Hardware recommendations.

[marieruth]

Hi, I plan on upgrading my GPU and CPU for my computer and I have 2 items I originally was planning to get was the ASUS Radeon R7 260X and the AMD Phenom II X4 965. I'm having doubts about both now and would like some second-third-fourth-fifth-sixth-seventh opinions about it. And i'm so open to recommendations for other parts too. Here are my specs below. My computer is like 8 years old and I only recently replaced my computer's motherboard, so it's not exactly fancy modern super computer.

 

 

Also, sorry if this is in the wrong forum section D:

[superphantom]

Here buddy, http://www.reddit.com/r/buildapcforme, this could be of help to you and the amount you have budgeted, your system is quite old so I would recommend that you build a new system entirely.

[FallenWarrior]

Shouldn't this have been in the Technical Support section?

[Kargrin]

May I ask you budget?

Also remember to buy a good power supply.

Pick the new AMD cpus (FX-6 or 8) if you can, unless youre hold up by your motherboard.

[marieruth]

May I ask you budget?

Also remember to buy a good power supply.

Pick the new AMD cpus (FX-6 or 8) if you can, unless youre hold up by your motherboard.

 

My power supply has been pretty decent for that past few years. Forgot to mention that it's new as well, but I bought it before I got the motherboard installed.

 

I would like to spend less than $400.

[Kargrin]

If your mobo supports AM3+ get a FX-6300 or FX-8350

If you can get some phenom x6 965be cheap, thats also fine.

No more than 8 gigs of ram(ddr3). Unless you work with video/architeture/etc.

For the VGA its best that youre the one to choose, but remember to pick at least 1gb gddr5 of ram (skyrim stopped crashing for me when I got 2gb though). Also look at the card clock, its interface (128,256) and the ports (hdmi, dvi)

You can see if it run the game you like here : http://www.anandtech.com/bench/GPU14/815  

OFC, High price, high performance.

[Pkatt]

You are in the exact same boat I was in, back in the first part of the year.  I was going to take much the same upgrade path as you, only was going to use a Geforce Nvidia brand video card, because thats what I prefer.     I started second guessing and asked a lot of questions over in the main technical support forum and got a lot of help over there.  You may want to post or move the topic there, I'm not sure if some technical minded folks may look at that forum and not this one, or not.

 

Anyway, I finally decided to use my entire budget ($400 or less) on a video card, and then upgrade the rest of the stuff later.   I got the video card in, was not as impressed as I thought I would be, and found it was because my motherboard was bottlenecking the updated video card's performance.   And even if I changed the CPU out, the motherboard would still be an issue, even if I went with a top of the line socket AM3 CPU.   So a couple months later, I bit the bullet, saved up all I could, and got more money, and did the rest.

 

So I started with something very close to what you have, had the same mindset as you at first, but in the end, I ended up replacing the video card, motherboard, cpu, and memory.  ended up being about double what I originally wanted to spend, (around $700 total), but now I am quite happy I did it, the pc plays anything I throw at it on high or ultra settings.

 

just some food for thought.  Based on my experience, I believe I'd keep saving and wait till I could put enough in to also upgrade the motherboard.

[marieruth]

You are in the exact same boat I was in, back in the first part of the year.  I was going to take much the same upgrade path as you, only was going to use a Geforce Nvidia brand video card, because thats what I prefer.     I started second guessing and asked a lot of questions over in the main technical support forum and got a lot of help over there.  You may want to post or move the topic there, I'm not sure if some technical minded folks may look at that forum and not this one, or not.

 

Anyway, I finally decided to use my entire budget ($400 or less) on a video card, and then upgrade the rest of the stuff later.   I got the video card in, was not as impressed as I thought I would be, and found it was because my motherboard was bottlenecking the updated video card's performance.   And even if I changed the CPU out, the motherboard would still be an issue, even if I went with a top of the line socket AM3 CPU.   So a couple months later, I bit the bullet, saved up all I could, and got more money, and did the rest.

 

So I started with something very close to what you have, had the same mindset as you at first, but in the end, I ended up replacing the video card, motherboard, cpu, and memory.  ended up being about double what I originally wanted to spend, (around $700 total), but now I am quite happy I did it, the pc plays anything I throw at it on high or ultra settings.

 

just some food for thought.  Based on my experience, I believe I'd keep saving and wait till I could put enough in to also upgrade the motherboard.

 

Well, maybe a mod will find this and just move it over there... I thought I remembered seeing a hardware support forum on here, but I couldn't find it so I just ended up posting here.

 

And I wanted my card to handle my motherboard since it's relatively new, and even though it's not as powerful as the most current motherboard I want to get all my use out of it as I can before changing it.

 

My motherboard has an integrated graphics chip, so I was thinking of just replacing the CPU first since that's definitely older than the rest of the parts of my computer so that I can start modding again in New Vegas since the amount of lag I get from trying to play the game on lowest settings make it nearly unusable.

 

So I wanted something to hold me over for a little while, hopefully a lot longer before going in and replacing *everything*

[...0...]

If you want a Videocard and CPU from around 2013-4 then you have to build a new rig, 8 years old is just to old you can't just stick some old part on a prehestoric machine

[marieruth]

If you want a Videocard and CPU from around 2013-4 then you have to build a new rig, 8 years old is just to old you can't just stick some old part on a prehestoric machine

 

I don't have "rebuilding a new machine" money. I intend to only replace the old parts with new ones. I have a good PSU, and a good motherboard. I just need to replace the CPU, GPU, and RAM with something new, is all.

 

 

I'll build a new computer later.

[marieruth]

 

 

If your mobo supports AM3+ get a FX-6300 or FX-8350

 

How would I find that out? And I don't know what AM3+ is.

 

If you can get some phenom x6 965be cheap, thats also fine. 

No more than 8 gigs of ram(ddr3). Unless you work with video/architeture/etc.

 

My motherboard uses DDR2 RAM

 

For the VGA its best that youre the one to choose, but remember to pick at least 1gb gddr5 of ram (skyrim stopped crashing for me when I got 2gb though). Also look at the card clock, its interface (128,256) and the ports (hdmi, dvi)

 

My motherboard uses DDR2 RAM, and why would I need to look at the card clock, interface, and ports?

 

You can see if it run the game you like here : http://www.anandtech.com/bench/GPU14/815  

OFC, High price, high performance.

 

I don't play any of those games and I do not play skyrim, or own skyrim. Fallout: New Vegas is the majority of my play so I want it to run that better. I don't care for ENBs (they're unnecessary imo) I'm not looking to be able to run a game at ultra high or high settings, I'm more towards the game running smoothly with the least amount of lag it can.

[Pkatt]

My current answers in green-

 

 

 

 

If your mobo supports AM3+ get a FX-6300 or FX-8350

 

How would I find that out? And I don't know what AM3+ is.

 

 

AM3+ is the type of socket that the CPU fits in.    I looked up your motherboard and from what I see it does NOT support AM3+.   Its not listed as one it supports.  This is sort of what Eva is talking about.   Because motherboards change the socket that the CPU fits in so often, means that even though you have a motherboard that is new to you, it may not take the newest and latest CPUs.  You don't have to change the entire rig so to speak, but if stay with a motherboard, you are limited to the type of CPU and RAM your motherboard would support, at the time it came out.

 

If you can get some phenom x6 965be cheap, thats also fine. 

No more than 8 gigs of ram(ddr3). Unless you work with video/architeture/etc.

 

My motherboard uses DDR2 RAM

 

That Phenom 965 chip will fit, but I can't find it in stock anymore.   Thats one of the problems I had, when I tried to upgrade just the CPU to a better one that would work with my motherboard in my above situation.  Since my motherboard, (and yours) would no longer support the latest CPUs that are made, the ones that would fit it, being that they are no longer made, are hard to find.   

For the VGA its best that youre the one to choose, but remember to pick at least 1gb gddr5 of ram (skyrim stopped crashing for me when I got 2gb though). Also look at the card clock, its interface (128,256) and the ports (hdmi, dvi)

 

My motherboard uses DDR2 RAM, and why would I need to look at the card clock, interface, and ports?

 

Kargrin was not talking about your RAM on your motherboard here, was talking about the RAM on the video card you purchase.   If you spend money on a new video card, make sure you get one with at least 1 gb ddr5 RAM on the card itself, preferably 2Gb, or maybe even 4.    Again, does not matter what your motherboard supports, this is RAM on the video card.     Make sure you do this, so when you do change out your motherboard eventually, you can take whatever card you buy and move it to your new motherboard.      card clock speed and stuff are all on the video card.     I would look at a website called Toms Hardware, specifically this article I have linked for you,

 

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/gaming-graphics-card-review,3107.html

 

and I would take that article, and whatever your budget for a video card is, and get their recommended best card for the money you want to spend.   That article breaks it down for whatever range you want to spend on a card.   

 

You can see if it run the game you like here : http://www.anandtech.com/bench/GPU14/815  

OFC, High price, high performance.

 

I don't play any of those games and I do not play skyrim, or own skyrim. Fallout: New Vegas is the majority of my play so I want it to run that better. I don't care for ENBs (they're unnecessary imo) I'm not looking to be able to run a game at ultra high or high settings, I'm more towards the game running smoothly with the least amount of lag it can.

 

 

I  Understand.   If all you want is to play New Vegas, and have $400 or less, then get the best CPU you can find that will fit an AM3 socket, (its listed in the specifications of the CPU), and then go to the article I've linked and find the best video card recommended for your remaining budget.

 

Hope that helps some, and makes sense!
 

[DoctaSax]

moving to tech support

[marieruth]

My current answers in green-

 

 

 

 

If your mobo supports AM3+ get a FX-6300 or FX-8350

 

How would I find that out? And I don't know what AM3+ is.

 

 

AM3+ is the type of socket that the CPU fits in.    I looked up your motherboard and from what I see it does NOT support AM3+.   Its not listed as one it supports.  This is sort of what Eva is talking about.   Because motherboards change the socket that the CPU fits in so often, means that even though you have a motherboard that is new to you, it may not take the newest and latest CPUs.  You don't have to change the entire rig so to speak, but if stay with a motherboard, you are limited to the type of CPU and RAM your motherboard would support, at the time it came out.

 

If you can get some phenom x6 965be cheap, thats also fine. 

No more than 8 gigs of ram(ddr3). Unless you work with video/architeture/etc.

 

My motherboard uses DDR2 RAM

 

That Phenom 965 chip will fit, but I can't find it in stock anymore.   Thats one of the problems I had, when I tried to upgrade just the CPU to a better one that would work with my motherboard in my above situation.  Since my motherboard, (and yours) would no longer support the latest CPUs that are made, the ones that would fit it, being that they are no longer made, are hard to find.   

For the VGA its best that youre the one to choose, but remember to pick at least 1gb gddr5 of ram (skyrim stopped crashing for me when I got 2gb though). Also look at the card clock, its interface (128,256) and the ports (hdmi, dvi)

 

My motherboard uses DDR2 RAM, and why would I need to look at the card clock, interface, and ports?

 

Kargrin was not talking about your RAM on your motherboard here, was talking about the RAM on the video card you purchase.   If you spend money on a new video card, make sure you get one with at least 1 gb ddr5 RAM on the card itself, preferably 2Gb, or maybe even 4.    Again, does not matter what your motherboard supports, this is RAM on the video card.     Make sure you do this, so when you do change out your motherboard eventually, you can take whatever card you buy and move it to your new motherboard.      card clock speed and stuff are all on the video card.     I would look at a website called Toms Hardware, specifically this article I have linked for you,

 

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/gaming-graphics-card-review,3107.html

 

and I would take that article, and whatever your budget for a video card is, and get their recommended best card for the money you want to spend.   That article breaks it down for whatever range you want to spend on a card.   

 

You can see if it run the game you like here : http://www.anandtech.com/bench/GPU14/815  

OFC, High price, high performance.

 

I don't play any of those games and I do not play skyrim, or own skyrim. Fallout: New Vegas is the majority of my play so I want it to run that better. I don't care for ENBs (they're unnecessary imo) I'm not looking to be able to run a game at ultra high or high settings, I'm more towards the game running smoothly with the least amount of lag it can.

 

 

I  Understand.   If all you want is to play New Vegas, and have $400 or less, then get the best CPU you can find that will fit an AM3 socket, (its listed in the specifications of the CPU), and then go to the article I've linked and find the best video card recommended for your remaining budget.

 

Hope that helps some, and makes sense!
 

 

It does help, thank you very much for responding.

 

Would you have any recommendations for RAM cards in case there's room in my budget to get some?

[kuunkulta]

If I were you the first thing I'd do is get an SSD and install your OS on that. They're cheap-ish these days and provide a good boost in overall performance.

 

If your motherboard doesn't support AM3+ processors, I can recommend the Phenom 2 965 Black Edition. Had it for quite a while, it overclocks really easily. 4GHZ just by increasing multiplier! I guess you could get one really cheap these days, especially if you check second-hand market.

 

As for memory I suggest getting another 4GB comb. Optimal choice would be to get the same one that you already have in. After that if you still got free RAM slots, PM me and I can mail you some free 512mb combs. I got over hundred of those I can't unload anywhere so I'd be happy to be rid of even a couple

 

And lastly, for the love of whatever gods you believe in, ground yourself while working on your PC! Wrap a copper wire around your wrist and attach the other end to the PC case. And if you have more wire attach the case to a radiator or something that's nailed down. Don't want to fry your new components with static discharge!

[JerseyWalrus]

For a bit over $400 I was able to upgrade my CPU, PSU, MoBo and RAM in my rig from the DDR2 years. Most of that money went into an Intel CPU but since you're getting an AMD CPU, I'm sure you'd be able to get a new processor, RAM and a motherboard at or maybe a bit above $200. Check what kind of power cables your PSU has because if your new GPU or Motherboard need a certain power cable that your PSU doesn't have, you're pretty much screwed until you get a replacement (this goes same for amount of power the PSU gives off as well). If you don't need a new PSU, then the rest of the money can go into a pretty nice GPU which will run New Vegas at 60 FPS on Ultra. 

[kuunkulta]

For a bit over $400 I was able to upgrade my CPU, PSU, MoBo and RAM in my rig from the DDR2 years. Most of that money went into an Intel CPU but since you're getting an AMD CPU, I'm sure you'd be able to get a new processor, RAM and a motherboard at or maybe a bit above $200. Check what kind of power cables your PSU has because if your new GPU or Motherboard need a certain power cable that your PSU doesn't have, you're pretty much screwed until you get a replacement (this goes same for amount of power the PSU gives off as well). If you don't need a new PSU, then the rest of the money can go into a pretty nice GPU which will run New Vegas at 60 FPS on Ultra. 

 

Most GPUs come with a molex adapter for the extra power connectors though so as long his PSU has high enough wattage he should be fine even without the 6 or 8 pin connectors. Can also buy the adapters for couple of bucks

[JerseyWalrus]

I completely forgot about adapters