[SOLVED] GPU UPGRADE HELP

[ThreatXO]

As of right now i’m currently running an AMD FX 6300 six core processor, RX 560 2gb, and 8gb ddr3 ram and i believe my motherboard is a Socket AM3+ (942) it says, i’m not %100 sure what my power supply is but i believe it’s just a 450watt, my computer is just a basic cyber power pre built

basically what i’m getting at is that i want to upgrade my gpu, i want to get a RX 580 8gb or maybe the RX 580 OEM 4gb from amazon.... i don’t want to mess anything up and i’ve been doing a lot of research and there’s just been confusing things that i don’t understand, would i be able to get the rx 580 and be straight ? i have a 6+2 pin pcie and i think the 580 is 8 pin so that would work right? but would my computer just bottleneck due to my cpu or would it be fine? that’s what i heard but i never know, or would i HAVE to upgrade my cpu as well and would i even be able to on my motherboard? it’s all very confusing to me and any help would be very very appreciated

 

[anotthatgreatdane]

With a gtx 1660 you can keep your psu.
a rx580 consumes twice as much power as the 1660 or rx 460.

 

[ThreatXO]

With a gtx 1660 you can keep your psu.
a rx580 consumes twice as much power as the 1660 or rx 460.

so am i better off going with that instead? and will it bottleneck due to my processor or will it be fine? i can care less about a couple things here and there i just dont want it to be unplayable and i dont play too high demanding games, i also am going to upgrade my ram to 16gb

 

[ohio_buckeye]

Might be close. To be honest, skip the gtx 1660. Go for the 1660 super. It's going to be closer to the gtx 1070. I think it's about 30 dollars more. Same gpu as the 1660 but has gddr6 instead of gddr5. Either of those may bottleneck on that cpu though. So you'll want to be looking at platform upgrade sooner rather than later. Before that I'd recommend a new power supply. If you are set on the 580, you might look at the 570 also as it is less money and isn't far behind the 580.

 

[ThreatXO]

Might be close. To be honest, skip the gtx 1660. Go for the 1660 super. It's going to be closer to the gtx 1070. I think it's about 30 dollars more. Same gpu as the 1660 but has gddr6 instead of gddr5. Either of those may bottleneck on that cpu though. So you'll want to be looking at platform upgrade sooner rather than later. Before that I'd recommend a new power supply. If you are set on the 580, you might look at the 570 also as it is less money and isn't far behind the 580.

wouldn't the 1660 super have a higher chance of bottle necking? i feel like bottle necking is more common with open world games such as battlefield,assassins creed,etc..... personally, i wouldn't mind a CPU upgrade as money isn't the issue at all, i just really don't want to dump money into it due to my motherboard and i don't even know of other cpu's that are compatible and i also don't want a whole new computer if you get what i'm saying? i'm not set on the 580, the only reason i considered it is because of the features on and and i thought a GTX GPU would just be too much, i don't know a ton on computers and the thing about the 570 is i feel like i won't get THAT big of an "upgrade" i play competitive games such as rainbow so i play with all low settings and 1600x900 resolution, so i don't care about fancy graphics just fps......

 

[Phaaze88]

i play competitive games such as rainbow so i play with all low settings and 1600x900 resolution, so i don't care about fancy graphics just fps......

That right there settles it. Upgrade cpu/mobo/ram combo first. All three of those things favor a stronger cpu over a gpu; you'll just have to stick to playing on lower settings for a little longer, since the RX 560 doesn't have that much Vram.
-multiplayer games are more cpu bound than single player games/modes
-1600x900 resolution is also more work for a cpu than a gpu
-stronger cpu leads to higher fps minimums and 1% lows

 

[ThreatXO]

That right there settles it. Upgrade cpu/mobo/ram combo first. All three of those things favor a stronger cpu over a gpu; you'll just have to stick to playing on lower settings for a little longer, since the RX 560 doesn't have that much Vram.
-multiplayer games are more cpu bound than single player games/modes
-1600x900 resolution is also more work for a cpu than a gpu
-stronger cpu leads to higher fps minimums and 1% lows

it kinda sounds like building a whole new computer honestly which i feel like will end horribly since i have 0 idea what i'm doing and will be a bit more pricey than i had in my mind, when (if i do) get a new gpu im also going to be getting another stick of ram that's the exact same one i have installed as well... the thing is i got this ccomputer when i didn't even know what a graphics card was i just wanted a gaming pc aha but i thought 1660x900 was less work as i achieve more fps, i average around 75-100 on rainbow six which isnt horrible but i would want better, so am i just out of luck and if i want a new graphics card i need to get a new cpu too? i just researched compatible cpus to my motherboards and all are FX series, even if i overclocked my fx 6300 would still not do that well with let's say for an example since someone else said it, a 1660?

 

[ohio_buckeye]

Actually the 570 would be a bigger upgrade than you probably think. I think it's only about 10% behind the 580.

Being realistic though. The fx 6300 is VERY long in the tooth at this point. You really need to be thinking cpu/board/ram. Also the power supply probably needs changed as well before a gpu upgrade.

But as far as the gtx 1660, I'm just saying that the 1660 super is only about 3-5% behind the 1660 ti, but runs about 30 dollars more than the standard 1660. In my mind if you're spending 200, spend the extra 30 and get the super.

I've actually got a 580 now, but my 1660 super is somewhere in the UPS system on the way from Newegg. So will probably pop the 580 on eBay for around 100 or best offer.

 

[ThreatXO]

Actually the 570 would be a bigger upgrade than you probably think. I think it's only about 10% behind the 580.

Being realistic though. The fx 6300 is VERY long in the tooth at this point. You really need to be thinking cpu/board/ram. Also the power supply probably needs changed as well before a gpu upgrade.

But as far as the gtx 1660, I'm just saying that the 1660 super is only about 3-5% behind the 1660 ti, but runs about 30 dollars more than the standard 1660. In my mind if you're spending 200, spend the extra 30 and get the super.

I've actually got a 580 now, but my 1660 super is somewhere in the UPS system on the way from Newegg.

worst comes to worst i may consider the 570, i'm for sure upgrading my ram to 16gb and if i did go with a 1660 i would go with the ti or super, are they more likely to perform better than the 580? and yeah i think i would probably get a new power supply as my pc just turned a year old, i have some issues with it at times but she's honestly holding up really well. what cpu are you currently running?

 

[ohio_buckeye]

Currently I have a

ryzen 1700x overclocked to 3.8ghz.
ASRock AB350 pro 4
16gb ddr4 3000
750 watt PowerSpec power supply
Cooler master mb511 case with 6 120mm fans
250gb Samsung 960 Evo nvme SSD
2 1tb hard drives for general storage
RX 580 which is getting swapped.

But honestly if you look, I know at Christmas time the ryzen 5 1600 was going for about 80 bucks. B450 boards can be had for about the same price. Ram I've seen as low as 50 for 16gb.

Don't get me wrong, I had a 6300 even overclocked back in the day. But their day has come and gone at this point.

 

[ThreatXO]

Currently I have a

ryzen 1700x overclocked to 3.8ghz.
ASRock AB350 pro 4
16gb ddr4 3000
750 watt PowerSpec power supply
Cooler master mb511 case with 6 120mm fans
250gb Samsung 960 Evo nvme SSD
2 1tb hard drives for general storage
RX 580 which is getting swapped.

But honestly if you look, I know at Christmas time the ryzen 5 1600 was going for about 80 bucks. B450 boards can be had for about the same price. Ram I've seen as low as 50 for 16gb.

Don't get me wrong, I had a 6300 even overclocked back in the day. But their day has come and gone at this point.

nice build, so basically if i want a new graphics card i need to get a new motherboard and cpu?

 

[ohio_buckeye]

Just reading a bit on Reddit. Basically the thought is that you shouldn't go higher than a 570/580 or a 1060. If you are going to pay let's say 150 for the 580. I mean at that, you're not far from a gtx 1660 or 1660 super. I guess what I'm really saying, I personally can't recommend putting a lot of money into your existing system.

Now if you wanted to go budget, you could find an old Dell business class system with an i7 and upgrade that. But new is better obviously.

For example though the PC in my wife's home office is a Dell optiplex with an i7 3770 that I bought from work for 50 bucks. I upgraded it too 16gb of ram and installed a 480gb SSD. I also installed a 600 watt EVGA power supply I had left over after I upgraded to my 750 watt power supply.

A system like that if you had one with say 4 or 8gb of ram, I'd have no issues saying pop in another 8gb of ram, put an SSD in if you don't have one, upgrade the power supply and graphics card, and it would probably run good for a couple of years. But the FX CPUs are unfortunately very weak on single thread performance even compared to the Intel parts of that time. No matter what you do to that fx 6300 system, that cpu is going to hold it back to a point, and you just don't have a good upgrade path without upgrading the rest of the build first in my opinion.

I'll let the others with in, but that is just my personal feelings seeing what parts are out there today.

 

[ThreatXO]

Just reading a bit on Reddit. Basically the thought is that you shouldn't go higher than a 570/580 or a 1060. If you are going to pay let's say 150 for the 580. I mean at that, you're not far from a gtx 1660 or 1660 super. I guess what I'm really saying, I personally can't recommend putting a lot of money into your existing system.

Now if you wanted to go budget, you could find an old Dell business class system with an i7 and upgrade that. But new is better obviously.

For example though the PC in my wife's home office is a Dell optiplex with an i7 3770 that I bought from work for 50 bucks. I upgraded it too 16gb of ram and installed a 480gb SSD. I also installed a 600 watt EVGA power supply I had left over after I upgraded to my 750 watt power supply.

A system like that if you had one with say 4 or 8gb of ram, I'd have no issues saying pop in another 8gb of ram, put an SSD in if you don't have one, upgrade the power supply and graphics card, and it would probably run good for a couple of years. But the FX CPUs are unfortunately very weak on single thread performance even compared to the Intel parts of that time. No matter what you do to that fx 6300 system, that cpu is going to hold it back to a point, and you just don't have a good upgrade path without upgrading the rest of the build first in my opinion.

I'll let the others with in, but that is just my personal feelings seeing what parts are out there today.

how accurate are bottle neck calculators? i don't imagine there too reliable but from what it looks like it seems to me the best bet here is either a 1060 or rx570 ( with no cpu upgrade ) i mean honestly, i just want something better than the rx560 2gb card, i'm not a serious gamer and i dont always play games on my computer so i might end up going with the 1060? or do you think the 570 would be better? i heard of people doing that too with old computers but i don't see myself willing to put the time and effort into it, maybe when i'm older it'd be cool

to conclude my main goal here is to find out what the best possible gpu is for my current rig, not expecting anything insane

 

[ohio_buckeye]

At that then, I'd go for the either the 1060 or the 570 or 580. I would probably suggest the 1060 6gb as that would probably b the best card to fit that cpu. Usually the gtx cards are more power efficient than the RX cards.

You will probably want to upgrade your power supply as soon as you can. The ones that came in prebuilt computers like Dell, up etc or even cyberpower usually don't have the best power supplies pre installed.

 

[ThreatXO]

At that then, I'd go for the either the 1060 or the 570 or 580. I would probably suggest the 1060 6gb as that would probably b the best card to fit that cpu. Usually the gtx cards are more power efficient than the RX cards.

You will probably want to upgrade your power supply as soon as you can. The ones that came in prebuilt computers like Dell, up etc or even cyberpower usually don't have the best power supplies pre installed.

so you're saying a 1060 is probably the way to go? could you link me a good 1060 by any chance that you think would be best? i see a lot online and don't know why are cheaper than others, looking to spend maybe 200 or a little more? idk but i know i'll have enough, just want to get the best one i can and yeah i'm probably definitely gonna do that as i've had this pc little tiny bit over a year, could you link me a good psu as well? i really appreciate you helping me out buddy

 

[Phaaze88]

how accurate are bottle neck calculators?

Pretty garbage actually.

Here's a couple of what ifs: [The site I'm sourcing from doesn't have 900p results, so use the 1080p results as a reference, as your actual results won't be as high.]
Let's say you upgrade the gpu first. The GTX 1650 Super is pretty much the same tier as the 1060, so I'll be using that. So, FX-6300 + GTX 1650 Super(low settings - ultra is unplayable): https://www.gpucheck.com/gpu/nvidia-geforce-gtx-1650-super/amd-fx-6300-six-core/low

Rainbow Six Siege

89 181.5

Now, if you upgrade the cpu/mobo/ram first: [I don't know your actual budget, but I picked Ryzen 3600.]
Ryzen 3600 + RX 560(low settings - ultra is unplayable again): https://www.gpucheck.com/gpu/amd-radeon-rx-560/amd-ryzen-5-3600/low

Rainbow Six Siege

144 160.9

The number you see at the top is the fps minimum. The bottom one is the average fps.

I don't know about you, but I'd think I'd favor - and start with - the one with fps not bouncing around so much...

 

[ThreatXO]

Pretty garbage actually.

Here's a couple of what ifs: [The site I'm sourcing from doesn't have 900p results, so use the 1080p results as a reference, as your actual results won't be as high.]
Let's say you upgrade the gpu first. The GTX 1650 Super is pretty much the same tier as the 1060, so I'll be using that. So, FX-6300 + GTX 1650 Super(low settings - ultra is unplayable): https://www.gpucheck.com/gpu/nvidia-geforce-gtx-1650-super/amd-fx-6300-six-core/low

Rainbow Six Siege

89 181.5

Now, if you upgrade the cpu/mobo/ram first: [I don't know your actual budget, but I picked Ryzen 3600.]
Ryzen 3600 + RX 560(low settings - ultra is unplayable again): https://www.gpucheck.com/gpu/amd-radeon-rx-560/amd-ryzen-5-3600/low

Rainbow Six Siege

144 160.9

The number you see at the top is the fps minimum. The bottom one is the average fps.

I don't know about you, but I'd think I'd favor - and start with - the one with fps not bouncing around so much...

honestly, you're right and i should start there first let me know what you think about this combo i just found

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Comb...zen+3600-_-3950493-_-2&Description=ryzen+3600

does this seem good? from the looks of it now, a new cpu will make my game insanely better,even with my current gpu... i found this combo looking up that cpu and it seems like it would work.... if you think it's a good combination ( the mobo and cpu ) what gpu would you suggest me getting later on? and ram? since i think i'd use ddr4 on that motherboard instead of ddr3 on my current? and if i however get this motherboard how would cables go? would i need new ones?

 

[Phaaze88]

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Comb...zen+3600-_-3950493-_-2&Description=ryzen+3600

It comes out to a 4% discount. Meh.
While this combination probably isn't part of Newegg's combo 'deals', the mobo is just as good, and the combo is cheaper:
PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 3600 3.6 GHz 6-Core Processor ($197.98 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: MSI B450 TOMAHAWK MAX ATX AM4 Motherboard ($118.98 @ Newegg)
Total: $316.96
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-01-21 23:26 EST-0500

Msi's B450 MAX series is one of the few non-X570 selections that work out of the box with Ryzen 3000 and are more affordable. Pair that with some DDR4(R3 isn't compatible) 3200-3600mhz memory:
PCPartPicker Part List

Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 Memory ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $69.99
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-01-21 23:24 EST-0500

Huh... funny how the 3 of those together costs almost the same as the original price of Newegg's cpu and mobo combo...



EDIT: Your psu at least has an 8-pin eps connection? Then it should be fine - expect to replace it for the gpu upgrade.
As for a gpu later on, aim for at least a GTX 1650 Super.

 

[ThreatXO]

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 3600 3.6 GHz 6-Core Processor ($197.98 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: MSI B450 TOMAHAWK MAX ATX AM4 Motherboard ($118.98 @ Newegg)
Total: $316.96
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-01-21 23:26 EST-0500

Msi's B450 MAX series is one of the few non-X570 selections that work out of the box with Ryzen 3000 and are more affordable. Pair that with some DDR4(R3 isn't compatible) 3200-3600mhz memory:
PCPartPicker Part List

Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 Memory ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $69.99
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-01-21 23:24 EST-0500

Huh... funny how the 3 of those together costs almost the same as the original price of Newegg's cpu and mobo combo...



EDIT: Your psu at least has an 8-pin eps connection? Then it should be fine - expect to replace it for the gpu upgrade.
As for a gpu later on, aim for at least a GTX 1650 Super.

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/

let me know what you think about what's in here if it's any good? i added a new psu and a cpu cooler ( dont know if i need a new one or not? ) if you ccant see what's in the link its

Ryzen 5 2600
CPU Cooler -Deepcool GAMMAXX 300 55.5 CFM CPU Cooler (dont know if needed)
Memory - Two 8gb sticks G.Skill Aegis 8GB DDR4-2133
GPU - Zotac GeForce 1650 Super 4gb twin fan
PSU - Silverstone 600 W

i added a psu because i think maybe i need to get a new one, had the 450W one in for a year

anyways, is there anything i'm missing and might need? Honestly, i just wanted to upgrade my GPU to like a 1060 but it seems this will be more better ? and i have 6/2 pin yeah i dont have the plus sign on my keyboard

EDIT - here's a pic on what's in the cart https://prnt.sc/qr2r3o

 

[Phaaze88]

https://prnt.sc/qr2r3o

Memory: Get an actual 2x 8GB kit. Two, 1x 8GB kits aren't the same, even if they 'look' alike.
2133 is on the slow side for Ryzen(3200mhz is preferred), but better to have dual channel than 3200mhz single channel.

Psu: Oh no~, that thing only has a 1 year warranty! Hard pass.
Better: Corsair RM550X
Cheaper alternative: Corsair TX550M (it should give you headroom for a faster memory kit too)

 

[ThreatXO]

Memory: Get an actual 2x 8GB kit. Two, 1x 8GB kits aren't the same, even if they 'look' alike.
2133 is on the slow side for Ryzen(3200mhz is preferred), but better to have dual channel than 3200mhz single channel.

Psu: Oh no~, that thing only has a 1 year warranty! Hard pass.
Better: Corsair RM550X
Cheaper alternative: Corsair TX550M (it should give you headroom for a faster memory kit too)

Would it be better to have the 650w instead? or is 550 good enough? i appreciate your help

 

[ohio_buckeye]

Sorry, took a nap. I see a lot has transpired lol.

Personally I always like the more is better approach on power supply. You never know if in a year or 2 that you get the idea you want a better graphics card for example, then you've got some head room.

As far as ram kit, he's on the right track. Bare minimum, ryzen will want 3000mhz. But the higher speed the better.

For CPU cooler, the new CPU if it's a retail box should come with a new one included. If you're not overclocking, the stock cooler is fine.

I will say once you go to the ryzen system, on single core performance, which is what traditionally games relied on, is so much better. Which is partially why you see the difference in frame rates shown above. You really won't regret it in my opinion. The 1000 series ryzen chips were about a 40% single core improvement over the older FX CPUs.

 

[ohio_buckeye]

I should have thought to ask, do you happen to have a Microcenter store nearby? If so you might look into that option. They are sometimes a little cheaper. They would charge tax where Newegg or someone may not always. But if I recall, if you buy a cpu for example, I think they knock 20 dollars off the motherboard. But they are a physical location and if you've got questions, a lot of their guys actually seem to have an idea what's what.

 

[Phaaze88]

Would it be better to have the 650w instead? or is 550 good enough? i appreciate your help

Some headroom is indeed good, but unless you believe you will install something on the power level of an RX 5700XT, 2070 Super, or greater within the next 5 years, then 550w is fine.

If you're not overclocking, the stock cooler is fine.

The stock cooler is 'adequate', but the noise levels aren't - I'm sure you already knew that though.
Not everyone is gets bothered by it; I imagine due to case cooling, custom fan curves through bios

@ThreatXO
Run with the included box cooler for now. Should you find it gets louder than you're comfortable with, then replace it. Also, set a custom fan curve in bios instead of leaving it to the default setting.

But the higher speed the better.

To an extent. 3000-3600 for simple plug-n-play, advanced users can take advantage of 3733 and 3800mhz.
Intel cpus from Skylake and later continue to scale up past that, but with diminishing returns on price and performance gained.

 

[ThreatXO]

I should have thought to ask, do you happen to have a Microcenter store nearby? If so you might look into that option. They are sometimes a little cheaper. They would charge tax where Newegg or someone may not always. But if I recall, if you buy a cpu for example, I think they knock 20 dollars off the motherboard. But they are a physical location and if you've got questions, a lot of their guys actually seem to have an idea what's what.

not exactly, i have a computer store here and i have no idea what’s there, i’m actually thinking about heading down there to see what they even have, i rather get my parts in real life than order them online, i also have a question about one of my case fans

on the mobo next to my ram there’s a plug that says “sys fan 2” and one of the wires seems to of broken and i think that’s why one of my case fans stopped working, is there anyway to fix ? i could show photos too