Looking for advice on new GPU

l0wolfeyez0l

Edited for clarity, as I feel I've confused the people trying to help.

I know this probably isn't the best place for this, but I want advice from fellow players on this. Please understand that I don't have alot of money to throw at this project, and throwing out prices tags of $500+ isn't gonna be helpful in my situation.
Thanks to tax returns I can finally upgrade my rig. Here's my issue- I have a GeForcee 770 (yes, old but viable compared to AMD Radeon HD8490 that is currently being used in my rig). I'm running on a i5-3470 (no turbo option), 16g ram, Ivy Bridge Intel Q77 mobo.
Right now I'm already planning on upgradingy psu to an EVGA700, and I've gotta get a larger case because I'm currently in a small form factor, but my setback is this- should I just bite the bullet and buy a new(er) psu too, or is the 770 I have ready to install gonna be such a drastic difference in performance/stability that I can get away with it?

etchedpixels

Case and PSU are very much separate from the rest of the system other than making sure they have sufficient specifications for wherever you plan to end up. Providing you pick the right options it's not like motherboard, CPU and graphics where often upgrading one forces you to upgrade the other bits to get performance (or even to make it work), so just buying a new case can make a lot of sense - it's not like you can't then replace the entire contents of the case over time. Just make sure the new case uses all the standard mountings, takes normal size/shape power supplies and has sufficient fan/watercool mount points for your future dream.

From a purely ESO perspective, ESO appears willing to use only four CPU threads and doesn't seem to make material use of any of the newer CPU features. NVMe SSDs on a PCIe x 4 don't make it much faster either, so it's not as if a modern system is a massive win: other games may be quite different!

Don't forget to compare prices with just buying a second hand system if you've got a reasonably trustworthy source.

l0wolfeyez0l

@etchedpixels I've ironed down somewhere that has the case and psu I want in stock, finally. After triple checking power requirements and measurements, I think I'm set... im working with a limited budget as far as upgrades go, so buying another rig just doesn't seem like the right route to go... thank you!

GreenHere

Your wording makes it a little confusing... are you asking about buying a PSU or GPU? Unless I misread your post (twice), you aren't being super clear.

Your PSU (power supply unit) needs to supply enough juice for all the components in your system, and not die. As long as they aren't giving out "dirty" uneven power, or simply not turning on, or doing something else that might harm your other PC components, there's no particularly good reason to replace them most of the time. Does your current PSU just not have enough wattage to power a new GPU you want or something?

Your GPU (graphics processing unit, or "graphics card") is going to have a much more significant impact on your experience in ESO (and most any game), so I assume this is the component you're more worried about getting advice on. My assumption is that "Right now I'm already planning on upgradingy psu to an EVGA700, and I've gotta get a larger case, but my setback is this- should I just bite the bullet and buy a new(er) psu too, or is this gonna be such a drastic difference in performance/stability that I can get away with it?" is a bit of a typo, and you mean to ask "Should I get a new GPU too or instead of?"

My advice is generally to buy the best GPU you can afford AND fit into your current system. The best bang for your buck is likely to be getting a better graphics card, and cramming it into the case you already own; as long as your PSU can supply it enough power, you don't need to go spending money on a case & PSU to get a better GPU. Get the good graphics card now, and save up for a nicer case & PSU later.

Side note: They make pretty powerful mini GPUs these days too; check out "mini, ITX, mATX" compatible GPUs -- they're often 90% as powerful, and easier to fit into any system you build. Not sure how their cost or availability compares wherever you live, though.

All of this may vary depending on your region, situation, et cetera, but unless you have a compelling reason to replace the case & power supply at the same time, why not put that money into getting the best GPU you can right now?

WiseSky

l0wolfeyez0l wrote: »

I know this probably isn't the best place for this, but I want advice from fellow players on this. Please understand that I don't have alot of money to throw at this project, and throwing out prices tags of $500+ isn't gonna be helpful in my situation.
Thanks to tax returns I can finally upgrade my rig. Here's my issue- I have a GeForcee 770 (yes, old but viable compared to AMD Radeon HD8490). I'm running on a i5-3470, 16g ram, Ivy Bridge Intel Q77 mobo.
Right now I'm already planning on upgradingy psu to an EVGA700, and I've gotta get a larger case, but my setback is this- should I just bite the bullet and buy a new(er) psu too, or is this gonna be such a drastic difference in performance/stability that I can get away with it?

For ESO Get the top Single Core CPU performance for best results that you can afford.
Graphics cards are secondary for this game.

PSU is a power supply, that has no effect on performance, just make sure you have enough watts,
Google “partpicker” and you can create your pc and check the wattage needed.

GreenHere

WiseSky wrote: »

l0wolfeyez0l wrote: »

I know this probably isn't the best place for this, but I want advice from fellow players on this. Please understand that I don't have alot of money to throw at this project, and throwing out prices tags of $500+ isn't gonna be helpful in my situation.
Thanks to tax returns I can finally upgrade my rig. Here's my issue- I have a GeForcee 770 (yes, old but viable compared to AMD Radeon HD8490). I'm running on a i5-3470, 16g ram, Ivy Bridge Intel Q77 mobo.
Right now I'm already planning on upgradingy psu to an EVGA700, and I've gotta get a larger case, but my setback is this- should I just bite the bullet and buy a new(er) psu too, or is this gonna be such a drastic difference in performance/stability that I can get away with it?

For ESO Get the top Single Core CPU performance for best results that you can afford.
Graphics cards are secondary for this game.

PSU is a power supply, that has no effect on performance, just make sure you have enough watts,
Google “partpicker” and you can create your pc and check the wattage needed.

The OP is asking about GPU/PSU concerns, but yeah -- this is a good and relevant point.

If your CPU is bottlenecking the other components in your system, upgrading everything else will be a bit of a waste. ESO is indeed pretty CPU-reliant, so be sure about what "needs" replacing before you go spending money on components, @l0wolfeyez0l . I couldn't really say whether your 770 GPU or your 3470 CPU is the limiting factor in ESO performance; maybe more knowledgeable folks on those era of components can chime in. I'd hit up hardware forums for that insight. Linking this thread (if allowed) might help provide insight they'd need to make helpful suggestions.

Unfortunately replacing a CPU often means replacing the motherboard too, so your plans may involve more work and/or cost if you go this route. Do your research to figure out what you really wanna do before parting with cash!

etchedpixels

3470 is a 3.2GHz (3.6 Turbo but as the game bashes hard on four cores I don't know how much turbo you'll get given you'll be using an external GPU). Four cores so it'll provide all the CPU cores needed without having to use hyperthreads. The game doesn't seem to use any of the fancy new features so it ought to be fine just fine.

When it came out it was the almost high end i5 - the one that was a bit cheaper but didn't let you overclock.

l0wolfeyez0l

Thank you to those who've given me some insight! I have edited the original post for some clarity. For future readers
Update-- because of the generic 400w hp psu currently in my rig leaving me wanting, I've ordered a EVGA 700w (first time I've seen them in stock in a while, and at $80 I just couldn't pass it up). I've also ordered myself a mid-tower atx case as the small form factor I'm currently in just won't cut it in the long run for what wants/needs as far as component sizes/availability/pricing going forward.
I plugged my rig, with the 770, into pc part picker and verified through them that the 700w psu will be more then enough for these upgrades, but also leave me room to "grow" into a new(er) gpu in the future. I've also verified that this setup will fit into the new case.