Computer upgrades?

[marv4791]

Just looking for some advice from some knowledgeable computer folks...

 

I've been struggling with performance lately and I'm trying my best to maximize fps without sacrificing too much looks.

 

I can't afford a new computer right now, it's just not affordable. But maybe I can improve my system in one area.

 

Here are my specs:

 

AMD A10-6700 APU with Radeon HD graphics onboard (disconnected AMD Radeon 8670) purchased December 2012

AMD Radeon R9 270x 2GB (purchased March 2015)

12GB DD3 RAM

 

Since I just bought the video card I don't see myself buying another one but maybe I could get bang for my buck somewhere else?

[sila]

The only thing besides the GPU you could upgrade would be the processor, but that would need a new motherboard too, since you already have one of the best processors for FM2 socket.

 

Edit: honestly the best thing to upgrade would be the gpu, but  since you say you don't want to upgrade that again... without changing the mobo the only processor you could upgrade to would be the a10 6800k which would be such a small upgrade its not really worth it. If you are willing and knowledgeable enough to get a new mobo and transfer your old parts to it, I would say go for a i5 4460 or 4690k processors. alternatively, the FX6300 can be overclocked very well, but without overclocking it isnt much of an upgrade.

 

Second Edit: tbh with that gpu it probably isnt worth upgrading to a stronger processor anyway.

 

 

[nutluck]

Yep as Sila says above, the video card is your biggest issue with that build.

 

You would be better off saving a bit and then doing a major upgrade, replace the motherboard, CPU and video card all in one go.

[Kaos Wulf]

Take it from me; I spent years replacing single parts here and there, only to end up with a shoddy rig that would make Frankenstein proud. It had a dented up case and screws loose on the inside I couldn't get to. As I got new parts, others quickly became dated by comparison.

 

I just recently got a whole new machine, saving my money to, as above poster said, replace it all in one go. It was worth it to wait. Fortunately in your case, you don't have to build from the ground up like I did. Just make sure you do plenty of research before taking the plunge.

[marv4791]

Thanks guys, I think I will wait and get a whole new rig. Sigh, it just sucks I tried to be cheap and get the R9 270x a few months ago because it wasn't worth the $400 it cost me (had to buy a brand new power supply to feed the card, which cost $240+taxes). I'll just have to play Skyrim on 1k textures for a while longer.

 

The good thing is I can always give this computer to my son when I get a new one. The benefits of hand-me-down technology.

[Rayblue]

Looks like good build, which is a shot powerful than what I have right now (Athlon 260, 8gb of memory, HD7730) but even then the game is still playable at 1280x800 if you're more concerned about gameplay and performance than taking big screenshots.

[marv4791]

Looks like good build, which is a shot powerful than what I have right now (Athlon 260, 8gb of memory, HD7730) but even then the game is still playable at 1280x800 if you're more concerned about gameplay and performance than taking big screenshots.

 

Yes I play in 1360x768 at the moment, even though the native resolution is 1920x1080

[Rayblue]

It's common knowledge that most people playing Skyrim will insist on an i5 or an i7, lots of memory and an 970 or a 980 to go with it, but if you wish to stick to the red brand and don't mind about power consumption and/or screen resolutions, for an upgrade (noted that your APU had been made outdated by the newer Kaveri and Godaveri variants, which are somewhat better in terms of power and processing) you'll want to pick up those FX processors to mate with the GPU and higher-bandwidth memory (say, 1866 and upwards) to prevent any possible bottlenecking.

 

However, to obtain more performance at no cost I find it more economical to use smaller textures and less complex meshes, and a strict selection of scripted mods that are most important to gameplay.

[sila]

I have an fx6300 and gtx 970, running the game with tons of hd textures, enb, weathers and flora overhauls, 1080p at about 30 fps. and it is not the processor holding me back, its the gpu 

 

This game is only processor heavy to a certain point, graphics mods will make the game far more gpu heavy than vanilla game is, and an fx6300 is good enough for it.

[nutluck]

Thanks guys, I think I will wait and get a whole new rig. Sigh, it just sucks I tried to be cheap and get the R9 270x a few months ago because it wasn't worth the $400 it cost me (had to buy a brand new power supply to feed the card, which cost $240+taxes). I'll just have to play Skyrim on 1k textures for a while longer.

 

The good thing is I can always give this computer to my son when I get a new one. The benefits of hand-me-down technology.

 

You don't need a whole new rig. You can do the slow steady upgrade, it works just fine but you have to plan ahead. Like I bought my PC 7 years ago and it still plays most games coming out on high settings. Just do your homework and get a very good motherboard with lots of room to upgrade. Most parts you can swap around.

 

Like in your case, you could upgrade the motherboard and CPU, then later on with the ram and stuff you have you could replace the video card. Case, PSU, ram, HDD or SSD etc almost all work with any motherboard unless they are really old.

 

Also unless you plan to play cutting edge PC games you don't need a uber computer. Most games are made for consoles, so you just need to make sure your PC is several steps over current consoles and you can then play most games on ultra settings with mods.

[Azunyan]

I have an fx6300 and gtx 970, running the game with tons of hd textures, enb, weathers and flora overhauls, 1080p at about 30 fps. and it is not the processor holding me back, its the gpu 

 

This game is only processor heavy to a certain point, graphics mods will make the game far more gpu heavy than vanilla game is, and an fx6300 is good enough for it.

 

yeah, I've got a 4670k had it clocked to 4.6ghz, but its at 4.4ghz. Game doesn't really push my cpu that much, it pushes my gpu more. I've got a EVGA GTX 970 superclocked. Also a QNIX 2710 2560x1440 @120hz (yes it can do 120 fps). It all comes down to the enb and mods used, if everything else is good. That said, I use the K Enb Extreme. You guys think you got it rough, even with my rig struggles. But this K Enb is amazing and I'm willing to take the hit for the looks. I'm getting a measily 25fps at 1440.

[w33beast1e]

Take it from me; I spent years replacing single parts here and there, only to end up with a shoddy rig that would make Frankenstein proud. It had a dented up case and screws loose on the inside I couldn't get to. As I got new parts, others quickly became dated by comparison.

 

I just recently got a whole new machine, saving my money to, as above poster said, replace it all in one go. It was worth it to wait. Fortunately in your case, you don't have to build from the ground up like I did. Just make sure you do plenty of research before taking the plunge.

I tend to agree to a point.  I'm a hobo pc gamer with a rig that makes Jackie Stallone look fresh faced. I can play with a middle of the road ENB at 1080p but I'm on a knife edge performance wise.  I'm no techie (I have geeky brothers for that), but If there's one thing I've learned from bitter experience over the years, it's not to scrimp on the motherboard.

 

There's no worse feeling than excitedly splurging on an expensive new gpu only to gain a few miserable fps because your cpu's bandwidth is as tight as a duck's arse. 

[sila]

 

Take it from me; I spent years replacing single parts here and there, only to end up with a shoddy rig that would make Frankenstein proud. It had a dented up case and screws loose on the inside I couldn't get to. As I got new parts, others quickly became dated by comparison.

 

I just recently got a whole new machine, saving my money to, as above poster said, replace it all in one go. It was worth it to wait. Fortunately in your case, you don't have to build from the ground up like I did. Just make sure you do plenty of research before taking the plunge.

I tend to agree to a point.  I'm a hobo pc gamer with a rig that makes Jackie Stallone look fresh faced. I can play with a middle of the road ENB at 1080p but I'm on a knife edge performance wise.  I'm no techie (I have geeky brothers for that), but If there's one thing I've learned from bitter experience over the years, it's not to scrimp on the motherboard.

 

There's no worse feeling than excitedly splurging on an expensive new gpu only to gain a few miserable fps because your cpu's bandwidth is as tight as a duck's arse. 

 

That is exactly why I usually recommend low-mid range Intel cpus to people looking to make a budget pc.

 

A humble low end Pentium g3258 processor can be upgraded all the way to a beastly i7 4790k later once the person has a better budget.

 

On the other hand if you go with an fx6300, the only real processor upgrade would be an 8350 processor, which only really adds more cores.... not very helpful for gaming at all.