[SOLVED] Advice on upgrading an 8 year old PC

[ashram333]

Hello,
I'm looking to upgrade my PC. It was my first build about 8 years ago. The last upgrade I did for it was the SSD in 2015. It’s was mostly used for gaming, but I’d like to start doing some beginner video editing for YouTube, and maybe be able to handle some modern game titles.

Would an upgrade be worth it, or would I be better off with a new build? Please give me some suggestions that won't break the bank. If a new build is the better option, I would prefer to keep it under $1000USD. Thanks.

This is what I am currently running:

CPU: Intel Core i5-2400 3.1 GHz Quad-Core Processor

Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z68AP-D3(R2.0) ATX LGA1155 Motherboard

Memory: Mushkin Silverline 8 GB (2 x 4 GB) DDR3-1333 CL9 Memory

Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250 GB 2.5" Solid State Drive

Storage: Seagate Barracuda 500 GB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive

Video Card: XFX Radeon HD 6950 1 GB Video Card

Case: Cooler Master Elite 430 ATX Mid Tower Case

Power Supply: Antec Neo Eco 620 W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply

Monitor: Acer G237HLbi 23.0" 1920x1080 60 Hz Monitor

 

[Math Geek]

my guess is the cpu itself will be the problem with modern games. it's a bit weak and likely won't fit the minimum needed specs.

those old cpu's are expensive so moving to an i7 on the same board, would not be very productive either. the cost vs still old cpu would not be worth it.

for $1000 you can easily build a good system especially reusing the case, ssd's, psu and monitor. that leaves cpu/mobo/ram and a new gpu. very easy to do for under $1000. for instance this would be a pretty big upgrade for you.

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 3600 3.6 GHz 6-Core Processor ($171.89 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Gigabyte B550 AORUS ELITE ATX AM4 Motherboard ($159.99 @ B&H)
Memory: G.Skill Aegis 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3200 CL16 Memory ($109.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $441.87
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-07-14 22:49 EDT-0400

the cpu is 6 cores and 12 threads. the rest of the budget can be for whatever gpu you wish to get. plenty of great options for up to $550. that really depends on what resolution and fps you wish to shoot for. you're burrent 60hz monitor would easily be maxed for about $230 or thereabouts with a 1660 super or 5500XT. but for future upgrades o resolution or hz, more would be useful. note i also included 32 gb ram, which is overkill but for multitasking and editing, the more ram the better.

you can also go with a 3700x for $100 more and get 8 cores and 16 threads which will be ample horsepower for any editing you ever wish to do for sure.

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 3700X 3.6 GHz 8-Core Processor ($259.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Gigabyte B550 AORUS ELITE ATX AM4 Motherboard ($159.99 @ B&H)
Memory: G.Skill Aegis 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3200 CL16 Memory ($109.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $529.97
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-07-14 22:52 EDT-0400


as you can see options are wide open at your budget range. i purposely did not put a gpu in there just to max out your budget. that choice really depends on the resolution/hz question you have to answer for yourself.

 

[GarrettL]

If your psu is 8 years old you should absolutely replace it. It only had a three year warranty on it. Please don't invest in a new system that could be damaged by using an old psu. Why chance your new investment.