[SOLVED] Advice for GPU & Maybe More Hardware Upgrade ($150 - $500)

[chris661]

Hey Everyone,

I built my very first PC back in 2012 and learned everything I needed to from everyone on these forums! I thank everyone that helped me then, and I thank everyone in advance that can help me now. 7 years later, it's time for an upgrade and now with kids and a family, I don't have as much time to research the best bang for my buck. That's why I'm here.

Approximate Purchase Date: Anytime between now and the next couple weeks... Tax Return!!! Haha!

Budget Range: ($150 - $500) Would love it if it were even lower, but willing to spend a bit more as well depending on what all I need to upgrade.

System Usage from Most to Least Important: Gaming, Streaming, Video Editing, Everyday Browsing/Email/Documents

Are you buying a monitor: No



Parts to Upgrade: I am currently running on Windows 10 / 8 GB RAM / AMD FX - 8320 / M5A99X EVO R2.0 (Socket 942) / AMD Radeon R7 200 Series... I'm hoping I only need to upgrade my RAM and GPU, but if technology has greatly surpassed my current hardware, then I'm willing to spend the higher price range.

Do you need to buy OS: No

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: Anywhere that has the best price, although I purchased through newegg and tigerdirect in the past and had no problems.

Location: I live near Bakersfield, CA, US

Parts Preferences: I don't have any preferences, just whatever is the best bang for my buck

Overclocking: My current set up is currently overclocked on an auto setting. I never really got into overclocking.

SLI or Crossfire: My current GPU can Crossfire, if that is an option that is recommended I would be willing to do that

Your Monitor Resolution: I'm not to sure. I'm currently using a Vizio 46" TV lol. It would be nice to get a monitor, but the TV is fine for now

Additional Comments: I'd like to run Insurgency Sandstorm & Escape From Tarkov at ultra if it fits in the price range. If not, than high settings at the least. I also use streamlabs when I stream on PS4 and am hoping to start streaming on PC as well.

And Most Importantly, Why Are You Upgrading: I've started to take my streaming more seriously and would like to stream some PC games. I just purchased Insurgency Sandstorm and I realized, it's time to upgrade. I tried highest graphics settings and it still looked terrible and was getting like 6 FPS. I was thinking of just adding some RAM, but I don't think that'll fix much. If my system is so out of date that it's time to full on rebuild, then that will be a whole new story lol.

 

[NightHawkRMX]

If you are looking for a new system i would reccomend AMD ryzen. Are you looking for a complete overhaul or just some parts to uograde?

 

[superninja12]

sorry but you have got a BIG cpu bottleneck. a 60 dollar cpu would outpeform it.
streaming really requires +- a ryzen 2400-2600 or intel i5 8400, if you want to get it done smooth.

 

[NightHawkRMX]

The old fx series is very old and has been greatly surpassed by modern intel and AMD ryzen offerings. I would reccomend a new system but if you can only buy an upgrade you could buy an rx580 8gb gpu to give that system a gaming boost. An ssd is a good idea aswell to improve loading times. Your current on board graphics are the main issue in games but your cpu would become an issue if you tried to upgrade your graphics to any modern card more powerfull than a 580 or 1060 you would have issues. If you have 8gb of ram or more you dont need to upgrade.

 

[chris661]

If you are looking for a new system i would reccomend AMD ryzen. Are you looking for a complete overhaul or just some parts to uograde?

I'm looking to just upgrade

 

[chris661]

sorry but you have got a BIG cpu bottleneck. a 60 dollar cpu would outpeform it.
streaming really requires +- a ryzen 2400-2600 or intel i5 8400, if you want to get it done smooth.

Sooo pretty much what you're saying is upgrading is out of the question? Lol

 

[chris661]

The old fx series is very old and has been greatly surpassed by modern intel and AMD ryzen offerings. I would reccomend a new system but if you can only buy an upgrade you could buy an rx580 8gb gpu to give that system a gaming boost. An ssd is a good idea aswell to improve loading times. Your current on board graphics are the main issue in games but your cpu would become an issue if you tried to upgrade your graphics to any modern card more powerfull than a 580 or 1060 you would have issues. If you have 8gb of ram or more you dont need to upgrade.

Yeah... I figured my hardware was pretty outdated, but was hoping it would still get me by. So within my price range, am I able to upgrade the GPU and run the games mentioned at ultra or high settings while streaming? Or am I going to have to upgrade my CPU as well with my GPU... and at that point, will my motherboard still hold up or is it going to be a complete new build?

 

[NightHawkRMX]

You could certainly upgrade your gpu and get better performance, but your cpu may not hold up in newer game. Here is a system based around the AMD Ryzen 5 2400 4c/8t apu with built in Radeon vega 11 graphics. This will massily outperform your current system. I included a cpu (included cooler), mobo, ram, ssd, and psu. You may not need a new psu if your current one is up to spec. This would also use your existing case. This is not an upgrade persay, but not quite a completely new pc.
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type|Item|Price
:----|:----|:----
CPU | AMD - Ryzen 5 2400G 3.6 GHz Quad-Core Processor | $149.89 @ OutletPC
Motherboard | ASRock - Fatal1ty B450 GAMING K4 ATX AM4 Motherboard | $94.99 @ Amazon
Memory | Team - Vulcan 8 GB (2 x 4 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory | $59.99 @ Newegg
Storage | Kingston - A400 240 GB 2.5" Solid State Drive | $29.99 @ Amazon
Power Supply | Corsair - CXM 550 W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply | $39.99 @ Newegg
| Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts |
| Total (before mail-in rebates) | $394.85
| Mail-in rebates | -$20.00
| Total | $374.85
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-02-15 16:13 EST-0500 |

 

[NightHawkRMX]

You could put in a new gpu and play those games, however you would not be able to max them out at full hd and certainly couldnt stream with that cpu. Your motherboard does not support much faster cpus so you would need an upgrade. New motherboards dont use ddr3 ram so you would need to budget for a kit of ddr4 ram. You mainly need a better gpu cpu and ram to stream and play those games.
What i included above should run those games in 1080p well, but you may need a dedacated gpu to max them out. The ryzen 5 apu i included could support a much more powerfull gpu than the fx8320.

 

[chris661]

You could certainly upgrade your gpu and get better performance, but your cpu may not hold up in newer game. Here is a system based around the AMD Ryzen 5 2400 4c/8t apu with built in Radeon vega 11 graphics. This will massily outperform your current system. I included a cpu (included cooler), mobo, ram, ssd, and psu. You may not need a new psu if your current one is up to spec. This would also use your existing case. This is not an upgrade persay, but not quite a completely new pc.
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type|Item|Price
:----|:----|:----
CPU | AMD - Ryzen 5 2400G 3.6 GHz Quad-Core Processor | $149.89 @ OutletPC
Motherboard | ASRock - Fatal1ty B450 GAMING K4 ATX AM4 Motherboard | $94.99 @ Amazon
Memory | Team - Vulcan 8 GB (2 x 4 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory | $59.99 @ Newegg
Storage | Kingston - A400 240 GB 2.5" Solid State Drive | $29.99 @ Amazon
Power Supply | Corsair - CXM 550 W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply | $39.99 @ Newegg
| Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts |
| Total (before mail-in rebates) | $394.85
| Mail-in rebates | -$20.00
| Total | $374.85
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-02-15 16:13 EST-0500 |

You, my friend, are a gentleman(or gentlewoman) & a scholar lol. You have saved me so much time! I honestly thought it would cost WAY more to upgrade/build. My son has taken an interest into computers and I have been teaching him the basics. Now that I have found out mine is so outdated, I may look into a new build and allow him to help me. I believe in your other comment you said this specific CPU has a built in one, but a separate one would be better off? Which do you recommend? As for cases & wires, any particular brands you recommend? It may put me over my price range a bit, but I may be able to talk my better half into letting me spend a bit more. Fingers crossed haha.

 

[NightHawkRMX]

This cpu has a pretty powerfull built in graphics processor. A dedicated video card such as a gtx 1060 or AMD rx 580 would certainly outperform the integrated graphics but will cost a few $100 more. That cpu and built in gpu should be able to run most newer games at full hd medium to high settings. Ill see what performance it offers in those games. Ill add a link to a whole build here in a minute.

 

[NightHawkRMX]

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type|Item|Price
:----|:----|:----
CPU | AMD - Ryzen 5 2400G 3.6 GHz Quad-Core Processor | $149.89 @ OutletPC
Motherboard | ASRock - Fatal1ty B450 GAMING K4 ATX AM4 Motherboard | $94.99 @ Amazon
Memory | Corsair - Vengeance LPX 8 GB (2 x 4 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory | $63.99 @ Newegg
Storage | Kingston - A400 240 GB 2.5" Solid State Drive | $29.99 @ Amazon
Storage | Seagate - Barracuda 2 TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive | $59.89 @ OutletPC
Case | NZXT - H500 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case | $69.99 @ B&H
Power Supply | Corsair - CXM 550 W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply | $39.99 @ Newegg
| Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts |
| Total (before mail-in rebates) | $528.73
| Mail-in rebates | -$20.00
| Total | $508.73
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-02-15 16:56 EST-0500 |
Heres the whole system. You could get rid of the hdd in that list and use your existing hdd. The included parts will be very fast thanks to the fast cpu and ssd. I changed the ram to a slightly nicer kit from a better brand for $4 more.
I can cut some money off if you need. If you have some more money i could certainly put together a list for a little more performance and dedicated gpu, however the one listed above will do the job.

 

[chris661]

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type|Item|Price
:----|:----|:----
CPU | AMD - Ryzen 5 2400G 3.6 GHz Quad-Core Processor | $149.89 @ OutletPC
Motherboard | ASRock - Fatal1ty B450 GAMING K4 ATX AM4 Motherboard | $94.99 @ Amazon
Memory | Corsair - Vengeance LPX 8 GB (2 x 4 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory | $63.99 @ Newegg
Storage | Kingston - A400 240 GB 2.5" Solid State Drive | $29.99 @ Amazon
Storage | Seagate - Barracuda 2 TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive | $59.89 @ OutletPC
Case | NZXT - H500 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case | $69.99 @ B&H
Power Supply | Corsair - CXM 550 W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply | $39.99 @ Newegg
| Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts |
| Total (before mail-in rebates) | $528.73
| Mail-in rebates | -$20.00
| Total | $508.73
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-02-15 16:56 EST-0500 |
Heres the whole system. You could get rid of the hdd in that list and use your existing hdd. The included parts will be very fast thanks to the fast cpu and ssd. I changed the ram to a slightly nicer kit from a better brand for $4 more.
I can cut some money off if you need. If you have some more money i could certainly put together a list for a little more performance and dedicated gpu, however the one listed above will do the job.

This is already an amazing amount of help, I really do appreciate it. I'll have a more solid number figure here in the next week or so, but this is a great starting point!

 

[NightHawkRMX]

Ok. Amd ryzens seems to have thebest value right now.