I'm really indecisive about upgrading

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1

I have a decent amount of money, but I have no idea what I should upgrade, or even what I should upgrade in my gaming build. I have around $500 at this point in time, but I might be getting another job soon so I could earn some more if need be.

Current specs: i5 3570 @ 4.4 Ghz, HD 7950 @ 1100/1500, 8 GB 1600 Mhz RAM, Asrcok Z77 Extreme 3, Hyper 212 evo w/ two Corsair SP120s, Corsair TX650 650w PSU, Western Digital Caviar Green 1.5 TB (5400 RPM I believe)

Peripherals: Razer Deathadder (2012), Razer Carcharias (2012), HannsG 23.6" 1080p TN monitor (I believe there's a problem with a capacitor - sometimes when the panel shuts off and turns back on there's many dumb red pixels; it's fixed by turning off and back on again though), and a shitty $6 keyboard.

I simply can't make up my mind on what to upgrade. Obviously, my monitor has problems - but I don't feel like spending around $150 to get a new 1080p TN monitor that doesn't have that problem. Also, there's obviously my keyboard - but, although I was originally unhappy when my Razer Blackwidow broke down, I was extremely annoyed by it, but I've gotten used to it and while mechanical keyboards are extremely nice I'm no longer missing it. Then, of course, there's my distinct lack of SSD, as well as my HDD being rather slow, but I don't mind the load times in any of my games, and boot times aren't a big deal to me either - it would of course be nice for that all to be faster but I just don't mind it enough right now.

As far as I can tell, there's nowhere really to go with upgrading my CPU, and my graphics card, especially when overclocked, can play most games at max settings with a couple of exceptions (such as Crysis 3). Also, it's probably worth noting that I will be living in the dorms while attending university in the fall, so I don't think it would be very viable to do anything extreme like 3 moniters - I think I could get away with having a second monitor, but I find three to be highly unlikely.

Is it really worth it for me to upgrade anything? If I didn't, I'd have some extra money for university - which, admittedly, I don't have enough money for my entire time there, but I will be tutoring to earn some more money so I think I could afford spending some to upgrade if there's something worthwhile. Also, since I will be double majoring in math and physics, I won't need my desktop for anything related to my education, at least not yet as far as I can tell.

Thank you for any suggestions.

P.S. - I apologize for my previous threads where I've been indecisive - first a thread about 1440p monitors, then one about an R9 290, and most recently one about SSDs. 

2

Here's what I would do:

Upgrade your monitor and grab an SSD. Then save the rest for college. Use the new monitor as your main, and then setup your HannsG as a secondary monitor. Two monitors are extremely helpful. One monitor can handle your work while the other can display your research. Or you can run a game on your main, and use the other to display system usage info or maybe your web browser.

As for the SSD, you'll see a tremendous difference between it and your caviar green. Definitely worth it, especially the SSD I recommended in your other thread.

Good luck! If you have anymore questions, feel free to ask.

3

Should I just pick up another 1080p TN?

Also, I'm contemplating buying a second 7950 from this thread: https://teksyndicate.com/forum/buysaletrade/wts-2x-msi-r7950-twin-frozr-3gd5oc-price-updated/177679#comment-1691770

I think that's the only GPU upgrade I would really consider. I don't like the pricing on the R9 280s (it's more than I want to pay for a second one), and I don't feel like any existing single card has a big enough performance difference for the amount I'd have to pay.

Personally, I think I'm slightly more inclined to go with an SSD + second 7950 than a second monitor for a couple of reasons - firstly, the monitor would be far easier to install (I mean, SSDs and 7950s aren't hard either but they do require a bit more effort). Plus I do have a laptop that I basically use as a second for browsing the internet and such will gaming.

My birthday is in a couple of days, so I might get more money from relatives as gifts. I'm really just looking for suggestions of what exactly I should do.

Thanks for all your help!

4

Should I just pick up another 1080p TN?

Get an IPS panel. They are cheap, but miles better than TN.

5

I was looking at 120/144 hz TN panels but they're just too expensive for my tastes; decent monitors in that range cost almost same as 1440p.

For 1080p IPS I'm currently looking at this ASUS monitor, especially since it's $170, or down to $150 after the rebate that hopefully would actually work. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824236335

6

So long as your motherboard and power supply can handle the addition of a second 7950, then I think that would be a decent path to take as well. If you're looking for extra performance in games, then by all means grab another 7950. I hear they scale fairly well across most games.

Whatever you decide to do, just make sure to grab an SSD. It's entirely worth it. The difference between your computer's responsiveness as a whole is absurdly large. When I first installed my SSD, I was blown away by the results.

Also, I wouldn't grab another TN panel. If you do upgrade your monitor, I would look towards an IPS (or if you can afford it, a PLS) panel. But then again, this would be heavily reliant on your own preferences. Do you prefer a better image (IPS/PLS panels), or would you like something that can output higher FPS (120/144 Hz monitors; TN panels).

Since you mentioned that you have a laptop, I would also lean more towards the SSD + GPU upgrade...unless your current monitor is giving you any significant trouble.

In your situation, I think I would wait a while longer. Count up how much cash you have after your birthday, and then attempt to make a decision. You can find 7950s on ebay for a good price as well. For example:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/HIS-IceQ-Radeon-HD-7950-Graphics-Card-/281351262327?pt=PCC_Video_TV_Cards&hash=item4181d79077

7

I actually just ordered that monitor, lol. Should receive it by next week. If you're still seeking advice by then, I'll let you know how it performs.

8

I certainly am leaning more the SSD + second 7950 route. I do now that TN panels are pretty awful, but It's all I have and I'm fairly happy with it. Plus, were I to get a second monitor, I think I'd much rather step up to 1440p - something I don't feel I quite have the budget for yet, but a second 7950 would definitely give me the GPU power. I have 650w PSU, but I believe it's a pretty high quality one (Corsair TX series) so although 750w is recommended, I think I could maybe pull it off with the 650w. Admittedly, I believe I'd have to use molex to 6 pin adapters for the second card; that shouldn't be a problem, right? Also, for power in general, I used a wattmeter of some sort (don't remember the exact brand) and I remember I was pulling around 300w when under load with the Heaven benchmark running, and I might have had Prime95 running in the background.

I know my motherboard does support crossfire, so I don't think that will be much of a problem.

Thanks for all the help. I'm just incredibly conflicted about what to do. I really want to upgrade something, but at the same time I'm not sure if I necessarily should. I decided it would probably be best to figure out what exactly to upgrade if I do choose to, and then think about whether I should or not.

9

Admittedly, I believe I'd have to use molex to 6 pin adapters for the second card; that shouldn't be a problem, right?

So long as your PSU has the power to handle it, it should be fine. I wouldn't jump straight into any hefty overclocking though.

10

Would I just want to avoid overclocking the GPUs right away, or would I want to put my CPU back at stock as well?

Also, I think I am pretty set on picking up the second 7950, and I think I'll probably pick up an M550 like you suggested in my SSD thread.

11

I would reset everything to stock at first. Then I would use a device that measures how much wattage you're pulling. Based on that information, overclock one part at a time, run some benchmarks to stress your system, and then measure the wattage to make sure you're not exceeding your PSU's limits. Wash, rinse, repeat.

12

I don't see why your budget won't let you get a new monitor, second 7950 that is used, and an ssd of some flavor.

13

Well I'm not looking to spend quite all of my money. The SSD I'm currently looking at getting is the $157 (from amazon) 256GB Crucial M550. Then with the used 7950 which will be $180 and some power adapters for it, I'm looking at almost $350.

How I feel about getting a new monitor basically comes down to the fact that I don't want to get a new monitor that only has a higher refresh rate, or is only IPS over TN. I'm thinking about moving up to a 1440p IPS panel at some point, which is obviously out of my price range. Plus upgrading a monitor is just easier in a dorm room since I just need to put the monitor on my desk and connect it to my PC; I don't have to open it up or anything.

14

so I should be ordering the used 7950 from the thread I linked to the day after tomorrow as that will be my birthday.

Back on the topic of SSDs, Anandtech just barely released a review of Crucial's new MX100 SSDs. It looks like it would be better to get the 256GB version of the MX100 than the M550 since it will be considerably cheaper but offer fairly similar performance. Thoughts on the new series? http://www.anandtech.com/show/8066/crucial-mx100-256gb-512gb-review

15

I'd get an SSD for the OS and all the programs, and keep all the media on the HDD. I'd also get a bigger monitor, even if it's still 1080p. I currently have a 27" 1080p panel, and no way in hell would I ever go back to something smaller. And lastly, a good keyboard. I'd look into some mechanical keyboards. I have an Azio Mech 5 with black switches - it's the most comfortable keyboard I've ever had. But if you don't feel like spending $80+ on a mechanical, this cheap ass Microsoft keyboard is the 2nd best keyboard I've had: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16823109077

After all that would I consider a video card. That 7950 is still a good card, I think. I have a 7970 Ghz edition, and from what I've read it's very easy to overclock a 7950 to 7970 performance levels.