[SOLVED] Advice on possibly building a new PC

[dennisresevfan]

I am currently using an ancient Core i7 920 with 6GB of DDR3 ram. The graphics card is a MSI 980 Ti Golden edition.

There are two main reasons I'm considering a new build.

1. I purchased Metro Exodus and based on experience with previous Metro games I think it's unlikely to work properly with this hardware. Haven't actually tried it though due to limited hard drive space to install.

2. I have had problems with several games crashing. Mostly Generation Zero and Monster Hunter World Iceborne (already completed the original game without major problems). They give generic errors about the graphics driver stopping responding. I don't think anything is wrong with the graphics card. I am wondering if it's an issue with the ram causing it, since although the microsoft ram checking utility finds no errors, another checking utility did.

I'd like some generic advice as to whether upgrading is likely to make these games work properly/how much impact the CPU and RAM has on modern gaming.

And some advice on what hardware would be suitable.


Approximate Purchase Date: Undecided as yet. Could purchase at any point in the near future if it seems worth it.

Budget Range: No particular limit on spending but I don't want to spend ridiculous amounts of money without good reason. e.g. If the best CPU is £500 more than the one with 5% less performance I'd probably go for the cheaper one. Otherwise go for the high end hardware.

System Usage from Most to Least Important: Almost entirely for gaming. Some movie watching/internet browsing.

Are you buying a monitor: Not planning on it. I have a QNIX2710 I'm quite happy with. Open to suggestions though. My priority other than the obvious things would be NO TEARING. I am not up to date with modern vsync alternatives.



Parts to Upgrade: What I currently have and could potentially keep is: 980 Ti. Titan Fenrir CPU cooler. Multiple SSDs and some HDDs.
Everything else should be upgraded. I do still have a PSU which would provide enough power for just about any system but I'm not sure how long they remain reliable for. (A Corsair 950 TX if I recall correctly.) I would like a new case with dust filters and cable tidying features like you see on some of the expensive Corsair cases. (Like the 900D but I doubt I need anything quite so large.)

So, to upgrade:
Case capable of physically fitting the new hardware and my 980 Ti with enough space for good air flow. I currently have 3 HDDs and several SSDs so I need plenty of drive bays.
PSU? If I get a new one I'm thinking of getting one which is modular to improve air flow.
CPU
CPU cooler if necessary (Is the Titan still fine these days?)
RAM My target is an amount which is going to be plenty/overkill for gaming for several years. I don't need it for anything else.
Motherboard
DVD drive because my current one seems to be well and truly screwed up. For older games and DVD movies. I don't need it to be a writing drive.

By default I'd stick with air cooling since I don't plan on doing any crazy overclocking, but I am open to suggestions. My 980 Ti at least seems to have a very quiet and very efficient air cooling system on it so I don't need water cooling for that. I would consider a hybrid cooler or similar for the CPU if it seems sensible.

Also:
Additional drives, possibly. Is there anything fancy I should look into (like those hybrid RAM/hard drives I heard about years ago)? Should I bother linking up two SSDs and running RAID? Should I consider those PCIe SSD drives rather than SATA?

Do you need to buy OS: Yes, I would be buying Windows 10 (whatever version lets me use all the ram. Advice welcome on this). I also want to be able to keep playing old games from GOG etc so would I need a backup OS for that? Windows 7 seems to handle them OK at the moment.

Please note that if you're using an OEM license of Windows, you will need a new one when buying a new motherboard.

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: Any reputable website which is based in the UK. I have previously used Overclockers.co.uk and Ebuyer.

Location: Reading, Berkshire, England.

Parts Preferences: No particular brand preference. I care about performance and reliability. Better warranties would be nice of course. I am used to Intel processors so by default would go for one of those but it isn't important. For RAM it would be nice to have some with cooling capabilities IF overclocking it is worth it (is the performance boost worth it at all?). No fancy flashing lights required.

Overclocking: Maybe. Never had any luck with this in the past even when using a profile created by the vendor selling the hardware. (Couldn't get my processor/ram to run at the preset overclock without crashing.) Only if it is worth the expense.

SLI or Crossfire: Probably not unless the issues games have with SLI/Crossfire are a thing of the past. I seem to recall there were various problems with tearing, microstutter etc?

Your Monitor Resolution: I am currently using a 2560x1440 IPS monitor with max refresh rate of 60Hz.

Additional Comments: I am aiming for some extent of future-proofing as much as it is possible. I want to be able to max out the settings on the newest games (currently the 980 Ti handles this perfectly well and it is really only games crashing which I am experiencing as a problem). I am open to suggestions about anything that might not be obvious which could help with performance and system reliability. The system needs to be reasonably quiet as I run it at night with other people sleeping in the house.

 

[Darkbreeze]

Wait.

Right now is the worst time in maybe 20 years or more to build. If you can wait two weeks to a month, to see if things like motherboards, power supplies, graphics cards and cases start getting replenished and inventory levels coming back up after not being in stock due to nothing being shipped out of China for the last couple of months, then you can likely have a much better selection of hardware at a much lower price than what you'd have to swallow if you did it right now.

Happy to talk with you about WHAT to upgrade when the times comes, and what models are advisable, but prices and availability right now make any conversation about a "now" build almost ridiculous.

 

[Ziferous]

To answer your question about how the CPU and RAM affect gaming, I can tell you they do, greatly. The CPU is very important, so allocate a comfortable amount of money towards it. RAM is also quite important since it behaves like your system's short-term memory. Many use and suggest 16gb RAM, but if you really want overkill, 32gb would be your option. Although, I don't see 32gb of RAM being a reasonable option for gamers in a long time.

 

[Ziferous]

This is very true, just take a scroll through Amazon and see the astonishing prices for some components.

 

[dennisresevfan]

I was just coming back to the thread to add in a question about whether it was actually a bad time to upgrade.

Not for this exact reason though. So, secondary question about that. Assuming stocks are replaced and prices reasonable some time in the near future, is it a good time to upgrade in terms of hardware generations?

Or would I be upgrading just before a new generation of CPU gets released with a smaller die size that makes my purchase obsolete?

 

[GarrettL]

There's always something new coming out so that's a tough game to play.

AMD will release new CPU's late this year, Intel just released their new CPU's, better pricing and good stuff. AMD's current 3000 series are really nice cpu's too.

And yes, as stated it's a really rough time to build, prices can get crazy and stocks are low on many items. PSU's pricing is insane now too.

And new gpu's are to be released later this year.

But let me say this, I upgraded last year from an i7 960 x58 platform to an AMD Ryzen pc. The good ol' x58's gaming days are over! The Ryzen build is hands down the fastest and snappiest computer I've ever used. The gaming performance is fantastic.

You can't go wrong with either Intel or AMD right now regarding performance. But pricing is all over the map.

While it has been retired from gaming duty, the i7 960 is still purring away. That was a great platform

 

[logainofhades]

Once stock, and pricing stabilize, it will be a should be a good time to buy.

 

[Darkbreeze]

The only reason fully AGAINST upgrading right now, is supply, which has adversely affected availability and prices. I personally am waiting for the Ryzen 4000 series which are likely coming at the end of the 4th quarter or thereabouts, but the 3rd Gen Ryzen parts are very good. Intel, is "meh" right now. There are a few good options if you don't require the flagship models. There's no way I'd go with a 9900k or a 10900k though. Way too hot. Skyhigh TDP. For Intel the 9700k and 10700k might make sense though.

Honestly, I'd be hard pressed, even being a primarily Intel leaning, to not go with an AMD product right now. Price, performance and power consumption are all in their favor right now, and will probably be even MORE so with the 4th Gen models when they release.

But it's REALLY not the time to do it at the moment. In two weeks to a month, it MIGHT be. Two months, and you might just as well wait for the 4th Gen models.

 

[dennisresevfan]

OK.

Well, let's start with a less time critical issue. What case would you recommend?

 

[Darkbreeze]

There are many good choices out there. I'm assuming you want at least a mid tower, because smaller than mid tower have many limitations when it comes to the number of supported drive and fan locations.

I'd look at the Fractal design, Phanteks and Corsair options. I like the Define S, Define S2, Define R6, Define 7, all of which I believe have meshify options (Full mesh front panel for high airflow capability) except for the S2. You'd have to modify that front panel on the S2 yourself like I did if you wanted that.

I like the Enthoo Pro, the Enthoo Pro M, and a variety of Corsair cases. Lian Li also has some pretty decent options with their 011 Dynamic series. If you want a budget option then the Fractal design Focus G is a good one.