But it doesn't make sense to keep paths open when you don't know if you'll be able to buy the CPUs for that socket in a couple of years.

[flipped_bit]

Yes, I agree with you.

But it doesn't make sense to keep paths open when you don't know if you'll be able to buy the CPUs for that socket in a couple of years.

 

Perhaps not new, but the used market for Haswell will be huge.  A *lot* of people have 4690Ks and 4790Ks.

[Guest SkyFall]

Perhaps not new, but the used market for Haswell will be huge.  A *lot* of people have 4690Ks and 4790Ks.

 

That may be true depending on where you live.

But I don't think that owners of 4690K & 4790K's will upgrade in the next couple of years.... (Unless AMD boasts innovation with Zen and the am4 platform)

 

I, for myself, think that one shouldn't future proof parts like the mainboard, CPU and GPU for more than 2-3 years.

[SiriousArts]

Thanks for all of your advice so far

 

I guess an i5 will probably be the best choice, as he currently mostly plays LoL but also plays many other games, that require better performance. It is also not unlikely, that he will play new AAA titles in the future.

 

Another question: No matter what platform my friend and I choose, is it worth trying to get another 6850/6870 for Crossfire until he gets a decent card, or is the performance gain not worth the 25-35€

[Guest SkyFall]

Thanks for all of your advice so far

 

I guess an i5 will probably be the best choice, as he currently mostly plays LoL but also plays many other games, that require better performance. It is also not unlikely, that he will play new AAA titles in the future.

 

Another question: No matter what platform my friend and I choose, is it worth trying to get another 6850/6870 for Crossfire until he gets a decent card, or is the performance gain not worth the 25-35€

 

I think another GPU could be worth it, it depends on what you pay for your electricity.

If you're lucky and got cheap electricity, get another 6850/6870.

If not you're better of by saving the money and getting a GTX 950 as soon as possible.

[flipped_bit]

Thanks for all of your advice so far

 

I guess an i5 will probably be the best choice, as he currently mostly plays LoL but also plays many other games, that require better performance. It is also not unlikely, that he will play new AAA titles in the future.

 

Another question: No matter what platform my friend and I choose, is it worth trying to get another 6850/6870 for Crossfire until he gets a decent card, or is the performance gain not worth the 25-35€

 

I'd do a little research on the games he plays to see how they handle Crossfire.  I have no idea how LoL handles, for example, but as far as I know it's not a particularly graphics intensive game. 

[Darkseth]

There are also a lot B150 Mainboards, that use DDR3  

Like this: https://geizhals.de/asus-b150-pro-gaming-d3-90mb0mn0-m0eay0-a1318977.html?hloc=at&hloc=de (Note for others: A german price comparison site)

 

Very good features, USB Type C, M.2 (But only x2 on B150), SATA connectors on the side for better cable management...

This Board also gives 15€ Cashback from Asus untill 31th January: https://www.asus-insider.de/aktionen/xmas-deals/#nav

So it will be at effective 88€~

 

i5 6400 is "okay", but i would spend 20€ more for an 6500 with 500 Mhz more. But for only LoL this won't matter at all.

 

Oh, since here in germany haswell/Devil's canyon (4th gen) is not really cheaper than Skylake, i would go for Skylake.