Old system - best move for $100-$150?

[guidinggod]

Have an old Core i3-540 build on an Intel DH55HC m/b - has a Corsair VX550 PSU, 8 gigs of RAM and GTX 460.

My thought was if I could pop in a relatively cheap GPU, like a GTX 750 or 750Ti for around $120-$140, it would be enough for my cuz to play games like Bioshock, Assassins Black Flag etc for the time being. (connected to a 1080p monitor) and for general pc use.

Before I do, I wanted to confirm the following:

- Keep the 460 and change m/b and processor instead?

- (I think) that m/b has a PCI-E 2 x16 slot - that doesn't present a problem with these newer PCI 3 x16 gpu's?

- This old system and its psu have been running wonderfully via a solid UPS for about some years now, everything works well but the PSU is close to end of warranty (maybe another 5/6 months). Change the PSU and keep the rest for now?

 

[Ken g6]

Keep the 460 and change m/b and processor instead?

I think I would do something like this. A 460 isn't the fastest GPU anymore, but it's no slouch. Here's a Bioshock Infinite benchmark. (Not sure if you meant the original, but it can't be harder.) A GTS 450 almost gets 30FPS average, so a 460 ought to do well enough. A 750ti is only about equal to a GTX 470.

Personally, I'd look for a cheap LGA1156 i5 or i7 on eBay and stick it in the existing mobo. If you have money left over, replacing the PSU is a good idea too.

PCIe is backward and forward compatible, so don't worry about that.

 

[VirtualLarry]

TBH, my understanding is that going from a GTX460 (is it the 1GB version?) to a 750ti is mostly a side-grade as far as raw performance goes. (Though it would certainly be more power efficient.)

Everybody is waiting for the GTX960 to be released, but the <bleeps> at Nvidia seem to think that they can extract more money from their customers (for a 970 or 980) by withholding the 960 until Jan.

 

[dave_the_nerd]

Do you have an SSD?

 

[Cerb]

- Keep the 460 and change m/b and processor instead?

Yes. That, or a used better CPU for the socket. If you're up for overclocking, a reasonably priced i5 quad, used/NOS, would be excellent. Else, a new i3, but what would kill your budget, most days.

The 750 Ti will be a minor upgrade from the GTX 460, except in terms of noise, depending on model. Unless you really are starved for VRAM (and got a 2GB 750 Ti), it wouldn't be worth it. Aside from piss poor texture details, a GTX 460 can still at least make any game today playable.

<- using a GTX 460 (again) with a Haswell

- This old system and its psu have been running wonderfully via a solid UPS for about some years now, everything works well but the PSU is close to end of warranty (maybe another 5/6 months). Change the PSU and keep the rest for now?

Get a good Antec or Corsair, when they get rebates, again. If you keep watch, you can get a RM650 or better for <$50 net, sometimes, and can pretty much always get a CX500 for <=$30..

 

[Zorander]

Grab an i5-750 or -760 and aftermarket HSF. Overclock and win.

 

[guidinggod]

@ dave_the_nerd, yes (my mistake, should have mentioned in the first post) - has an old Kingston ssd (would an ssd change to something newer be worthwhile, even though the m/b has Sata 2 only, not Sata 3?)

Going by the general consensus here, an i5-750 on ebay from a reliable seller about $70 and maybe a Corsair CX500M for $35

That 460 (1gb) is a workhorse but yea it does run loud, though I suppose the kid wont care much about that with his headphones on

 

[mfenn]

TBH, my understanding is that going from a GTX460 (is it the 1GB version?) to a 750ti is mostly a side-grade as far as raw performance goes. (Though it would certainly be more power efficient.)

That's not quite true, people tend to view the GTX 460 with rose-tinted glasses. The GTX 750 Ti trades blows with the GTX 480, which is quite a lot faster than a GTX 460.

Everybody is waiting for the GTX960 to be released, but the <bleeps> at Nvidia seem to think that they can extract more money from their customers (for a 970 or 980) by withholding the 960 until Jan.

Businesses exist to make money. If you have a $350 part that is selling out as fast as you could make it, why would you switch manufacturing to a lower profit part? That just doesn't make sense.

 

[mfenn]

Going by the general consensus here, an i5-750 on ebay from a reliable seller about $70 and maybe a Corsair CX500M for $35

There's no real reason to replace a PSU that's working perfectly fine. Here's what I would do:

i5 750 $60
R7 265 $110 AR
Total: $170 AR

 

[dave_the_nerd]

@ dave_the_nerd, yes (my mistake, should have mentioned in the first post) - has an old Kingston ssd (would an ssd change to something newer be worthwhile, even though the m/b has Sata 2 only, not Sata 3?)

Nah. If you already have an SSD, just do the CPU/GPU upgrade like everybody else is saying.

 

[Cerb]

Going by the general consensus here, an i5-750 on ebay from a reliable seller about $70 and maybe a Corsair CX500M for $35

The PSU could probably stand replacement, but it was one of their good ones, IIRC, so don't bother paying anywhere close to full price for a new one for an old PC (and, Antec and Corsair tend to have rebate deals often, on pretty good PSUs, so just keep a watch on them, and actually do the rebate). An i5-750, even left stock, will be a hefty upgrade, and make a lot of difference in newer games. The 1st-gen i3s' weird upgraded northbridge extra chip for the memory controller crippled them quite a bit, when it came to multitasking, newer multithreaded games, etc..

P.S. saw this, also:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Intel-Core-...156-/221586058235?pt=CPUs&hash=item33978eebfb
2.8 v. 2.66GHz

 

[guidinggod]

Thanks for the suggestions - ordering a core i5 off Ebay (One of the links suggested above says it comes with no cooler etc, only cpu - current i3 stock cooler can be used though for i5 also, yes?)

Taking mfenn's point, going to keep the psu for now

Better to hold off on GPU for a few weeks in the hope that maybe a Black Friday deal or something shows up that would make it better (or is that just unrealistic/greedy?

 

[Cerb]

If the cooler isn't quite enough, a TX3 should do well, an still keep the whole thing cheaper than moving to new platforms:
http://pcpartpicker.com/part/cooler-master-cpu-cooler-rr910htx3g1

 

[mfenn]

Thanks for the suggestions - ordering a core i5 off Ebay (One of the links suggested above says it comes with no cooler etc, only cpu - current i3 stock cooler can be used though for i5 also, yes?)

The cooler you have on the i3 should be fine for the i5, there's only a 20W TDP difference between the Clarkdale and Lynnfield chips.