I just want to say thanks for all the help so far.
Definitely open to more upgrades or if need be, a full overhaul. Ideally, an upgrade to just the graphics card would be fine but I understand that given the outdated components on my pc that would probably be unlikely. I have a budget of $1200 to work with, but of course spending less than that amount would be good.
My case is an Antec 900.
Some questions though:
Now still can get ddr2 memory at simlim sq?
Can I install ssd on my mobo (It's a gigabyte p35-ds3)
Let's say I get a gtx750ti will my motherboard pci-e slot throttle the performance?
1) Yes, you can get DDR2 RAMs at SLS. About $20+ per GB.
2) Yes, you can. SATA techonology is reverse compatible, you can plug a SATA 3 SSD into a SATA 2 port and it will still work, just that it will be slower. Even if your mobo has no ACHI, can also run in IDE mode, also just that your SSD will run slower. However, HDDs are so slow, even a SSD that is using a SATA 2 port and running in IDE mode will still be a whole lot faster than a HDD, hence a SSD is a worthwhile investment.
3) Nonsense. Even though your motherboard has a first gen PCI-E X16 slot, it is roughly equivalent to a modern PCI-E 3.0 X4/PCI-E 2.0 X8 slot in terms of bandwidth and you are going to lose about 2-3FPS at most when using a top end GPU, let alone a GTX 750Ti. Just get the best card your $$$ can afford. Read these articles to learn more.
PCIe: A Brief Technology Primer On PCI Express - The Myths Of Graphics Card Performance: Debunked, Part 2
GeForce GTX 980 PCI-Express Scaling | techPowerUp
4) However, your CPU is a bit old and is about comparable to say, a modern AMD FX-4100. This does means that you may get an approximately 30FPS penalty when playing modern games at max settings when compared to a modern i5 4460. However, this can still be covered up with a powerful GPU as games tend to be more demanding on the GPU than on the CPU. Hope you do not mind playing your games at Medium-High settings in 1680X1050, though.
Suggested upgrade parts:
GPU: Sapphire R9 280 3GB Dual-X (285) (lazada.com)
SSD: Crucial MX100 256GB (154)
RAM: Kingston PC2-6400/800 (2GB) (43)
Total Cost: $482
Unless otherwise stated, buy at Tradepac, #05-18, and ask for discounts. DIY yourself. If you can't into DIY, go to PC Care & Solutions, #02-32, SLS, and ask Nigel to assemble for you for a fee.
Notes:
1) The R9 280 will be able to play the games on your wish list on Medium-High settings in 1680X1050. Can try High, but better to switch off the AA, though.
2) Not so sure how much RAM you want to add. Ideally, 8GB is the optimum amount of RAM for playing AAA games, but since DDR2 RAMs are relatively expensive, 4GB should be just enough. Can get yourself 8GB of RAMs if you want. (Oh, I forgot to ask, is your OS a 64-bit OS?)
3) Got Mastercard? Consider buying the GPU and SSD from lazada.com on a Monday and get 10% discounts when you pay with a Mastercard. Do note that discounts are capped at $50 and you may want to buy these items seperately.
