Torn between brands

[ihatejava]

Hey guys. I'm a gamer, while I'm not a serious gamer, I still really love to play a game with the full graphical experience (Crysis series, Battlefield, etc).

What cpu should I be going with?

I'm still fairly new to the whole hardware scene, as I started getting into the computing side of life when I discovered programming, and hardware meant nothing to me when I was running my trusty Toshiba Satellite L300D.

[The laptop still lives, too!]

 

[ninjacore]

What's your budget for the upgrade? Even though your FX-4300 is getting a little long in the tooth, you're gonna get more of a bang-for-your-buck upgrade by selling your GTX 650 and grabbing a 770 or AMD 7970.

The general consensus on gaming CPUs seems to be an Intel i5 (2nd-4th gen) or a 6/8-core AMD FX. Since you already have an AM3+ board, an FX 8350 or something in that vein might be your best bet, but again, I'd go with a GPU upgrade first if you don't have the money for both.

 

[anhikilator]

I agree with ninja, a better GPU will be great, even a 760 will make a big difference. Do you game at 1080p? Both 7970 and 770 will do great if that's the case and maybe wait a bit more with that CPU until new stuff comes out.

 

[EarthDog]

For gaming you are going to get a much larger gain with buying a new GPU like the guys above had said.

Not sure I would put a AMD Hex on that board either... 4 phase un-heatsinked power area... I surely wouldn't overclock. Be sure, if that is the route you go, the CPU is on the support list and you flash to the latest bios as that is an older chipset.

 

[ihatejava]

Okay, so I'll upgrade my GPU when I have the money for it, which will probably be paid for after I have my Hydro H100i cooler.