[SOLVED] PC Upgrade

Mar 22, 2020
19
0
10
Current build:
https://pcpartpicker.com/list/PnqB3t

I mainly use my set up for 1080p gaming and for the most part it gets the job done well. I am considering some upgrades/jump to 1440p gaming. I occasionally stream but 90% of the time my computer is being used for only gaming, YouTube, email, etc. Any ideas on quick upgrades to improve performance, or general thoughts on making the investment to 1440p? I’ve heard ryzen cpu perform much better with higher RAM - would it be worth the ~$70 to get DDR4 3200?

thanks in advance!
 
Solution
Thanks for your reply! Can you elaborate on why the current PSU is unsafe? After a second look, this is the correct part, that I have currently:

https://pcpartpicker.com/product/r2...nze-certified-atx-power-supply-100-br-0600-k1

Also, I understand that with faster RAM the CPU works better, but will that make a tangible difference with gaming and what I use my PC for?
That's still not a good PSU. You can refer to the PSU Tier list here: PSU Tier List 4.0 - Cases and Power Supplies - Linus Tech Tips . Your PSU is listed in the Tier meant for low-end systems with a dedicated graphics card. Yours is not a low-end system, it's mid-range. And with an upgraded GPU, you might even call it high-end, an...
Mar 22, 2020
19
0
10
Current build:
https://pcpartpicker.com/list/PnqB3t

I mainly use my set up for 1080p gaming and for the most part it gets the job done well. I am considering some upgrades/jump to 1440p gaming. I occasionally stream but 90% of the time my computer is being used for only gaming, YouTube, email, etc. Any ideas on quick upgrades to improve performance, or general thoughts on making the investment to 1440p? I’ve heard ryzen cpu perform much better with higher RAM - would it be worth the ~$70 to get DDR4 3200?

thanks in advance!

oh and I’ve got my cpu OC to 3.7GHz and GPU OC a bit as well
 
Do you have a budget for this upgrade? You should definitely get a RAM upgrade, and that PSU is also unsafe for your PC. For 1440p gaming, you'll need a big GPU upgrade, something like a 2070 or 2070 SUPER. If you have the budget to buy such a GPU as well as a monitor, then sure, the rest of your PC can handle it(except the current PSU). If you are going to upgrade the GPU to a 2070, I recommend getting at least a Corsair TX650M, it's cheaper Gold-certified PSU that will be much better than your current PSU. If you want a high quality one then Corsair RMx, Seasonic Focus Plus Gold, and EVGA G3 are all good options. If you aren't planning on upgrading the GPU, a Corsair CX450 or CX550 will be the minimum I'd recommend.
 
Mar 22, 2020
19
0
10
Do you have a budget for this upgrade? You should definitely get a RAM upgrade, and that PSU is also unsafe for your PC. For 1440p gaming, you'll need a big GPU upgrade, something like a 2070 or 2070 SUPER. If you have the budget to buy such a GPU as well as a monitor, then sure, the rest of your PC can handle it(except the current PSU). If you are going to upgrade the GPU to a 2070, I recommend getting at least a Corsair TX650M, it's cheaper Gold-certified PSU that will be much better than your current PSU. If you want a high quality one then Corsair RMx, Seasonic Focus Plus Gold, and EVGA G3 are all good options. If you aren't planning on upgrading the GPU, a Corsair CX450 or CX550 will be the minimum I'd recommend.

Thanks for your reply! Can you elaborate on why the current PSU is unsafe? After a second look, this is the correct part, that I have currently:

https://pcpartpicker.com/product/r2...nze-certified-atx-power-supply-100-br-0600-k1

Also, I understand that with faster RAM the CPU works better, but will that make a tangible difference with gaming and what I use my PC for?
 
Thanks for your reply! Can you elaborate on why the current PSU is unsafe? After a second look, this is the correct part, that I have currently:

https://pcpartpicker.com/product/r2...nze-certified-atx-power-supply-100-br-0600-k1

Also, I understand that with faster RAM the CPU works better, but will that make a tangible difference with gaming and what I use my PC for?
That's still not a good PSU. You can refer to the PSU Tier list here: PSU Tier List 4.0 - Cases and Power Supplies - Linus Tech Tips . Your PSU is listed in the Tier meant for low-end systems with a dedicated graphics card. Yours is not a low-end system, it's mid-range. And with an upgraded GPU, you might even call it high-end, an RTX 2070 is on the boundary of mid-range and high-end. Lower quality PSUs can damage your other components over time and even can die under heavy load and take other expensive parts with them, so it's important to have a high quality PSU for a safe and stable system. The EVGA BR is not known for its quality and is really meant for PC's with GT 1030's or RX 550's, maybe a GTX 1050 at best.

Faster RAM will most likely not increase your FPS in games since it's the GPU that's likely the limiting factor, but you will feel a speed difference in CPU-intensive tasks and maybe even in general usage of the system. Again though, the FPS difference in games will not be noticeable.
 
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Solution
Mar 22, 2020
19
0
10
That's still not a good PSU. You can refer to the PSU Tier list here: PSU Tier List 4.0 - Cases and Power Supplies - Linus Tech Tips . Your PSU is listed in the Tier meant for low-end systems with a dedicated graphics card. Yours is not a low-end system, it's mid-range. And with an upgraded GPU, you might even call it high-end, an RTX 2070 is on the boundary of mid-range and high-end. Lower quality PSUs can damage your other components over time and even can die under heavy load and take other expensive parts with them, so it's important to have a high quality PSU for a safe and stable system. The EVGA BR is not known for its quality and is really meant for PC's with GT 1030's or RX 550's, maybe a GTX 1050 at best.

Faster RAM will most likely not increase your FPS in games since it's the GPU that's likely the limiting factor, but you will feel a speed difference in CPU-intensive tasks and maybe even in general usage of the system. Again though, the FPS difference in games will not be noticeable.

thanks for the notes! Considering these new parts (RAM, GPU, and PSU) for my next upgrades:

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/P2gQb8
 
thanks for the notes! Considering these new parts (RAM, GPU, and PSU) for my next upgrades:

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/P2gQb8
Seems like a good upgrade for 1440p gaming, do you have a reason for adding an aftermarket cooler? I don't think it'll help you clock the CPU any higher, but it might reduce the noise a bit if you are disturbed by the noise of the stock cooler. Otherwise, there's no real need for it.
 
Mar 22, 2020
19
0
10
Seems like a good upgrade for 1440p gaming, do you have a reason for adding an aftermarket cooler? I don't think it'll help you clock the CPU any higher, but it might reduce the noise a bit if you are disturbed by the noise of the stock cooler. Otherwise, there's no real need for it.

yeah the thinking was to improve cooling and squeeze my cpu OC for all its worth. Don’t know if the r5 1600 @ 3.7GHz will bottleneck that 1440p set up
 
yeah the thinking was to improve cooling and squeeze my cpu OC for all its worth. Don’t know if the r5 1600 @ 3.7GHz will bottleneck that 1440p set up
You might hit 3.8-3.9 GHz with that cooler, but most people are unable to get 4.0 GHz no matter the cooling on the 1600. That does not translate to much of a performance difference in real world, maybe 2-3% at best. If that's worth it to you, sure, but most people stick to the stock cooler unless you feel it is too loud - the OC potential with aftermarket cooler is not worth the money to most people.

The CPU will not be a problem for 1440p gaming with an RTX 2070 super, unless you are going for a 1440p 144 Hz experience. In that case yes, the CPU will be a bottleneck in games that can hit 144 FPS with that GPU. Most demanding AAA titles will get 90-120 FPS with the 2070 super, but there are many less demanding titles which do get 144 FPS when the GPU is allowed to run at full capacity. But the 1600 might limit the GPU beyond 120 FPS, so I would suggest sticking to 60-120 Hz monitors with that CPU. For a 144 Hz experience, you'll have to upgrade the CPU to Ryzen 3rd gen as well.