Question Help with replacing some PC parts

Nov 20, 2020
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hello everyone, i would like to replace a few of my PC components and need some help to make sure what i chose meets what i need before i purchase it.

What i want this PC to be able to do: run most of the latest games on high settings (not necessirily max) for at least 3 more years after this upgrade, program (not very heavy duty stuff) and just browse and watch streams
My budget for these replacements: about 600 USD

I am replacing my CPU, motherboard, storage device and ram.
for CPU i am planning on getting the ryzen 5 5600x when it comes back in stock.
since i am running an intel CPU currently (i7-4790) i need to also change my motherboard and for that i am planning on getting the MSI B450 TOMAHAWK MAX since it has all the connections and features i need, here is a link https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07WF6ZQST/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?smid=A3DG6X8R7E7914&th=1
for my storage i am changing my 1TB HDD to a 1TB NVMe M.2 SDD, this is the link https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07ZGJVTZK/ref=ox_sc_act_title_3?smid=A25SITGFW0OQJA&psc=1
and for ram i am upgrading from 16GB DDR3 at 1600MHz to 16GB DDR4 at 3600MHz, here is the link https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07RM39V5F/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&psc=1
my GPU is GTX 1080 Ti and my PSU provides 650 watts, i am not planning on changing them any time soon but thought i might add them in case anyone spots any compatibility issues.
monitor is 1080p at 144Hz
if there is something critical i forgot to add please tell me so i can edit the post.
most importantly i just want to know if changing to these 4 components from my older 4 will give me the experience i am looking for, and hold that experience for at least 3 more years after this upgrade. if you know of a better component that would fit my needs better for less or the same price then its much appreciated. (my main concern is the motherboard which i am not sure if i can find something better for the price)
sorry for the long post and thanks for your help!
 
Nov 20, 2020
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All seems fine to me. Your computer will not have RTX. But you will be able to play any game with that setting for the next 3 years in HD resolution and with good fps.

thank you for answering, i would really like to get a few more answers before i go ahead with a purchase like that. but thank you very much for taking the time to reply
 

DSzymborski

Titan
Moderator
Keep in mind you'll have to flash the BIOS of the motherboard before using it and while that's usually fine, it's not completely without risk. It might make more sense just to get a B550 motherboard.

Also "650W" doesn't mean much for a power supply. Hard to give a thumbs-up or thumbs-down without knowing the exact model of the most important part in the build.
 
Nov 20, 2020
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Keep in mind you'll have to flash the BIOS of the motherboard before using it and while that's usually fine, it's not completely without risk. It might make more sense just to get a B550 motherboard.

Also "650W" doesn't mean much for a power supply. Hard to give a thumbs-up or thumbs-down without knowing the exact model of the most important part in the build.

hey, thanks for replying! as i understand, flashing the BIOS is to get the most recent version. if i do it for the B450 motherboard, can there be problems later down the line, even if it will work well currently? if so, is there a B550 motherboard you can recommend? i need something that is as close in price to the one i have selected, but i understand that a newer motherboard will cost more, i dont need a very fancy one, just one that can support the rest of my system will and get the most out of it. so basically a B550 that is as close in price and features to the one i have chosen.
in regards to the power supply, i thought that as long as it can provides enough power for all of my components i should be in the clear? i have it for about a year now and dont have any problems, the model is: simplicity HPG-600ST-T12S and its 600W not 650W, im sorry for this mistake. hope those 50W wont force me to buy a new one
 
hey, thanks for replying! as i understand, flashing the BIOS is to get the most recent version. if i do it for the B450 motherboard, can there be problems later down the line, even if it will work well currently? if so, is there a B550 motherboard you can recommend? i need something that is as close in price to the one i have selected, but i understand that a newer motherboard will cost more, i dont need a very fancy one, just one that can support the rest of my system will and get the most out of it. so basically a B550 that is as close in price and features to the one i have chosen.
in regards to the power supply, i thought that as long as it can provides enough power for all of my components i should be in the clear? i have it for about a year now and dont have any problems, the model is: simplicity HPG-600ST-T12S and its 600W not 650W, im sorry for this mistake. hope those 50W wont force me to buy a new one

hope those 50W wont force me to buy a new one
It's not the extra 50 watts, but the very low quality of the power supply you have. You should replace it before doing any upgrades, to a higher quality model.
 
Nov 20, 2020
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It's not the extra 50 watts, but the very low quality of the power supply you have. You should replace it before doing any upgrades, to a higher quality model.
im not trying to doubt what you are saying but could you elaborate a little bit more about what makes it a low quality? is it because of the brand? something its missing?
 
im not trying to doubt what you are saying but could you elaborate a little bit more about what makes it a low quality? is it because of the brand? something its missing?
We have a reference list here that has many power supplies that have been tested for component quality and performance. Yours falls into tier 'D'.
Tier D • Recommended only for very cheap, iGPU systems

 

Karadjgne

Titan
Ambassador
45A on 12v rail, 540w. Old Group regulated design. Didn't find much about protections, but what I thought was hilarious was this unit comes with 12x pcie 6+2pin pcie connectors.

High Power is an OEM, the stuff they can build for other ppl can be quite decent, but their own brand tends not to be good at all.

For a power hungry and hard hitting gpu like a 1080ti, it's not a good combination. Be like an Olympic athlete needing a heart transplant and the surgeon giving him a heart from a 60yr old, obese chainsmoker.
 
Nov 20, 2020
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i see, damn. i assume it affects performance? because as i said i have been using it for a year now and everything went smooth.
so do i need to find a power supply from the A tier?
 

Karadjgne

Titan
Ambassador
It Can affect performance, such as stability in higher overclocks, but generally it'll really only affect the newest gpus boost levels as far as that goes. It's biggest issue is its quite bad ripple. DC voltage is supposed to be a flat line, but conversion from AC to DC isn't ever perfect, so you get spikes and dips like a saw blade. Capacitors especially, like to be charged with a clean DC signal, a saw tooth signal is like taking a miniature hammer to them. It's one thing to have a unit with very tiny ripple, that's love taps from that hammer, but when you get ripple that looks like a pro lumberjack saw, that's sledgehammer punishment.

That can severely reduce lifespan of sensitive equipment like storage drives, gpus, ram etc.

It's basically a heart attack waiting to happen, with very little in the way of protecting what's downstream when it does blow.

There's a failure point on Any electronic piece of equipment, even the best psus can and do fail. The difference between the good and bad is the chance of failure and the results afterwards.
 
Nov 20, 2020
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i didnt quite understand the electricity analogy with the saws and the hammers but "It's basically a heart attack waiting to happen" tells me everything that i need to know, this supply needs to be switched.
since i already specified my future system's specs here, would it be ok to ask for help in choosing a power supply? i really didnt want to go over the budget but this seems to me like quite the emergency and i would appreciate help so i dont make a mistake with another supply, i specifically bought a new supply because my older one wasnt able to support the 1080Ti and the store recommended me the one that i have now... (i did protest because honestly buying an unnamed PSU like that didnt sit right with me but the store said that the brand did not matter and whats important is that it can provide the power, and i didnt have the knowledge or experience to think otherwise), well at least i know not to purchase from them anymore.
 
i didnt quite understand the electricity analogy with the saws and the hammers but "It's basically a heart attack waiting to happen" tells me everything that i need to know, this supply needs to be switched.
since i already specified my future system's specs here, would it be ok to ask for help in choosing a power supply? i really didnt want to go over the budget but this seems to me like quite the emergency and i would appreciate help so i dont make a mistake with another supply, i specifically bought a new supply because my older one wasnt able to support the 1080Ti and the store recommended me the one that i have now... (i did protest because honestly buying an unnamed PSU like that didnt sit right with me but the store said that the brand did not matter and whats important is that it can provide the power, and i didnt have the knowledge or experience to think otherwise), well at least i know not to purchase from them anymore.
Use the list I provided. Stick with tiers 'A' or 'B' and you'll be fine. Look at the brands and specific models on the list and try to locate something where you live or that can be shipped to you. A good quality 650 watt model will be fine for your specs. If you have any questions about a certain brand/model on the list please ask.

Some people are overwhelmed by the list or can't spend the time to do the research. If you need more help simply provide a budget and online purchase location and someone here will see what the best is available to you. You can expect a good quality 650 watt model to cost somewhere in the range of $100-125 USD.
 
Nov 20, 2020
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Use the list I provided. Stick with tiers 'A' or 'B' and you'll be fine. Look at the brands and specific models on the list and try to locate something where you live or that can be shipped to you. A good quality 650 watt model will be fine for your specs. If you have any questions about a certain brand/model on the list please ask.

Some people are overwhelmed by the list or can't spend the time to do the research. If you need more help simply provide a budget and online purchase location and someone here will see what the best is available to you. You can expect a good quality 650 watt model to cost somewhere in the range of $100-125 USD.
thank you very much! just one last thing, comment #4 mentioned that i should replace the B450 motherboard that i am planning on buying with a B550 one. i like the B450 because its in a good price and it has everything that i need in terms of supporting the other components and features (at least as far as i can see), but they brought up a good point about needing to flash the BIOS, i dont like to take risks but i also dont want to add even more into the budget total just to go from B450 to B550 if its not really justified, so i wondered if i should purchase a B550 or stay with the B450 (im also wandering about future upgrades, like if 3-5 years from now, the B450 will need to be upgraded and the B550 wont)
 
thank you very much! just one last thing, comment #4 mentioned that i should replace the B450 motherboard that i am planning on buying with a B550 one. i like the B450 because its in a good price and it has everything that i need in terms of supporting the other components and features (at least as far as i can see), but they brought up a good point about needing to flash the BIOS, i dont like to take risks but i also dont want to add even more into the budget total just to go from B450 to B550 if its not really justified, so i wondered if i should purchase a B550 or stay with the B450 (im also wandering about future upgrades, like if 3-5 years from now, the B450 will need to be upgraded and the B550 wont)
From what I understand the B450 boards will not get bios updates until sometime in the first quarter next year. So it depends on how long you want to wait. A B550 board can be updated, if it needs it, right now. Getting a B550 will make your life easier if you can buy one. They don't cost much more. You still have to factor in the cost of a new power supply. It's the most important part of the system.
 

falcon291

Honorable
Jul 17, 2019
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thank you very much! just one last thing, comment #4 mentioned that i should replace the B450 motherboard that i am planning on buying with a B550 one. i like the B450 because its in a good price and it has everything that i need in terms of supporting the other components and features (at least as far as i can see), but they brought up a good point about needing to flash the BIOS, i dont like to take risks but i also dont want to add even more into the budget total just to go from B450 to B550 if its not really justified, so i wondered if i should purchase a B550 or stay with the B450 (im also wandering about future upgrades, like if 3-5 years from now, the B450 will need to be upgraded and the B550 wont)

Flashing a BIOS yes, a risk, indeed, but the risk is not as high as they wrote. It is good if you are able to also upgrade the mainboard, but if your budget is limited, upgrading the PSU as mentioned may be better for the short term.
 
Nov 20, 2020
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ok, i will look for a new better PSU first and if i still have room to also upgrade to a B550 i will do it, but the PSU is the highest priority as you guys said.
once i finish my build i will comment here with the complete system just to get it reviewed once more before i go ahead and purchase everything. thank you everyone who has helped, probably saved me from some system failures in the near future tbh, so i really appreciate it.
 
Nov 20, 2020
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ok, so im done choosing the parts. here is the pcpartpicker list, just for everyone's convience: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/7sXzPV
few things to note:
  1. the compatibility warning just mentions that the motherboard i chose might need a BIOS update for the CPU
  2. i had a really tough time finding a B550 motherboard of ATX size that wasnt really expensive (the shipping cost a lot) but i found a micro-ATX that at least as far as i can tell, can do everything that the B450 (from the original post) does, and even costs slightly less than that one. tho if micro-ATX motherboards have a big downside that wont justify this decision i would really like to know and ill try to find an ATX B550 motherboard tho they are really expensive to me so i might just stay with B450
  3. the PSU i chose is 750W and not what i was recommended here, a 650W because the difference in price for both of them was quite small and i think that the power difference might come in handy if in the far future i decide to upgrade the machine again (long time from now tho) and might save me from having to buy a whole new PSU. again if i am wrong about this, or if there is something i did not consider about this PSU then i would really appreciate you guys telling me.
  4. the only component on the list which i am not buying is the 1080Ti because i already own it.

if this system seems to be in the clear to you all, i would like a last question: in the original post i aimed for 3 years of smooth running but considering all the changes i wanted to ask, will this system hold up well for 5 years instead of 3? that is, will this system be capable of running 1080@144Hz on max or at least high settings of most of the latest games? (doesnt have to be AAA tbh, but running those on high would be great)

and lastly i would like to thank you all here for helping me with this build, i actually learned quite a bit while looking for a motherboard and a PSU, and you also saved my ass from potential problematic situations, so for that i thank you.💙