[SOLVED] Should i go for the CPU first or GPU?

[AneebAkr]

Aoa, i'm going to be building my first computer after quite a while of console gaming. However i'm currently on a budget so i can either decide to get an i5 4590 with a gtx 750 or should i go with an i3 4160 with a gtx 960 and upgrade the cpu later on? Would bottlenecking be an issue with any of these options? Since i will upgrade later on and gaming at atleast 30fps is my main goal (the games coming out right now) which option would you recommend?

Any and all help will be appreciated, thank you very much!

 

[jack]

Pls tell us your total budget so we can guide you.

Do you have the motherboard (to go along with the cpu) already ?

 

[AneebAkr]

Pls tell us your total budget so we can guide you.

Do you have the motherboard (to go along with the cpu) already ?

I've purchased everything apart from the CPU and GPU and am down to the two options i5 4590 with gtx 750ti or an i3 4160 with a gtx 960, but have to sacrifice one either the GPU or the CPU so that it fits into my budget. Which option would be better from the ones listed above?

Thank you for your help!

In case it helps

Mobo: ASUS H81M-K

 

[kamran saeed]

what about r7 370 ?

 

[alizubair]

Aoa, i'm going to be building my first computer after quite a while of console gaming. However i'm currently on a budget so i can either decide to get an i5 4590 with a gtx 750 or should i go with an i3 4160 with a gtx 960 and upgrade the cpu later on? Would bottlenecking be an issue with any of these options? Since i will upgrade later on and gaming at atleast 30fps is my main goal (the games coming out right now) which option would you recommend?

Any and all help will be appreciated, thank you very much!

Both options are good given your target fps. Yes in both choices you'll see bottleneck. It also delends on the games you play. Considering it's a hardware function only is foolish. I'm also assuming you'll be buying new components.

1. i5 4590 is a good processor but gpu is weak. Here cpu won't stretch its legs as gpu won't allow it. Cpu will bottleneck here.

2. i3 is not a smart option for gaming as games require 4 cores atleast but as i said given your fps it will be fine. But it won't be able to keep wirth gpu. Here cpu will bottleneck gpu.

You didn't mention the games you are looking forward to play on the system. For latest games you'll need atleast gtx960/r9 380 to play in 1080p with settings at high mostly. Gtx750 is weak it won't be enough for latest games and even some old ones.

My recommendation would be to wait save cash and spend it on i5 4590 and gtx960. If you can find r9 280x, r9 380 both are good options. R9 370 is also better than gtx750. I'll not advise you to buy gtx750, it's not worth it today. If you still want to spend cash now then I'll say get i3 with gtx960 it will be enough for 30fps but its noticable on pc for smoother gaming experience target 45+fps.

Guys a little insight here [MENTION=21647]nafu[/MENTION] [MENTION=1519]Voodoo[/MENTION] [MENTION=57798]Usman042[/MENTION]

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[Voodoo]

"i3 4160 with a gtx 960" is better option ...

or u may try to find a used 4th gen i5 and get i5 + gtx 960 ... or used i5 + used GPU

 

[jack]

I3 should be good with the gtx 960. The gtx 960 is just below the i3 bottleneck so it will be fine.

 

[AneebAkr]

Both options are good given your target fps. Yes in both choices you'll see bottleneck. It also delends on the games you play. Considering it's a hardware function only is foolish. I'm also assuming you'll be buying new components.

1. i5 4590 is a good processor but gpu is weak. Here cpu won't stretch its legs as gpu won't allow it. Cpu will bottleneck here.

2. i3 is not a smart option for gaming as games require 4 cores atleast but as i said given your fps it will be fine. But it won't be able to keep wirth gpu. Here cpu will bottleneck gpu.

You didn't mention the games you are looking forward to play on the system. For latest games you'll need atleast gtx960/r9 380 to play in 1080p with settings at high mostly. Gtx750 is weak it won't be enough for latest games and even some old ones.

My recommendation would be to wait save cash and spend it on i5 4590 and gtx960. If you can find r9 280x, r9 380 both are good options. If you still want to spend cash now then I'll say get i3 with gtx960 it will be enough for 30fps but its noticable on pc for smoother gaming experience target 45+fps. @nafu @Voodoo @Usman042

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Thank you for such a detailed and well written out response. To answer your questions, yes i will be buying the components as new.

1. I was thinking of going with the i5 and the 750ti and replacing it down the line, considering i mainly game at 720p, i'd be able to sacrifice some settings to achieve at least a stable 40fps+ no? How future proof would this investment be even if i didn't replace the GPU for say a year?

2. I'll mainly be going for the witcher 3, fallout 4 and so on. I've seen the 750 run 30fps with an i3 on youtube (with 8gb ram) so is it safe to say i'll be good for a couple of years @ 720 if i'm willing to sacrifice a couple of settings (medium etc)

3. On the other hand if i go for the gtx 960 with the i3, would i better off since i'll have a better GPU at my disposal?

Look forward to reading your response regarding the 750ti as a possible purchase. If someone else has a 750 i would greatly appreciate their feedback and opinions as well. Thank you!

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"i3 4160 with a gtx 960" is better option ...

or u may try to find a used 4th gen i5 and get i5 + gtx 960 ... or used i5 + used GPU

I3 should be good with the gtx 960. The gtx 960 is just below the i3 bottleneck so it will be fine.

Thank you for the feedback, i'd prefer not the buy a used processor. How much fps am i looking at with this build say on the witcher 3 @ 720p? Would an i3 be possibly future-proof (the graphics card will be good for some time, not sure about the processor).

 

[nafu]

Thank you for the feedback, i'd prefer not the buy a used processor. How much fps am i looking at with this build say on the witcher 3 @ 720p? Would an i3 be possibly future-proof (the graphics card will be good for some time, not sure about the processor).

for 720p i guess i3 is enough. if you go with 960 or 750Ti would be good enough as a combination. you gaming resolution is small merely below todays standard 1080p. even i3 can perform good in 1080p.

spend cash on i5 only if you're going to upgrade you gaming resolution to 1080p anytime in near future or in short run. while 960/750ti will cover both ends

 

[AneebAkr]

for 720p i guess i3 is enough. if you go with 960 or 750Ti would be good enough as a combination. you gaming resolution is small merely below todays standard 1080p. even i3 can perform good in 1080p.

spend cash on i5 only if you're going to upgrade you gaming resolution to 1080p anytime in near future or in short run. while 960/750ti will cover both ends

Thank you for the advice, I'm guessing if i went with the i3 and the gtx 750ti, i'd be getting really bad results? (and i doubt it would be future proof) ? Since this is what i'm thinking of doing.

 

[Shary Bhallu TC]

960 + i3 option is definitely better. I am still using my 970 with an i3 2100. It still kicks ass in most games. If I turn every damn setting to Ultra in Witcher (including Hair Works etc), I still get 37-40 FPS in Witcher 3 in Novigrad (most densely populated part of the game). The GPU is totally worth it over the CPU.

I play at 1080p. And sometimes at 2K in less demanding games (like GTA V).

 

[puppet]

no 970 lelo bad me cpu upgrade

 

[AneebAkr]

960 + i3 option is definitely better. I am still using my 970 with an i3 2100. It still kicks ass in most games. If I turn every damn setting to Ultra in Witcher (including Hair Works etc), I still get 37-40 FPS in Witcher 3 in Novigrad (most densely populated part of the game). The GPU is totally worth it over the CPU.

I play at 1080p. And sometimes at 2K in less demanding games (like GTA V).

The 960 build is definitely the top contendor right now, how would you favor my chances with an i3 and a 750ti if i'm looking to save some cash for future upgrades? Since i rarely game at 1080p, would i be getting good frames on some of the newer games coming out? Thank you for taking time out to help me with this btw.

 

[Usman042]

Aoa, i'm going to be building my first computer after quite a while of console gaming. However i'm currently on a budget so i can either decide to get an i5 4590 with a gtx 750 or should i go with an i3 4160 with a gtx 960 and upgrade the cpu later on? Would bottlenecking be an issue with any of these options? Since i will upgrade later on and gaming at atleast 30fps is my main goal (the games coming out right now) which option would you recommend?

Any and all help will be appreciated, thank you very much!

Go with i3 4190 and GTX 960 its a Good for 1080p
If you want to go with i5 4590 then go with R7 370 instead of GTX750, gtx wont Give you 35-30fps on 1080p but R7 at least give 32 28 fps,,

 

[Shary Bhallu TC]

The 960 build is definitely the top contendor right now, how would you favor my chances with an i3 and a 750ti if i'm looking to save some cash for future upgrades? Since i rarely game at 1080p, would i be getting good frames on some of the newer games coming out? Thank you for taking time out to help me with this btw.

If you are looking to purchase a GPU slightly below the 960, I'd say go for 950 instead of 750Ti. You can also go for AMD 370 OC edition which is available for 18.5K. That is a much better performing card than the 750Ti for just 2000 RS more.

 

[alizubair]

Which ever path he go his upgrade cost will be somewhat same. i.e. If he get i5 with gtx 750ti, then selling 750 and getting new gpu like gtx960 vs selling i3 and getting i5.

I think he should get i5 with 750ti this way atleast his gpu won't be bottlenecked by cpu and he can upgrade in a year. Plus 720p should be ok for now on 750ti . If he choose to get i3 with 960 his gpu in some games will not be used to its full potential as i3 cant keep up with modern games.

Should go got i5 and 750ti . What you say? [MENTION=21647]nafu[/MENTION] [MENTION=1519]Voodoo[/MENTION]

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[nafu]

IF he is no 1080p Gamer, and If he wanted to Save cash then i3 4160 is a fair choice. on the other hand i5 will cost him 20K+ if he go with 4590 new. certainly he will gain some performance but not worth spending 9-10K more. i3 4160 is still competitive choice with 950/370 considering 4th Gen have better performnce over previous generations, Secondly he will Game on 720p, so no real Negative impact on Gaming smoothing.

If he thinks, In near future, he will switch to 1080p Gaming parmanently, then i suggest i5 Gaming would be better. Processor is somehow long run investment. any i5 could do better, even 2nd Gen i5 2500K would do thr job if he want to save cash further.

 

[AneebAkr]

If you are looking to purchase a GPU slightly below the 960, I'd say go for 950 instead of 750Ti. You can also go for AMD 370 OC edition which is available for 18.5K. That is a much better performing card than the 750Ti for just 2000 RS more.

As per your suggestion, i'm thinking of going with the r7 370 OC with an i3 4160. I'll check around for more reviews on this build and whether it provides a suitable framerate on medium settings. What would your opinion be?

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IF he is no 1080p Gamer, and If he wanted to Save cash then i3 4160 is a fair choice. on the other hand i5 will cost him 20K+ if he go with 4590 new. certainly he will gain some performance but not worth spending 9-10K more. i3 4160 is still competitive choice with 950/370 considering 4th Gen have better performnce over previous generations, Secondly he will Game on 720p, so no real Negative impact on Gaming smoothing.

If he thinks, In near future, he will switch to 1080p Gaming parmanently, then i suggest i5 Gaming would be better. Processor is somehow long run investment. any i5 could do better, even 2nd Gen i5 2500K would do thr job if he want to save cash further.

Thank you for the detailed answer, i think i'll be going with the i3 4160 and a radeon r7 370 OC. Would you have any idea how well this build would perform on medium settings on some of the newer games that are coming out right now?

 

[nafu]

Thank you for the detailed answer, i think i'll be going with the i3 4160 and a radeon r7 370 OC. Would you have any idea how well this build would perform on medium settings on some of the newer games that are coming out right now?

i am playing GTA V on medium settings on 1080p, My specs i3 2100 + 7850. Game is smooth and enjoyable. But High/ULTRA settings have its own taste and FUN but this is not due to 2 core, but my GPU is low. higher the resolution lower framerates will be.

i am sure it will perform good for you, can't say witcher 3 i havent played it yet. but 80% of the Games will do good on it, You're good till Medium to High Settings. depending upon gaming Requirement and intensive usage on hardware. MAD MAX, MSG V, GTA V, N4S, will run fine on i3. just make sure you will equip with more Memory both sides when you GAme. Atleast 8GB RAM and 2GB Vram.

 

[AneebAkr]

i am playing GTA V on medium settings on 1080p, My specs i3 2100 + 7850. Game is smooth and enjoyable. But High/ULTRA settings have its own taste and FUN but this is not due to 2 core, but my GPU is low. higher the resolution lower framerates will be.

i am sure it will perform good for you, can't say witcher 3 i havent played it yet. but 80% of the Games will do good on it, You're good till Medium to High Settings. depending upon gaming Requirement and intensive usage on hardware. MAD MAX, MSG V, GTA V, N4S, will run fine on i3. just make sure you will equip with more Memory both sides when you GAme. Atleast 8GB RAM and 2GB Vram.

Alright thank you very much for that response, i'm going to stick with the i3 4160 for sure. I've been reading some reviews and a lot of people prefer the 750ti over the 370 claiming that the 750ti gives a much better framerate on games. What would be your opinion? Should i stick with the r7? As long as i can get 30 fps on medium settings i'll be okay with either of these cards. (Also i have purchased 8gb ram, thank you for the suggestion)