I built this machine in 2011 and it has served me extremely well:
Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-2500K CPU @ 3.30GHz
4096 MBytes PC3-10700 (667 MHz) x2 (8GB Total)
EVGA NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 1024 MB
Antec BP550 Plus 550W
SAMSUNG 840 Pro Series 128GB SATA III (added last year)
Now, I'm looking to spend ~$300 to upgrade it for the next couple years. I plan to spend money on case cooling, cpu cooling, and a new GPU with the intention of overclocking the CPU and buying a new GPU to enable gaming for the next 18-24 months. Games I'm looking at: Middle Earth, GTA V, Dead Rising 3, AC Unity.
Picking up a hyper 212 cpu fan and a case fan will cost about $50, so I've got about $250 for a new GPU. I'm looking for something that can run with my 550W psu. I'd also be open to upgrading the memory, but I would expect that wouldn't provide significant gains.
I've pretty much stopped following gpu parts markets since building this rig, so guidance much appreciated.
Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-2500K CPU @ 3.30GHz
4096 MBytes PC3-10700 (667 MHz) x2 (8GB Total)
EVGA NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 1024 MB
Antec BP550 Plus 550W
SAMSUNG 840 Pro Series 128GB SATA III (added last year)
Now, I'm looking to spend ~$300 to upgrade it for the next couple years. I plan to spend money on case cooling, cpu cooling, and a new GPU with the intention of overclocking the CPU and buying a new GPU to enable gaming for the next 18-24 months. Games I'm looking at: Middle Earth, GTA V, Dead Rising 3, AC Unity.
Picking up a hyper 212 cpu fan and a case fan will cost about $50, so I've got about $250 for a new GPU. I'm looking for something that can run with my 550W psu. I'd also be open to upgrading the memory, but I would expect that wouldn't provide significant gains.
I've pretty much stopped following gpu parts markets since building this rig, so guidance much appreciated.