Build Advice Suggestions for first-time upgrading of my PC ?

[Ainz Ooal Gown]

I inherited a gaming PC build and am looking to upgrade it. I've added a GPU and another stick of Ram, everything else i already have. I want to run games like Overwatch 2, Marvel Rivals, Valorant, and
Elden Ring Nightreign on max settings. Could you give me some suggestions on how i can upgrade this gaming build?

How does everything look? Do the different components work well together? What would you change?

Budget: $1,500
Country: USA
Games, programs or workloads that it will be used for:
Overwatch 2, Marvel Rivals, Valorant, and Elden Ring Nightreign on max settings.

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/KjqdPJ

 

[Lutfij]

I inherited a gaming PC build and am looking to upgrade it.
Is the inherited PC the one listed in the PCPartPicker URL? If so, how old is the PSU? What did the PSU power throughout it's tenure?

on max settings
At what resolution?

Just an FYI, if you're looking at upgrading ram, you should look at memory that have a sticker meant to state that they are meant to go on the X99 platform or are found on the memory QVL for the motherboard. Looking at a ram kit without said markers/qualification will usually result in instability issues or a no-POST issue. To add, Corsair is the only ram brand out there that has PCB versions for their memory modules since they source ram IC's from multiple vendors. If you're mixing ram kits, be prepared to troubleshoot.

IMHO, you're almost in the avenue of building a system from the ground up, albeit with concurrent hardware.

Moved thread from Components section to Systems section.

 

[MenaceUK]

I inherited a gaming PC build and am looking to upgrade it. I've added a GPU and another stick of Ram, everything else i already have. I want to run game like games like overwatch 2, marvel rivals, valorant, elden ring nightreign on max settings. Could you give me some suggestions on how i can upgrade this gaming build?

How does everything look? Do the different components work well together? What would you change?

Budget: $1,500
Country: USA
Games, programs or workloads that it will be used for: Overwatch 2, marvel rivals, valorant, elden ring nightreign on max settings

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/KjqdPJ

$900 for a 3070ti, seriously. Why not just get a 9060 XT 16Gb for $350 -$380??

Also, your games are mostly competitive games which tend to be more CPU focused. ,

 

[Why_Me]

I inherited a gaming PC build and am looking to upgrade it.
Is the inherited PC the one listed in the PCPartPicker URL? If so, how old is the PSU? What did the PSU power throughout it's tenure?

on max settings
At what resolution?

Just an FYI, if you're looking at upgrading ram, you should look at memory that have a sticker meant to state that they are meant to go on the X99 platform or are found on the memory QVL for the motherboard. Looking at a ram kit without said markers/qualification will usually result in instability issues or a no-POST issue. To add, Corsair is the only ram brand out there that has PCB versions for their memory modules since they source ram IC's from multiple vendors. If you're mixing ram kits, be prepared to troubleshoot.

IMHO, you're almost in the avenue of building a system from the ground up, albeit with concurrent hardware.

Moved thread from Components section to Systems section.

That system is too outdated to upgrade. Even the case is old school claustrophobic meaning no airflow. If you already have that gpu (3070 Ti) then disregard this one down below.

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: *AMD Ryzen 5 9600X 3.9 GHz 6-Core Processor ($178.00 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: *ID-COOLING FROZN A620 PRO SE 58 CFM CPU Cooler ($29.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: *Asus B650E MAX GAMING WIFI ATX AM5 Motherboard ($169.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: *TEAMGROUP T-Create Expert 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR5-6000 CL30 Memory ($91.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: *MSI SPATIUM M480 PRO 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive ($134.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: *Asus PRIME OC Radeon RX 9070 XT 16 GB Video Card ($719.99 @ Amazon)
Case: *Montech AIR 903 BASE ATX Mid Tower Case ($64.98 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: *Montech CENTURY II 850 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($89.90 @ Newegg)
Total: $1479.83
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
*Lowest price parts chosen from parametric criteria
Generated by PCPartPicker 2025-06-24 05:29 EDT-0400

https://www.tomshardware.com/software/windows/windows-11-free-or-cheap

 

[LOGAN54321]

Case is included because it seems to make more sense that way. (if you want to sell the whole configuration, if you want to use it, or give it to somebody. Case does no take ATX, but rather smaller motherboards, and it seems like it wasn't designed with good front airflow in mind.)
This motherboard can go in either case. If you go with the new case, then maybe get an ATX motherboard.

IMHO, you're almost in the avenue of building a system from the ground up...

Very much the way i see it.


PCPartPicker Part List
CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 9600X 3.9 GHz 6-Core Processor ($178.00 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Thermalright Phantom Spirit 120 SE 66.17 CFM CPU Cooler ($35.90 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: MSI MAG B650M MORTAR WIFI Micro ATX AM5 Motherboard ($169.99 @ MSI)
Memory: TEAMGROUP T-Create Expert 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR5-6000 CL30 Memory ($91.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Crucial T500 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive ($124.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Asus PRIME OC Radeon RX 9070 XT 16 GB Video Card ($719.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Montech AIR 903 BASE ATX Mid Tower Case ($64.98 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: be quiet! Pure Power 12 M 850 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($129.90 @ Amazon)
Total: $1515.74
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2025-06-24 05:18 EDT-0400

 

[geofelt]

To assess if a cpu or a gpu upgrade would be most effective, run this simple test:
Run YOUR games, but lower your resolution and eye candy.
This makes the graphics card loaf a bit.
If your FPS increases, it indicates that your cpu is strong enough to drive a better graphics configuration.
If your FPS stays the same, you are likely more cpu limited.
If you are limited by cpu you have no effective cpu upgrade without changing the motherboard also.
A lga1700 motherboard with 4 ddr4 ram slots would be about $150.
A I5-13400 processor would be about $150.
It has 4 more processing threads and the single thread performance is doubled over your current I7-6800K.
It comes with an adequate cooler.
Your aio is probably near it's failure point by now.
Of course you could go higher.
If you go higher, look at the single thread performance for gaming.

You can probably reuse your ddr4 ram.


If you need more graphics power.
It gets expensive.
850w may well be enough for a gpu upgrade.
But with some age on the psu, consider replacing it with something stronger with a good 10 year warranty.

See how you do with a cpu upgrade first.
You will have a better idea as to what you need.

 

[logainofhades]

I agree that it is just best to start over with a new rig, given the budget. I went with a 9700x and a 9070. Yes, the 9070xt is faster, but not $100+ faster. Having the extra cores will help prevent stuttering when gaming, when Windows or another program decides it wants to do something in the background.

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 9700X 3.8 GHz 8-Core Processor ($304.64 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Thermalright Royal Pretor 130 BLACK 81.88 CFM CPU Cooler ($49.69 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock B850 Pro RS ATX AM5 Motherboard ($169.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: TEAMGROUP T-Create Expert 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR5-6000 CL30 Memory ($91.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: SK Hynix Platinum P41 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive ($114.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: ASRock Challenger Radeon RX 9070 16 GB Video Card ($599.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Montech AIR 903 BASE ATX Mid Tower Case ($64.98 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Thermaltake Toughpower GF A3 - TT Premium Edition 850 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($109.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $1506.26
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2025-06-24 10:36 EDT-0400

If you can squeeze out a bit more, budget wise, you could do a 7800x3d, which can be beneficial in more CPU heavy titles.
PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D 4.2 GHz 8-Core Processor ($359.50 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Thermalright Royal Pretor 130 BLACK 81.88 CFM CPU Cooler ($49.69 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock B850 Pro RS ATX AM5 Motherboard ($169.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: TEAMGROUP T-Create Expert 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR5-6000 CL30 Memory ($91.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: SK Hynix Platinum P41 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive ($114.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: ASRock Challenger Radeon RX 9070 16 GB Video Card ($599.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Montech AIR 903 BASE ATX Mid Tower Case ($64.98 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Thermaltake Toughpower GF A3 - TT Premium Edition 850 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($109.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $1561.12
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2025-06-24 10:40 EDT-0400

 

[MenaceUK]

I inherited a gaming PC build and am looking to upgrade it. I've added a GPU and another stick of Ram, everything else i already have. I want to run games like Overwatch 2, Marvel Rivals, Valorant, and
Elden Ring Nightreign on max settings. Could you give me some suggestions on how i can upgrade this gaming build?

How does everything look? Do the different components work well together? What would you change?

Budget: $1,500
Country: USA
Games, programs or workloads that it will be used for:
Overwatch 2, Marvel Rivals, Valorant, and Elden Ring Nightreign on max settings.

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/KjqdPJ

Everybody is throwing builds at you but we have no idea what you are trying to achieve.

We know what you want to play, but not what you want to play at.

 

[logainofhades]

Everybody is throwing builds at you but we have no idea what you are trying to achieve.

We know what you want to play, but not what you want to play at.

Because $1500 is a new build. That build is too severely dated to do much with beyond keeping it maybe as a file server.

 

[stonecarver]

I inherited a gaming PC build and am looking to upgrade it. I've added a GPU and another stick of Ram, everything else i already have. I want to run games like Overwatch 2, Marvel Rivals, Valorant, and
Elden Ring Nightreign on max settings

Just for clarity what is the GPU you said you already added?

If you have already bought the RTX 3070 than your already good.

If your still needing to get a GPU STOP and think this out.

For your list of games you posted you want to play on max settings NONE of them even require anything past a RTX 2070 and only one requires a higher CPU but we all know you can still play with a good older stronger CPU and the list of games you posted will be fine.

You said you have a budget of $ 1,500. US.

There is a fine line finding a used $100 GTX 1080ti or a used $ 300. + RTX 3070 .

You got the PC for free, slap in a GTX 1080-ti it will play your list of games done.

Now take the left over budget and consider the system parts our great forum member have posted to get you a better future PC.

 

[helper800]

Everybody is throwing builds at you but we have no idea what you are trying to achieve.

We know what you want to play, but not what you want to play at.

They want to game at 1080p-4k, there are only so many ways to optimize that at their budget.

I inherited a gaming PC build and am looking to upgrade it. I've added a GPU and another stick of Ram, everything else i already have. I want to run games like Overwatch 2, Marvel Rivals, Valorant, and
Elden Ring Nightreign on max settings. Could you give me some suggestions on how i can upgrade this gaming build?

How does everything look? Do the different components work well together? What would you change?

Budget: $1,500
Country: USA
Games, programs or workloads that it will be used for:
Overwatch 2, Marvel Rivals, Valorant, and Elden Ring Nightreign on max settings.

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/KjqdPJ

The following PC with play all of those games as well as your budget allows. A 5070 TI for the best features, and its perf/$ is almost as good as it gets. Everything that is more performative is much more expensive for little gain. 64GB of memory for a long lasting PC. The CPU can be upgraded in the future with a potential 10800X3D. A 2TB NVMe boot drive for the OS and some games. A 9600X has enough performance to get you going in the latest titles and the included cooler will keep even the hottest AM5 chips under control. Keep the case, and PSU.

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 9600X 3.9 GHz 6-Core Processor ($178.00 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Thermalright Phantom Spirit 120 SE ARGB 66.17 CFM CPU Cooler ($37.90 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock B850 Pro-A WiFi ATX AM5 Motherboard ($169.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Patriot Venom 64 GB (2 x 32 GB) DDR5-6000 CL30 Memory ($159.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 850 Evo 500 GB 2.5" Solid State Drive
Storage: SK Hynix Platinum P41 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive ($114.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: MSI SHADOW 3X OC GeForce RTX 5070 Ti 16 GB Video Card ($839.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Phanteks Enthoo EVOLV ATX TG ATX Mid Tower Case (Purchased For $0.00)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA 850 G2 850 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply (Purchased For $0.00)
Total: $1500.86
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2025-06-24 12:17 EDT-0400

 

[helper800]

Just for clarity what is the GPU you said you already added?

If you have already bought the RTX 3070 than your already good.

If your still needing to get a GPU STOP and think this out.

For your list of games you posted you want to play on max settings NON of them even require anything past a RTX 2070 and only one requires a higher CPU but we all know you can still play with a good older stronger CPU and the list of games you posted will be fine.

You said you have a budget of $ 1,500. US.

There is a fine line finding a used $100 GTX 1080ti or a used $ 300. + RTX 3070 .

You got the PC for free, slap in a GTX 1080-ti it will play your list of games done.

Now take the left over budget and consider the system parts our great forum member have posted to get you a better future PC.

A 2070 and a 1080 ti are ancient now. I would never recommend a used 5-8 year old graphics card. They are missing so many new features and either do not have continued graphics driver support or will not soon enough. At least one of those games cannot be maxed out at 1080p or higher with such old cards.

 

[logainofhades]

10 series lost driver game optimization support not that long ago. They are only getting security based updates now.

 

[stonecarver]

My reason was to patch him up for a cheap as possible so he could use the $ 1500. to do a full upgrade.

But yes I agree with both of you guys.

 

[Ainz Ooal Gown]

Thank you for all your feedback! This build i inherited has all the parts listed except the current GPU in there today is an Nvidia Titan X (Pascal) 12 GB but it's faulty and does not perform well right now. I thought i could salvage this but based on the comments it sounds like building fresh is best.

I want to play the games at 1440-4K resolution. The builds you recommended all range around the $1400 - $1500 price point. So i do have room to bump up my budget to $2,000 and willing to do a fresh build. What's do you recommend at this price point?

 

[helper800]

Thank you for all your feedback! This build i inherited has all the parts listed except the current GPU in there today is an Nvidia Titan X (Pascal) 12 GB but it's faulty and does not perform well right now. I thought i could salvage this but based on the comments it sounds like building fresh is best.

I want to play the games at 1440-4K resolution. The builds you recommended all range around the $1400 - $1500 price point. So i do have room to bump up my budget to $2,000 and willing to do a fresh build. What's do you recommend at this price point?

Do you want to include a monitor in that budget?

 

[Ainz Ooal Gown]

Do you want to include a monitor in that budget?

No, not including the monitor. We can just stick to the components.

 

[helper800]

No, not including the monitor. We can just stick to the components.

Here is an aesthetically pleasing all white build:

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D 4.2 GHz 8-Core Processor ($359.97 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Thermalright Peerless Assassin 140 77.8 CFM CPU Cooler ($43.29 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock X870 Pro RS WiFi ATX AM5 Motherboard ($219.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: Patriot Venom 64 GB (2 x 32 GB) DDR5-6000 CL30 Memory ($159.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: SK Hynix Platinum P41 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive ($114.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: ASRock Steel Legend Radeon RX 9070 XT 16 GB Video Card ($712.98 @ Newegg)
Case: Lian Li Lancool 207 ATX Mid Tower Case ($89.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: MSI MAG A850GL PCIE5 850 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($120.90 @ Amazon)
Case Fan: ARCTIC P12 Max 81.04 CFM 120 mm Fan ($14.49 @ Amazon)
Total: $1836.59
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2025-06-24 23:41 EDT-0400

Here is the best performance build:

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D 4.2 GHz 8-Core Processor ($359.97 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Thermalright Phantom Spirit 120 SE ARGB 66.17 CFM CPU Cooler ($37.90 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock Phantom Gaming X870 Riptide WiFi ATX AM5 Motherboard ($259.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Flare X5 64 GB (2 x 32 GB) DDR5-6000 CL30 Memory ($189.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: SK Hynix Platinum P41 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive ($114.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: MSI SHADOW 3X OC GeForce RTX 5070 Ti 16 GB Video Card ($839.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Lian Li Lancool 207 ATX Mid Tower Case ($81.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: NZXT C850 (2024) 850 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($124.99 @ Best Buy)
Case Fan: ARCTIC P12 PWM PST 56.3 CFM 120 mm Fan ($9.98 @ Amazon)
Total: $2019.79
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2025-06-24 23:47 EDT-0400

 

[logainofhades]

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D 4.7 GHz 8-Core Processor ($472.02 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Thermalright Royal Pretor 130 BLACK 81.88 CFM CPU Cooler ($49.69 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Gigabyte B850 GAMING X WIFI6E ATX AM5 Motherboard ($179.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: Patriot Venom 64 GB (2 x 32 GB) DDR5-6000 CL30 Memory ($159.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Silicon Power UD90 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive ($94.97 @ Newegg Sellers)
Video Card: Gigabyte WINDFORCE SFF GeForce RTX 5070 Ti 16 GB Video Card ($849.99 @ B&H)
Case: Montech AIR 903 MAX ATX Mid Tower Case ($89.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Montech CENTURY II 1050 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($109.90 @ Newegg)
Total: $2006.54
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2025-06-25 07:38 EDT-0400