Need to upgrade my processor, but to what?

[InternetKillTV]

Hiya guys! Ordered my current rig well over 3 years ago now, the current specs are:

AMD PHENOM II X4 QUAD CORE 960T (3.00GHz/6MB CACHE/AM3)
16GB DDR3 RAM
2GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 680
600W POWERSUPPLY
ASUS® M5A78L-M/USB3: M-ATX, USB 3.0, SATA 3.0Gb/s MOTHERBOARD

Added in the power supply and motherboard there so you guys can help me make an informed decision!

Right so the processor is the weakest part of the rig and I'd very much like to switch it out for something intel, either i5 or i7. Unfortunately I'm not particularly educated in the world of processors. Will I also have to change the motherboard if I'm planning to switch from an AMD processor to Intel?

So, the spec related questions for you guys are:

What processor should I upgrade to?
What motherboard should I upgrade to?
Can my power supply handle it?

I'm also quite wary about this process because I know when it comes to changing the motherboard I'm going to be very liable to screw something up!

I should also mention I use my computer primarily for editing and gaming. I'd very much like to handle GTA V for PC at full graphics this Fall!

 

[mantadog]

if your going for an intel CPU you will certainly have to change to a different motherboard as intel/AMD chips are not compatible.

Upgrading the motherboard and CPU is going to set you back about £250-£300 I'd guesstimate depending on exactly what you want to go for. Another cheaper option would be to get a more powerful AMD phenom II x6 but that may not have a huge performance benefit.

Also to throw something else into the mix here, presuming you ordered your PC with a copy of windows from PCS it will be non transferable. The OS is tied to the motherboard and can only be change to an identical board if the old one dies. So that would add about £80 onto he upgrade cost.

 

[A314159]

I'd get an fx8350 or under. The more expensive AMD stuff is a waste, but it's too late to change to intel. The 8350 is not a waste, and it is a good CPU (similar to an i5).