Would help to know your budget.
Because it's an 1155 socket, you're in a really good place to really go anywhere. The Core i3 series is a dual-core processor, so you can get a huge benefit for getting up to a quad-core setup. (higher end i5's or any i7).
When I decided to build my rig, I opted for the i7-3770k simply because I wanted the freedom, in the future, to overclock for longer use of the CPU. Combine that with a good aftermarket CPU heatsink and that would do wonders. Â It may be overkill for you, but some food for thought. CPUs are expensive to replace usually, so it's best to overspend and eventually replace other components since the CPU is central.
GPU wise, you're  on the extremely low end for the 600-series family. While power consumption is very low (~60 watts), that comes at a cost of performance, and this is critical for Final Fantasy XIV since it is absolutely GPU hungry.
If you're looking to upgrade SOLELY for FFXIV, I'd run a few benchmarks, likely with MSI Afterburner running to see GPU/CPU usage (you can monitor CPU usage through Resource Monitor on Windows 7) and figure out what features cost more performance wise.  Final Fantasy XIV seems to be very GPU intensive, and not that sensitive to CPU (as long as it isn't an old architecture.)
My old machine (used this while playing version one, and during open beta for Planetside 2) had massive issues with a whole lot of newer games since it used a Q9550, an old quad-core CPU. The i7 architecture is nice and provides a lot better performance as a result. The i3-and-5 series are equally as good, especially Sandy and Ivy Bridge setups. (Haswell is new, so I can't tell you how those perform.)
Performance has improved as the beta for Final Fantasy XIV has gone on, so you'll want to keep that in mind as well. My benchmarks can show that.
(Click for Full View)
![[Image: 20130805150329-4368dec0.jpg]](http://gallery.freyar.com/upload/2013/08/05/20130805150329-4368dec0.jpg)
Overall, it depends on what you're trying to make your upgrade for. FFXIV specifically? Or in general? You should watch your CPU usage while running the newest benchmark and see how stressed it is, determine if you do need to move to a quad-core before you put the cash down on it, otherwise look at a new GPU that will provide better performance.
Also, consider your power supply. With a 640 and an i3, it may not be strong enough to handle higher-performance parts.
Because it's an 1155 socket, you're in a really good place to really go anywhere. The Core i3 series is a dual-core processor, so you can get a huge benefit for getting up to a quad-core setup. (higher end i5's or any i7).
When I decided to build my rig, I opted for the i7-3770k simply because I wanted the freedom, in the future, to overclock for longer use of the CPU. Combine that with a good aftermarket CPU heatsink and that would do wonders. Â It may be overkill for you, but some food for thought. CPUs are expensive to replace usually, so it's best to overspend and eventually replace other components since the CPU is central.
GPU wise, you're  on the extremely low end for the 600-series family. While power consumption is very low (~60 watts), that comes at a cost of performance, and this is critical for Final Fantasy XIV since it is absolutely GPU hungry.
- Core i7-3770k 3.5Ghz (Newegg) $319
- Core i5-3570k 3.4Ghz (Newegg) $219 (Core i5 variant. Will have less performance, but can be an alternative.)
- MSIGTX 660 TI (2GB) (Newegg) $284
If you're looking to upgrade SOLELY for FFXIV, I'd run a few benchmarks, likely with MSI Afterburner running to see GPU/CPU usage (you can monitor CPU usage through Resource Monitor on Windows 7) and figure out what features cost more performance wise.  Final Fantasy XIV seems to be very GPU intensive, and not that sensitive to CPU (as long as it isn't an old architecture.)
My old machine (used this while playing version one, and during open beta for Planetside 2) had massive issues with a whole lot of newer games since it used a Q9550, an old quad-core CPU. The i7 architecture is nice and provides a lot better performance as a result. The i3-and-5 series are equally as good, especially Sandy and Ivy Bridge setups. (Haswell is new, so I can't tell you how those perform.)
Performance has improved as the beta for Final Fantasy XIV has gone on, so you'll want to keep that in mind as well. My benchmarks can show that.
(Click for Full View)
Overall, it depends on what you're trying to make your upgrade for. FFXIV specifically? Or in general? You should watch your CPU usage while running the newest benchmark and see how stressed it is, determine if you do need to move to a quad-core before you put the cash down on it, otherwise look at a new GPU that will provide better performance.
Also, consider your power supply. With a 640 and an i3, it may not be strong enough to handle higher-performance parts.
