Maximum PC

I'll start off with the current specs of my PC

Evga P55 FTW motherboard
Intel Core i3-540 CPU
XFX Radeon HD 5770 Graphics card
Corsair XMS3 8GB Ram
Samsung F3 1TB Hdd
Corsair VX550W Power supply
Cooler master Elite 310 case
Cooler master V6 CPU cooler
Asus 24X Dvd Drive

I use this pc for mostly Video editing and some gaming and i occasionally surf the web on it.

I use Sony Vegas Movie Studio 12, but i might try using something more intensive in the future.

Games i play are Crisis, Skyrim, Fallout, Etc.. and im not looking to be able to play them on full settings.

I would like to upgrade since i built this PC 2 years ago, but im not sure where to start.
What would you guys recommend i upgrade?
One thing i thought about was getting an SSD for the OS and Software.

Thanks In advance!

Unfortunately the only bottleneck here is the CPU, which you might be hard pressed to find a new LGA1156 chip that's an upgrade these days ( Newegg's selection and TigerDirect's selection)

A better option may be to spend about $400 for a new motherboard (Z77 board) and processor (Core i5-3570K), you can recycle the memory.

So something like this:

ASUS P8Z77-V LGA 1155 Intel Z77 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard

And this:

Intel Core i5-3570K Ivy Bridge 3.4GHz

Looks like a perfect combo for what you will be using your computer for.

Ok Thanks!

Now what about an SSD?

What about it? Usually what people use SSDs for is for putting the OS and core programs on it. If you have more space, you can add more programs as needed. But keep in mind that the going rate for SSDs is about $80 for 64GB, $100 for 128GB, and $200 for 256GB (I could be off).

Go to SSDs are usually Samsung 830 Series and OCZ Vertex 4. Intel's (I think the latest is the 420 series) a bit pricey. Other brands I'm not too privy about their performance/reliability.

Personally, I've bought numerous Agility 3 SSDs and I love them. They're 1 generation older and a step down from the Vertex line, but if you look at the specs the Agility has faster read/write speeds than the Vertex 4.

Agility 3 120GB is $90 ($80 w/ $10 rebate)
Agility 3 240GB is $175 ($155 w/ $20 rebate)

Hope this helps.

Don't take this personally, but what?! Lol I'm not certain how you have concluded that having built your current PC two years ago necessitates an upgrade or new build. If you are experiencing issues, then okay. Your rig not able to do what you want it to, sure. Technology envy? By all means get a new rig. Okay enough of that and sorry

Imho, if you are more or less happy with your current rig, a cost-effective upgrade would be to add a 128 GB SSD for under $100. Vertex 4 or Agility 3 or Samsung or Intel, you make the call because imho there is no 100% right answer.

Next upgrade would be what has been mentioned - Ivy CPU and mobo with the rest of your current parts.

Based on the CPU upgrade itself, your applications will probably get a nice boost. If gaming issues are a concern, right now, the nVidia GTX 660 Ti, GTX 660, AMD Radeon 7850 level cards are probably decent options for a single monitor setup at 1080 resolution.

If you are running a 22-inch monitor or smaller, I'd suggest considering a bigger screen. Heck, add another HDD while you're at it. Otherwise, I think you are pretty set.

Im probably going to atleast get an SSD and add another HDD right away, then maybe down the road this winter upgrade the CPU and Mobo.
i was also thinking about going dual monitor, but if i do that then i cant play games..

Thanks for you guys input though!

^ Aha! Why didn't you just say that in the beginning. Simply "wanting" to upgrade is generally the best reason to upgrade

But I am certain you can do dual monitors and still play games. In fact, your Radeon HD 5770 card will run two monitors right now. You should be able to do that Eyefinity across multiple monitors too. It may not run as you'd like it to with newer games though. If curious, let us know your current panel size and resolution and what you'd like to do with another monitor.

That said, with the cost of monitors decreasing a bit, many people prefer a single, large monitor for gaming (maybe along with a smaller panel on the side).

I currently have a 22'' 1680x1050 monitor, id use the second monitor for video editing.

So if i was to get say a 24'' monitor, i could use just that one if i wanted to play games?

A 24-inch panel at 1920 x 1080 (or if even 1920 x 1200) is a very nice upgrade from 1680 x 1050, but the higher resolution won't be easy on your GPU. Here is a bench to compare a few games at different settings and resolutions:

http://www.anandtech.com/bench/Product/538

Determine what you need/want. Imho, one option re your monitor situation could be to:
- Buy suitable 24-inch panel.
- Hook up 24-inch (and 22-incher if desired) to existing Radeon 5770.
- If it suits you, enjoy! If not, start research on an appropriate GPU.