[SOLVED] Asking for help for Upgrade - new MoBo, CPU, RAM & SSD while keeping the rest

Aug 7, 2019
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Dear PC builders!

My PC caused more and more issues during recent times and I feel times draws near to upgrade it. I want to add some parts and do a new clean install of Win 10. This is my current setup.

I intend to replace the MoBo, the CPU, the RAM and the Storage;
I want to keep the case, the PSU, and the GPU as well as the peripherals.

What would you recommend in this case? I always used Intel CPUs but would also switch if this would be beneficial/the better choice. I'd also like to upgrade to 32GB RAM is possible (and only if it makes sense). I am leaning towards GigaByte as mainboard supplier, but am fine with MSI as well.

I want to add a new SSD to also run all games. Either a big one to have Win 10 and all games and files on it or a 2-SSD-solution again. Since I had so many "data storage problem fault messages recently, I'd rather ditch the old Crucial M4 and go with new hardware.

What I want to run are current games at full detail @1440p/144Hz. I want to play Kingdom Come: Deliverance, Cities:Skylines (heavily modded), Star Citizen (eventually) and want to be able to run the upcoming MS Flight Simulator at full details.
I would set my budget around € 1000 for this upgrade, lower if possible, higher if really just the best choice.

What would you recommend?
 
Solution
Okay you have a GTX 1080 which is a good GPU. For max FPS, Intel still wins out but it is closer now. For high frame rates you want at 1440p, the GPU might struggle but the 9700K will do a great job.

Here is a straightforward max FPS Intel system with one of the fastest CPU's for gaming in the 9700K (overclocks to 5GHz) and 32GB of DDR4 3200 RAM and a 1TB Nvme SSD:

PCPartPicker Part List: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/CH7Xsk

CPU: Intel Core i7-9700K 3.6 GHz 8-Core Processor ($356.00 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master MasterLiquid ML240L RGB 66.7 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($59.89 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: Gigabyte Z390 AORUS ELITE ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($169.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 32 GB (2 x 16 GB)...
Okay you have a GTX 1080 which is a good GPU. For max FPS, Intel still wins out but it is closer now. For high frame rates you want at 1440p, the GPU might struggle but the 9700K will do a great job.

Here is a straightforward max FPS Intel system with one of the fastest CPU's for gaming in the 9700K (overclocks to 5GHz) and 32GB of DDR4 3200 RAM and a 1TB Nvme SSD:

PCPartPicker Part List: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/CH7Xsk

CPU: Intel Core i7-9700K 3.6 GHz 8-Core Processor ($356.00 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master MasterLiquid ML240L RGB 66.7 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($59.89 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: Gigabyte Z390 AORUS ELITE ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($169.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3200 Memory ($152.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Crucial P1 1 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive ($99.85 @ OutletPC)
Total: $838.72
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-09-17 09:50 EDT-0400

And a cost effective AMD Ryzen 3600 based system:

PCPartPicker Part List: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/nT8XXP

CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 3600 3.6 GHz 6-Core Processor ($194.79 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: Gigabyte X570 AORUS ELITE ATX AM4 Motherboard ($199.00 @ B&H)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3200 Memory ($152.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Crucial P1 1 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive ($99.85 @ OutletPC)
Total: $646.63
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-09-17 09:52 EDT-0400

And finally a Ryzen 3700X 8 core 16 thread system:

PCPartPicker Part List: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/RJVC3b

CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 3700X 3.6 GHz 8-Core Processor ($329.00 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Gigabyte X570 AORUS ELITE ATX AM4 Motherboard ($199.00 @ B&H)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3200 Memory ($152.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Crucial P1 1 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive ($99.85 @ OutletPC)
Total: $780.84
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-09-17 09:54 EDT-0400
 
Solution
Aug 7, 2019
3
0
10
Thank you very much for this really detailed response!

All suggestions look really promising and are interesting, I would exclude the cost effective one for now and focus on 9700K vs 3700X for further considerations. It seems like the AMD CPU can survive without additional cooler, is that the case?

Any issue with mounting 2 SSDs (one for the system, one for the games and file dump) or is it better to just use one larger SSD? In addition, I have no experience with NVME mounts, but that should be not hard to do...
 
Thank you very much for this really detailed response!

All suggestions look really promising and are interesting, I would exclude the cost effective one for now and focus on 9700K vs 3700X for further considerations. It seems like the AMD CPU can survive without additional cooler, is that the case?

Any issue with mounting 2 SSDs (one for the system, one for the games and file dump) or is it better to just use one larger SSD? In addition, I have no experience with NVME mounts, but that should be not hard to do...

No problems at all. As to the SSD question, no issues at all and that is the way I do it. I have a NVMe for my system and a SSD for my games etc.

Finally on the 3700X, it already comes with a fairly decent cooler but I always buy an off the shelf CPU cooler just for piece of mind and I have been using aIO's now for many years and now cannot do without one...Though absolutely nothing wrong with a good Air Cooler..in fact some even match the best AIO's like the mighty Noctua D15 though it is huge and generates its own gravity field!

Still you can't go wrong with either CPU in the Ryzen 3700X or the 9700K...