Upgrading PC questions

Hello,

I am upgrading my pc and replacing these current parts

9800 gtx+ to a 7870 gz edition

replacing my old asus motherboard to an Asus M5A97 so I can finally support DDR3 memory which will be the Corsair Vengence 1866MHz 8gb

My current processor is an AMD Phenom II x4 970 running at 3.51GHz

The question I have is should I consider upgrading my processor to something more current from AMD, or is it a waste to upgrade so quickly? I mainly use my pc for gaming, and want my machine to be able to play current games at decent settings without many hiccups. Suggestions will be greatly appreciated on what I should do. 

Thank you!

 

As far as I've seen the newer processors by AMD are not as good for gaming at the current price point, I'd suggest staying with your Phenom II as they are still very good for the money.

 

Phenom II is the BEST processor for the money, if you're buying a gpu and a new mobo i wouldn't want to add to the cost unless you really want a new cpu.