**OFFTOPIC** Help me pool info on possible PC upgrade

Hey guys,

I know not that much about my computer besides the specs and that it is just not a gamer at all.

My specs are

AMD Quad Core @ 2.3 GHz

8GB RAM

Integrated Graphics (at 256 dedicated memory)

~400 watt power supply

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Now; I would like to make my games look and play faster, look better, and just overall be smooth.

Should I:

A. Be fine with installing a dedicated graphics card and nothing else

B. Install a dedicated GPU as well as a new power supply (IS THIS really necessary)

(Question C Is my CPU speed possibly holding me back?

D: Save up to buy a new PC (I ask because I've never researched if it's more valuable to upgrade a PC or just buy a new one)

But anyway, thanks guys, I appreciate all the help!

 

A good GPU will make a big difference but many games (especially BeamNg) are getting very processor heavy so an i7 or equivilant will also make a world of difference. I would say that just getting a decent GPU would make a pretty good difference since you already have a quad core but if you really wanna run everything well and on high to ultra settings, a new PC with an I7 and a 7970 would be great or equivilant.

 

7970?

Also, how about power supplys?

 

Corsair 600W is what I have and will do fine unless you wanna run two graphics cards. This is the graphics card I am talking about-http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125413

 

i5-3570k is cheap right now (?160ish), add a sealed watercooling solution and you can overclock to 4.5+ purely by raising the multiplier. I use a Antec kuhler 620 I got for about ?40.

 

What exact model of AMD processor is your CPU. You may be able to get away with just a graphics card upgrade for the time being... Personally I run an NVidia Geforce gtx 770 and it can run effectively every game on the market on ultra, but it is expensive. If it's too high for you consider the AMD Radeon hd7970 and Geforce gtx 760.

 

Not sure about model number but

it is an AMD Phenom X4 @ 2.3 GHz

 

IMO just buy a mid range gpu that will increase performance whilst you save to build a full pc. If you upgraded your processor you would need a new mobo, ram and then you wouldn't want to run on an integrated gpu so you would then need to buy a gpu as well. I definitely wouldn't buy a 7970 with that cpu unless you are expecting to build a full pc soon and re-use the 7970.

And tbh nearly any dedicated gpu is going to be better than the integrated.

 

To those advocating a new CPU: A new CPU is not as cost effective as it sounds. Upgrading to Intel would require a new motherboard. In fact, depending on the age of your CPU, upgrading to a newer AMD would also require a new motherboard.

Go for the graphics.

 

What would define a Mid-Range GPU;

512 MB? 1GB? 2GB?

Also, don't want to spend past $125

 

On that budget probably something around a 1GB HD 7790 at $129.99 from Newegg, though if you don't have a problem buying gpu's off ebay you will find a better card for your budget.

 

okay,

hypothetically, If i'd buy/install a new gpu without a bigger PSU what's the chance of bad things happening (if any bad things)

 

Having another look you probably would need a psu as well just to be on the safe side unless its a branded psu because I think you'd be very close to the limit of the psu. If the psu doesn't have enough power you will see reduced performance and at worst the psu blowing up and possibly damaging other parts.

 

would 600 Watts do for a 2GB card?

 

Yes, that will do.

 

It depends on the card. It will most likely be enough, check the requirements of the card with what the power supply can dish out.

 

It also depends on which PSU you do have currently. A rating like "600W of pure gaming power!" on its own will tell you nothing, what's important is how many Ampere it can push out on the 12v line. The best thing would be if you could take a picture of the little sticker on the side of your PSU so that we can tell you if it will be beefy enough to power a dedicated graphics card.
If it's a good PSU you don't have to replace it, the FSP Aurum 400W PSU from my Signature has powered a AMD HD 7870 and a well overclocked AMD Phenom II x4 (140W @ stock clocks) with no problem before I upgraded the PSU.
And like it already has been mentioned, the amount of RAM a graphics card has will tell you nothing about its performance or energy consumption. You should avoid entry-level cards with large amounts of RAM since it's often only DDR3 and not GDDR5 RAM which is much slower.
A 600W PSU is for sure useless on a single GPU system.

Since you've wondered if it would be cheaper to buy a complete new system or upgrade your current one, that will depend on how many parts you could use in your new build. In the worst case that's only the case (New mainboards have no IDE sockets for old HDDs or optical drives anymore), in the best case you'll have to swap only a few parts. But since you should always build PCs yourself a case is a good start as well