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Question

Old System Upgrade [HELP]

May 2, 2015 9:15PM PDT

So the time has come where I need to perform the next upgrade on my PC, as my current build is a few years old now and is slowly beginning to struggle to run the newest games on decent graphics. This is my current build;
CPU: Intel Core i5 2380P @ 3.10GHz Sandy Bridge 32nm Technology
RAM: 8.00GB Dual-Channel DDR3 @ 665MHz (8-8-8-20)
Motherboard: Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd. H61MA-D2V (Intel Core i5-2380P CPU @ 3.10GHz)
GPU: 2048MB ATI AMD Radeon HD 7800 Series (Sapphire/PCPartner)
Storage: 111GB Samsung SSD 840 EVO 120GB ATA Device (SSD)
931GB Western Digital WDC WD10EZEX-00BN5A0 ATA Device (SATA)
PSU: CIT 750W Power Supply Unity with PSU and Dual 12v Rails
I have to admit as I have got older I have fell out of touch with the best components at the moment, I built this computer myself a few years ago and as I said I feel it is time to upgrade!
I'm seeking advice on firstly what components need upgrading, and secondly what new components to purchase.
I seem to remember reading somewhere that the PSU I have is dreadful and should be replaced pretty much immediately, so should I start with that?

I recently got an SSD and it's worked a treat and my RAM seems to be doing just fine too.

So I'm stuck with this dilemma, do I upgrade my PSU and GPU to say an MSI NVIDIA GTX 970 Gaming Twin Frozr HDMI DVI-I DP Graphics Card (the number one best seller on Amazon?)

Will my motherboard be able to deal with this card? Will the processor?

Thanks for any advice.

Discussion is locked

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Answer
Good choices on the GPU, PSU idea.
May 2, 2015 11:44PM PDT

As to which is best that is a challenge. Try Tomshardware.com for reviews on the GTX 970's there. As to the PSU, the older GPUs tended to draw more power than newer GPUs so it's debateable if that needs replacing.

The dual rail is sometimes an issue so let's hear the Ampere rating to see if there is enough spare power.
Bob

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Answer
Gaming...
May 4, 2015 4:07AM PDT

It appears you have decent PC already. Yes, you can upgrade it and get more out of it. When it comes to gaming, the GPU has the dominant area to upgrade, the CPU being secondary, IMHO. Anything newer than what you have and offers a better pipeline will do wonders. The biggest caveat is that usually once you get into GPU area, that the PSU be capable of supplying all it needs and be stable. In such cases, the GPU maker will provide the specs on what it requires and anything over that is a plus or better. As I've always stated to other gaming posts, be sure you have darn good cooling in place. Understand, once you're into extreme modes or push the envelope, you may have to fine-tune or tweek abit in order to find the right mix.

tada -----Willy Happy