Proc vs GPU

ZadokZadok Ft. Wayne, IN
edited May 2010 in Hardware
I have a question for you my fellow Icrontians, Tech Enthusiasts, and Computer Professionals. I'm looking at upgrading my system and as I don't currently have the funds to do a complete rebuild I was wondering which would be the better first step. A new proc. or a new graphics card. My current system specs are as follows:

Motherboard:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130138

Proc: AMD 2.2 GHz Dual Core
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103243

GPU: Invidia 8800GT
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130319

HHD: 250 GB + 2 TB
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148262
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136344

RAM: 4 GB DDR2
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820211066

Power Supply: 500W
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817342010

Other Parts:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827106072
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16823107128
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811147067

2X 19'' LCD Monitors:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824009211

If I go with a new GPU I'm thinking about the Radeon HD 5770 though I might go higher depending on price. If I go with a new Proc I'll probably get a quad core (maybe the AMD Phenom II X4 955) and that would mean a new motherboard as well.

So my question in a nutshell is which direction would give me the biggest performance boost? This is primarily a gaming computer and as I will be in attendance at the Icrontic Expo, (my first, woot!) I wanted to make sure my computer could bring the heat.

Thanks ahead of time for your input.

Zadok

Comments

  • miragemirage
    edited May 2010
    If you go with the CPU upgrade and buy a motherboard along with it, buying an AM3 motherboard makes most sense to me. But you will also need to upgrade the RAM from DDR2 to DDR3 with an AM3 motherboard. Since the price of CPU+MB+RAM will be too high, I would go with the GPU upgrade first. You CPU will be limiting factor but you can save it for the next bigger step.
  • miragemirage
    edited May 2010
    I just checked at the following link
    http://www.msi.com/index.php?func=prodcpu2&prod_no=1333&maincat_no=1#menu

    You motherboard supports Phenom II X4 with a BIOS update.
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