[SOLVED] PC hardware upgrade help using old tower

[radstratradar]

Hi all! I'm hoping for some help and advice. I have a custom build gaming PC, built way back in the ancient times of 2012. Here are it's specs:
OS: Windows 10 Pro 64-bit
MOBO: Gigabyte X79-UD5, Intel X79 chipset quad channel DDR3 ATX
CPU: Intel Core i7 3820 @ 3.60GHz quad-core LGA2011
RAM: Corsair Vengeance 16.0 GB (4GB x4) @666MHz
GPU: EVGA GeForce GTX 960
PSU: Thermaltake Toughpower Grand 1050W
Cooling: XSPC water cooling kit (not sure what the kit name was). It has a 240mm radiator w/dual fans, open loop soft tubing connected to the CPU only.
HDD 1: Samsung EVO 500 GB SSD
HDD 2: Seagate Barracuda 7200 1TB (x2 connected RAID 0)
Case: Thermaltake Level 10 GT Full Tower (snow white edition)

I've done my best to take care of it and it still runs. Spent a bunch back then to get something I knew would last. Since then, the only components I've replaced were the main hard drive which started to crap out (it was an Intel 250 GB SSD), and the graphics card which suffered a red screen of death (original was an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670 ). Also updated the OS from Win 7 to Win 10. And while it still runs and can handle most modern-ish games with High settings, it's getting old. I'm starting to window shop for parts, but my greatest confusion lies with compatibility.

My first concern is the case itself. I'd love to keep my case and I'm hoping it'll work with new parts. It's big and very easy to open and take apart. My current 10.5" by 12" motherboard fits with ROOM to spare. It also has a ton of fans and some neat RGB lighting effects. Link to it: https://nordic.thermaltake.com/products-model.aspx?id=C_00001788
I'm sure folks here might tell me to chuck it and start over, but other than my own personal nostalgia and attachment, I'd like to save the money on that upgrade if I can.

As far as components go, my primary concerns are the motherboard and CPU. I'd love to step up my processor to an Intel Core i9 and a good gaming motherboard that's compatible with that 10th gen chip. Any suggestions? I have my eye on the MSI MPG Z490 Gaming Carbon WIFI MOBO.
My secondary wishlist of upgrades would be the RAM and graphics card. I'm looking for parts better than what I have but don't have to be most expensive/top of the line. Help with how to determine what will work with what would be really appreciated.

Lastly, what do you all think I can/should continue to use from the setup I have? Should I keep using the 16 GB of RAM I currently have, and will it work with a new MOBO? My PSU is still working fine, but is the wattage enough? Is it old enough that it's better off replacing? And who here is using an AIO water cooling kit they really like? I'm sure I'll have to replace that as well.

Thank you for reading, and I appreciate any suggestions!

 

[Vic 40]

What monitor?

Think you should just first upgrade gpu and see what that brings.

The cpu could still be overclocked if you're up for that. Just look online for some tutorials,maybe one will even be for your specific cpu.

 

[maxamillionfeettall]

First off, your case, perfectly fine. Modern parts still use the atx standard, so no worries.

Your current setup can still handle well with something like a gtx 1660 super or similar, about double the fps over the gtx960.

If you really want more, any z490 board that isn't the asrock phantom or pro-4 or gigabyte ud models will likely be alright, just check if there are enough ports for what you want. You'll need new ram, modern parts use ddr4, you'll be looking for a 2x8gb or 2x16gb ddr4 3200Mhz or better.

Your psu wattage is totally overkill but that's fine. The age is an issue though. It's a quality unit but as psu's age the components wear out and things like ripple suppression, load regulation and other measurements may become loose. The unit had a 7 year warranty, which it is out of, so, If you continue to use the system with a mid range gpu, you're probably alright. But if you go for a new system, especially with a power hog like the i9 10900, you should look for a new 650w+ unit.

A lga 2066 water block will not work on lga 1200 i believe, will likely need a new block or a new cooler.