[SOLVED] Help with Intel CPU upgrade

[julienruc]

Hi all,

I would like to help my friend upgrade his PC, however I am not as knowledgeable when it comes to Intel platforms.

Please keep in mind that he is on a very tight budget. This is his current build:

• i3 7100
• MSI H110M Pro VH Plus
• 2x4GB 2400Mhz
• 1Tb 7,200rpm
• GT 1030
• Corsair VS 550

He plays Fortnite competitively and thanks to recent winnings, he has been able to upgrade to a GTX 1650 Super.

He is asking me what his next step would be.

Personally I suggested to upgrade his PSU before he upgrades anything else. As well as possibly add a 120GB SSD to install Windows 10 on, but he told me that faster loading times and a snappier OS is less urgent for him and he seems quite adament on only replacing his PSU after the CPU upgrade, which I strongly advised against.

In any case, it is his build so I will simply stick to his requests. In this case being a CPU upgrade to reduce the bottleneck as he is getting only 60% of the FPS I am getting with my GTX 1060 6GB.

Now I noticed something weird... The motherboard's specifications lists thay it supports up to 6th Gen. How is it able to run the 7100?

Also, what CPU would you suggest for approx. 100€? France/UK/Germany.

Thanks in advance for your help.

 

[AngelTech]

Corsair VS...do you know what version he has?

 

[SkyNetRising]

The motherboard's specifications lists thay it supports up to 6th Gen. How is it able to run the 7100?
Also, what CPU would you suggest for approx. 100€? France/UK/Germany.

You can not upgrade i3-7100 to something better for 100€. i3-7100 already costs ~115€.
Next step i5-7400 costs ~170€. i7-7700 costs ~300€.

MSI H110M Pro VH Plus - supports 6th gen cpus initially. With BIOS update it supports 7th gen also.

 

[DeanTH23]

I had the same Motherboard before 1 year or so...It can support 7th Gen without any problems but if he wants to actually upgrade the system,he need to get an i7-7700K or non-K version and replace the RAMs with 2x8GBs Dual Channel...Also he need to get an aftermarket cooler for 30-40$ like an Arctic Freezer or a CoolerMaster whatever model...Stock Cooler is completely terrible.

If he wants a 7th Gen i5 then tell him to stick with the i3...Not much of a Difference for 150$-200$...

Maybe he can go for a 6th Gen i7 but i think the best possible CPU for him will be the i7-7700K.

Very tight budgets with actual worth Intel upgrades don't go together unfortunately.

 

[mdd1963]

the supply of semi-useful 7700/7700K CPUs worthy of consideration each commands prices that would allow upgrading to an R5-3600/B450 combo...with change leftover...

Not that it would matter much, as the GTX1030 is capping performance at modest levels of quality/detail even at 720P ....

Tell your friend, best to relegate the current rig to NAS duties, surfing, Youtube, etc. and essentially build a new PC for the games of 2020....

 

[Sohom]

this is the best i cud come up with as the budget is very tight..
PCPartPicker Part List: https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/list/9bY87W

CPU: Intel Core i3-9100F 3.6 GHz Quad-Core Processor (£65.00 @ Amazon UK)
Motherboard: MSI H310M PRO-M2 PLUS Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard (£56.98 @ CCL Computers)
Total: £121.98
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-02-25 11:20 GMT+0000

 

[SamirD]

Yet another cpu upgrade thread that ends with buying a whole new setup.

 

[Philballer17]

Just get an SSD. 7200RPM drive will be slow in its own.

 

[TCA_ChinChin]

Unfortunately, unless you get something like a used i5-7400, there isn't really an option that will actually be better than what he has right now. Even if you get an 85$ used i5-7400, the performance increase isn't really worth the money. If your friend truly needs to upgrade at this time with this budget, then I can only suggest hunting for good used i5-7400 or i7-7700 deals online. There isn't really anything better that is new and in the 100 euro price range (that doesn't require him replacing his motherboard as well).

 

[julienruc]

Corsair VS...do you know what version he has?

The build is at least 3 years old if I remember correctly. I personally think it's bad regardless tho

 

[julienruc]

Thank you for all your input guys. Unfortunately a new build is not an option due to his budget. I will either go with the recommendation of the i3 9100F and H310 as thw cheapest option or to tell him to try and get a 2600 with the cheapest B450 out there if he can raise the budget to 200€.

 

[AngelTech]

The build is at least 3 years old if I remember correctly. I personally think it's bad regardless tho

Well if his PSU happens to pop he can't blame you at least on a serious note tho, I hope he gets a new efficient PSU soon.

 

[julienruc]

Well if his PSU happens to pop he can't blame you at least on a serious note tho, I hope he gets a new efficient PSU soon.

I know. I really hope someone else tells him to do the same thing. Maybe he'll finally realise how important it really is. Better to have an underwhelming PC than a burnt one xD