Need Help upgrading, looking for options.

[Jon K.]

Currently This is my Motherboard.

MSI P67A-GD65 (B3) LGA 1155 Intel P67 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130574

 

I'm also using this as my processor currently:

Intel Core i7-2600K Sandy Bridge Quad-Core 3.4GHz (3.8GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 1155 95W BX80623I72600K  (WHICH I OVERCLOCKED to 4.2GHz)

 

My current RAM: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231400     x2

 

 

I'd like to upgrade my motherboard and maybe keep my processor for now if possible. (trying to spend as little as possible but keep flexibility)

 

Now if buying an upgraded motherboard w/ processor included would still be idea and cheaper then what i have now I'm willing. But i'm looking to spend roughly $300 max for something that will be great for the future.

 

 

Currently I'm using a GTX 970 which is overkill for the motherboard. I don't think the motherboard is using it's full potential.  

 

Sooooo Please help! any suggestions or ideas would be greatly appreciated.  I'm willing to upgrade RAM and Processor if i can keep it to within like $400 tops...

 

my harddrive is a SSD samsung evo so i'm sure i'm ok there.

 

And this is my power supply: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139006

oh and i guess my Current CASE could be useful: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811108230

 

 

[Imakuni]

1 minute ago, Jon K. said:

Currently I'm using a GTX 970 which is overkill for the motherboard. I don't think the motherboard is using it's full potential.

Mobos have nothing to do with performance. If you wanted the upgrade just because you thought it wasn't using your GPU to the fullest, fear not: you'll get no boost at all. Keep your current mobo and save the cash.

[Electronics Wizardy]

No reason to upgrade the motherboard. Its not limiting the cpu or gpu.

 

If your goin to up grade, id get a ssd or a faster gpu like a 1070.

[Jon K.]

But the motherboard only has:

PCI Express 2.0 x16

 

the GTX970 uses 3.0?

 

Currently i bought : https://www.amazon.com/EVGA-GeForce-Quieter-Graphics-04G-P4-2974-KR/dp/B00NVODXR4/ref=sr_1_1?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1476206736&sr=1-1&keywords=GTX+970

 

so i'm missing out on the speed from this.,

[incarnate]

14 minutes ago, Jon K. said:

Currently This is my Motherboard.

MSI P67A-GD65 (B3) LGA 1155 Intel P67 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130574

 

I'm also using this as my processor currently:

Intel Core i7-2600K Sandy Bridge Quad-Core 3.4GHz (3.8GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 1155 95W BX80623I72600K  (WHICH I OVERCLOCKED to 4.2GHz)

 

My current RAM: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231400     x2

 

 

I'd like to upgrade my motherboard and maybe keep my processor for now if possible. (trying to spend as little as possible but keep flexibility)

 

Now if buying an upgraded motherboard w/ processor included would still be idea and cheaper then what i have now I'm willing. But i'm looking to spend roughly $300 max for something that will be great for the future.

 

 

Currently I'm using a GTX 970 which is overkill for the motherboard. I don't think the motherboard is using it's full potential.  

 

Sooooo Please help! any suggestions or ideas would be greatly appreciated.  I'm willing to upgrade RAM and Processor if i can keep it to within like $400 tops...

 

my harddrive is a SSD samsung evo so i'm sure i'm ok there.

 

And this is my power supply: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139006

oh and i guess my Current CASE could be useful: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811108230

 

 

The only way your motherboard could bottleneck the gpu is if it doesn't have a 16x slot.

 

If you upgrade to keep your cpu for any length of time you'll be shooting yourself in the foot.

 

Save up more money over the next month. Wait for black Friday and check out the deals on Skylake/haswell platforms. If you can get an i7 k model and a z motherboard (and ram for Skylake) then get it, if not then save more and wait for kabylake. 

[incarnate]

3 minutes ago, Jon K. said:

But the motherboard only has:

PCI Express 2.0 x16

 

the GTX970 uses 3.0?

 

Currently i bought : https://www.amazon.com/EVGA-GeForce-Quieter-Graphics-04G-P4-2974-KR/dp/B00NVODXR4/ref=sr_1_1?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1476206736&sr=1-1&keywords=GTX+970

 

so i'm missing out on the speed from this.,

No you aren't. Take vsync off in a game load msi afterburner and look at your gpu usage. If it's lower than 90-95% and the cpu ISN'T maxing out, then it's a pci bottleneck. Only then.

 

As far as I'm aware even a 980ti couldn't saturate gen 2.

 

Also if your cpu doesn't support gen 3 then you're sol anyway even with a gen 3 slot

[Jon K.]

3 minutes ago, incarnate said:

The only way your motherboard could bottleneck the gpu is if it doesn't have a 16x slot.

 

If you upgrade to keep your cpu for any length of time you'll be shooting yourself in the foot.

 

Save up more money over the next month. Wait for black Friday and check out the deals on Skylake/haswell platforms. If you can get an i7 k model and a z motherboard (and ram for Skylake) then get it, if not then save more and wait for kabylake. 

good to know thank you.

[Imakuni]

2 minutes ago, Jon K. said:

But the motherboard only has:

PCI Express 2.0 x16

 

the GTX970 uses 3.0?

Not a problem. The 970 doesn't actually need that much bandwidth. Nor do GPUs twice as powerful such as a Gtx 1070.

 

Let me say it again: you won't get a boost from changing the mobo. Save your money or invest it elsewhere.

[Jon K.]

Just now, Imakuni said:

Not a problem. The 970 doesn't actually need that much bandwidth. Nor do GPUs twice as powerful such as a Gtx 1070.

 

Let me say it again: you won't get a boost from changing the mobo. Save your money or invest it elsewhere.

thank you.

[incarnate]

3 minutes ago, Jon K. said:

good to know thank you.

No problem. I'm not saying you shouldn't upgrade. Just wait and make the upgrade worth while. Your set up is definitely enough for the time being

[Jon K.]

1 minute ago, incarnate said:

No problem. I'm not saying you shouldn't upgrade. Just wait and make the upgrade worth while. Your set up is definitely enough for the time being

thats great to know, sounds like the best thing i could do for an upgrade (if i want one) would be to upgrade the motherboard with a significant upgrade to the processor at the same time..  I already am using SSD and don't really need to upgrade my 970 right now.. (i just got it for like $350) so i'm happy with it.

 

thanks everyone for helping me decide.  I'll look into better processors and motherboard combos for the future then.  (now its a matter of X series or Z) I think the Z is cheaper.... but X overclocks better? hmm the options.

[incarnate]

38 minutes ago, Jon K. said:

(now its a matter of X series or Z) I think the Z is cheaper.... but X overclocks better? hmm the options.

No that's not it.

 

Z series are the most feature rich of the mainstream consumer line. The X series motherboards are for the enthusiast i7s (like the 6 core 6800k and up) and the prosumer xeon lines. It has nothing to do with overclocking. In fact, the enthusiast grade i7s don't clock as high as the mainstream i7s due to putting out more heat and having 6+ cores to stabilize.

[Jon K.]

ok continuation on this topic!

 

I've decided to limit my spending to under $400 for now.. + a case

 

Will my Current processor : http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115070  work with a newer motherboard that has DDR4 such as this one? https://www.amazon.com/dp/B016A44XHK/

 

Then all i need is updated DDR 4 ram and i can continue to use my SSD and my GPU.  I'll upgrade the processor later to the 6700k or something higher when i get more money.