Thinking of upgrading cpu worth it?

[Snip3mar3]

I am a college student without too much extra cash laying around. I want to upgrade my CPU because I think it is the bottleneck in my system but I am not sure.

Currently running:
Mobo: M2N32-SLI Deluxe
CPU: AMD Athlon 64 x2 6000+
Ram: 6GB 800MHz DDR2
GPU: GTX 460

As you can tell its a pretty old system and if I want a big upgrade I need a full new system which would cost too much. I have done some research and it appears the best card my mobo can take is a Phenom II X4. Do you think the CPU upgrade can give me a few more years of decent game play on new games?

 

[Cerb]

Your CPU and RAM are your main bottlenecks, CPU much more than RAM, and dealing with RAM would require a new mobo, RAM, and CPU, at which point you may as well go with a 2nd-gen Intel Core i3, or at least a SB Pentium.

It depends on if your PSU can handle it, and what kind of price you can get them for. It's a bit hard to find CPUs for your mobo brand new, and they are still $100 or more. The Athlon II X3 445 seems an alright value, available for $80 or so, along with the Phenom II X4 945 at $100 from a few places.

If a more complete upgrade can't fit your budget for awhile, a 3-4 core Phenom II or Athlon II at >=2.8GHz for <$100 would provide quite a performance boost. How long it will be good enough for is too tough of a question, IMO.

While you say you don't have much cash laying around, how much do you have to put towards this, and also, do you have a Windows OS that you can easily re-install? If you can do over $150, and re-installing the OS won't be a big deal for you, consider upgrading to 1155.

 

[aaksheytalwar]

For modern games you need to change everything. But the CPU first, which means RAM and MB too.

 

[Cerb]

For modern games you need to change everything. But the CPU first, which means RAM and MB too.

The GTX 460 is fine, unless it's an SE or that PowerColor abomination that I forget the special name of.

 

[lehtv]

Agreed, GTX 460 is fine, even on 1080p it can play any game, will require low-medium settings in demanding titles. But of course, that requires a CPU upgrade - X2 6000 just can't supply enough juice to take the most out of the GTX 460.

Here's a comparison between X2 6000 and a modern entry-level gaming CPU: http://www.anandtech.com/bench/Product/406?vs=28

@ OP what resolution do you game at? How much are you willing to spend on an upgrade? What is your PSU by the way?

 

[WT]

I have that board and at one time had an X4 965 B.E. in it. Mind you, it wasn't going to beat my Q6700@3.5, but it was amazing that this board supported that chip in any way to begin with.
For $100, it was a really cheap upgrade compared to the $300 it will cost to upgrade everything else (board, CPU, RAM). Factor in that you can sell the stuff you have for at least $100 and you only need $200 to swing a budget upgrade.

 

[aaksheytalwar]

The GTX 460 is comparable to Radeon 5850/5830. Most of prefer at least 6970/7850/580 for gaming at 1080p.

 

[Cerb]

For $100, it was a really cheap upgrade compared to the $300 it will cost to upgrade everything else (board, CPU, RAM). Factor in that you can sell the stuff you have for at least $100 and you only need $200 to swing a budget upgrade.

I came up with $180 for 2x4GB RAM, a GB mobo I like, and a 2.6GHz 1155 Pentium, assuming no need for an OS replacement/upgrade. $160 should not be out of reach. Using eBay or FS/FT, half that could get a nice Athlon/Phenom II, though.

 

[Snip3mar3]

Sorry I only provided vague details. My power supply is a RX- 850AE. I have $150 to spend and I am running windows 7 ultimate and have the means to easily re-install. Cerb in a post above you suggested a 1155 but wouldn't I need a new mobo for this? Also thanks for all the responses thus far guys!

 

[krnmastersgt]

Changing motherboards (more specifically the chipsets since I've swapped between boards of the same chipset with no real issues) requires a new license for Windows 7, if you meant you could easily get another key that's fine but otherwise a platform upgrade isn't really feasible.

And yes you would need a new motherboard, but given the age of your system you would see some pretty big improvements from what you're running right now. As others have said, your CPU can't keep up with your video card for most situations.

 

[lehtv]

If your board can take a Phenom II X4 as suggested by WT, that'd be the smarter route on your budget.

 

[Cerb]

Cerb in a post above you suggested a 1155 but wouldn't I need a new mobo for this?

Yes, and that's why it would be >$150. $60 or so for a good mobo, $40 or so for RAM, $70+ for a CPU. Or, you could go for an old stock or used Phenom II for $70+ (maybe cheaper used, but you might want to add a cheap HSF, then, if you're using the stock one for your CPU now), and wait it out a bit (especially if you can come across a compatible BE CPU). The advantage there would be waiting until you could do a real upgrade to put much money into it.

A Pentium would be better in total performance, but not necessarily for the money put into it, especially now that games are making very good use of extra cores. A 3GHz Pentium, FI, would run the budget to around $200-220. Once you get to an i3-2100, then the performance per dollar starts getting pretty good, as SB w/ HT beats Stars at almost anything, but then you get to $250+, not counting penny-shaving shopping and deals.

When I said consider upgrading to 1155, I did mean consider it, not jump on the chance .

 

[Snip3mar3]

Well thank you all for the input and suggestions. I am going to think on the suggestions made and make a decision. I appreciate all the help .