[SOLVED] Advice on making upgrades to gaming PC for someone who isn't the smartest when it comes to computers

[oddj0bb]

Hi everyone,

I am currently thinking about making some upgrades to my gaming PC as I have recently began streaming a bit. When I am playing intricate games like Modern Warfare, I have high CPU and Memory usage. My current PC specs are as follows:

i3-6100 3.7 GHz Dual-Core CPUI
Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO CPU Cooler
Asus Z170-A ATX LGA1151 Mobo
8 Gbs of RAM
MSI Radeon RX 480 8 GB GPU
EVGA SuperNOVA NEX 650 W 80+ Power Supply
1 SSD and 1 HDD

I was thinking about upgrading my CPU to start as I am not looking to spend money on everything all at once. I figure if I could upgrade the CPU and maybe get 8 GB more RAM, that would be a start. I was looking at the I5-9600k as an upgrade for the CPU because I hear that 6-core gaming is where we are heading. However, I know that would require an upgrade for the Mobo as well because the Z170 only supports up to 4 cores. Would it be worth it to get a 6-core CPU and have to buy a new Mobo? Or do I stick with the Z170 Mobo and try to find something with 4-cores that performs really well? Or does someone else have a different recommendation with the direction I should go in?

Thanks!

 

[Gmoney06ss]

Could I incorporate a Ryzen instead of the i5? If so, what would you recommend top stay in that price range? Something above that someone has already recommended?

Yes, I believe the 1600AF has been mentioned above.

1600AF-$85
B450 board-$120(there are cheaper options)
16gb(2x8) 3200 ram-$75. Even with a 3600, you could probably stay just a bit over 350.

Would make a solid upgrade, and go along way in helping you stream.

Are 6600k still really going for $150? If so I need to get mine listed asap, lol!!!

 

[King_V]

It's looking like the vendor who sells the 1600AF for $85 hasn't had it for a bit. It's still not available...

 

[kwikgta]

Yes, I believe the 1600AF has been mentioned above.

1600AF-$85
B450 board-$120(there are cheaper options)
16gb(2x8) 3200 ram-$75. Even with a 3600, you could probably stay just a bit over 350.

Would make a solid upgrade, and go along way in helping you stream.

Are 6600k still really going for $150? If so I need to get mine listed asap, lol!!!

The 1600 has taken a $40 to $60 jump in recent weeks at newegg and amazon, ranging anywhere from $125 to $150 depending on the merchant,while the 3600 is still holding steady at $175 @ newegg. For the bang for the buck difference , the 3600 is in my opinion the way to go. The Tomahawk Max motherboard is still holding steady at $115 @ newegg. 16 gigs of DDR4 memory is around $75 at newegg. OP you could use the CPU, motherboard, and memory I recommend for around $365 and reuse you graphics card for now. Sell off your old cpu,memory, and motherboard to recoup some money and then upgrade your graphics card.

 

[Gmoney06ss]

It's looking like the vendor who sells the 1600AF for $85 hasn't had it for a bit. It's still not available...

You are correct. Major bummer!!

Newegg has the 2600 listed for $135 and the 3600 listed for 173 currently.

Unfortunately the go to recommended mobo, the msi tomahawk max, that should sell for 115, is either out of stock(everywhere) or grossly marked up. There are still a couple 3rd gen ready boards around that 100 mark though.

 

[kwikgta]

I Just now checked newegg. It's in stock for $114,just type Tomahawk max in the search bar. It is going in and out of stock several times a week due to the popularity and slow restocking from COVID19.

 

[oddj0bb]

The 1600 has taken a $40 to $60 jump in recent weeks at newegg and amazon, ranging anywhere from $125 to $150 depending on the merchant,while the 3600 is still holding steady at $175 @ newegg. For the bang for the buck difference , the 3600 is in my opinion the way to go. The Tomahawk Max motherboard is still holding steady at $115 @ newegg. 16 gigs of DDR4 memory is around $75 at newegg. OP you could use the CPU, motherboard, and memory I recommend for around $365 and reuse you graphics card for now. Sell off your old cpu,memory, and motherboard to recoup some money and then upgrade your graphics card.

Would this 1600 AF be good for both streaming and gaming on the same PC? Or would I be better off going with the 3600 for both of those?

 

[Gmoney06ss]

Would this 1600 AF be good for both streaming and gaming on the same PC? Or would I be better off going with the 3600 for both of those?

Since the 1600af is no longer selling for the price of 85, it's a no go. No sense in paying $120+ for a cpu that should be 85. The 2600 at 135 is ok, but if you can swing the price of the 3600, it will be better all around. It's a very solid CPU.

 

[oddj0bb]

Since the 1600af is no longer selling for the price of 85, it's a no go. No sense in paying $120+ for a cpu that should be 85. The 2600 at 135 is ok, but if you can swing the price of the 3600, it will be better all around. It's a very solid CPU.

Alright so it sounds like the Ryzen 3600 is the move. As long as you guys think that it can support high-quality games and streaming at the same time, I'll probably get that one with the MSI Tomahawk Mobo. You have all been talking about how I should get 2x8GB of RAM as a pack. However, since I already have that one stick of 8GB DDR4, could I just get another stick of the same RAM? Or is the stick that I have slower than other DDR4s?

 

[kwikgta]

Alright so it sounds like the Ryzen 3600 is the move. As long as you guys think that it can support high-quality games and streaming at the same time, I'll probably get that one with the MSI Tomahawk Mobo. You have all been talking about how I should get 2x8GB of RAM as a pack. However, since I already have that one stick of 8GB DDR4, could I just get another stick of the same RAM? Or is the stick that I have slower than other DDR4s?

I would go with a matched set of DDR4 3600. Also make sure you get the Tomahawk Max board instead of the standard Tomahawk board. The Max board has a bigger bios chip and can be reflashed for the 4000 series cpus that will come out late this year, just in case you wanna upgrade later on.

 

[Karadjgne]

What are you using, or going to use, to stream with? OBS can get quite intensive on the cpu side if not setup right or the game is already highly cpu bound. In cases like that, a 10 series nvidia gpu using nvenc is far better.

Best OBS Studio Settings to Stop Video Buffering During Live Streams

OBS Studio is a widely-used software encoder for live streaming, but it can be hard to set up. Here's our recommendations for the best OBS Studio settings.

www.dacast.com

Question / Help - CPU or GPU what is best for streaming?

I just wanted to ask a question one thats probably been asked a million times... But what is best for streaming CPU or GPU? I always thought cpu was the best but also see people say GPU is best so i'm pretty confused.. Any Information would be great.. Thanks...

obsproject.com

But that dual core / 4 thread cpu is going to struggle either way in many newer titles unless the frames are capped quite low in game. Which ruins the quality of the stream.

 

[oddj0bb]

What are you using, or going to use, to stream with? OBS can get quite intensive on the cpu side if not setup right or the game is already highly cpu bound. In cases like that, a 10 series nvidia gpu using nvenc is far better.

Best OBS Studio Settings to Stop Video Buffering During Live Streams

OBS Studio is a widely-used software encoder for live streaming, but it can be hard to set up. Here's our recommendations for the best OBS Studio settings.

www.dacast.com

Question / Help - CPU or GPU what is best for streaming?

I just wanted to ask a question one thats probably been asked a million times... But what is best for streaming CPU or GPU? I always thought cpu was the best but also see people say GPU is best so i'm pretty confused.. Any Information would be great.. Thanks...

obsproject.com

But that dual core / 4 thread cpu is going to struggle either way in many newer titles unless the frames are capped quite low in game. Which ruins the quality of the stream.

Right now I am using Streamlabs and you're definitely right about losing quality in both the stream and the game due to having the dual core. That is why I figure I upgrade to either a 6 or 8 core CPU and higher speed RAM and ride that out until I can afford a better GPU.

 

[oddj0bb]

I would go with a matched set of DDR4 3600. Also make sure you get the Tomahawk Max board instead of the standard Tomahawk board. The Max board has a bigger bios chip and can be reflashed for the 4000 series cpus that will come out late this year, just in case you wanna upgrade later on.

Ya just now realizing that the fact that I have DDR4 does not mean that it is fast DDR4. Going to definitely invest in the matched set of 3600. And also, I think the Tomahawk Max is also a definite as well, just as long as my current Hyper 212 Evo Cooler is compatible. Reading that I may have to get a mount for it if it is one of the older ones manufactured, which I still do not think would be a big deal.

 

[kwikgta]

Good choices sir. Just 10 minutes ago I ordered another 3600, Tomahawk Max, 3600 memory, and 1660 gtx ti from newegg. Got another coworker wanting a new gaming computer. I sell this setup like crazy!

 

[oddj0bb]

I wanted to pose a new question for anyone still checking this thread. I have done some more research and have found that the Ryzen 3700X is supposed to be good for both streaming and playing high-quality games. I also saw that it is 8 cores as opposed to the Ryzen 3600's 6 cores. The new question I am asking is if paying $110 more for the Ryzen 3700X would be worth the money. According to all previous posts, it sounds like the 3600 is a pretty beast CPU. My only two worries are that it may not be able to handle both streaming and playing high quality games and then also I worry that 6 cores may become outdated in the next few years, making me wonder if I should just pay extra to get the 3700x so that my CPU does not become outdated in the next few years when better tech comes out. What does everyone think? Is the 3600 so good that I should not even be worried about the 6 cores becoming outdated in the next few years? Or am I right to think about this and spend a little extra now to ensure I get more cores? Thanks!

 

[kwikgta]

Of course the 3700x is better, but it's really up to you where you wanna spend the extra money for it. Don't forget that the 4000 series will be out later this year as well.

 

[Karadjgne]

Ryzens benefit from hyperthreading. You see 6 cores on the 3600, your software sees 12 possible thread usage. It may or may not take advantage of all 12 threads, maybe only 6. In which case the 16 threads on the 3700x are moot. Yes, a cores bandwidth is superior to a core that's dplig with 2 threads, but if one thread uses only 20% and another uses 70% of that cores bandwidth, neither thread works any slower, no lag.

The 3700x might be a better overall cpu, but for many software titles there's little to no difference because they can't use either to maximum potential. CSGO can be played successfully on a core2duo, it's a 2-4 thread game. On a 6/12 or 8/16 cpu, that's throwing a hotdog down a hallway kinda lost.

I5-3570k. Great cpu. King of gaming cpus 7 years ago. Quad core. Pretty much obsolete for gaming purposes, totally limited by 4 cores and mediocre IPC comparatively.
I7-3770K. Almost the exact same cpu, 100MHz difference. And hyperthreading. Still a viable cpu for gaming at 1080p/60Hz in many games. The hyperthreading making a huge difference.

The 3600 has 12 thread capability. It's going to be years before its equitable to what the i7-3770K is now. Most ppl will upgrade platforms entirely in 6-7 years, budget allowing.

 

[oddj0bb]

Ryzens benefit from hyperthreading. You see 6 cores on the 3600, your software sees 12 possible thread usage. It may or may not take advantage of all 12 threads, maybe only 6. In which case the 16 threads on the 3700x are moot. Yes, a cores bandwidth is superior to a core that's dplig with 2 threads, but if one thread uses only 20% and another uses 70% of that cores bandwidth, neither thread works any slower, no lag.

The 3700x might be a better overall cpu, but for many software titles there's little to no difference because they can't use either to maximum potential. CSGO can be played successfully on a core2duo, it's a 2-4 thread game. On a 6/12 or 8/16 cpu, that's throwing a hotdog down a hallway kinda lost.

I5-3570k. Great cpu. King of gaming cpus 7 years ago. Quad core. Pretty much obsolete for gaming purposes, totally limited by 4 cores and mediocre IPC comparatively.
I7-3770K. Almost the exact same cpu, 100MHz difference. And hyperthreading. Still a viable cpu for gaming at 1080p/60Hz in many games. The hyperthreading making a huge difference.

The 3600 has 12 thread capability. It's going to be years before its equitable to what the i7-3770K is now. Most ppl will upgrade platforms entirely in 6-7 years, budget allowing.

So in conclusion, it sounds like you’re saying that 3600 is still the way to go? That explanation of threads actually helps a lot. Only worry is that games may start releasing with 8-core recommendations and then if I have a 6-core, I’ll be behind.