Upgrading my computer, Best build price/performance?

[Hydroo]

My current build is:

MOBO: Gigabyte GA-880GA-UD3H
GPU: GTS 450
CPU: AMD Athlon II 4 640
RAM: Corsair Vengeance 8gb 1600mhz
PSU: 500watt 80+ (silver i think)
HDD: 1TB

I am going to be upgrading to:

MOBO: ASRock B75 Pro3-M
GPU: GTX 660
CPU: i3 3220 @ 3.30ghz
RAM: Corsair Vengeance 8gb 1600mhz
PSU: 500watt 80+ (silver i think)
HDD: 1TB

does anyone have any suggestions on how i could make this build better with a minimal price increase, around 20-50 pounds and if all the components are compatible?

 

[Pedroc1999]

maybe get a i3 3240 instead of 2120 because 2120 is previous architecture, maybe ssd and youl be off, 3240 is about £20 more but i dont know about the ssd as i can recall the price

 

[Hydroo]

K thanks for the advice but im never going to be getting an ssd unless they lower the prices down to around hdds, in my opinion ssds are worthless i mean come on 100-200 pounds for 5 second faster loading and boot time? my computer boots up in 25 seconds as is and i use a hdd.

 

[Pedroc1999]

i have never used one but in the future it will always be a g00d upgrade

 

[bassfisher6522]

I see no mention of a case or type of cooling you'll be using. Those are some very important factors to consider.

Also with an SSD there are no moving parts to go bad or any defragging to be done. They produce a fraction of the heat that the current hdd's produce. Which aids in the over all cooling of your system which in-turns helps with the overall performance and longevity of a system.

 

[kbrady1979]

SSD's are not just for faster shutdown/reboots. Every time you click on a program or application to start up and run, you have to wait....the more intensive the program, the longer the load time. Anytime you install something, instead of really slow installs, it takes a fraction of the time. If you don't think an SSD will help a computers overall performance, you've never seen one in action. It is one of the easiest and cheapest ways to increase performance, and you will see more of a increase than a CPU/RAM upgrade every day of the week.

 

[Hydroo]

I see no mention of a case or type of cooling you'll be using. Those are some very important factors to consider.

Also with an SSD there are no moving parts to go bad or any defragging to be done. They produce a fraction of the heat that the current hdd's produce. Which aids in the over all cooling of your system which in-turns helps with the overall performance and longevity of a system.

Case: Metal no clue what type
Cooling: No aftermarket cooler

a 1tb SSD costs way too much, having a hdd and an sdd makes your fraction of heat point invalid id actually be producing more heat, im not willing to spend 150 pounds to save a minute or so every day. Longevity and performance? i know that ssd do not give fps increase in games atleast nothing above 4fps, i don't know about longevity but ive seen computers from 2000 that still have the same hdd and are functioning.

 

[Hydroo]

SSD's are not just for faster shutdown/reboots. Every time you click on a program or application to start up and run, you have to wait....the more intensive the program, the longer the load time. Anytime you install something, instead of really slow installs, it takes a fraction of the time. If you don't think an SSD will help a computers overall performance, you've never seen one in action. It is one of the easiest and cheapest ways to increase performance, and you will see more of a increase than a CPU/RAM upgrade every day of the week.

I really don't care about the speed increase i am fine with a hdd and love the fact you can have so much space for so cheap the only thing that would compel me to buy and ssd is if ssds increased fps in games by around 10+fps.
You make it seem like i have to wait a minute for a game to open but that's not the case it takes 2-4 seconds max sometimes instantly i just don't think that ssds are price/performance fair but that's just my opinion.

 

[Pedroc1999]

get a small 80gb ssd, the have a 250 or 500gb hdd for your data/games

 

[kbrady1979]

Nobody buys a 1TB SSD. You buy a SSD that is around 128-256GB and use that for your OS, applications/programs, games.......and use the HDD as storage for video/music/pictures/documents. In a desktop, an SSD is strictly for performance. Games don't benefit at all from SSD's except loading times. The performance increase is in day to day activities.

But you seem to have them all figured out...

 

[Hydroo]

Okay enough with the ssd talk.

Okay enough with the ssd talk we all have our opinions, back to the

does anyone have any suggestions on how i could make this build better with a minimal price increase, around 20-50 pounds.
Also: Will i be able to play BF3 on mostly ultra settings with 60fps at 1366x768?
and are all the parts compatible?

 

[Hydroo]

Nobody buys a 1TB SSD. You buy a SSD that is around 128-256GB and use that for your OS, applications/programs, games.......and use the HDD as storage for video/music/pictures/documents. In a desktop, an SSD is strictly for performance. Games don't benefit at all from SSD's except loading times. The performance increase is in day to day activities.

But you seem to have them all figured out...

Exactly! no one buys a 1TB ssd because it costs too much i have 500gb of games on my hdd at the moment i cant fit that in a 128gb or 256gb ssd and they cost too much in my opinion. No i don't have it all figured out its just an opinion.

 

[kbrady1979]

SSD's are not just for faster shutdown/reboots. Every time you click on a program or application to start up and run, you have to wait....the more intensive the program, the longer the load time. Anytime you install something, instead of really slow installs, it takes a fraction of the time. If you don't think an SSD will help a computers overall performance, you've never seen one in action. It is one of the easiest and cheapest ways to increase performance, and you will see more of a increase than a CPU/RAM upgrade every day of the week.

I really don't care about the speed increase i am fine with a hdd and love the fact you can have so much space for so cheap the only thing that would compel me to buy and ssd is if ssds increased fps in games by around 10+fps.
You make it seem like i have to wait a minute for a game to open but that's not the case it takes 2-4 seconds max sometimes instantly i just don't think that ssds are price/performance fair but that's just my opinion.

I certainly did not make anything seem like that.....I stated a fact. Every time you open up a program or application, there is a load time. HDD's have longer load and access times than SSD's...fact.

I would also like to point out two things: your Thread title, and opening post. You took the time to list all of your current components, and what you will be upgrading to. You then appeal to others for their suggestions on how to improve on this concoction of parts. I, of course, suggested an SSD(which can be purchased for close to $75-80....and that is a Samsung SSD!) which anyone who has one can attest to their overall performance increase. You countered with the reasons you don't want an SSD, which I felt were a little limited in scope, and I simply listed a few more things an SSD can do for a system.

Fast forward: Now you say you don't care about speed and pretty much, if it doesn't benefit gaming directly you don't care about it.

I apologize for my suggestion of an SSD for overall performance, they are all snake oil and voodoo magic.........buy the components you have listed there, they are fine.........rock on.

 

[Hydroo]

Im still looking for help:
does anyone have any suggestions on how i could make this build better with a minimal price increase, around 20-50 pounds.
Also: Will i be able to play BF3 on mostly ultra settings with 60fps at 1366x768?
and are all the parts compatible?

 

[ignatzatsonic]

Generally---find out if your planned GPU will play your desired games at the desired settings. I don't game and can't help you there.

If the GPU won't do your games at desired settings, spend the extra pounds on better graphics.

I'll assume your case is adequate.

I'll assume you are locked into that motherboard.

The stock cooler should be fine if not overclocking.

If your graphics card is known to be good enough, then I'd consider these areas to spend a few more pounds:

Adding higher quality case fans may be a possibility, but I'd evaluate that AFTER the build was complete and I had run the PC for a few weeks to get a reading on temperatures.

You don't mention anything about the PSU other than wattage. There are plenty of garbage 500 watt PSUs out there, but I don't know what you have. You could always consider a PSU upgrade to a known high-quality unit (Seasonic, XFX, some Antecs, some Corsairs).

 

[Hydroo]

Generally---find out if your planned GPU will play your desired games at the desired settings. I don't game and can't help you there.

If the GPU won't do your games at desired settings, spend the extra pounds on better graphics.

I'll assume your case is adequate.

I'll assume you are locked into that motherboard.

The stock cooler should be fine if not overclocking.

If your graphics card is known to be good enough, then I'd consider these areas to spend a few more pounds:

Adding higher quality case fans may be a possibility, but I'd evaluate that AFTER the build was complete and I had run the PC for a few weeks to get a reading on temperatures.

You don't mention anything about the PSU other than wattage. There are plenty of garbage 500 watt PSUs out there, but I don't know what you have. You could always consider a PSU upgrade to a known high-quality unit (Seasonic, XFX, some Antecs, some Corsairs).

Thanks for the suggestions but i am not looking to spend extra money on a psu im stretching my budget as it is, i mentioned my psu is 500w 80+ silver and ive had it for a year and a half now, i also know that the gpu i selected will be able to play all games on max settings at 60+fps for the next year or so even BF3 seeing as i play at 1366x768 instead of 1080p. What im worried about is if all the components are compatible and if there is a better motherboard and cpu for around the same price as i don't have much experience in motherboards or cpus.

 

[ignatzatsonic]

I'd check the RAM you've chosen to see if it is on the Asrock's qualified memory list. If it is not, it may still be fine. As far as I know, i3 Intel's prefer 1.5 volt RAM.

Other than that, you look OK. Others may suggest some other motherboard, but the fact is you can have a terrible experience with any of them. I'd just make sure I got the features I need, the right number and type of ports, etc.

When it's all said and done, you should always get the strongest CPU possible, so when the hour comes to actually buy, I'd spend any extra money on a stronger CPU if I couldn't find any better place to spend it.

I wouldn't forget about case fans, but I'd let that ride until after I built the thing and evaluated.

 

[Hydroo]

I'd check the RAM you've chosen to see if it is on the Asrock's qualified memory list. If it is not, it may still be fine. As far as I know, i3 Intel's prefer 1.5 volt RAM.

Other than that, you look OK. Others may suggest some other motherboard, but the fact is you can have a terrible experience with any of them. I'd just make sure I got the features I need, the right number and type of ports, etc.

When it's all said and done, you should always get the strongest CPU possible, so when the hour comes to actually buy, I'd spend any extra money on a stronger CPU if I couldn't find any better place to spend it.

I wouldn't forget about case fans, but I'd let that ride until after I built the thing and evaluated.

Thats the problem i dont know if i have the right ports or not i never built a computer before and im sure corsair vengeance is on asrocks qualified memory list.

 

[kbrady1979]

I had a response all typed out and my browser crashed, so you get the shorter version....

There is no CPU/MOBO upgrade in that price range. The next logical step in CPU's would be an i5, which start quite a bit higher than the i3 you have listed. There are plenty of motherboards out there better than what you have listed, but as long as it works, you won't see any difference. Also, all those parts should work together, provided your power supply has all the right connectors. If you want to give me the exact name and model of your power supply, I can give it a once over to see if it has enough PCI connectors, etc.

You always have the option of saving up another $100 and stepping up to a Core i5 and a Z77 motherboard. You get higher-end parts, which will usually be better quality, and you get some scalability. A good i5 system will likely be a stronger system a few years from now, where as I don't feel comfortable saying that for the cpu/mobo you have listed. I also don't like to use the term future proof because there is no such thing. I believe an i5 system will physically perform better for a longer amount of time than the i3 system.

If you are only focused on gaming, then scrap the 660 and step up to the 660 Ti.....I checked prices and did the math and there is a 37 pound difference between the 660 and 660 Ti. The 660Ti is a beast of a card and will run games at your resolution for years to come.

Finally, there is NO magic upgrade for the price range you mentioned that will likely benefit you, EXCEPT: The GTX 660 Ti, or an SSD......that's as good of an answer as you are gonna get.

What I would personally do, is save up some money and get a monitor with a real resolution.......that will be a huge "upgrade" to your gaming experience!

 

[Hydroo]

I had a response all typed out and my browser crashed, so you get the shorter version....

There is no CPU/MOBO upgrade in that price range. The next logical step in CPU's would be an i5, which start quite a bit higher than the i3 you have listed. There are plenty of motherboards out there better than what you have listed, but as long as it works, you won't see any difference. Also, all those parts should work together, provided your power supply has all the right connectors. If you want to give me the exact name and model of your power supply, I can give it a once over to see if it has enough PCI connectors, etc.

You always have the option of saving up another $100 and stepping up to a Core i5 and a Z77 motherboard. You get higher-end parts, which will usually be better quality, and you get some scalability. A good i5 system will likely be a stronger system a few years from now, where as I don't feel comfortable saying that for the cpu/mobo you have listed. I also don't like to use the term future proof because there is no such thing. I believe an i5 system will physically perform better for a longer amount of time than the i3 system.

If you are only focused on gaming, then scrap the 660 and step up to the 660 Ti.....I checked prices and did the math and there is a 37 pound difference between the 660 and 660 Ti. The 660Ti is a beast of a card and will run games at your resolution for years to come.

Finally, there is NO magic upgrade for the price range you mentioned that will likely benefit you, EXCEPT: The GTX 660 Ti, or an SSD......that's as good of an answer as you are gonna get.

What I would personally do, is save up some money and get a monitor with a real resolution.......that will be a huge "upgrade" to your gaming experience!

Ive seen like 10 motherboards around my price range i just have no idea which one is the best for example: ASRock B75 Pro3-M or a Z68 Pro3 Gen3, i wont be getting the 660TI as i fear it will not fit in my case and im stretching my budget as it is. I will post the psu model tomorrow i know that its not some seasonic or OCZ psu but i remember it being rated 80+ silver or bronze which is around the same as brand psus.