Question Looking for advice/suggestions to upgrade my PC

[Conozor]

Hello all,

My system/gaming PC is almost 7 years old now and is showing signs of age.
Therefore, I am looking to potentially upgrade my current PC, with a budget around 300€-500€.
Because currently, buying a completely new PC is out of my budget.
My knowledge of PC’s is basic, and outdated, thereby I am seeking suggestions and advice on how to upgrade my PC within the budget.
I have listed the specs of my PC below:

CPU AMD Ryzen 5 2600 / 12 Threads / Max 3.9GHz
CPU Cooler Be quiet! Pure Rock 2 150W TDP CPU Cooler
GPU GTX 1060 (6GB) Nvidia-GeForce
RAM Crucial Ballistix Sport DDR4 2400MHZ 16GB
MB ASUS Strix B350-F Gaming
Case NZXT Source 340 Elite - Black
SSD Samsung 860 EVO 250 GB
HDD Seagate Barracuda 2 TB
PCU 650W Corsair VS650
Operating system: windows 10

I am looking forward to your suggestions and advice!

Please give me a heads up if I miss any important details that can help!

Thanks in advance!

Roy

 

[Eximo]

CPU, PSU, GPU, and new memory should bring you back to relevance. But your budget doesn't really allow for all of those things. PSU and GPU would get you the most.

Your motherboard has support for the latest AM4 processors.

What country?

 

[Eximo]

A little overbudget but something to think about:

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 5700X3D 3 GHz 8-Core Processor (€234.89 @ Proshop)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3600 CL18 Memory (€70.63 @ Amazon Deutschland)
Video Card: PowerColor Fighter Radeon RX 6600 8 GB Video Card (€207.75 @ Proshop)
Power Supply: MSI MAG A650GL 650 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply (€88.70 @ Amazon Deutschland)
Total: €601.97
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2024-07-15 20:45 CEST+0200

 

[Conozor]

CPU, PSU, GPU, and new memory should bring you back to relevance. But your budget doesn't really allow for all of those things. PSU and GPU would get you the most.

Your motherboard has support for the latest AM4 processors.

What country?

Thanks for your response! The country is The Netherlands.
I could extend the budget to 600-700€ ish, but I feel like at that point it might be better to wait 1/2 years to build a new PC ground up (currently still a student haha). Maybe I am wrong, curious on your opinion on this.
Also, this might be a dumb question but what is the reasoning to priorities upgrading the PSU. Is this because of the age/reliability?

 

[Why_Me]

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: *AMD Ryzen 5 5600 3.5 GHz 6-Core Processor (€124.00 @ Amazon Netherlands)
Memory: *G.Skill Ripjaws V 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3200 CL16 Memory (€62.00 @ Amazon Netherlands)
Video Card: *Gigabyte WINDFORCE OC GeForce RTX 4060 8 GB Video Card (€299.00 @ Amazon Netherlands)
Total: €485.00
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
*Lowest price parts chosen from parametric criteria
Generated by PCPartPicker 2024-07-15 21:34 CEST+0200

 

[punkncat]

I think @Why_Me wins the cookie on this one.

A 5600 is going to be a vast and strong improvement over your 2xxx Ryzen. I am taking for granted that your current motherboard is capable with a BIOS update as I did not check. Alongside that aspect, I am not sure whether your motherboard supports as high memory speed as has been suggested. Whether it can or cannot is one aspect, but if this is to be a long term tide over till next build I would also second suggestions to get up to 32GB.

On the graphics, this can be a bit tougher. If you get a new higher power card then you have to start considering whether the PSU you have is up to the task due to age and/or quality. I would honestly consider something like a used/new 5xxx series CPU, a higher line graphics card, and power supply. The RAM you have will tide over such that you can squeeze it in on a later update/completion.

 

[BrickStation]

Your budget won't cover much in upgrades. However, your older hardware is still relevant for 1080p gaming, you could reuse it and upgrade certain pieces: PCPartPicker Part List


GPU: I recommend an 8 GB card like the RX 6600 mentioned earlier. This can also be reused into another system if you upgrade later.
HDD: I assume you use the Barracuda for games since the 860 is only 250GB. Upgrade the Seagate to a 1 or 2 TB SSD and keep your HDD for storage.
RAM: If you want to invest, consider adding another 16 GB of RAM or the fastest supported RAM speed for improved performance, though it's optional.
PSU: It might be wise to upgrade to a newer unit as older PSUs pose reliability issues over time, potentially risking system damage. A new PSU can also be reused in another system.
CPU: If you want to invest, the Ryzen 5 5600 that was mentioned is a good choice for upgrading while using the same motherboard.

That's my suggestion if you plan on upgrading now. If you prefer to wait until you have a higher budget, that's fine too. Just give us a ring, and we can help you out.

 

[Eximo]

Yeah, I'm not so sure about trusting a VS650 beyond 5 years. 7 years, good thing it worked that long. Admittedly the GTX1060 was a very light load for it, but modern cards tend to have higher transient spikes which may quickly eat up what life it has remaining.

RTX 4060 or RX 6650XT at that price point with only the CPU upgrade is a good choice. I also like RTX 3060 12GB at this price point if you have a high resolution monitor. Or you push for the 6750XT to get 12GB of VRAM.

Regular 5700X is also a consideration. Fairly inexpensive to get into an 8 core.

The memory speed upgrade is a must, even if you can't run it at full speed 3200 or 2933 is a big improvement over 2400. On Ryzen the memory speed sets the interface speed between the I/O die and the CPU die on the chip package. 3200-3600 is the ideal max.

 

[Conozor]

Thanks to everyone for all the suggestions and advice you have given. Based on your input, I conclude that its probably better to wait a little longer until I am comfortable spending a larger budget of around €700. Alternatively, I might divide the upgrades into two parts. Below I have summed up the cost of the recommended upgrades. And for the total cost, taking option 1 for both CPU and GPU, the cost would be around 708.93.

Lastly I wanted to ask some smaller questions. First off, why is the cost between the Ryzen 7 5700X and Ryzen 5700X3D almost 80 euro? Is there such a significant performance difference? Secondly, I wanted to ask how much difference there is between a 4060 of company A and company B, or is it purely cosmetic? The same applies for RAM. Lastly, do you think any of these PC components will go on sale, or will the prices remain consistent over the next few months? (I am planning to do the upgrades between now and 4 months potentially)

List of recommended upgrades:

CPU Option 1 AMD Ryzen 7 5700X 3.4 GHz 8 core processor €168.00
CPU option 2 AMD Ryzen 7 5700X3D 3 GHz 8 core processor €244.00
CPU option 3 AMD Ryzen 5 5600 3.5 GHz 6 core processor €124.00
GPU Option 1 Gigabyte GeForce RTX 4060 WINDFORCE OC 8G €299.00
GPU Option 2 Radeon RX 6600 8GB €200.00-230.00
RAM G.Skill F4-3200C16D-32GVK memory 2x16GB Black €62.00
SSD Samsung 870 EVO 1 TB €94.88
PSU Corsair RM650 80 Plus Gold Fully modular €85.05
Total using options 1 (all prices are from amazon.nl - 16/7/2024) €708.93

Once again, I want to thank you all for helping me out. If there are any more comments/advice, please let me know