$800Cdn (600US) to upgrade 7 yr old PC, Please Help!

RainyEvening

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Dec 15, 2016
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Hi there! I'm not too informed about hardware, but I need to upgrade my PC. With all the different brands and models I don't want to make a mistake! I was hoping someone could help me make the right decisions.

I don't play shooter type games but I do play other games such as Civ VI and X-com 2. I'd like to be able to play them at high settings and I'd like them to load faster. I'd like my PC generally to run faster.

(Maybe important: I found out my motherboard and CPU are running hot. The board goes to 114C and the CPU 72C, they idle at 55C and 43C. Lately my PC shuts down when I play games. I'll buy better fans, but do you think they're damaged now? I have retail Win7, can I move it to a new motherboard?)

Here's my system now. I have $800Cdn ($600US).

[OS] Windows 7
[Board] Gigabyte GA-990FXA-UD3
[CPU] AMD Phenom II X6 1100T
[Display] AMD Radeon HD 6950
[Memory] 8 gb Single-channel DDR3 1333
[Storage] A hard drive

Given the heat problem, what would you do? A big question for me is whether to change the board/CPU given my budget. Thank you so much if you can take the time to help.
 
Solution
CPU COOLER - The GAMMAXX 400 is a much better cooler than the 300. http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/best-cpu-coolers,4181.html
MB - That is a B150 chipset motherboard which means no overclocking. This is a mismatch with the K series processor which is unlocked and ready to be overclocked. Look toward the Z170 chipset to match the K series processors.
MEM - Z170 supports memory faster than DDR4-2133.
GPU - The GTX 1060 has a slight edge over the RX 480, however they are in the same class and you would be happy with either.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-6700K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($443.74 @ Vuugo)
CPU Cooler: Deepcool GAMMAXX 400 74.3 CFM CPU...
Unfortunately you don't have enough budget to build a new system but your CPU should be holding its own still. The 1100T was a true hex core and responds well to overclocking.... especially on a good 990 chipset motherboard like you have. Is your system overclocked?

Your heat issues could stem from poor airflow in your case. If needed, add case fans to promote front-to-back airflow. At least one intake fan (front / bottom), and at least one exhaust fan (rear / top).

Focus on the things you can use now, and also in a new build down the road. I would suggest a new CPU Cooler that is compatible with both your setup and any new Intel / AMD build, a new GPU, an SSD, and a memory bump. Do you really have a single 8GB module installed? If so, that is an easy "fix" to get back to dual channel mode. What power supply do you have? Please be specific. There are a lot of poor power supplies out there you don't want to overclock or run a high-end GPU on.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: AMD Phenom II X6 1100T Black 3.3GHz 6-Core Processor (Purchased For $0.00)
CPU Cooler: Deepcool GAMMAXX 400 74.3 CFM CPU Cooler ($24.99 @ Newegg Canada)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-990FXA-UD3 ATX AM3+ Motherboard (Purchased For $0.00)
Memory: G.Skill Value Series 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR3-1333 Memory (Purchased For $0.00)
Memory: G.Skill Value Series 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR3-1333 Memory ($49.99 @ Newegg Canada)
Storage: Crucial MX300 275GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($94.99 @ Amazon Canada)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (Purchased For $0.00)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 1060 6GB 6GB GAMING Video Card ($334.99 @ Amazon Canada)
Total: $504.96
 
Thank you!!

I have an Antec 520W High Current Gamer power supply. There's no overclocking on my system as far as I know. Maybe when I get the heat sorted out I should look into that.

So just to be sure, you don't think the CPU or board could be damaged by recent overheating?

Just two follow-ups: I was looking at the Crucial BX100 250GB SSD. It's $25 more than your suggestion; do you think it's $25 better?

And with your suggestions I still have $300. Should I buy a video card with bigger numbers, such as the Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1070 8GB Windforce OC?
 
Yes. Look at overclocking. Even an easy overclock to 3.8GHz-4.0GHz would show good gains.

Don't worry about damage unless you have seen lockups, shutdowns or other strange issues. Would suspect the protection features of the motherboard would have kicked in if so.

The BX100 is fine, but not that much of an improvement over the Crucial MX300 or the Sandisk X400. The Samsung EVO would be the drive of choice, but the price is too high at the moment. Also check out the SK Hynix SL308 if it is available..

The GTX 1060 6GB will handle 1k gaming (1080) with no problem. Look toward the larger GPUs if you are gaming at 2k (2560x1440) or higher, or on multiple monitors.
 
Thank you for all your help!

But in the end after cleverly but dangerously shifting my financial priorities I've decided to spend $1200Cdn on a new system. Here's what I've thrown together:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-6700K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($443.74 @ Vuugo)
CPU Cooler: Deepcool GAMMAXX 300 55.5 CFM CPU Cooler ($19.99 @ Amazon Canada)
Motherboard: Gigabyte G1.Sniper B7 ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($115.98 @ NCIX)
Memory: Kingston HyperX Fury Black 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR4-2133 Memory ($77.98 @ DirectCanada)
Storage: Crucial MX300 275GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($94.99 @ Amazon Canada)
Video Card: MSI Radeon RX 480 4GB GAMING X Video Card ($294.50 @ Vuugo)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit ($117.98 @ DirectCanada)
Case Fan: Corsair Air Series AF120 Quiet Edition (2-Pack) 39.9 CFM 120mm Fans ($34.98 @ DirectCanada)
Total: $1200.14

The RX 480 is a bit cheaper than the GTX equivalent I think. Will all this work with my power supply? Is this all a worthwhile upgrade for what I have now? I don't want to upgrade again for quite a while!
 
The 6700k is overkill for gaming, unnecessary expense. The 6600k can take any game.
Also, get a Z170 board with your "K" CPU, so you can overclock it. this is a good one for cheap.
Pair the CPU with a good CPU Cooler, for the excess money of the lesser CPU, so you can overclock it better. This is one of the best air coolers.
The second option is, instead of all of the above, you think about the GTX1070, that is gonna add a bit to the price.
 
CPU COOLER - The GAMMAXX 400 is a much better cooler than the 300. http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/best-cpu-coolers,4181.html
MB - That is a B150 chipset motherboard which means no overclocking. This is a mismatch with the K series processor which is unlocked and ready to be overclocked. Look toward the Z170 chipset to match the K series processors.
MEM - Z170 supports memory faster than DDR4-2133.
GPU - The GTX 1060 has a slight edge over the RX 480, however they are in the same class and you would be happy with either.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-6700K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($443.74 @ Vuugo)
CPU Cooler: Deepcool GAMMAXX 400 74.3 CFM CPU Cooler ($24.99 @ Newegg Canada)
Motherboard: Asus Z170-E ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($149.99 @ DirectCanada)
Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport LT 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR4-2400 Memory ($64.99 @ Newegg Canada)
Storage: Crucial MX300 275GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($94.99 @ Amazon Canada)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 1060 6GB 6GB GAMING Video Card ($334.99 @ Amazon Canada)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit ($117.98 @ DirectCanada)
Case Fan: Corsair Air Series AF120 Quiet Edition (2-Pack) 39.9 CFM 120mm Fans ($34.98 @ DirectCanada)
Total: $1266.65


...or if you did not intend to overclock...

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-6700 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($402.74 @ Vuugo)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-B150M-DS3H Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($94.99 @ Newegg Canada)
Memory: Crucial 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR4-2133 Memory ($54.99 @ Newegg Canada)
Storage: Crucial MX300 275GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($94.99 @ Amazon Canada)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 1060 6GB 6GB GAMING Video Card ($334.99 @ Amazon Canada)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit ($117.98 @ DirectCanada)
Case Fan: Corsair Air Series AF120 Quiet Edition (2-Pack) 39.9 CFM 120mm Fans ($34.98 @ DirectCanada)
Total: $1135.66
 
Solution