So, lately I have been thinking about upgrading a few part in my PC. I was mainly thinking about the RAM, GPU, and possibly the CPU. I'm not looking to spend a whole lot of money at once, just get the new parts here and there. Also, I don't want anything too pricey. Just an upgrade of what I have now. I mainly use it for gaming and want to boost my performance in game. (FPS, resolution, etc.) I will leave a link to my build below. Thanks for taking the time to help me out!
https://pcpartpicker.com/user/JohnC22/saved/2Y3N
Your build looks like a great budget build.
If this build is for gaming, 8GB should be plenty for a couple of years.
You can also consider a SSD. If you load your OS and programs onto it. It makes your whole computer feel snappier since your boot times will often be under 15 seconds and games launch super damn fast. However, it usually won't affect FPS.
You can probably upgrade to the FX-8320. It should give you a decent performance increase. However, I wouldn't recommend overclocking it on that motherboard since the power delivery isn't strong on that motherboard.
The HD 7870 is still a very good card. You're going to need to shell out a lot more for more performance, and I think it isn't worth it. Something to consider is perhaps crossfire, but you'll need a new motherboard and power supply.
Yeah I've been thinking about investing in an SSD. Seems like it would help out a lot. And regarding the cpu... if I wanted to upgrade and overclock what motherboard and power supply would I need to get? Would a 650W work? Or should I go bigger? I think with the things I'll be wanting to do in the future I need to future proof myself a little. So if that means looking towards a new motherboard and power supply, I'm willing to spend.
A 650w will be plenty for a single GPU setup. If you want to really 'future proof'/makeitlastlonger, a 750w power supply will allow you to run at least two cards in crossfire(or SLI, if you have the money to buy new cards from nvidia).
If you do go with more upgrades, you might want to pick up an intake fan to help with airflow.
Here is a little list of upgrades I've compiled
http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3Lr2d
I believe the R9 270 will crossfire with the HD 7870. It should be the same core.
Semi-modular power supply, since the Source 210 Elite is still a budget case with limited cabling options.
SSD. Put OS and programs on here.
FX-8320. You can overclock this to an 8350 or higher pretty easily.
Better motherboard. It has a digi+ 8+2 power phase design, which should be plenty. It will also support crossfire and SLI.
Finally, a front fan.
In total, it's a bit pricy. You can probably upgrade slowly, though.
I think I will add all of this into my build! So, list of importance. The motherboard and power supply at the top, and then kind of add in what I see fit after that? I'm really looking forward to seeing these new parts arriving!
Just realize that upgrading the motherboard and PSU provides you the options for upgrading, but won't help performance. Once you get an 8 core CPU and a second GPU will you begin to see dramatic increases in performance.