[SOLVED] I’m looking for some guidance on where to go next for upgrading my build.

UnoDosTrace

Honorable
Mar 23, 2014
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My current build is as follows:

CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 1600

MB: ASRock AB350M Pro 4

Ram: 16gb of Corsair Vengance running at 2666hz but clocked for 3200.

GPU: Nvidia 1060 6gb

HD and SSD that windows boots from.

650w PSU( pretty sure it’s an EVGA).

Monitor: ASUS VG248
Budget is about 400 dollars.
So what I’m looking for is a steady rig to run a 144hz refresh rate at 1080p to possibly 2k down the road. I plan on upgrading a little At a time, but I want to know my best plan to get there!

Thanks for taking a look.
 
Solution
Yes, the 5700 non-XT would still be a terrific upgrade. I only suggested the XT because you seemed to indicate a willingness to upgrade in two phases. Generally that includes the platform or graphics card as one phase and then the graphics card or platform as the second phase. Usually other upgrades such as SSD or memory are only minor incremental upgrades and not included in a performance shift like a full platform, although memory might be included as part of a platform upgrade as well if you are moving from a much older system.

The reason I suggested the XT is because you indicated a budget of 400 for this phase, AND that you might want to run at 1440p. 1440p at high or ultra settings for most games is do-able with the XT, much less...
I'd upgrade the graphics card first, and I'd look at doing something like this.

PCPartPicker Part List

Video Card: Sapphire Radeon RX 5700 XT 8 GB PULSE Video Card ($409.00 @ Walmart)
Total: $409.00
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-01-25 00:51 EST-0500


Then when you can afford to do so, throw one of these in there. Not the greatest motherboard in the world, but you can try it. You might have no problems. If you do, you can swap that board out for something like the MSI B450 Tomahawk max which is around 114.00.

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 3600X 3.8 GHz 6-Core Processor ($238.89 @ Amazon)
Total: $238.89
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-01-25 00:55 EST-0500


Or even just the 3600 which is about forty bucks cheaper. It would still be a nice bump. A 3700x would be even better but that will definitely bring a need for a better board if you want to avoid any problems. Again, it MIGHT be ok with that board, but I wouldn't bank on it.

The Ryzen 3600x has much better IPC and single core performance than your current R5 1600. More than 1000 points higher single core performance rating and significantly higher multithreaded performance as well.

https://www.cpubenchmark.net/compare/AMD-Ryzen-5-1600-vs-AMD-Ryzen-5-3600X/2984vs3494


Knowing, FOR SURE, what the EXACT model of your power supply is BEFORE upgrading would be a very good idea though. There are few 650w EVGA models that are not particularly great such as the N1, B3, G5, BQ and NEX units. The G2, G3, GQ, P2 and T2 units are much MUCH better than those, so if you have one of those units and not a unit from the first set of models I listed, you should be ok.
 

UnoDosTrace

Honorable
Mar 23, 2014
26
0
10,530
I'd upgrade the graphics card first, and I'd look at doing something like this.

PCPartPicker Part List

Video Card: Sapphire Radeon RX 5700 XT 8 GB PULSE Video Card ($409.00 @ Walmart)
Total: $409.00
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-01-25 00:51 EST-0500


Then when you can afford to do so, throw one of these in there. Not the greatest motherboard in the world, but you can try it. You might have no problems. If you do, you can swap that board out for something like the MSI B450 Tomahawk max which is around 114.00.

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 3600X 3.8 GHz 6-Core Processor ($238.89 @ Amazon)
Total: $238.89
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-01-25 00:55 EST-0500


Or even just the 3600 which is about forty bucks cheaper. It would still be a nice bump. A 3700x would be even better but that will definitely bring a need for a better board if you want to avoid any problems. Again, it MIGHT be ok with that board, but I wouldn't bank on it.

The Ryzen 3600x has much better IPC and single core performance than your current R5 1600. More than 1000 points higher single core performance rating and significantly higher multithreaded performance as well.

https://www.cpubenchmark.net/compare/AMD-Ryzen-5-1600-vs-AMD-Ryzen-5-3600X/2984vs3494


Knowing, FOR SURE, what the EXACT model of your power supply is BEFORE upgrading would be a very good idea though. There are few 650w EVGA models that are not particularly great such as the N1, B3, G5, BQ and NEX units. The G2, G3, GQ, P2 and T2 units are much MUCH better than those, so if you have one of those units and not a unit from the first set of models I listed, you should be ok.

Would a 2060 or just a 5700 give me the bump Im looking for? Or would that just be a minor upgrade?

This is my PSU:
EVGA SuperNOVA 850 B2 110-B2-0850-V1 80+ BRONZE 850W Semi Modular Includes FREE Power On Self Tester Power Supply
https://www.newegg.com/product/N82E16817438030?ignorebbr=1&m_ver=1
 
I can say with my 1700x even overclocked and a 1660 super, I can't quite run ultra. But that may be my gpu. And the fact that I have a 144hz monitor. So being realistic, I should expect that the 1660 super is strong, but not that powerful.

In any case, the op may need a better cooler. I used to have a 1600 and ran on that board. I got the 1700x used from a friend for about 100 dollars last year. Otherwise would have kept the 1600. In my case, I later purchased a wraith prism off of eBay for about 30 dollars. That allows my 1700x to hit 3.8ghz at 1.325 volts.

The ASRock board seems decent, I believe it can even support the 12 core chips.

For fun, here's a video where the guy looked at another ASRock b350. I think his was a fatality board, but looks similar aside from the colors. It actually did boot up with a 3900x. So I would say a 3600x is probably fine.

View: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=vpYiJ9h05JM
 
Yes, the 5700 non-XT would still be a terrific upgrade. I only suggested the XT because you seemed to indicate a willingness to upgrade in two phases. Generally that includes the platform or graphics card as one phase and then the graphics card or platform as the second phase. Usually other upgrades such as SSD or memory are only minor incremental upgrades and not included in a performance shift like a full platform, although memory might be included as part of a platform upgrade as well if you are moving from a much older system.

The reason I suggested the XT is because you indicated a budget of 400 for this phase, AND that you might want to run at 1440p. 1440p at high or ultra settings for most games is do-able with the XT, much less so with the non-XT models. If you want to run at 1440p I'd advise that you go with at least a 5700 XT or RTX 2070. You can get by with a 2060 Super like I have, but given the choice to do it over I'd have paid the extra for the 2070 or 2070 Super OR went with the 5700 XT. Personally I like Nvidia better as their cards historically have tended to run cooler, quieter, use less power and have better driver support, but now that they are working on new architectures and Raja Koduri is gone to Intel, that might be changing. The latest cards seem to be leaving their historically hot roots behind and driver support seems to be improving.
 
Solution