Question Advice needed on upgrading my prebuilt PC ?

[vuikinh]

Hi everyone,

I'm looking for advice on upgrading my prebuilt MSI Aegis R Gaming Desktop PC (full specs below).
My goal is to be able to play games like Resident Evil Village, Path of Exile 2, and Grim Dawn (I know, it's old but a favorite of mine) at 1920x1080 resolution with decent FPS and no stuttering. So, no 4K gaming and I am not looking to overclock.

Current Specs:​

• OS: Windows 10
• CPU: Intel Core i7-10700F
• GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070
• RAM: 16GB
• Storage: 1TB SSD
• Monitor: ASUS 24" VG248QE (1080p, 144Hz)
• Prebuilt model link: MSI Aegis R​

Budget:​

I have about $1000 for upgrades.

Parts Preferences:​

• Brand: None (open to any reliable brand).
• SLI/Crossfire: No.

Current Issues:​

1. Grim Dawn stutters occasionally, even when graphics settings aren’t maxed out.
2. GPU temperature reaches 90°C while playing, which might be due to not replacing the thermal paste in over two years.
3. I’m not sure about the case specifications (cooling potential, size, etc.), so I’m unable to create a PCPartPicker list accurately.

Location:​

I live in Charlotte, NC, United States. I’m near several Best Buy stores and this Micro Center: link.

Also, just wondering if the the Intel Core i7-10700F causes the RTX 3070 to be bottlenecked, particularly at 1080p?

 

[Aeacus]

at 1920x1080 resolution with decent FPS and no stuttering. So, no 4K gaming and I am not looking to overclock.

RTX 3070 is more than capable of playing on 1080p, 1440p and even on 4K. So, the issue isn't hardware specs, but something else.

Based on what you described, i have two suspicions;
1.

Grim Dawn stutters occasionally, even when graphics settings aren’t maxed out.

Stutters are hard to diagnose, but i suspect it to be software issue.

Easiest and simplest fix is to format OS drive and making new, clean Win installation. This will get rid of software issues, bloatware and malware (except firmware rootkits).

So, wipe the OS and with clean Win, look if things improve.

2.

GPU temperature reaches 90°C while playing, which might be due to not replacing the thermal paste in over two years.

Hardened thermal paste alone, let alone in 2 years, will not make GPU to thermal throttle. Issue must be far more severe, e.g GPU fans not working at all and/or none of the case fans working (meaning 0 airflow inside the PC).

To fix that, put all your case fans to spin at 100%. Sure, it may be loud but if it lowers your GPU temps, we know where to look towards to and it can be remedied without buying new and expensive CPU and/or GPU.
If the case fans won't spin any faster, remove the side panel and run the PC without it. This way, GPU wouldn't sit inside the hot box. Also, do look if GPU fans actually spin.

 

[vuikinh]

RTX 3070 is more than capable of playing on 1080p, 1440p and even on 4K. So, the issue isn't hardware specs, but something else.

Based on what you described, i have two suspicions;
1.

Stutters are hard to diagnose, but i suspect it to be software issue.

Easiest and simplest fix is to format OS drive and making new, clean Win installation. This will get rid of software issues, bloatware and malware (except firmware rootkits).

So, wipe the OS and with clean Win, look if things improve.

2.

Hardened thermal paste alone, let alone in 2 years, will not make GPU to thermal throttle. Issue must be far more severe, e.g GPU fans not working at all and/or none of the case fans working (meaning 0 airflow inside the PC).

To fix that, put all your case fans to spin at 100%. Sure, it may be loud but if it lowers your GPU temps, we know where to look towards to and it can be remedied without buying new and expensive CPU and/or GPU.
If the case fans won't spin any faster, remove the side panel and run the PC without it. This way, GPU wouldn't sit inside the hot box. Also, do look if GPU fans actually spin.

Thank you for your advice! I’ll definitely try a fresh Windows installation to address any potential software issues and check the fans to ensure everything is working as it should. If I still decide to upgrade my PC with my $1000 budget, what components should I focus on? While I understand the RTX 3070 is beefy enough for 1080p gaming, could my CPU, RAM, or cooling setup be worth upgrading? Thanks again!

 

[Why_Me]

Thank you for your advice! I’ll definitely try a fresh Windows installation to address any potential software issues and check the fans to ensure everything is working as it should. If I still decide to upgrade my PC with my $1000 budget, what components should I focus on? While I understand the RTX 3070 is beefy enough for 1080p gaming, could my CPU, RAM, or cooling setup be worth upgrading? Thanks again!

https://www.microcenter.com/product...ies-32gb-ddr5-6000-kit,-computer-build-bundle

https://www.microcenter.com/product...ies-32gb-ddr5-6000-kit,-computer-build-bundle

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU Cooler: *Thermalright Phantom Spirit 120 SE ARGB 66.17 CFM CPU Cooler ($37.90 @ Amazon)
Total: $37.90
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
*Lowest price parts chosen from parametric criteria
Generated by PCPartPicker 2024-12-21 16:48 EST-0500

 

[Aeacus]

what components should I focus on?

#1 PSU

Speaking of PSU, make and model (or part number) of it is?
If you don't know, open the rear side panel (or remove PSU shroud) and locate the label of the PSU. Take a pic of the label (where all kinds of watts and amps are seen) and post the pic to the net. E.g www.imgur.com and post the pic link here.


Before looking into upgrading CPU, you need to 1st make sure that the build is held back by CPU. That, of course, after clean Win install.
To test it;
Run any game of your choosing with high/ultra settings on 1080p. Note down the average FPS.
Then run the same game again with low settings on 1080p. And look if FPS did increase or not.
Better to try several different games for more accurate result.

When the FPS does increase (since load on GPU is reduced), your CPU is good enough.
But when the FPS doesn't increase and is same regardless the graphical settings, you're held back by CPU and then, new, beefier, CPU would be in order.

https://www.microcenter.com/product...ies-32gb-ddr5-6000-kit,-computer-build-bundle

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU Cooler: *Thermalright Phantom Spirit 120 SE ARGB 66.17 CFM CPU Cooler ($37.90 @ Amazon)
Total: $37.90
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
*Lowest price parts chosen from parametric criteria
Generated by PCPartPicker 2024-12-21 16:48 EST-0500

Why would OP buy the AMD bundle + CPU cooler you linked?
I see 0 words from you as of why.

Just throwing out links without 0 word is a bad sportsmanship.

 

[Why_Me]

#1 PSU

Speaking of PSU, make and model (or part number) of it is?
If you don't know, open the rear side panel (or remove PSU shroud) and locate the label of the PSU. Take a pic of the label (where all kinds of watts and amps are seen) and post the pic to the net. E.g www.imgur.com and post the pic link here.


Before looking into upgrading CPU, you need to 1st make sure that the build is held back by CPU. That, of course, after clean Win install.
To test it;
Run any game of your choosing with high/ultra settings on 1080p. Note down the average FPS.
Then run the same game again with low settings on 1080p. And look if FPS did increase or not.
Better to try several different games for more accurate result.

When the FPS does increase (since load on GPU is reduced), your CPU is good enough.
But when the FPS doesn't increase and is same regardless the graphical settings, you're held back by CPU and then, new, beefier, CPU would be in order.


Why would OP buy the AMD bundle + CPU cooler you linked?
I see 0 words from you as of why.

Just throwing out links without 0 word is a bad sportsmanship.

https://www.techpowerup.com/review/amd-ryzen-7-7700x/19.html

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Awz_CG2320E

 

[vuikinh]

#1 PSU

Speaking of PSU, make and model (or part number) of it is?
If you don't know, open the rear side panel (or remove PSU shroud) and locate the label of the PSU. Take a pic of the label (where all kinds of watts and amps are seen) and post the pic to the net. E.g www.imgur.com and post the pic link here.


Before looking into upgrading CPU, you need to 1st make sure that the build is held back by CPU. That, of course, after clean Win install.
To test it;
Run any game of your choosing with high/ultra settings on 1080p. Note down the average FPS.
Then run the same game again with low settings on 1080p. And look if FPS did increase or not.
Better to try several different games for more accurate result.

When the FPS does increase (since load on GPU is reduced), your CPU is good enough.
But when the FPS doesn't increase and is same regardless the graphical settings, you're held back by CPU and then, new, beefier, CPU would be in order.


Why would OP buy the AMD bundle + CPU cooler you linked?
I see 0 words from you as of why.

Just throwing out links without 0 word is a bad sportsmanship.

Here's my PSU:

https://imgur.com/3AEPTA6

View: https://imgur.com/3AEPTA6

I will try to do a clean installation soon. Gotta backup everything first though.

 

[Aeacus]

Here's my PSU:

Oh wow, it's both old and actually not sufficient enough to run your RTX 3070.

I could not find any official specs of that PSU, other than it's make and model is:
Delta GPS-550LB

Didn't find any reviews either and this is a bad sign. And it being two +12V rail PSU with 80+ Bronze efficiency, clearly shows it being from ~2010 or so. Since almost all modern PSUs use single +12V rail and are either 80+ Gold, 80+ Platinum or 80+ Titanium. On top of that, the PSU isn't 550W unit as it's specs indicate. Instead, it is 360W unit at it's best (+12V times 30A = 360W). And one can not simply combine voltage rails to increase the PSU max wattage output.

RTX 30-series PSUs have high transient power spikes issues, where GPU can spike 2-2.5x of it's TDP. Since RTX 3070 is 220W GPU, it can spike to ~600W.

What are GPU transient power spikes?
A video to watch:

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


With this, new PSU is a must.
If you go with ATX 2.2 or ATX 2.5 PSU, then it needs to have far higher wattage capacity to cope with transient power spikes. For RTX 3070, i'd look towards 850W PSU.
But if you go with ATX 3.0 or ATX 3.1 PSU, then they have been designed to cope with GPU transient power spikes and can double their wattage output for those milliseconds when transient power spikes happen. In this case, 650W PSU would be one that i'd get for RTX 3070.

For ATX 3.0/3.1 650W PSUs: https://hwbusters.com/best_picks/best-atxv3-pcie5-ready-psus-picks-hardware-busters/2/
And also good ATX 2.2/2.5 850W PSUs would be: Seasonic Focus/PRIME, Corsair RMx/RMi/HXi/AXi, Super Flower Leadex Gold/Platinum/Titanium.
Note: There are Seasonic Focus and PRIME units out there that are ATX 3.0. And Seasonic Vertex is also ATX 3.0 PSU. So, there are plenty of options.

(My 3x PCs are also powered by Seasonic. I have 2x PRIME TX-650 units and one Focus PX-550 unit. Full specs with pics in my sig.)

Could be, that the Delta PSU you have, produces high ripple and it's the high ripple that causes instability and stutters in your system.
We can not rule out PSU issue until you've tested the build with 2nd, known to work, good quality PSU.

So, order of business would be:
1. OS format + reinstall (can link a guide if you like)
2. PSU replacement.
3. GPU high temperature issue.
After that, we can look into CPU replacement, if by that time, there is even a need for it. Could be that OS reinstall, new PSU and better cooling for GPU is all it takes to fix your issues.

 

[vuikinh]

Oh wow, it's both old and actually not sufficient enough to run your RTX 3070.

I could not find any official specs of that PSU, other than it's make and model is:
Delta GPS-550LB

Didn't find any reviews either and this is a bad sign. And it being two +12V rail PSU with 80+ Bronze efficiency, clearly shows it being from ~2010 or so. Since almost all modern PSUs use single +12V rail and are either 80+ Gold, 80+ Platinum or 80+ Titanium. On top of that, the PSU isn't 550W unit as it's specs indicate. Instead, it is 360W unit at it's best (+12V times 30A = 360W). And one can not simply combine voltage rails to increase the PSU max wattage output.

RTX 30-series PSUs have high transient power spikes issues, where GPU can spike 2-2.5x of it's TDP. Since RTX 3070 is 220W GPU, it can spike to ~600W.

What are GPU transient power spikes?
A video to watch:

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


With this, new PSU is a must.
If you go with ATX 2.2 or ATX 2.5 PSU, then it needs to have far higher wattage capacity to cope with transient power spikes. For RTX 3070, i'd look towards 850W PSU.
But if you go with ATX 3.0 or ATX 3.1 PSU, then they have been designed to cope with GPU transient power spikes and can double their wattage output for those milliseconds when transient power spikes happen. In this case, 650W PSU would be one that i'd get for RTX 3070.

For ATX 3.0/3.1 650W PSUs: https://hwbusters.com/best_picks/best-atxv3-pcie5-ready-psus-picks-hardware-busters/2/
And also good ATX 2.2/2.5 850W PSUs would be: Seasonic Focus/PRIME, Corsair RMx/RMi/HXi/AXi, Super Flower Leadex Gold/Platinum/Titanium.
Note: There are Seasonic Focus and PRIME units out there that are ATX 3.0. And Seasonic Vertex is also ATX 3.0 PSU. So, there are plenty of options.

(My 3x PCs are also powered by Seasonic. I have 2x PRIME TX-650 units and one Focus PX-550 unit. Full specs with pics in my sig.)

Could be, that the Delta PSU you have, produces high ripple and it's the high ripple that causes instability and stutters in your system.
We can not rule out PSU issue until you've tested the build with 2nd, known to work, good quality PSU.

So, order of business would be:
1. OS format + reinstall (can link a guide if you like)
2. PSU replacement.
3. GPU high temperature issue.
After that, we can look into CPU replacement, if by that time, there is even a need for it. Could be that OS reinstall, new PSU and better cooling for GPU is all it takes to fix your issues.

I think I should be good for now. I’ll start with the OS reinstall and look into the PSU replacement, following the steps and see how it goes. Appreciate the help!

 

[ohio_buckeye]

I will say if you are gaming and you decide to go for one of the Microcenter bundles shown above, I have the 7600x3d bundle and it’s quite potent for what it is. Not the fastest cpu out there but I’m happy with it. Been playing a lot of the new Indiana Jones game with it.

But as others have said the big thing to address is the power supply, then you can start with a clean install of windows and go from there.

Since you say your budget is 1000, let me throw something else at you. Let’s say you replace the psu, reinstall windows and are relatively happy with the setup at that point.

Have you considered going 1440p? A good 1440p ips monitor can be had in the 200 dollar range for a 27 inch. Maybe less. I’ve got a 27 inch msi monitor that I caught on a deal that is a 1440p, ips, 180hz display and only paid $130 new.

Take a monitor like that and then pair it up with say an rx 7800xt card you might be surprised of the performance and visuals. The flip side is for games, going to a higher resolution will shift some load away from your cpu and onto your gpu which means your cpu may happily hum along a while because at that point it’s not being asked to do as much.

Just some thoughts, but when you go 1440p, the upgrade in fidelity and clarity is noticeable from 1080p imo.

 

[Why_Me]

Here's my PSU:

https://imgur.com/3AEPTA6

View: https://imgur.com/3AEPTA6

I will try to do a clean installation soon. Gotta backup everything first though.

PCPartPicker Part List

Power Supply: *MSI MAG A750GL PCIE5 750 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($79.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $79.99
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
*Lowest price parts chosen from parametric criteria
Generated by PCPartPicker 2024-12-22 07:49 EST-0500

 

[Aeacus]

PCPartPicker Part List

Power Supply: *MSI MAG A750GL PCIE5 750 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($79.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $79.99
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
*Lowest price parts chosen from parametric criteria
Generated by PCPartPicker 2024-12-22 07:49 EST-0500

It has already been established, in another topic where we met, that MSI MAG AxxxGL PSUs have 5 year warranty.

For reminder, reputable review of A850GL PSU: https://hwbusters.com/psus/msi-mag-a850gl-pcie5-850w-psu-review/11/

On top of that, MSI official specs site doesn't say anything about the warranty length of their MAG AxxxGL-series.

It's not the 1st time MSI does it's shenanigans with PSU warranty.

I’ll start with the OS reinstall and look into the PSU replacement

As of why i brought up the PSU warranty length issue; it is to do with the reliability of the PSU.

PSU reliability can be seen from the warranty length it has been given.
In a nutshell:
up to 2 years - terrible reliability
3 years - poor reliability (e.g Corsair VS/CS)
5 years - mediocre reliability (e.g Be Quiet! Straight Power 11, Seasonic G12, Corsair CX/CXF)
7 years - good reliability (e.g Seasonic Core/Focus GM, Corsair TX/AX)
10 years - great reliability (e.g Seasonic Focus GX/PX, Corsair RMx/HX/HXi/AXi)
12 years - superb reliability (e.g Seasonic Vertex/PRIME)

With PSUs and at current date, rule of thumb is to get at least 10 year warranty PSU. 7 year warranty PSU would suffice when one doesn't have enough money for 10 year warranty PSU.

~13 years ago, norm was to get 3-5 year warranty PSU (e.g Seasonic S12II-520 with 3 year warranty or Seasonic M12II-850 EVO with 5 year warranty). Best one could get back then, was 7 year warranty PSU (Seasonic X-series). But at current date, norm is 10 year warranty PSU.

Or in another sense; when PSU brand doesn't trust their PSU to last longer than 5 years, then why would i buy that PSU? I'd rather get a PSU with 10/12 year warranty, where PSU brand is confident that the PSU will last that long. And even if it doesn't (e.g dies after 8 years), one can RMA the PSU and get a replacement cost free during the warranty period. But when the PSU has only 5 years of warranty, you'd be 3 years out of warranty and be high and dry.

As i said above, i have two Seasonic PRIME TX-650 PSUs and one Seasonic Focus PX-550 PSU. My oldest PRIME unit is now 8 years old (bought it Q3 2016) and since my PSU has 12 years of warranty, there's 4 years more worth of warranty on it. With daily use of ~15 hours per day, my PSU is still going strong, without any hint of any troubles in these past 8 years.

On top of that, Seasonic PSUs have earned the reputation of being reliable and durable. Seasonic earned that reputation with their S12II-series (best group-regulated PSU ever made, released back in 2010), where it was common that the S12II-series PSU lasting far beyond the warranty it had (3 years). I've seen S12II-series units that are still working fine, 5 even 8 years after purchase. Even i have S12II-520 PSU, but i've now retired mine and it sits in the cupboard. Same with M12II-850 EVO, i retired that one too.

But like with all brands, even Seasonic has some poor options. E.g A12, B12, G12 and S12III. Don't get any of those, especially S12III, which isn't made by Seasonic, instead outsourced to RSY. (S12III-series is huge disgrace to once great S12II-series.) But Seasonic Focus, Vertex and PRIME are solid PSUs. Core-series is more-or-less, only viable when you don't have availability or funds for Focus series.

Of course, you don't have to go with Seasonic unit. There are other great PSUs out there as well, like the Corsair RMi/RMx and Super Flower Leadex-series units i talked above.

 

[helper800]

Grim Dawn has had stutter issues for a long time. I cannot remember what I did to fix it, but it was a graphics setting / software conflict of some sort.

 

[Why_Me]

It has already been established, in another topic where we met, that MSI MAG AxxxGL PSUs have 5 year warranty.

For reminder, reputable review of A850GL PSU: https://hwbusters.com/psus/msi-mag-a850gl-pcie5-850w-psu-review/11/

On top of that, MSI official specs site doesn't say anything about the warranty length of their MAG AxxxGL-series.

It's not the 1st time MSI does it's shenanigans with PSU warranty.


As of why i brought up the PSU warranty length issue; it is to do with the reliability of the PSU.

PSU reliability can be seen from the warranty length it has been given.
In a nutshell:
up to 2 years - terrible reliability
3 years - poor reliability (e.g Corsair VS/CS)
5 years - mediocre reliability (e.g Be Quiet! Straight Power 11, Seasonic G12, Corsair CX/CXF)
7 years - good reliability (e.g Seasonic Core/Focus GM, Corsair TX/AX)
10 years - great reliability (e.g Seasonic Focus GX/PX, Corsair RMx/HX/HXi/AXi)
12 years - superb reliability (e.g Seasonic Vertex/PRIME)

With PSUs and at current date, rule of thumb is to get at least 10 year warranty PSU. 7 year warranty PSU would suffice when one doesn't have enough money for 10 year warranty PSU.

~13 years ago, norm was to get 3-5 year warranty PSU (e.g Seasonic S12II-520 with 3 year warranty or Seasonic M12II-850 EVO with 5 year warranty). Best one could get back then, was 7 year warranty PSU (Seasonic X-series). But at current date, norm is 10 year warranty PSU.

Or in another sense; when PSU brand doesn't trust their PSU to last longer than 5 years, then why would i buy that PSU? I'd rather get a PSU with 10/12 year warranty, where PSU brand is confident that the PSU will last that long. And even if it doesn't (e.g dies after 8 years), one can RMA the PSU and get a replacement cost free during the warranty period. But when the PSU has only 5 years of warranty, you'd be 3 years out of warranty and be high and dry.

As i said above, i have two Seasonic PRIME TX-650 PSUs and one Seasonic Focus PX-550 PSU. My oldest PRIME unit is now 8 years old (bought it Q3 2016) and since my PSU has 12 years of warranty, there's 4 years more worth of warranty on it. With daily use of ~15 hours per day, my PSU is still going strong, without any hint of any troubles in these past 8 years.

On top of that, Seasonic PSUs have earned the reputation of being reliable and durable. Seasonic earned that reputation with their S12II-series (best group-regulated PSU ever made, released back in 2010), where it was common that the S12II-series PSU lasting far beyond the warranty it had (3 years). I've seen S12II-series units that are still working fine, 5 even 8 years after purchase. Even i have S12II-520 PSU, but i've now retired mine and it sits in the cupboard. Same with M12II-850 EVO, i retired that one too.

But like with all brands, even Seasonic has some poor options. E.g A12, B12, G12 and S12III. Don't get any of those, especially S12III, which isn't made by Seasonic, instead outsourced to RSY. (S12III-series is huge disgrace to once great S12II-series.) But Seasonic Focus, Vertex and PRIME are solid PSUs. Core-series is more-or-less, only viable when you don't have availability or funds for Focus series.

Of course, you don't have to go with Seasonic unit. There are other great PSUs out there as well, like the Corsair RMi/RMx and Super Flower Leadex-series units i talked above.

https://www.newegg.com/msi-mag-a750gl-pcie5-750-w-80-plus-gold-certified/p/N82E16817701022
MSI - MAG A750GL PCIE 5.0, 80 GOLD Fully Modular Gaming PSU, 12VHPWR Cable, ATX 3.0 Compatible, 750W Power Supply, 10 Year Warranty

https://www.amazon.com/MSI-MAG-A750GL-Gaming-Supply/dp/B0CC3QBGDL
MSI MAG A750GL PCIE 5 & ATX 3.0 Gaming Power Supply - Full Modular - 80 Plus Gold Certified 750W - Compact Size - ATX PSU - 10 Year Warranty

 

[SkyNetRising]

what components should I focus on?

Upgrade ram to 32GB.
Get a new pc case with mesh front, to solve overheating.
Your current case has closed front. That severely limits air intake.
Get a new PSU. RTX 3070 minimum recommendation is 650W. Your PSU is basically 540W.