What components should I upgrade to be able to stream HQ-CS:GO?

[aalbrg]

I bought this computer two-three years ago, and I'm having trouble streaming without lags.

So I wonder what hardware I should upgrade to be able to stream CS:GO without lagging, because I haven't got the economy at the moment to buy a complete new gamer pc.

Operating System
Windows 8.1 Pro 64-bit
CPU
Intel Core i7 950 @ 3.07GHz 43 °C
Bloomfield 45nm Technology
RAM
6,00GB Dual-Channel DDR3 @ 539MHz (8-8-8-20)
Motherboard
Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd. X58A-UD3R (Socket 1366) 44 °C
Graphics
BenQ T2200HD (1920x1080@60Hz)
1024MB ATI AMD Radeon HD 6800 Series (XFX Pine Group) 54 °C
Storage
931GB Western Digital WDC WD10EALX-009BA0 ATA Device (SATA) 29 °C
Optical Drives
Optiarc DVD RW AD-5260S ATA Device
Audio
Realtek High Definition Audio
Power Supply
Chieftec Super 650W

Thanks.

[_I_]

gpu and power supply
(cpu cooler if you want to overclock, 212evo should get it close to 4ghz if you disable ht)
instructions here
http://www.overclock.net/t/538439/guide-to-overclocking-the-core-i7-920-or-930-to-4-0ghz

first gen i7 would be fine with source games streaming

[aalbrg]

Any suggestions for which gpu and power supply I should buy?

[Alchemist79]

I have an i7 930@3.36Ghz with ht enabled. The early i7's have held up really well, I think you could get a gtx970 and have minimal issues even with the latest games. Not sure if you would need a new psu.

As suggested an overclock would help, but I don't recommend going over 3.66Ghz due to poor performance vs watts.
http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/overclock-core-i7,review-31553-10.html

[Rove]

GTX 970 I would speculate would be good for streaming if your program can tap into it's pixel fillrate. The R9 280 is a really good deal if you want a lower price @ less than $200. Performance is still pretty par to the GTX 970 except it uses more power, is overall slightly worse and has a significantly worse Pixel Fillrate which depending on your program & if it's smart enough to use that might be useful for streaming.

I might also say another 6GB of RAM would be in order. Since 6GB alone is low nowdays.

RAM might actually be your biggest problem.

Other than that you can probably overclock your CPU to 4~ GHZ or so with a good 3rd party cooler if you really need to. Though I'd hold off on that and see if the RAM and maybe GPU make a difference first.

Also as has been mentioned you could use a better PSU though your current one might work fine still even with upgrades. If you have the spare cash go for a 80 Plus Gold Fully Modular 650W to replace it. Here is the one I'd specifically recommend:

650W 80 Plus Gold fully modular PSU with 10 year warranty
http://pcpartpicker.com/part/evga-power-supply-120g10650xr
Newegg $79.99 -$20.00 +$6.67 s/h $66.66
$20.00 mail-in rebate

There is also a 750W model of the same for not much more:
http://pcpartpicker.com/part/evga-power-supply-120g10750xr
NCIX US $99.99 -$20.00 $79.99+
$20.00 mail-in rebate
OR
Newegg $99.99 -$20.00 +$7.99 s/h $87.98
$20.00 mail-in rebate

There was also a really good deal on a Seasonic 80 Plus Platinum but they have all sold out.

It would help to know your total budget.

[aalbrg]

Thank you guys! My budget is around 500$, could go a bit higher but looking for as cheap parts as possible that can make my pc good enough for playing and streaming global offensive.

[Rove]

OKay I put together a shopping list for you.


Zalman ZM-CNPS14X CPU Cooler
(3 x) Team Elite 4GB (1 x 4GB) DDR3-1333 Memory
MSI Radeon R9 290 4GB TWIN FROZR Video Card
EVGA SuperNOVA NEX 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply
http://pcpartpicker.com/p/jdfkbv
Base Total: $536.94
Promo Discounts: -$15.49
Mail-in Rebates: -$55.00
Total: $466.45

If you'd rather a GTX 970 or a R9 290X you can also change that in for the GPU instead of R9 290 but that will push the total up to around $520 to $540 or so.

Make sure to set the RAM to the same speed & timings as your current set if possible. If there is any problem getting the RAM to work together you may need to just use this new 12GB instead of the old stuff but I'm guessing you can probably make them work together with enough tweaking and tuning. Just remember that timings and voltages may have to match as well as MHz and they may have to go in specific slots. I'm assuming you have 3*2GB right now, if it's 4GB+2GB that might make it more complex but I hope you work it out. If not 12GB is still at least enough RAM, you don't need the full 18GB for gaming or streaming.

Also depending on what you have observed of your CPU usage (which probably rarely exceeds 60% if ever) you may want to overclock it using the new CPU cooler. DO not overclock unless you actually need to. Overclock before upgrading for sure but don't do it just to waste electricity cause it can also damage or shorten the life of your CPU and motherboard. You got a good overclocking CPU and a good motherboard though so if you need more CPU performance (monitor it first to see total usage doing your most demanding tasks) then definetly go for a overclock if there is no other way to get what you need. You can also re-use the cooler in the next build as it's nicer than any stock cooler that I know.

The PSU is great, you potentially might be able to save a bit of money by skimping and getting a 500w 80 Plus Bronze but that EVGA 650W Gold is really nice.

One other thing you might want is a SSD. $60~ can get you a 120-128GB one and $90-$100 can get you a 240-256GB one.

One other closing thought. It might just be the internet that is lagging you. It does that. I mean your rig already more than exceeds CS:GO maximum requirements I think?

[aalbrg]

Thanks, Rove! Really appreciate it. Is it any other ram products you can suggest? Can't find Team Elite in norwegian online stores..

[Rove]

DDR3-1066 to 1333 @ 1.5V with good-enough timings 4GB*3=12GB kit or individual sticks *3 either way. Make sure it has a heatspreader if you can. DDR3-1600 should work also as long as it's got a 1066 setting in the SPD. Check the manufacturer websites.

Also the same brand you got with exact same specs (except 4GB) would help compatibility.

Also I took a look at the specs on your PSU and it honestly looks like it'll be fine.

[Alchemist79]

What software do you use for streaming? Apparently some are cpu based, and others like OBS, Nvidia's shadowplay, are more gpu based.

[aalbrg]

Thanks again, Rove!

I use Dxtory+OBS for streaming, but if you recommend another software, I'm willing to try it out, Topper.

[Alchemist79]

Probably a bit of a noob myself when it comes to streaming. It's quite an Interesting subject though, I might to have a play with dxtory myself.

As already suggested a dedicated ssd would be good for streaming to.

This is an interesting dxtory watch -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jw6YAoai8fQ

[aalbrg]

It's settled then. Going for a new gpu, more ram and a ssd. Will buy a new psu and try to overclock my cpu if needed. Thanks, Rove and Topper!

[Alchemist79]

I can't help but notice your triple channel ram is running at 1066mhz, yet you have some really nice ram timings. Which suggests ddr3 1600mhz. Do you know what speed ram you have?

[aalbrg]

I really need some more knowledge about computers.. anyway, here's a screenshot of what CPU-Z is saying about my memory: http://bildr.no/view/RmhObWlH don't know if it's that you looking for.

[Alchemist79]

That doesn't show the necessary info. There should be a label of the physical memory sticks. It isn't that important. It is quite easy to set the ram to its specified speed, there is a memory multiplyer in the bios, and may provide you with a few more fps.

Edit: Be sure to read a guide on ram multipliers before changing the settings.