What should I upgrade my CPU to, to make a difference gaming?

Current CPU:AMD Athlon II X4 640


Options:Phenom II X4 805 Popularity 6.9
Phenom II X4 810 Popularity 7.1
Phenom II X4 820 Popularity 7.3
Phenom II X4 830 Popularity 7.3
Phenom II X4 840 Popularity 7.7
Phenom II X4 840T Popularity 7.5
Phenom II X4 850 Popularity 8
Phenom II X4 900e Popularity 6.9
Phenom II X4 905e Popularity 6.8
Phenom II X4 910 Popularity 7.1
Phenom II X4 910e Popularity 7
Phenom II X4 920 Popularity 7.4
Phenom II X4 925 Popularity 7.3
Phenom II X4 940 Popularity 7.6
Phenom II X4 945 Popularity 7.6
Phenom II X4 955 Popularity 7.9
Phenom II X4 955 Black Edition Popularity 7.9
Phenom II X4 960T Popularity 7.6
Phenom II X4 965 Popularity 8.1
Phenom II X4 965 Black Edition Popularity 8.1
Phenom II X4 970 Popularity 8.2
Phenom II X4 975 Popularity 8.3
Phenom II X4 980 Popularity 8.4
Phenom II X4 B93 Popularity 7.3
Phenom II X4 B95 Popularity 7.6
Phenom II X4 B97 Popularity 7.9
Phenom II X4 B99 Popularity 8.1
Phenom II X6 1035T Popularity 8.5
Phenom II X6 1045T Popularity 8.6
Phenom II X6 1055T Popularity 8.7
Phenom II X6 1055T v2 Popularity 8.7
Phenom II X6 1065T Popularity 8.9
Phenom II X6 1075T Popularity 9
Phenom II X6 1090T Popularity 9.2
Phenom II X6 1100T Popularity 9.3

My graphics card is a Vapor-X R9 270X

If your going to upgrade your motherboard why not go with one of the ones with more cores? newegg.com has some good deals on 8 core mother boards.
Computer Parts, Laptops, Electronics, and More - Newegg.com

how do you like that graphics card?

rarda said:

If your going to upgrade your motherboard why not go with one of the ones with more cores? newegg.com has some good deals on 8 core mother boards.
Computer Parts, Laptops, Electronics, and More - Newegg.com

how do you like that graphics card?

I'm not upgrading my motherboard and my current motherboard is AM3 only. I am upgrading my cpu.
Foxconn 2AB1 Mobo Compatible PC CPUs

All the current AM3 processors are out of stock in newegg..

Reflex said:

rarda said:

If your going to upgrade your motherboard why not go with one of the ones with more cores? newegg.com has some good deals on 8 core mother boards.
Computer Parts, Laptops, Electronics, and More - Newegg.com

how do you like that graphics card?

I'm not upgrading my motherboard and my current motherboard is AM3 only. I am upgrading my cpu.
Foxconn 2AB1 Mobo Compatible PC CPUs

All the current AM3 processors are out of stock in newegg..

Aw sorry I read that wrong

Buying a used processor off ebay=risky as ****

where can i find a new Phenom II X4 965 Black Edition which is also currently available

Phenom II’s haven’t been manufactured for years... you’re really unlikely to find a brand new one. Even if you did, you’d pay quite a premium for a brand new, out of production chip. So, your best course of action, if you insist on a brand new chip, really will be to just go AM3+. And in the long run, that will actually cost you less than in trying to upgrade this system now, but then having to do it again in the next couple of years. If you go AM3+ now, you will buy yourself at least two more years of upgradability options with brand new chips, and again spend less over the long haul.

As to an AM3+ motherboard for your consideration, I very highly recommend the ASUS M5A99FX Pro R2.0, it is the best AM3+ board under $150 you can still buy and which has a sufficient VRM phase count to reliably handle the higher-end FX chips (8320 and better). It’s basically a Sabertooth without the brown motif and premium price. If you decide on the 8320 or better, I can’t recommend a board with less than a 6+2 VRM (voltage issues can and most likely would result with a lesser VRM and one of those chips or better. Tons have reported that. It’s really not recommended, despite compatibility lists). And the VRM should also always be heatsinked (most under $100 are not and they are also almost always a 4+1 or 4+2 VRM. Again, really not sufficient for 8320 or better).

Unfortunately, changing the motherboard is almost guaranteed to break your OEM Windows license. You have about a 50-50 chance of Microsoft activating it again with the new board after you call them and explain why. If not, then you’ll need to buy a System Builder 7 or 8.1 (around $100).

Now, if you really only use this system for gaming, you don’t need an 8320 or better right now. You should go for a 6350 (give it a 212 Evo HSF), as most games presently can’t utilize any more than 4 cores anyway (the sole exception are x64 games; few and far between). If, on the other hand, you do more than gaming, you will definitely see an overall better performance with an 8320 or better (but those chips really do demand a very good aftermarket HSF to keep them under 62C core temp {“Package”} – the $100 range kind of HSFs, and that don’t fit into small cases either).


And just to give you an idea, I have never seen my 8350 go over 45% utilization (most of the time it’s actually operating as a 4-core). That means I have plenty of headroom for a few years before I will have any need to upgrade. You should be more than fine even going with a 6350 is what I’m driving at. You probably won’t ever see one of them go beyond 70% utilization within the next couple years (you know, outside of stress testing or benchmarking).