Got some money... time for upgrades?

[xcylent]

Hey all!

So I built my Rig around a month ago, and since then I have saved up $400 AUD.
I've been doing quite a bit of gaming and video editing and come to the conclusion that it could use a bit more 'kick'.
So- what do you guys think?
I'd rather not spend all $400, so I've been looking at the HD7850, or 7870 if I should stretch my budget.

Here are my current specs:
CPU: AMD FX-6100 (3.3GHz-6core)
Cooler: CM TX3 EVO (push-pull config)
GPU: GTX 550ti
MoBo: ASRock 970 Extreme 4
HDD: 500GB seagate
Memory: 8GB (2x4GB-1333MHz) Patriot Gamer2
Monitor: 22" Viewsonic (1920x1080- not too happy about this. If I look closely, text is blurred over 2-3 pixels, and it does not look as clear as my 1366x768 laptop. Yes, I have turned on cleartype text and all that. it does not help)

Any input is appreciated!

 

[cliffordcooley]

If you can wait a few more weeks the GTX 660 Ti is nearing release. That is unless you want to jump fence and go with AMD this time around. I think the release date is set for August 16th. Waiting would allow you to compare price/performance between nVidia and AMD.

 

[xcylent]

If you can wait a few more weeks the GTX 660 Ti is nearing release. That is unless you want to jump fence and go with AMD this time around. I think the release date is set for August 16th. Waiting would allow you to compare price/performance between nVidia and AMD.

good idea. I had thought of the 660ti, but it is rather expensive and really I'd like to spend as little as possible. Being a broke highschool student sucks...
thanks for the input though.
Should I invest in an extra HDD?
or maybe a decent keyboard & mouse... still using some old clunky wired pieces of rubbish.

 

[slh28]

I think you should definitely invest some of that in a GPU if you do a lot of gaming. If you're willing to buy used then there's usually great deals on older generation cards 6950/6970/570/580 etc. But otherwise you're probably better off waiting for the GTX 660Ti to come out, if it's as quick as expected then we might see some price cuts.

I'm a huge fan of investing in decent keyboard/mice, a lot of the time people pay so much attention to raw specs in their rig that they forget that the KB/mouse are the only physical things you feel. Mechanical keyboards are absolutely awesome and you'd never go back to a normal membrane keyboard after using one. Do some research on the different Cherry switch types though, they are very different. The Logitech G500 is an excellent affordable gaming mouse.

p.s. all the best KB/mice are wired

 

[xcylent]

I'm not a big fan of wired mice. wired keyboards however I'm OK with.
I like laptop-type keyboards, preferably silent as well. Are there any mechanical keyboards styled like the low-profile laptop keys, with relatively quiet keystrokes? that would be amazing :3 also I'm a sucker for backlit keys.

what's the best wireless mouse you would recommend? Logitech Marathon mouse?

 

[slh28]

Non-gaming grade wireless mice usually have lots of lag and will have low dpi so will be a hindrance to your gaming performance. Logitech and Razer have wireless gaming mice but I haven't tried them personally. However they are quite a bit more expensive than the equivalent wired ones.

If you like low profile keys and quite operation then mechanical keyboards are not for you... I think Logitech have several low profile keyboards.

 

[xcylent]

I'm so sad. I love the feel of mechanical keys, but I can't stand the loud 'click' or the tower-style keys.
Maybe I should just develop my own keyboard...

Apart from that, I was looking at this for a keyboard. mainly because it's cheap, has nice white backlit keys (which suits my whole computer white/black colour scheme), and I've heard some good things about the manufacturer.

As for the mouse, I'm yet to decide. Maybe I should just go all out on a R.A.T 9 or a Mamba
Also are there any mouse pads that anyone would recommend? preferably something rather large, and if possible, really long (like the razer goliathus extended)