Discussion Any suggestions on how to upgrade my pc's performance?

[Davidino]

Hi, at the moment I have this build:
-I7-4790 oc'd to 4ghz
-msi aero itx gtx 1650 oc
-32gb corsair vengeance ram overclocked to 1533 mhz
-asus Z97 pro gamer
-corsair vs550
-corsair carbide case with 2 red led fans on the front
-Noctua dh-14 cpu cooler
-256gb hynix m.2 ssd (bootdrive)
-1tb wd green for all my games
-a cheap usb wifi+bt adapter
-led strips

I have the money to upgrade, but I dont think im planning to. This build is still good for modern games, but im wondering how to get better performance (and looks). The mobos m.2 slot is gen 2. Would it help to buy a pci to m.2 adapter? So I can get faster speeds.
The ram is a little bit slow, but I think its good enough for most tasks. The gtx 1650 is a good budget card and the still i7-4790 packs a punch. Im planning to use ethernet soon so I wont lag anymore. Ive noticed my games are very slow. Would it help to buy ssd to replace the wd green?
And the looks are good too right? The dh-14 is a really chunky unit so watercooling would be cool. But idk if thats gonna look nice. Im planning to use this setup for a pretty long time. I do have to upgrade the psu soon, it works but it isnt the most reliable nowadays.

So what do yall think? Id love to hear suggestions,
thanks in advance.

 

[geofelt]

What is your budget?

As to pcie,m.2 and sata devices, there would be no noticeable difference.
These guys could not tell:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4DKLA7w9eeA


Changing the WD green to a sata ssd would be good. About $100.

Looks is in the eye of the beholder. A different case could be in play there.

Your mobo includes ethernet capability.
A add in wifi adapter card will perform better than a usb wifi dongle.

If your games are graphics limited, a stronger gpu and associated psu could help.

Run this test:
Run YOUR games, but lower your resolution and eye candy.
This makes the graphics card loaf a bit.
If your FPS increases, it indicates that your cpu is strong enough to drive a better graphics configuration.
If your FPS stays the same, you are likely more cpu limited.

Unfortunately, a stronger cpu is also going to need a new motherboard and ram.

 

[helper800]

Hi, at the moment I have this build:
-I7-4790 oc'd to 4ghz
-msi aero itx gtx 1650 oc
-32gb corsair vengeance ram overclocked to 1533 mhz
-asus Z97 pro gamer
-corsair vs550
-corsair carbide case with 2 red led fans on the front
-Noctua dh-14 cpu cooler
-256gb hynix m.2 ssd (bootdrive)
-1tb wd green for all my games
-a cheap usb wifi+bt adapter
-led strips

I have the money to upgrade, but I dont think im planning to. This build is still good for modern games, but im wondering how to get better performance (and looks). The mobos m.2 slot is gen 2. Would it help to buy a pci to m.2 adapter? So I can get faster speeds.
The ram is a little bit slow, but I think its good enough for most tasks. The gtx 1650 is a good budget card and the still i7-4790 packs a punch. Im planning to use ethernet soon so I wont lag anymore. Ive noticed my games are very slow. Would it help to buy ssd to replace the wd green?
And the looks are good too right? The dh-14 is a really chunky unit so watercooling would be cool. But idk if thats gonna look nice. Im planning to use this setup for a pretty long time. I do have to upgrade the psu soon, it works but it isnt the most reliable nowadays.

So what do yall think? Id love to hear suggestions,
thanks in advance.

I think if you want to upgrade it is not worth investing more into that computer given its age and the performance uplift you will get given the price. Something to consider:

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: Intel Core i5-13400F 2.5 GHz 10-Core Processor ($209.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE 66.17 CFM CPU Cooler ($35.90 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock B760M PG Riptide Micro ATX LGA1700 Motherboard ($149.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Flare X5 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR5-5600 CL30 Memory ($147.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 980 Pro 1 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive ($119.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: ASRock Radeon RX6700XT CLD 12G Radeon RX 6700 XT 12 GB Video Card ($359.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Fractal Design Focus 2 ATX Mid Tower Case ($79.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair RM650x (2021) 650 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($108.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $1212.82
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2023-01-26 14:11 EST-0500

 

[Davidino]

I think if you want to upgrade it is not worth investing more into that computer given its age and the performance uplift you will get given the price. Something to consider:

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: Intel Core i5-13400F 2.5 GHz 10-Core Processor ($209.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE 66.17 CFM CPU Cooler ($35.90 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock B760M PG Riptide Micro ATX LGA1700 Motherboard ($149.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Flare X5 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR5-5600 CL30 Memory ($147.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 980 Pro 1 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive ($119.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: ASRock Radeon RX6700XT CLD 12G Radeon RX 6700 XT 12 GB Video Card ($359.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Fractal Design Focus 2 ATX Mid Tower Case ($79.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair RM650x (2021) 650 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($108.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $1212.82
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2023-01-26 14:11 EST-0500

No I meant upgrading to a whole new pc. I was looking at something like this:
I5-13600K but first i3-13100f
With 32 gigs ram and a 4070. But id like to stick with the build I got atm

 

[Davidino]

What is your budget?

As to pcie,m.2 and sata devices, there would be no noticeable difference.
These guys could not tell:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4DKLA7w9eeA


Changing the WD green to a sata ssd would be good. About $100.

Looks is in the eye of the beholder. A different case could be in play there.

Your mobo includes ethernet capability.
A add in wifi adapter card will perform better than a usb wifi dongle.

If your games are graphics limited, a stronger gpu and associated psu could help.

Run this test:
Run YOUR games, but lower your resolution and eye candy.
This makes the graphics card loaf a bit.
If your FPS increases, it indicates that your cpu is strong enough to drive a better graphics configuration.
If your FPS stays the same, you are likely more cpu limited.

Unfortunately, a stronger cpu is also going to need a new motherboard and ram.

I use msi afterburner to see loads and stuff. When my gpu is 100% my cpu is 50-70% Ive never noticed it going to 100% unless I just open a game or something. Ive also used a bottleneck check on technical city website. It said the i7-4790 is too strong for 1650 and a 2060 would fit better.

 

[Davidino]

I use msi afterburner to see loads and stuff. When my gpu is 100% my cpu is 50-70% Ive never noticed it going to 100% unless I just open a game or something. Ive also used a bottleneck check on technical city website. It said the i7-4790 is too strong for 1650 and a 2060 would fit better.
My budget atm is €50 but soon ill get my paycheck and ill have something about 200-300

 

[Zerk2012]

I use msi afterburner to see loads and stuff. When my gpu is 100% my cpu is 50-70% Ive never noticed it going to 100% unless I just open a game or something. Ive also used a bottleneck check on technical city website. It said the i7-4790 is too strong for 1650 and a 2060 would fit better.

Bottleneck calculators are pure trash, worthless.

For your CPU % if the game engine can only use 1/2 your cores then that is 50% plus a little extra for windows and other programs.

If you decided to upgrade the video card then I would also buy a better quality PSU.

 

[letmepicyou]

In my not so humble opinion, putting money into a GEN 4 cpu is a fool's errand, when we're on GEN 13 now.

Personally, I tend to go 3-5 gens between upgrades. Like you, I once had a 4790k. Skipped a few gens and later upgraded to the 9700k. Recently decided to upgrade the works so went with a GEN 12 i7 12700kf. I probably won't upgrade again until the i7 15700kf or 16700kf.

There comes a point of diminishing returns when you invest in speeding up older hardware. There are HUGE gains to be found in moving up chipsets, as well, as M.2 speeds between the Z390 and Z690/790 chipsets get SIGNIFICANT gains.

Sell your old rig to someone needy and put your money into more modern hardware, is what I advise. I typically buy next to the newest gen stuff to find the best "bang for the buck" deals. For instance, Intel is currently producing GEN 13 cpus...so there are a LOT of great deals to be found in the GEN 12 stable. I found the 12700kf to be amazing, but the i5 12600kf is pretty fantastic if you can't find a good deal on the i7. I think I paid around $260 or so for my 12700kf, which is a STEAL, imo, for the performance you get.

 

[Davidino]

Bottleneck calculators are pure trash, worthless.

For your CPU % if the game engine can only use 1/2 your cores then that is 50% plus a little extra for windows and other programs.

If you decided to upgrade the video card then I would also buy a better quality PSU.

I think I will replace the hdd with ssd and buy another gpu+psu. Maybe even be fancy and buy a new case. Ill save up for a 2060, 3050 or 1660ti. Or maybe even a 3060ti if I have the money. One questions left, is pcie gen 4 way better than gen2? Because my mobo has a gen2 m.2 slot

 

[Davidino]

In my not so humble opinion, putting money into a GEN 4 cpu is a fool's errand, when we're on GEN 13 now.

Personally, I tend to go 3-5 gens between upgrades. Like you, I once had a 4790k. Skipped a few gens and later upgraded to the 9700k. Recently decided to upgrade the works so went with a GEN 12 i7 12700kf. I probably won't upgrade again until the i7 15700kf or 16700kf.

There comes a point of diminishing returns when you invest in speeding up older hardware. There are HUGE gains to be found in moving up chipsets, as well, as M.2 speeds between the Z390 and Z690/790 chipsets get SIGNIFICANT gains.

Sell your old rig to someone needy and put your money into more modern hardware, is what I advise. I typically buy next to the newest gen stuff to find the best "bang for the buck" deals. For instance, Intel is currently producing GEN 13 cpus...so there are a LOT of great deals to be found in the GEN 12 stable. I found the 12700kf to be amazing, but the i5 12600kf is pretty fantastic if you can't find a good deal on the i7. I think I paid around $260 or so for my 12700kf, which is a STEAL, imo, for the performance you get.

Thats true, but ive been making rigs on pcpartpicker and the cheapest good build I could get was 1K, ill get max 250 for this rig so saving up and keeping this as a memento would be way better. But atm I cant afford a newer rig and imo the i7-4790 is still going strong. Im probably gonna upgrade my gpu and storage to something thatll last long enough for my next build. Maybe a 3060ti or something, or 4070 if I wanna get fancy. Ofcourse there will be a bottleneck but I know I will get better performance than right now.

 

[helper800]

Thats true, but ive been making rigs on pcpartpicker and the cheapest good build I could get was 1K, ill get max 250 for this rig so saving up and keeping this as a memento would be way better. But atm I cant afford a newer rig and imo the i7-4790 is still going strong. Im probably gonna upgrade my gpu and storage to something thatll last long enough for my next build. Maybe a 3060ti or something, or 4070 if I wanna get fancy. Ofcourse there will be a bottleneck but I know I will get better performance than right now.

If its for gaming and you want in for less than a thousand buy a console.

 

[Davidino]

If its for gaming and you want in for less than a thousand buy a console.

I already got a ps4 and a ps5 seems like a scam to me, its good for the money. But Idk man, I want windows. Also, lets be honest. A cool pc > console

 

[letmepicyou]

Thats true, but ive been making rigs on pcpartpicker and the cheapest good build I could get was 1K, ill get max 250 for this rig so saving up and keeping this as a memento would be way better. But atm I cant afford a newer rig and imo the i7-4790 is still going strong. Im probably gonna upgrade my gpu and storage to something thatll last long enough for my next build. Maybe a 3060ti or something, or 4070 if I wanna get fancy. Ofcourse there will be a bottleneck but I know I will get better performance than right now.

I've found there are 2 secrets to building a great rig on the cheap. 1: be patient 2: never pay full price for anything. For example, my i7 12700kf? Holiday sale for $260 and change. Motherboard? Normally $200-$250 bucks. Got it on sale at Microcenter for $169. MSI 3080 video card? Open box, once again, Microcenter for like $545. My last video card (a 2080 Super) I got off Craigslist. I traded one of my old towers for it. And it was a GREAT card, just like my open box 3080.

I know what it's like to be budget constrained. But being on a limited budget doesn't necessarily mean you have to give up what you really want.

It just means you have to be a little more patient and diligent than someone that can just drop a wad of cash without thinking about it.

Good luck!

 

[Davidino]

I've found there are 2 secrets to building a great rig on the cheap. 1: be patient 2: never pay full price for anything. For example, my i7 12700kf? Holiday sale for $260 and change. Motherboard? Normally $200-$250 bucks. Got it on sale at Microcenter for $169. MSI 3080 video card? Open box, once again, Microcenter for like $545. My last video card (a 2080 Super) I got off Craigslist. I traded one of my old towers for it. And it was a GREAT card, just like my open box 3080.

I know what it's like to be budget constrained. But being on a limited budget doesn't necessarily mean you have to give up what you really want.

It just means you have to be a little more patient and diligent than someone that can just drop a wad of cash without thinking about it.

Good luck!

I agree, the build u see right now. Got it for 50 euros in total. Got a free dell optiplex micro from school (for the m.2 ssd). My school was gonna use laptops so they got rid of the pc's. Bought the mobo set for 25 from a guy whose boss was gonna replace the pc's at work so he got them all. Within those 25 euros were also 2 gigabyte brix' and a small laptop. 15 euros for the pc case+a ddr3 am3 mobo and the vs550. And for 15 euros I got an asrock Z97 pro4 + 24gb ddr3+gtx 1650. Which makes the gtx 1650 something unders 10. The led strips I bought myself and thats really the only thing I spent money on without it being used/in sale. Got the wd green with other pc stuff for 5 euros.

Im really happy with this rig.
It was cheap and performs rather well. Thats why I wanted to upgrade it. I think ill just replace the wd green with ssd, after that ill replace the gpu+psu unless I have enough money for an entire new rig.