[SOLVED] Need help with upgrading my current pc for the best value

yuvalb49

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Nov 23, 2018
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I'd like to upgrade my pc so it would run the newer "demanding" games (elden ring, wz etc.) on at least med settings but with solid 60+ fps

My current pc:
CPU: i5-7500
GPU: gtx 1070
RAM: 16GB 2400MHz
Motherboard: Gigabyte tech B250M-DS3H-CF

with my current build im barely scratching the 50fps on games like elden and im not sure if the cpu is the reason.

I thought about upgrading to i5-12400 and replacing the motherboard to Gigabyte H610M S2H since my current one will not be compatible.

I just want to spend the least I can but for a good value (like the 1k budget builds I saw here), and im not sure if the cpu upgrade is worth it or if something else is bottlenecking my pc.

will upgrading to i5-12400 be enough or is the dif between this and my current cpu going to be minor.
 
Solution
will upgrading to i5-12400 be enough or is the dif between this and my current cpu going to be minor.

Diff here,
comparison: https://cpu.userbenchmark.com/Compare/Intel-Core-i5-7500-vs-Intel-Core-i5-12400/3648vs4122

I just want to spend the least I can but for a good value

You can not have good value with cheapest parts. What forms value, is price to performance ratio, and not just price alone.

For example: GTX 1050 vs RTX 2060.
GTX 1050 costs ~200 bucks, while RTX 2060 costs ~400 bucks. According to value, RTX 2060 is much better, despite costing double of what GTX 1050 costs. Or do you disagree?

I thought about upgrading to i5-12400 and replacing the motherboard to Gigabyte H610M S2H since my current one...

Aeacus

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will upgrading to i5-12400 be enough or is the dif between this and my current cpu going to be minor.

Diff here,
comparison: https://cpu.userbenchmark.com/Compare/Intel-Core-i5-7500-vs-Intel-Core-i5-12400/3648vs4122

I just want to spend the least I can but for a good value

You can not have good value with cheapest parts. What forms value, is price to performance ratio, and not just price alone.

For example: GTX 1050 vs RTX 2060.
GTX 1050 costs ~200 bucks, while RTX 2060 costs ~400 bucks. According to value, RTX 2060 is much better, despite costing double of what GTX 1050 costs. Or do you disagree?

I thought about upgrading to i5-12400 and replacing the motherboard to Gigabyte H610M S2H since my current one will not be compatible.

If you want best value, then currently i3-12100 is value king.
Review: https://www.tomshardware.com/news/intel-core-i3-12100-12100f-review

Despite i3-12100 having 2 less cores and 4 less threads than i5-12400, it also performs equally as good as core i5, while costing less, making it better value CPU,
comparison 1: https://cpu.userbenchmark.com/Compare/Intel-Core-i5-12400-vs-Intel-Core-i3-12100/4122vs4126
comparison 2: https://nanoreview.net/en/cpu-compare/intel-core-i5-12400-vs-intel-core-i3-12100

And if you go with i3-12100F, without iGPU, you can save additional ~20 bucks from the cost of CPU, increasing it's value even further (since price goes down).
 
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yuvalb49

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Nov 23, 2018
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You can not have good value with cheapest parts. What forms value, is price to performance ratio, and not just price alone.
sry i kind of explained myself wrong, what I meant is can I get more value from upgrading some other components (cpu included) for around the same price as the i5-12400 + mb or is this my current best option.
 

Aeacus

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can I get more value from upgrading some other components (cpu included) for around the same price as the i5-12400 + mb or is this my current best option.

Another option, would be upgrading GPU. But the issue is, that you won't gain any performance boost with new GPU that costs 283 bucks (same as i5-12400 + MoBo cost, pcpp).

Best GPU you could get, with ~300 bucks, is GTX 1650,
pcpp: https://pcpartpicker.com/products/video-card/#X=0,29649&sort=-price&page=1
But that GPU is far weaker than your GTX 1070,
comparison: https://gpu.userbenchmark.com/Compare/Nvidia-GTX-1650-vs-Nvidia-GTX-1070/4039vs3609
 

yuvalb49

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Nov 23, 2018
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Another option, would be upgrading GPU. But the issue is, that you won't gain any performance boost with new GPU that costs 283 bucks (same as i5-12400 + MoBo cost, pcpp).

Best GPU you could get, with ~300 bucks, is GTX 1650,
pcpp: https://pcpartpicker.com/products/video-card/#X=0,29649&sort=-price&page=1
But that GPU is far weaker than your GTX 1070,
comparison: https://gpu.userbenchmark.com/Compare/Nvidia-GTX-1650-vs-Nvidia-GTX-1070/4039vs3609
so whats the point of upgrading it? if its actually a downgrade
 

yuvalb49

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Nov 23, 2018
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kind of off topic and im not sure this is the correct sub to post at, but what can I upgrade to get same performance equivalent to an xbox series x. im not sure if buying a brand new xbox will have better performance than upgrading my setup for the same price
 
I'd like to upgrade my pc so it would run the newer "demanding" games (elden ring, wz etc.) on at least med settings but with solid 60+ fps

My current pc:
CPU: i5-7500
GPU: gtx 1070
RAM: 16GB 2400MHz
Motherboard: Gigabyte tech B250M-DS3H-CF

with my current build im barely scratching the 50fps on games like elden and im not sure if the cpu is the reason.

I thought about upgrading to i5-12400 and replacing the motherboard to Gigabyte H610M S2H since my current one will not be compatible.

I just want to spend the least I can but for a good value (like the 1k budget builds I saw here), and im not sure if the cpu upgrade is worth it or if something else is bottlenecking my pc.

will upgrading to i5-12400 be enough or is the dif between this and my current cpu going to be minor.

Hey there,

In terms of your current build, you are kinda snookered a little bit.

The only real option for your existing rig, is an upgrade to an I7 7700/k. Whilst this is a stronger CPU, it will not give you too much of a boost in FPS, unless it's a CPU demanding game. Your current system is becoming dated now, and for games like Elden Ring, you need more CPU grunt. Recommended CPU for smooth gameplay is a 6c/12t CPU.

With that said, your best option is a system upgrade, but keeping your GTX1070 to transfer to the new build. You haven't listed your storage. If you have an SSD, that could migrate to a new system too.

I'd agree with @Aeacus that a system upgrade, will do much more for you than upgrading your current system. However, I would defo suggest it's the 12400 at a min if you go that route.

This is an example of a build,. that excludes your GPU and Storage.

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: Intel Core i5-12400 2.5 GHz 6-Core Processor ($193.97 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 RGB Black Edition 57.3 CFM CPU Cooler ($46.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Asus PRIME B660-PLUS D4 ATX LGA1700 Motherboard ($139.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 CL16 Memory ($65.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Lian Li LANCOOL 205 Mesh ATX Mid Tower Case ($88.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Corsair RMx (2018) 650 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($109.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $645.92
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2022-05-20 11:54 EDT-0400


In terms of an upgrade comparable to an Xbox X, this would be close.
 

yuvalb49

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Hey there,

In terms of your current build, you are kinda snookered a little bit.

The only real option for your existing rig, is an upgrade to an I7 7700/k. Whilst this is a stronger CPU, it will not give you too much of a boost in FPS, unless it's a CPU demanding game. Your current system is becoming dated now, and for games like Elden Ring, you need more CPU grunt. Recommended CPU for smooth gameplay is a 6c/12t CPU.

With that said, your best option is a system upgrade, but keeping your GTX1070 to transfer to the new build. You haven't listed your storage. If you have an SSD, that could migrate to a new system too.

I'd agree with @Aeacus that a system upgrade, will do much more for you than upgrading your current system. However, I would defo suggest it's the 12400 at a min if you go that route.

This is an example of a build,. that excludes your GPU and Storage.

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: Intel Core i5-12400 2.5 GHz 6-Core Processor ($193.97 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 RGB Black Edition 57.3 CFM CPU Cooler ($46.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Asus PRIME B660-PLUS D4 ATX LGA1700 Motherboard ($139.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 CL16 Memory ($65.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Lian Li LANCOOL 205 Mesh ATX Mid Tower Case ($88.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Corsair RMx (2018) 650 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($109.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $645.92
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2022-05-20 11:54 EDT-0400


In terms of an upgrade comparable to an Xbox X, this would be close.
Tysm! i guess theres no point just upgrading cpu then, so ill just have to decide if i should get an xbox since it costs less or invest a bit more in a newer pc.
also my system is in on a 100gb ssd but most of my games are on the 1tb hdd.
 
Tysm! i guess theres no point just upgrading cpu then, so ill just have to decide if i should get an xbox since it costs less or invest a bit more in a newer pc.
also my system is in on a 100gb ssd but most of my games are on the 1tb hdd.

Your SSD/HDD are transferable, but the SSD is small even for an OS install.

The Xbox does give nice performance for the price. The PC highlighted above, give you upgrade options on both CPU and GPU which can/will always yield more performance than a console.

With only a 200 difference between the Xbox, and the system upgrade, you will get better longevity from the PC upgrade IMO.

Good luck with your choice, and happy gaming :)
 

logainofhades

Titan
Moderator
Changing the CPU and motherboard, and keeping the rest would be a good start. A larger capacity SSD would be another good idea.
PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: Intel Core i5-12400F 2.5 GHz 6-Core Processor ($159.99 @ Best Buy)
Motherboard: MSI PRO B660M-A DDR4 Micro ATX LGA1700 Motherboard ($129.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Blue SN570 1 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive ($89.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $379.97
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2022-05-20 12:34 EDT-0400
 
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I'd like to upgrade my pc so it would run the newer "demanding" games (elden ring, wz etc.) on at least med settings but with solid 60+ fps

My current pc:
CPU: i5-7500
GPU: gtx 1070
RAM: 16GB 2400MHz
Motherboard: Gigabyte tech B250M-DS3H-CF

with my current build im barely scratching the 50fps on games like elden and im not sure if the cpu is the reason.

I thought about upgrading to i5-12400 and replacing the motherboard to Gigabyte H610M S2H since my current one will not be compatible.

I just want to spend the least I can but for a good value (like the 1k budget builds I saw here), and im not sure if the cpu upgrade is worth it or if something else is bottlenecking my pc.

will upgrading to i5-12400 be enough or is the dif between this and my current cpu going to be minor.
Get the proper bios and drivers.
Do a little housecleaning on the storage.
Don't run unneeded background stuff.
Monitor cpu/gpu temps.
Cost?.......free.
 
Changing the CPU and motherboard, and keeping the rest would be a good start. A larger capacity SSD would be another good idea.
PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: Intel Core i5-12400F 2.5 GHz 6-Core Processor ($159.99 @ Best Buy)
Motherboard: MSI PRO B660M-A DDR4 Micro ATX LGA1700 Motherboard ($129.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Blue SN570 1 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive ($89.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $379.97
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2022-05-20 12:34 EDT-0400
@yuvalb49 there's your upgrade ^^ btw add a set of 2x8GB DDR4 3200 RAM to that build.
 
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Aeacus

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Ambassador
so whats the point of upgrading it? if its actually a downgrade

Your question was; if you can upgrade something else (including your CPU), for the same cost as new CPU and new MoBo would cost. And i gave you an answer.

Other than going with new CPU + MoBo combo, another upgrade path would be GPU. But with 300 bucks, it doesn't happen.

Also, while you could upgrade to i7-7700K, do note that it does not have a CPU cooler. Also i7-7700K is generally very hot running (one of the worst Core i7), meaning that you have to buy beefy aftermarket cooler as well. Price wise, it would be same, or even more, than i5-12400 + it's MoBo. So, no point for me to suggest lesser value upgrade for you.

but what can I upgrade to get same performance equivalent to an xbox series x.

Xbox Series X has some beefy hardware in it. And while it can't be directly compared to PC, the broad comparison would be;
CPU: Ryzen 7 3700X or Core i5-10400
GPU: Radeon RX 6800 or Nvidia RTX 3070

Further reading: https://www.makeuseof.com/xbox-series-x-vs-gaming-pc/

so ill just have to decide if i should get an xbox since it costs less or invest a bit more in a newer pc.

There are pros and cons to both.

Xbox pros:
Cheaper than equivalent PC. (At least at current time. But since new consoles get released sparingly, that will change. E.g it took 7 years between 3rd and 4th console generations.)
Ready to go, just plug the cables in.
Smaller footprint (case size).

Xbox cons:
0 upgrade paths. Can't upgrade it's CPU or GPU or MoBo. Etc.
Limited only to xbox compatible games. While with PC, you can emulate consoles and play all games.
Limited usage. Xbox is designed for gaming mainly, while with PC, you can do virtually everything.
When component inside it goes bad, you need to send whole thing back. While with PC, you can just replace defective component on your own.
Paid subscription for multiplayer and online gaming. With PC, multiplayer is free.
 
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KyaraM

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Get the proper bios and drivers.
Do a little housecleaning on the storage.
Don't run unneeded background stuff.
Monitor cpu/gpu temps.
Cost?.......free.
Won't help. The CPU is beneath minimum specs for Elden Ring and they really didn't lie on that requirement. I had a similar setup before with a 7600k (and better SSD), so actually a better CPU, and that system couldn't run the game smoothly, either. It's not housecleaning that's the issue, it's simply insufficient hardware, hands down. Your suggestions unfortunately won't do zilch. We know the system is insufficient. No use wasting time on trying to clean up when that's not the issue.
 
Xbox Series X has some beefy hardware in it. And while it can't be directly compared to PC, the broad comparison would be;
CPU: Ryzen 7 3700X or Core i5-10400
GPU: Radeon RX 6800 or Nvidia RTX 3070

Further reading: https://www.makeuseof.com/xbox-series-x-vs-gaming-pc/

What this doesn’t show is the difference in how games look and feel. I get the point that this is the sort of pc needed for 4K 120fps at higher settings. However the same games on pc will look much better. I have both a Series X and a gaming pc with a 3080. The same games look significantly better on pc. There are also a limited number of games that support 120fps and even then there can be a big difference in the experience. Take Cold War for example, it claims to support 120fps but it feels choppy on the XBox compared to playing on the pc. The XBox is very impressive for the price but it isreally nowhere close to good modern gaming pc.
 
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Aeacus

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What this doesn’t show is the difference in how games look and feel. I get the point that this is the sort of pc needed for 4K 120fps at higher settings. However the same games on pc will look much better.

You can not compare console games to PC games in equivalent manner. Since console games are custom developed for the very specific hardware and software inside the consoles, and are limited to what the said hardware and software (OS) is capable of. While with PC games, there is no hardware cap, and game devs can throw everything into PC game. That's why PC games look and function much better than their console counterparts.

This contrast is best in seen in games, that, besides having PC version, also have PS4/Xbox One counterpart. The PC version will be nerfed considerably, since the console hardware is from 2013. This is, when console version is developed 1st and then ported to PC. But vice-versa can happen as well. One of the best such examples is Cyberpunk 2077, which looks good and runs fine on PC (since it was made for PC 1st), but is terrible looking and stuttering on consoles (e.g PS4).

At current date, Xbox X has just came out and is equal to modern PCs. But this performance gap will increase as time moves onwards, since Xbox X will remain with the hardware it has, while PCs can be upgraded as soon as new hardware comes out. E.g RTX 4000 series GPUs is around the corner and DDR5 RAM, in a way, is already here. Xbox X doesn't have neither of the two and never will. That is, until Micro$oft releases another console generation, in 5-7 years time.

Consoles are good only for a year or two after their initial release. Any longer than that, PC will beat consoles hands down.
 
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Won't help. The CPU is beneath minimum specs for Elden Ring and they really didn't lie on that requirement. I had a similar setup before with a 7600k (and better SSD), so actually a better CPU, and that system couldn't run the game smoothly, either. It's not housecleaning that's the issue, it's simply insufficient hardware, hands down. Your suggestions unfortunately won't do zilch. We know the system is insufficient. No use wasting time on trying to clean up when that's not the issue.
Yup.....spending a little time doing the free stuff is a waste.
 
At current date, Xbox X has just came out and is equal to modern PCs.
It’s just not equal, not even close. I’m not sure why you started your reply with “You can not compare console games to PC games in equivalent manner.” and then try and compare them. I kind of agree with most of the rest of it.

I base my comment on playing various games on both, a few that come to mind are;
Vanguard
Black Ops
Deep Rock
Flight Sim
Gears 5
There are more but I’d have to look them up. My point is the XBox version is noticeably lower quality image and either 120fps isn’t an option or when it is an option it’s not always that good due to what I expect are big fps drops.

Now I still think the Series X is great for the money but I just cannot put it on the same level as a higher end gaming pc.
 
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