Question Is my setup worth keeping / upgrading?

[Breeze1]

Hi guys,

My 9 yo gaming PC (config below) has blatantly reached its limits a few days ago, when I tried to run Forza motorsport on it (20 fps on "low" settings / 1080p : rather depressing...).

During the last 2 years, I could see that it was starting to lag behind, especially when playing racing games. Below are a few examples of the FPS I have been getting in different types of games:
- Forza horizon 5: 40-50 fps but with frequent drops to 30, making the image stutter (1080p, medium settings)
- Forza horizon 4: slightly better than FH5
- Assetto corsa competizione: 60 fps (1080p, most settings on high)
- Assetto corsa : 120+ fps, (everything maxed, 1080p)
- Automobilista 2 : 70+ fps (1080p/high)
- Control: 50-60 fps, (medium/high, 1080p)
- Doom eternal: 60+ fps, (high, 1080p)

My setup (in blue what has been upgraded and when):
- Mobo : Asus M5A99FX PRO
- CPU : AMD 8350 FX Socket AM3+ 4 GHz AMD FX 125 W
- GPU: MSI GTX 1060 6gb "Armor"
- PSU: can't remember from the top of my head, but I chose a solid, reputable brand delivering 800+ w because at the time I thought I'd go with an SLI setup down the line
- RAM: 16Gb Ballistix Sport VLP DDR3 1600 MT/s (PC3-12800) UDIMM 240-Pin Memory
- Storage: 3Tb HDD (only 2 of them being recognized) + 1Tb Crucial SSD

What I'm looking for is the ability to run current games in 4K, rock solid 60 fps (I'm using a TV screen limited at 60hz anyway) and good graphics (at least high settings on PC). My first thought was that I should sell the PC and get a PS5 or XSX, but maybe there is a way, for equivalent money, to upgrade my current configuration to match the performance of those consoles? I haven't researched PC hardware / trends in years so I don't even know if my mobo is compatible with current gen CPU/GPU's.

What would you guys do? Do you think I could get away with replacing just the GPU, or am I looking at CPU as well?

One thing I'm sure off, is that I won't be assembling a gaming PC from the ground up. Looking at how a base PS4 from ten years ago runs GT7 (almost as good as ACC on my rig which is supposed to have far stronger calculating capabilities and cost 3X the price), it would not be worth the money for me.

I'm inclined towards the console solution but hey maybe I'm wrong..

 

[rgd1101]

worth keeping or upgrade? no and no

 

[Breeze1]

worth keeping or upgrade? no and no

Yup, what I figured, but given my complete ignorance of how current GPU's compare to an XSX and a what price point, I thought I would ask people who know.
Thanks

 

[rgd1101]

could keep the gpu and see if it get you enough fps and the ssd too

but yes new cpu/motherboard/ram

 

[Roland Of Gilead]

Hey there,

So, in terms of an upgrade, what would be the budget?

TBH, getting a new mobo, CPU, PSU, case and keep your current GPU until you get some more dosh for a stronger GPU, would be the way I'd go.

Something like this would be a huge upgrade on your current system.

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 5600G 3.9 GHz 6-Core Processor ($126.35 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Asus PRIME B550-PLUS ATX AM4 Motherboard ($129.38 @ Amazon)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3600 CL18 Memory ($71.98 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Corsair RM750e (2023) 750 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($99.99 @ Best Buy)
Total: $427.70
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2023-10-13 08:54 EDT-0400

This would be a whole lot stronger than your current system. Get a decent midrange GPU down the line, and you'll be maxing things out at 1080p and with great FPS.

 

[Flayed]

I'm inclined towards the console solution but hey maybe I'm wrong..

If you want 60fps @ 4k Ultra then you would be looking at spending $500 on just a graphics card. You may be better off with a PS5.

 

[Breeze1]

Thanks guys for your replies. I'm glad I asked because I realize I was going completely the opposite way about that (was considering upgrading the GPU and keeping the mobo/CPU and maybe upgrading to GDDR5 or 6, because when I run benchmarks the bottleneck is the GPU, not those components). But there might be compatibility issues I'm not aware of.

The PSU does not worry me at all because it's at least 800W, from a renowned brand.

Please keep in mind that I'm not in North America and that, were I live, I could sell my rig for around $350 and buy an XSX for twice as much (so net expenditure: $350).

Then there is the issue of how old my current components are. Even if I keep them, I don't know how much life they still have left in them.

I think it's a no brainer, really...

P.S.: the budget would have been the same as a PS5/XSX pricetag.

 

[geofelt]

Your fx cpu is abysmallly deficient by today's standards.
True, 4k gaming does need a good graphics card.
But, you also need a cpu that is able to generate decent frame rates.
In particular, games such as sims, mmo and strategy need a processor with good single thread performance.
Run the cpu-Z bench on your FX-8350.
You should get a score about 224.

A simple $120 I3-12100 will score about 659:

CPU-Z Benchmark for AMD FX -8350 (1T) - CPU-Z VALIDATOR

Best CPU performance - 64-bit - September 2024

valid.x86.fr

A simple lga1700 motherboard will be <$100, here is an example:

https://www.newegg.com/p/N82E16813162110?Item=N82E16813162110

There is no difference in performance between ddr4 and ddr5, but ddr4 parts are cheaper.
a 2 x 8gb ddr4 ram kit might be $40.

The 5600G class processor mentioned above is also reasonable, it scores 596

Your current psu seems sufficient for the GTX1060, keep it until you need a stronger graphics card.
Then, buy only a quality psu with at least a 7 year warranty.

 

[stonecarver]

I agree time to start looking on newer faster parts and yes I know we can say it but does not mean you can instantly run out a do it.

So while your making this transition just a curious question. Is your Forza motorsport on an SSD.

From Steam

• Additional Notes: SSD Required

 

[Breeze1]

My PSU is a LEPA G850 MAS80+ Gold and yes, it's installed on a Crucial 1Tb SSD.

As I'm writing this I remember why I asked this question in the first place. There are what I think are some good bits and pieces in this setup so I wondered if it could be upgraded rather than "discarded".

But if it costs more than an XSX or PS5 I'll not be up for it.

 

[stonecarver]

As I'm writing this I remember why I asked this question in the first place. There are what I think are some good bits and pieces in this setup so I wondered if it could be upgraded rather than "discarded".

Used GTX 1080 Ti would be a great extended life to what you have.

Reason I choose the 1080 Ti is everyone is chasing Raytracing and also the 1080 Ti is 4 gen old. The cheapest on the used market and still have a lot of life still.

It's harder to find a 2070 used for a low price to patch an ageing computer.
I only say get a GTX 1080 TI as low $$$ as you can as it's a band aid in the long run. Happy gaming

 

[Breeze1]

Used GTX 1080 Ti would be a great extended life to what you have.

Reason I choose the 1080 Ti is everyone is chasing Raytracing and also the 1080 Ti is 4 gen old. The cheapest on the used market and still have a lot of life still.

It's harder to find a 2070 used for a low price to patch an ageing computer.
I only say get a GTX 1080 TI as low $$$ as you can as it's a band aid in the long run. Happy gaming

If I find a cheap one it could definitely be an option if everything else remains the same. That way I could keep enjoying the games I have and buy a ps5/xsx in a near future

 

[Breeze1]

Funny how things work sometimes. Few weeks ago I posted asking if my system was worth saving, and today I'm posting to ask if it can be saved

Anyway, for 2 days now I've been facing a no boot situation with my desktop pc. Powered it up as usual: it started (blue light showing power is on) but did not beep as it should, nor did the red "storage light" flash, showing either the SSD or the HDD were working. After that, it would either turn itself back off after a few seconds, or keep ON but not boot.

I tried the following:
- disconnecting / reconnecting power and GPU cables
- turning the PSU off/on (using the I/0 button)
- removed the RAM modules and putting them back on, as well as testing them one at a time
- disconnecting alternatively the SSD and the HDD to see if the system would boot (they both have an OS on them)
- removing the cmos battery and putting it back in

Visible symptoms are:
- nothing displayed on screen, not even the BIOS / DOS interface
- CPU led continuously on ; about that, I don't actually know if it's an issue or not because it does turn on every time I power up the PC even when all is well, but I can't remember if it used to turn back off or not.
- I don't know if that's related or not, but a few days before it failed, I noticed that MKII, which used to run smooth, started having some weird stuttering issues.


Yesterday I've read that a dead CMOS battery could prevent the PC from booting so I bought one today (still haven't gotten back home to test it), but I also read (today) that a failed CMOS battery would not prevent booting, only force to set date/time, etc.

What do you guys think? Any idea I could try before replacing the CPU, or just giving up on the whole system?

Thanks!