New PC Build, should I upgrade my monitor or invest in more memory?

I'm going to be building a new computer with gaming and performance in mind, and I would like to know if I invest in a new monitor, or more memory. Here are the important parts so far:

AMD FX-6100
MSI 970A-G46 AM3+
2x Sapphire 6770 Vapor-X in crossfire (I already have one, buying a second)
COOLER MASTER eXtreme 700w PSU
16GB G.SKILL memory
500GB Main HDD
2TB Storage HDD

Currently, I'm running a 19" monitor with a 1366x768 resolution. Should I cut back on the RAM and get rid of the 2TB hard drive to buy a new full-HD 1080p monitor, or will my current 1366x768 monitor be fine with the crossfire 6770s?

Edit: I should also mention that if I don't get that hard drive, I'll be running a 250GB hard drive as a system drive, and a 500GB one for storage.

building decision ram crossfire hardware pc build resolution

asked Apr 22 '12 at 21:34

MrAnthology
86●5●6●11

edited Apr 22 '12 at 22:15

5 Answers:

oldest newest most voted

Personally, I'm looking at buying the AMD-FX 6200 (uses a little more power, but is so much better) with the ASUS M5A97 AM3+ motherboards.

I think 16 GB is nice, but too expensive for what you get, so cutting back to 8 GB is what I'd recommend (you can always upgrade).

If you are going to be gaming, getting a new monitor would be nice, so I'll recommend two monitors (both Asus & 1080p):
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824236176
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824236079

As you can see, Asus is my preferred company for building computers, and I would cut back on the RAM and HDD to get the monitor.

answered Apr 22 '12 at 21:56

catchatyou
20.7k●89●165●383

I should also mention that if I don't get that hard drive, I'll be running a 250GB hard drive as a system drive, and a 500GB one for storage. Sorry, I should have mentioned that in the question at first. The 500GB listed is the one I have right now.

(Apr 22 '12 at 22:14) MrAnthology

That should be a decent amount of storage. If you ever feel like you need more, you can always upgrade (assuming you have the money).

I have bought the AMD FX 6200 with the Asus motherboard (and Corsair RAM with extreme heatsinks on it, so maybe I can overclock the RAM easily). I hope the parts will arrive soon!

(Apr 23 '12 at 07:22) catchatyou

It's always seemed to me that having a lot of screen on your monitor for gaming is somewhat counter-productive, at least for games where you literally need to be able to see everything! However, I'd agree that you're unlikely to perceive any real difference between 8 and 16 GB memory.

answered Apr 23 '12 at 08:56

Cornelia Cornflake
880●2●3●16

Firstly, may I just ask, why are you using a 500GB HDD and a 2TB HDD. It would be better to get a small SSD and use the 2TB as well. As for memory, 8GB is enough for Gaming, cut back on that, save yourself a little and get a nice 1080p monitor. Just my 2 cents.

answered Apr 23 '12 at 14:39

Tim Fontana
15.5k●136●202●377

I'm using a 500GB HDD because I still don't see much value in buying an SSD. I prefer storage size over a bit of a speed increase, I'm a patient person.

(Apr 23 '12 at 15:49) MrAnthology

It is a bit more that a "bit" of a speed improvement!

(Apr 23 '12 at 21:04) Jackster1337

Yeah, well, "a bit" is relative. It's not fast enough for me to pay so much money for so little storage space.

(Apr 23 '12 at 23:16) MrAnthology

yes go with 8 gigs instead of 16, and get yourself a good 1080p monitor. also i have to agree with tim on the ssd. there are plenty of tuts out there to get way better performance out of them. the kind of performance difference that will simply blow any hdd out of the water.

answered Apr 23 '12 at 20:45

Dr Giggles
331●5●7

0	Add more Memory and Dual Boot with Linux Mint. answered Apr 23 '12 at 22:27 Snook 140●1●2●4

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