[SOLVED] 500$ PC upgrade

[stepa]

Hello! I am looking to upgrade my cheap pc to be able do play AAA games at 1080p.

This is my current setup: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/qrBWRk

This is my idea for the upgrade: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/KwfChg

Any thoughts, suggestions?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Tioym]

Sorry to burst a bubble but your PSU probably cant run that updated setup reliably. You dont wanna upgrade and then later your PSU fails and everything goes to hell. Plus it just doesnt meet the wattage requirements, if it were a 450W one I'd let it pass but I recommend you upgrade to a 500W one and try to go for a good brand, dont cheap out on that.

I recommend a Ryzen 3 3300X if you can find it under $130 it gives slightly better gaming performance than the i5 9400F. Go with a B450, or if you plan to upgrade in a month or two, a B550 Motherboard, this way you'll be able to upgrade to a better one later. If you're strapped for cash then look for a A320 motherboard that can run the 3300X. Check the manufacturer's website for that one although I've seen most boards support it but you wanna be sure. Otherwise i5 9400F is also a good CPU you wont go wrong either way.

Your memory is on the slow side but you can always upgrade this later on, CPU/GPU/Mobo/PSU takes Prio.

The GPU is fine you'll be able to run every current game between High-Max on 1080p 60fps. Should last you a good 2 years but that depends on how you like to play games. If you love your game quality settings as high as possible then upcoming PS5 titles may not run that well on it. I expect them to run on Low-Medium 60 FPS but I cannot say for sure. PS5 GPU is RX 5700 XT with higher Clocks but games will optimized for PS5 so even if you have an RX 5700 XT on the PC-side you may not be able to get the same performance. I still think the GPU is a great option especially if you're on a budget.

Storage is fine, you can always get more if you feel like it nothing that needs urgency.

 

[Nemesia]

Forget the 1660TI. The 1660 Super is cheaper and it's the same performance. Save 50 bux there.

 

[stepa]

Sorry to burst a bubble but your PSU probably cant run that updated setup reliably. You dont wanna upgrade and then later your PSU fails and everything goes to hell. Plus it just doesnt meet the wattage requirements, if it were a 450W one I'd let it pass but I recommend you upgrade to a 500W one and try to go for a good brand, dont cheap out on that.

I recommend a Ryzen 3 3300X if you can find it under $130 it gives slightly better gaming performance than the i5 9400F. Go with a B450, or if you plan to upgrade in a month or two, a B550 Motherboard, this way you'll be able to upgrade to a better one later. If you're strapped for cash then look for a A320 motherboard that can run the 3300X. Check the manufacturer's website for that one although I've seen most boards support it but you wanna be sure. Otherwise i5 9400F is also a good CPU you wont go wrong either way.

Your memory is on the slow side but you can always upgrade this later on, CPU/GPU/Mobo/PSU takes Prio.

The GPU is fine you'll be able to run every current game between High-Max on 1080p 60fps. Should last you a good 2 years but that depends on how you like to play games. If you love your game quality settings as high as possible then upcoming PS5 titles may not run that well on it. I expect them to run on Low-Medium 60 FPS but I cannot say for sure. PS5 GPU is RX 5700 XT with higher Clocks but games will optimized for PS5 so even if you have an RX 5700 XT on the PC-side you may not be able to get the same performance. I still think the GPU is a great option especially if you're on a budget.

Storage is fine, you can always get more if you feel like it nothing that needs urgency.

Thanks for the feedback, I'll add 50-60$ to the budget for the PSU. I knew that the 3300x had comparable performances, but since ryzen requires faster RAM to be used at it's maximum, and I want this to be a one time upgrade that is good for the next ≈2 years I went for the 9400F. I really don't mind playing on lower settings or even lower framerates like 40 fps, I just want to have a playable and ok-looking gaming experience without needing to upgrade in the next 2 years. Thank you for your response!

 

[Tioym]

Thanks for the feedback, I'll add 50-60$ to the budget for the PSU. I knew that the 3300x had comparable performances, but since ryzen requires faster RAM to be used at it's maximum, and I want this to be a one time upgrade that is good for the next ≈2 years I went for the 9400F. I really don't mind playing on lower settings or even lower framerates like 40 fps, I just want to have a playable and ok-looking gaming experience without needing to upgrade in the next 2 years. Thank you for your response!

Intel also likes faster ram almost as much as amd so there's not much of a win on either side. Also yeah, 1660S is better value but Ti is better for you since you want to make sure it stays up to date for atleast 2 years

 

[stepa]

Intel also likes faster ram almost as much as amd so there's not much of a win on either side.

Ok, looks like I misunderstood the impact that RAM speed makes. I'll look into buying a memory kit

 

[geofelt]

Your current psu has the requisite 6+2 connector to run a GTX1660ti.
So that might work.
CM power supplies are iffy. Yours is tier 7 on this list:

PSU Tier List [OLD]

Credit to @Starelementpokeand @Energycore for helping out with this long-awaited refresh of the old PSU tier list by Aniallation (who previously went several months without logging in), leaving the old list in need of help. This is simply an update of the list that was flawed in creation by the P...

linustechtips.com

I would change it out if possible.

On the processor, you can do better with a current gen i3-10100:
https://www.newegg.com/intel-core-i3-10100-core-i3-10th-gen/p/N82E16819118138
It costs less with more threads and a higher clock.
Here is a review:

Intel Core i3-10100 + B460 Motherboard Review

The Core i3-10100 is Intel's most affordable 4-core, 8-thread CPU ever at just $122. That places it in direct competition with AMD's Ryzen 3 3300X. As the...

www.techspot.com

A 400 series MATX motherboard starts at $60,.
Here is a B460 based gigabyte motherboard for $80:
https://www.newegg.com/p/N82E16813145206

Somewhere, that 120gb ssd for windows is going to fill up.
Start planning on a m.2 pcie replacement.

 

[gutsygoat]

As mentioned, the PSU is a bit risky. You might want to consider the Be Quiet! Pure Power 11 400w or even 500w variant, depending on the upgrades you will eventually make. Also, as you have to upgrade your motherboard anyway, might aswell go with a 10400f and get a b460/h410/h470 motherboard. The 10400f is more than a 'slight' improvent, because it has hyperthreading, effectively doubling its thread count (6 instead of 12). There currently are many 1200 socket microATX motherboards out there.

 

[Nemesia]

Intel also likes faster ram almost as much as amd so there's not much of a win on either side. Also yeah, 1660S is better value but Ti is better for you since you want to make sure it stays up to date for atleast 2 years

The TI is not better for him. It's the exact same performance with like 1-2 fps difference. Both card are the same and will be good for 2 years.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JkcZJpL_7AQ

 

[Tioym]

The TI is not better for him. It's the exact same performance with like 1-2 fps difference. Both card are the same and will be good for 2 years.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JkcZJpL_7AQ

The difference is not 1-2 fps it's +5%. For ~30 bucks I'd go for the Ti if I had the extra money.

 

[gutsygoat]

The difference is not 1-2 fps it's +5%. For ~30 bucks I'd go for the Ti if I had the extra money.

He could use that money to get a better SSD.

 

[Deleted member 2720853]

I would not spend any money on the 1660 Ti, 1660 Super is a better choice...

 

[geofelt]

Ryzen processors are tightly tied to the ram they use.
Both for compatibility and performance.
Intel, not so much. The intel ram controller is very good at anticipating ram use so ram speed is not as important.
Here is a study comparing 2133 DDR4 ram to 3000 speed.
Excepting the use of integrated graphics, there is negligible difference in real app performance or FPS.

Skylake Memory Scaling with Kingston Predator DDR4-3000

Armed with a massive 32GB high-end Kingston HyperX Predator DDR4-3000 memory kit, we investigate how DDR4 frequencies and latencies affect real world performance on Intel’s latest mainstream desktop platform. October 13, 2015 by Lawrence Lee Product Kingston HyperX Predator DDR4-3000 32GB...

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