[SOLVED] 3 year old rig upgrade

iSpextor

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Hello everyone,

I am looking to upgrade my current rig without blowing up too much money (I could tolerate ~600-800€, less is even better of course)

Currently I am using these parts:
https://pcpartpicker.com/list/n3cmH2

CPU: Intel Core i5-9600K 3.7 GHz 6-Core Processor (currently overclocked to 4.9 GHz)
Cooler: Noctua NH-D15 82.5 CFM CPU Cooler
Motherboard: MSI MPG Z390 GAMING EDGE AC ATX LGA1151 Motherboard
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 CL16 Memory
GPU: Asus DUAL GeForce GTX 1060 6GB 6 GB Video Card
Case: Cooler Master MasterBox MB520 RGB ATX Mid Tower Case
PSU: Corsair RM750 (2019) 750 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply

For now I have been looking to upgrade the GPU to a RTX 3060 Ti 8GB, but with my current CPU that would bottleneck it by around ~23% (after researching a little).

Could anyone think of some upgrades this rig could need?
If you require any more details I'd be happy to provide :)
 
Solution
I live in Germany!

If I got a 9900K for the current system wouldn't my other components lag behind?

So what needs upgrading is the CPU rather than the GPU? I checked some benchmarks and they all showed a pretty decent performance increase when compared to my current card so I thought it's probably my best bet to replace that first..
No you definitely need to upgrade the GPU, I was suggesting doing both as 6 cores/6 threads is at it's limit in some of the more demanding games now. You do have a very high clock speed, you could get a GPU and see how you get on. A CPU upgrade on it's own won't be of any benefit but you'd still see a benefit from the GPU without a new CPU. I do think you will probably want to upgrade the CPU...
One way to save would be skip the 3060 and pick up an rx 6600 instead. Should be close to the same performance wise except ray tracing but a good bit cheaper. Of course ddr5 is the way to go but you could pick up a b660 board that accepts ddr4 and with a 12th gen i5. 13th is better but would need a bios update.
 
600-800 euros is stretching it for a GPU as well. Sort of thing I would look at would be:

CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 5700X 3.4 GHz 8-Core Processor (£209.99 @ Amazon UK)
Motherboard: Asus ROG STRIX B550-A GAMING ATX AM4 Motherboard (£144.98 @ Box Limited)
Video Card: MSI VENTUS 2X OCV1 GeForce RTX 3060 Ti LHR 8 GB Video Card (£441.59 @ Newegg UK)
Total: £796.56

What country do you live in?

You could also drop a 9900K into your current system, you have a board and cooler that's good enough. The difficulty is finding one that doesn't cost more than a board and CPU.
 

iSpextor

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Of course ddr5 is the way to go but you could pick up a b660 board that accepts ddr4 and with a 12th gen i5. 13th is better but would need a bios update.

Would an upgrade to DDR5 sticks make a considerable difference in performance?

Or is it more the upgrade to a better i5 gen that's making the change?
 
Would an upgrade to DDR5 sticks make a considerable difference in performance?

Or is it more the upgrade to a better i5 gen that's making the change?
Your unlikely to notice any difference playing games with a 3060 Ti. There's the odd title that performs noticeably better with DDR5 when paired with a high end CPU/GPU. It's nice to have but in your budget I would say it's a low priority.
 

iSpextor

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What country do you live in?

You could also drop a 9900K into your current system, you have a board and cooler that's good enough. The difficulty is finding one that doesn't cost more than a board and CPU.

I live in Germany!

If I got a 9900K for the current system wouldn't my other components lag behind?

Your unlikely to notice any difference playing games with a 3060 Ti. There's the odd title that performs noticeably better with DDR5 when paired with a high end CPU/GPU. It's nice to have but in your budget I would say it's a low priority.

So what needs upgrading is the CPU rather than the GPU? I checked some benchmarks and they all showed a pretty decent performance increase when compared to my current card so I thought it's probably my best bet to replace that first..
 
I live in Germany!

If I got a 9900K for the current system wouldn't my other components lag behind?

So what needs upgrading is the CPU rather than the GPU? I checked some benchmarks and they all showed a pretty decent performance increase when compared to my current card so I thought it's probably my best bet to replace that first..
No you definitely need to upgrade the GPU, I was suggesting doing both as 6 cores/6 threads is at it's limit in some of the more demanding games now. You do have a very high clock speed, you could get a GPU and see how you get on. A CPU upgrade on it's own won't be of any benefit but you'd still see a benefit from the GPU without a new CPU. I do think you will probably want to upgrade the CPU though sooner or later.

I've had a look at the German prices, if you needed a more full upgrade then this tips a little over your max budget:

PCPartPicker Part List: https://de.pcpartpicker.com/list/DZj92m

CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 5700X 3.4 GHz 8-Core Processor (€203.00 @ Mindfactory)
Motherboard: Asus ROG STRIX B550-A GAMING ATX AM4 Motherboard (€153.90 @ Alza)
Video Card: MSI VENTUS 2X OCV1 GeForce RTX 3060 Ti LHR 8 GB Video Card (€519.06 @ LK-Webservices)
Total: €875.96

An Intel alternative would be:
PCPartPicker Part List: https://de.pcpartpicker.com/list/xHn6Kp

CPU: Intel Core i5-12400F 2.5 GHz 6-Core Processor (€185.89 @ notebooksbilliger.de)
Motherboard: MSI MAG B660 TOMAHAWK WIFI DDR4 ATX LGA1700 Motherboard (€227.90 @ Alza)
Video Card: PNY XLR8 Gaming REVEL EPIC-X RGB Dual Fan GeForce RTX 3060 Ti LHR 8 GB Video Card (€476.99 @ notebooksbilliger.de)
Total: €890.78
 
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iSpextor

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No you definitely need to upgrade the GPU, I was suggesting doing both as 6 cores/6 threads is at it's limit in some of the more demanding games now. You do have a very high clock speed, you could get a GPU and see how you get on. A CPU upgrade on it's own won't be of any benefit but you'd still see a benefit from the GPU without a new CPU. I do think you will probably want to upgrade the CPU though sooner or later.

I've had a look at the German prices, if you needed a more full upgrade then this tips a little over your max budget:

An Intel alternative would be:
PCPartPicker Part List: https://de.pcpartpicker.com/list/xHn6Kp

CPU: Intel Core i5-12400F 2.5 GHz 6-Core Processor (€185.89 @ notebooksbilliger.de)
Motherboard: MSI MAG B660 TOMAHAWK WIFI DDR4 ATX LGA1700 Motherboard (€227.90 @ Alza)
Video Card: PNY XLR8 Gaming REVEL EPIC-X RGB Dual Fan GeForce RTX 3060 Ti LHR 8 GB Video Card (€476.99 @ notebooksbilliger.de)
Total: €890.78

I've had a look and would probably prefer the intel alternative at this budget.. I think I've realized I'll definitely need a CPU upgrade and decided on a i5-12400F as it's got insane value by the looks of it.

What I'm still undecided about is actually getting the 3060 Ti (is it even worth the buck or is a AMD model or older gen RTX card the same?) and whether I could draw out more by - since I'd be replacing the Motherboard either way - getting a DDR5 compatible one and also putting in DDR5 sticks. That'd also make it somewhat more "future-proof" as a time might come where it's not ideal to be stuck on DDR4.. Sure there would be a somewhat higher investment that intended but perhaps I can find some good deals this coming Cyber Monday.

What do you think?
 
I've had a look and would probably prefer the intel alternative at this budget.. I think I've realized I'll definitely need a CPU upgrade and decided on a i5-12400F as it's got insane value by the looks of it.
Perhaps a little bit better value on the 12400F yes but the motherboards are more expensive. You should also be aware that new Intel CPU's such as the 13400F should arrive early next year, possibly even January. New mid range GPU's from Nvidia and AMD will also come in the first quarter of next year such as the Nvidia 4060. Obviously I don't know what prices and availability will be like for the new GPU's. The 4080 right now for example is extremely expensive but stock is readily available.

What I'm still undecided about is actually getting the 3060 Ti (is it even worth the buck or is a AMD model or older gen RTX card the same?)
I wouldn't buy older RTX cards at this point, I would get the 30 series or wait for the 40 series. In terms of whether it's worth it, I have no problems with the price and it would be a big upgrade on your 1060. My only thought is the 4060 is probably not that far away. However it does seem like it will be more expensive than the current 3060 Ti so there is that. AMD I would say is a bit better value if your playing at 1080p and to a certain extent 1440p and not using Ray Tracing. If your interested in Ray Tracing and want to use upscaling features like DLSS to boost performance then Nvidia is the better option. If you were considering AMD then the 6700 XT/6750XT cards would be the ones to look at.

So in my mind it depends on what you value, AMD gets you more raw performance, Nvidia gets you more toys. For me personally I prefer Nvidia as I use Ray Tracing and DLSS, so in that context Nvidia is better.

and whether I could draw out more by - since I'd be replacing the Motherboard either way - getting a DDR5 compatible one and also putting in DDR5 sticks. That'd also make it somewhat more "future-proof" as a time might come where it's not ideal to be stuck on DDR4.. Sure there would be a somewhat higher investment that intended but perhaps I can find some good deals this coming Cyber Monday.

What do you think?
So right now there is no obvious difference in gaming. There's the odd game like Spiderman Remastered that do perform better with DDR5 and that will become more common moving forward. Hardware Unboxed did a good video on DDR4 vs DDR5. I think the case for having the latest and greatest for longevity reasons is a legitimate one. However I think an upgrade to a higher core count CPU or higher tier GPU would probably offer greater longevity than simply having DDR5. It really comes down to priorities, if your on a tight budget it's not necessarily the place I would prioritise for spending if maximum performance today was the goal.
 
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iSpextor

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Perhaps a little bit better value on the 12400F yes but the motherboards are more expensive. You should also be aware that new Intel CPU's such as the 13400F should arrive early next year, possibly even January. New mid range GPU's from Nvidia and AMD will also come in the first quarter of next year such as the Nvidia 4060. Obviously I don't know what prices and availability will be like for the new GPU's. The 4080 right now for example is extremely expensive but stock is readily available.


I wouldn't buy older RTX cards at this point, I would get the 30 series or wait for the 40 series. In terms of whether it's worth it, I have no problems with the price and it would be a big upgrade on your 1060. My only thought is the 4060 is probably not that far away. However it does seem like it will be more expensive than the current 3060 Ti so there is that. AMD I would say is a bit better value if your playing at 1080p and to a certain extent 1440p and not using Ray Tracing. If your interested in Ray Tracing and want to use upscaling features like DLSS to boost performance then Nvidia is the better option. If you were considering AMD then the 6700 XT/6750XT cards would be the ones to look at.

So in my mind it depends on what you value, AMD gets you more raw performance, Nvidia gets you more toys. For me personally I prefer Nvidia as I use Ray Tracing and DLSS, so in that context Nvidia is better.


So right now there is no obvious difference in gaming. There's the odd game like Spiderman Remastered that do perform better with DDR5 and that will become more common moving forward. Hardware Unboxed did a good video on DDR4 vs DDR5. I think the case for having the latest and greatest for longevity reasons is a legitimate one. However I think an upgrade to a higher core count CPU or higher tier GPU would probably offer greater longevity than simply having DDR5. It really comes down to priorities, if your on a tight budget it's not necessarily the place I would prioritise for spending if maximum performance today was the goal.

I see, thank you so much for the detailed answers!

In conclusion I think I'll go for that Intel setup with the 3060Ti. Breaking the bank for the new 4060 or other cards in the 40 series doesn't seem worth to me. With that setup I should be good to go for the next years since I'll be sure to run most games I play quite well. If I'd ever consider an upgrade after that it'd probably be more worth to get a whole rig.. who knows.

An upgrade like that is sure to keep me ready for the near future, thank you so much for the suggestions!
(If you happen to have another suggestion or anything I'd love to hear it as well!)
 
I see, thank you so much for the detailed answers!

In conclusion I think I'll go for that Intel setup with the 3060Ti. Breaking the bank for the new 4060 or other cards in the 40 series doesn't seem worth to me. With that setup I should be good to go for the next years since I'll be sure to run most games I play quite well. If I'd ever consider an upgrade after that it'd probably be more worth to get a whole rig.. who knows.

An upgrade like that is sure to keep me ready for the near future, thank you so much for the suggestions!
(If you happen to have another suggestion or anything I'd love to hear it as well!)
Your welcome, you'd have to wait with the 4060 and yes it will probably be more expensive. If your buying now and there are limits to your budget then a 3060 Ti and 12400F is a good setup. If you happened to find any shocking discounts on a 5800X3D on Cyber Monday then that would also be a worthy consideration for the AMD setup. Otherwise there's not really much better you can do without spending significantly more money.
 
Could be wrong but didn’t they say something about the lower 13th gen chips might be based on alder lake?
I believe they are but that doesn't really matter. The Raptor Cove cores in Raptor Lake are the tiniest improvement over Golden Cove in Alder Lake. It's just with the 13400F you might get 4 extra little cores for the same price as the 12400F.
 
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I’ve been looking more at Intel. But starting to look at my cash and wanting to pay off some bills and starting to think my zen 3 box should soldier on a bit longer.
Lol I wouldn't upgrade any Zen 3 CPU even with a high end GPU, I wouldn't personally upgrade a Zen 2 either. I haven't used AMD because I wasn't sure about the first Ryzen and when I wanted Zen 3 there was a supply shortage.
 
Things are actually holding up well. I’d have no issues tossing a 6900xt in my rig especially at 1440p. Take a look at this comparison for example between a 5800x and 13600k. Yes the 13600k is faster but you’d still probably have a couple more years on the 5800x. They used a 3090, so that’s probably close to the new 4080.

View: https://youtu.be/IkRMSL5RTDc


Here’s another video to check. You can see at 1440p and 4K even with a 4090, yes there’s a little cpu limitation on a ryzen 5 5600x, but for the most part it allows it to stretch it’s legs. Naturally you wouldn’t want to pair a 4090 with that cpu, but for their age they really aren’t bad cpus. If you are on say a 3080 or 3070 you should still have a good experience.

View: https://youtu.be/yqviii515kI
 
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Things are actually holding up well. I’d have no issues tossing a 6900xt in my rig especially at 1440p. Take a look at this comparison for example between a 5800x and 13600k. Yes the 13600k is faster but you’d still probably have a couple more years on the 5800x. They used a 3090, so that’s probably close to the new 4080.

View: https://youtu.be/IkRMSL5RTDc
5800X is a great CPU, none of these new CPU's would impress you if that's where your coming from. The 13600K is also 6 performance cores not 8, and the little cores are of little benefit in games right now.
 

iSpextor

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Your welcome, you'd have to wait with the 4060 and yes it will probably be more expensive. If your buying now and there are limits to your budget then a 3060 Ti and 12400F is a good setup. If you happened to find any shocking discounts on a 5800X3D on Cyber Monday then that would also be a worthy consideration for the AMD setup. Otherwise there's not really much better you can do without spending significantly more money.

Hey again,

my parts arrived and I have just installed everything etc.

Now I ran into some issues.. is it true that the i5-12400F cannot be overclocked with the motherboard I now own? (Gigabyte B660 Gaming X DDR4)
I bought the CPU thinking I could reach the shown clock speed of 4.4 GHz easily but now I am sitting here at 2.50 GHz..

If I can't get this to the desired 4.4 GHz is this new CPU still better than my old one or did I ultimately make a purchase mistake and might as well refund it and get a different CPU that I can overclock or something..
 
https://ark.intel.com/content/www/u...2400f-processor-18m-cache-up-to-4-40-ghz.html

According to this, 2.5ghz is the base clock. In other words when you are idle, it’s going to throttle down a bit. However when you start putting a load on it clock speeds should increase as needed. One thing to do, download and run cinebench r23 and see what it scores.

Scroll further to the bottom and look at the cinebench scores here. Yours likely won’t be exactly the same as theirs but it should give an idea if it’s in the same neighborhood.

https://www.cpu-monkey.com/en/cpu-intel_core_i5_12400f