RequestGaming PC upgrade - need an adult!
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RequestGaming PC upgrade - need an adult!Posted:
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Hello! I'm planning to upgrade my aging PC to keep up with today's AAA games. I've asked around on a couple other forms but would love to get more feedback on this build before I pull the trigger.
My current specs are: GPU: GTx 7750 Processor: AMD FX-4100 MB: M68MT-S2 RAM: 8GB DDR3 PSU: 700W (cooler master rs-700-acaa-b1) Monitor: ACER AOC 27" LED OS: Windows 10 Hard Drive: [Minimum post requirement for links] Seagate Barracuda SATA Here are the upgrades I've come up with after a few days of researching: [Minimum post requirement for links] / [Minimum post requirement for links] CPU: [Minimum post requirement for links] ($149.99 @ Newegg) Motherboard: [Minimum post requirement for links] ($59.99 @ B&H) Memory: [Minimum post requirement for links] ($99.99 @ Newegg Business) Video Card: [Minimum post requirement for links] ($149.99 @ Newegg) Total: $459.96 Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available Generated by PCPartPicker 2018-11-20 22:27 EST-0500 I'm open to general feedback on the bang for my buck of this build, and I also have a few specific questions:
What kind of cooler do I need for the 1700x? Is the 8gb version of the RX 570 much better than the 4GB for gaming performance? It doesn't cost much more but I see a lot of people having issues with it in the reviews. Is my existing 700w PSU good enough for this upgrade? Thanks! |
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| How much is your budget? |
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Inopportune_Sneeze wrote Would it be worth switching to a SSD? No. Would it be worth adding an SSD? Definitely. You don't need to swap your HDD for an SSD or anything though. Inopportune_Sneeze wrote What kind of cooler do I need for the 1700x? Whatever you want, so long as it is compatible. I use a Be Quiet! Dark Rock 4 with my R7 1700x and it does the job nicely. Other mid range air coolers will also do a good job cooling a 1700x. Again though, up to you. You could buy a budget air cooler, or a large AIO if you wanted. Inopportune_Sneeze wrote Is the 8gb version of the RX 570 much better than the 4GB for gaming performance? It doesn't cost much more but I see a lot of people having issues with it in the reviews It's the exact same GPU, just with twice as much VRAM. So, the 8GB VRAM will be beneficial at higher resolutions. If you're running a 1080p monitor or even lesser, then 4GB VRAM would be fine. Though if you don't have at least a 1080p monitor, I'd be looking at a monitor upgrade firstly. Also some games, like Skyrime with lots of mods will eat up VRAM, so an 8GB variant could also be beneficial in situations like that. So, no, the 8GB variant isn't going to perform vastly better than the 4GB, especially at lower resolutions but it is the better option assuming the price isn't ridiculous in comparison to a 4GB variant. Inopportune_Sneeze wrote Is my existing 700w PSU good enough for this upgrade? Eh, bit iffy if I'm honest. The wattage is more than enough, but the quality isn't quite there. If you're taking this chance to build an entirely new system anyway basically, then I'd probably consider a PSU upgrade too. |
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My budget is pretty flexible at this point, but I'm thinking in the $500 range.
Thanks, and YNWA! Parker-Stubbs wrote How much is your budget? |
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Ok, thanks for the thorough response! Here is my updated list based on some recommendations I've gotten:
[Minimum post requirement for links] / [Minimum post requirement for links] CPU: [Minimum post requirement for links] ($159.99 @ Amazon) Motherboard: [Minimum post requirement for links] ($59.99 @ B&H) Memory: [Minimum post requirement for links] ($99.99 @ Newegg) Storage: [Minimum post requirement for links] ($60.00) Video Card: [Minimum post requirement for links] ($134.99 @ Newegg) Total: $514.96 Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available Generated by PCPartPicker 2018-11-21 13:23 EST-0500 I switched to a R5 2600 processor since it has better gaming performance than the 1600x and 1700x, and it saves money since it comes with a cooler. Although PC Part Picker is saying that the R5 2600 may not be compatible with the MB I selected and may need a BIOS update. Is that an easy fix or would I be better off selecting a different MB altogether? For the SSD, I found that 512GB one for $60 on Amazon, which looks like it'll work well for me. I'm reluctant to add a new PSU because I'm close to topping out my budget already but if it's completely necessary then I'll look into it. Thanks! 21 wroteInopportune_Sneeze wrote Would it be worth switching to a SSD? |
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If you're just gaming, there's no need for Ryzen 7. A 6 core Ryzen 5 would be fine. The R5 2600 isn't a huge improvement over an R5 1600. At the same clock speeds, they'll perform almost identically, especially with an RX 570/580 so you could just save $30 and get an R5 1600 if you wanted.
The R5 2600 comes with a Wraith Stealth cooler included. The R5 1600 comes with a Wraith Spire, which is a better cooler. I wouldn't choose between the two CPU's based on this, just worth mentioning. I'd probably look in to upgrading to an aftermarket cooler at some point anyway, regardless of whether you get the 1600 or 2600. If you buy a motherboard that doesn't have a recent enough BIOS for the R5 2600, then you won't be able to boot the system. You'd need a first gen Ryzen CPU to update the BIOS first. It's easiest to just buy a B450/X470 motherboard if you can't make sure an older chipset board has the correct BIOS. I know Newegg display "Ryzen 2000 series ready" on some of the older chipset motherboards. The AsRock B450 Pro4 is a really solid board though, and well priced so I'd recommend that regardless tbh. PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant CPU: AMD - Ryzen 5 2600 3.4 GHz 6-Core Processor ($159.99 @ Amazon) Motherboard: ASRock - B450 Pro4 ATX AM4 Motherboard ($74.99 @ Newegg) Memory: Team - Vulcan 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory ($99.99 @ Newegg) Storage: Samsung - 860 Evo 500 GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($72.99 @ Amazon) Video Card: Asus - Radeon RX 570 4 GB ROG STRIX Video Card ($139.99 @ Newegg) Total: $547.95 The 860 EVO is a much better SSD. It's a steal at that price. RX 570's and 580's are jumping about in price like mad right now, but you should be able to get some sort of RX 570 for <$150 or an RX 580 for around $180 at time of buying, so make your choice between what's available then. For now, the Strix 570 is a solid choice, or this 580; pcpartpicker.com/product/jkFXsY/a...-rx580-o8g You don't have to buy a new PSU, but again, I definitely would. Especially since there are some crazy deals right now, like these 2; newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?I...6&SID= newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?I...6&SID= |
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Thanks for all the recommendations. I'll add that PSU ($40 seems like a great deal) and go with the Samsung SSD.
CPU: I'm split between the $180 2600x and the $130 1600. From what I've read the 2600x performs better out of the box which is ideal for me since I have no experience overclocking, but the question is - is it worth the extra $50 compared to the 1600? Surprisingly I was able to find similar prices for B350 and B450 motherboards so that doesn't factor into my CPU decision. GPU: I'm still leaning more towards the $135 8GB RX 570 save a bit more money, although that $185 580 is tempting. PSU: Is that 550W PSU sufficient for my system? Here is what my build looks like now, although I'm still going back and forth on the CPU: [Minimum post requirement for links] / [Minimum post requirement for links] CPU: [Minimum post requirement for links] ($179.99 @ Newegg) Motherboard: [Minimum post requirement for links] ($59.99 @ Newegg) Memory: [Minimum post requirement for links] ($99.99 @ Newegg) Storage: [Minimum post requirement for links] ($72.99 @ Amazon) Video Card: [Minimum post requirement for links] ($134.99 @ Newegg) Power Supply: [Minimum post requirement for links] ($39.99 @ Newegg) Total: $587.94 Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available Generated by PCPartPicker 2018-11-21 21:23 EST-0500 |
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Inopportune_Sneeze wrote Thanks for all the recommendations. I'll add that PSU ($40 seems like a great deal) and go with the Samsung SSD. if I were in your shoes id rather shell out the extra 50 dollars to get the newer cpu so later on you dont regret it bu thats just me |
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Yolo wrote if I were in your shoes id rather shell out the extra 50 dollars to get the newer cpu so later on you dont regret it bu thats just me Thanks for the input. Unfortunately the $180 2600x just sold out on newegg, and the next cheapest price is $220. So now that the price difference is almost $100 I'm leaning even more towards the 1600. Would you agree with 21 about the gaming performance difference between the two being minimal? |
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If you get an R5 2600 and overclock it to 4.1/4.2GHz, you won't notice a difference between it and the 2600x. If you get the R5 1600 and overclock it to 3.9/4GHz, it will be pretty damn close to an R5 2600. So I definitely wouldn't be paying $220 for a 2600x. The R5 2600 is $145 right now on Amazon, or the 1600 is $15 less. I'd probably take the 2600 for such a small price difference but if the 2600 goes up, an R5 1600 will be perfectly fine.
Also, the AsRock B450 Pro4 motherboard is better than the MSI B450-A PRO. If you want something better than the B450 Pro4, you're looking at $90-100+ motheboards. That MSI Armor RX 570 is $165, the other $30 is with a rebate, just FYI. Also the MSI Armor cooler's are pretty poor. I'd take the Strix RX 570 over the MSI Armor because it's a better cooler and you only pay $140 for it, instead of $165 with a $30 rebate. Alternatively, the 8GB RX 580 I linked for $185 is still available and that is a solid deal too. However, if you're happy to deal with rebates and just want an 8GB card, then an 8GB RX 570 for $135 is a really good price regardless of the cooler and it would be fine, I just personally wouldn't. 550W is enough wattage, yes. The problem with your current 700W unit would be the quality IMO. That Rosewill Capstone PSU for $40 is an absolute steal. However, the EVGA G2 550W is a top tier PSU and for only $50, also an absolute steal. I'd lean more towards the G2, but either PSU would be more than adequate. Worth noting the EVGA G2 on Newegg comes with a $10 rebate, so if you are going to use rebates you could have it for the same price as the Rosewill unit. I hear rebates can be a nightmare though. |
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