Question Please help a dad out - Need advice on upgrading PC for gaming

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swzeng

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Nov 25, 2012
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Hi all, I need some advice on what will be the best way to upgrade. My son recently accomplished some of the goals that were set earlier, and as a result of our promise, I am getting him a new gaming PC. However, my last build was around 2021ish, and it's been a while since I've understood what is going on. Below are both my setup and my son's setup. I am looking to see what makes sense, whether to upgrade parts or buy new. I work from home and don't really need everything maxed out in terms of gaming. However, my son is targeting 244 fps at 1080p, and his monitor supports it.

My current PC for work/gaming:

CPU: 5600X

GPU: RTX 3080 12gb

DDR4 32gb

Playing at ultrawide 1440p (3440x1440)

Games: Division 2, FarCry, Age of Empires DE

My son's PC:

CPU: i5 12400

GPU: RTX 2080

DDR4 16gb

Playing at 1080p with a monitor supporting 244fps,

Games - warzone, fornite

Option 1: Build a new gaming PC with a budget of up to $1,800. Going for the Ryzen 7800X3D with RTX 4070 Ti Super and DDR5 32gb.

Option 2: Upgrade his current PC with an i5-13600K and RTX 4070 Ti Super. He currently has an MSI PRO B660-A D4 ATX motherboard.

Option 3: Upgrade my PC with a 5800X3D and RTX 4070 Ti Super, then give him this upgraded PC. I will then take his PC and keep my RTX 3080 12gb.

Thanks!
 
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swzeng said:
Hi all, I need some advice on what will be the best way to upgrade. My son recently accomplished some of the goals that were set earlier, and as a result of our promise, I am getting him a new gaming PC. However, my last build was around 2021ish, and it's been a while since I've understood what is going on. Below are both my setup and my son's setup. I am looking to see what makes sense, whether to upgrade parts or buy new. I work from home and don't really need everything maxed out in terms of gaming. However, my son is targeting 244 fps at 1080p, and his monitor supports it.

My current PC for work/gaming:

CPU: 5600X

GPU: RTX 3080 12gb

DDR4 32gb

Playing at ultrawide 1440p (3440x1440)

Games: Division 2, FarCry, Age of Empires DE

My son's PC:

CPU: i5 12400

GPU: RTX 2080

DDR4 16gb

Playing at 1080p with a monitor supporting 244fps,

Games - warzone, fornite

Option 1: Build a new gaming PC with a budget of up to $1,800. Going for the Ryzen 7800X3D with RTX 4070 Ti Super and DDR5 32gb.

Option 2: Upgrade his current PC with an i5-13600K and RTX 4070 Ti Super. He currently has an MSI PRO B660-A D4 ATX motherboard.

Option 3: Upgrade my PC with a 5800X3D and RTX 4070 Ti Super, then give him this upgraded PC. I will then take his PC and keep my RTX 3080 12gb.

Thanks!
Click to expand...
5700x3D for the AM4 build. 12 gen i7 for the Intel build are decent upgrades worth considering.

https://pcpartpicker.com/products/cpu/#m=21&s=13&F=98
 
swzeng said:
Hi all, I need some advice on what will be the best way to upgrade. My son recently accomplished some of the goals that were set earlier, and as a result of our promise, I am getting him a new gaming PC. However, my last build was around 2021ish, and it's been a while since I've understood what is going on. Below are both my setup and my son's setup. I am looking to see what makes sense, whether to upgrade parts or buy new. I work from home and don't really need everything maxed out in terms of gaming. However, my son is targeting 244 fps at 1080p, and his monitor supports it.

My current PC for work/gaming:

CPU: 5600X

GPU: RTX 3080 12gb

DDR4 32gb

Playing at ultrawide 1440p (3440x1440)

Games: Division 2, FarCry, Age of Empires DE

My son's PC:

CPU: i5 12400

GPU: RTX 2080

DDR4 16gb

Playing at 1080p with a monitor supporting 244fps,

Games - warzone, fornite

Option 1: Build a new gaming PC with a budget of up to $1,800. Going for the Ryzen 7800X3D with RTX 4070 Ti Super and DDR5 32gb.

Option 2: Upgrade his current PC with an i5-13600K and RTX 4070 Ti Super. He currently has an MSI PRO B660-A D4 ATX motherboard.

Option 3: Upgrade my PC with a 5800X3D and RTX 4070 Ti Super, then give him this upgraded PC. I will then take his PC and keep my RTX 3080 12gb.

Thanks!
Click to expand...
What is your motherboard?


Option 1 is most expensive and probably the best one.

Option 2 saves money on the motherboard unfortunately the MSi PRI is not so great for an unlocked i5. It's ok, maybe better than spending a ton on a new one. Except...

Except with a slight change Option 2 might be very good with a motherboard swap.
The AsRock z690 Extreme is currently very cheap, it's got a very good VRM that can run even an i9 14900KS, or a more sensible 14700K. It has most of the same features as z790 motherboard, and it's a DDR4 board so your son can keep his RAM.
Later upgrades are possible to a stronger CPU or a larger/faster 32Gb RAM kit.

One important note, the AsRock z690 Extreme may not support a 13th or 14th gen CPU out-of-the-box. BIOS probably needs to be flashed. However, this can be done without a host CPU or RAM. Only the PSU needs to be connected to the mobo for power. It can be flashed from a USB stick.

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: Intel Core i5-13600K 3.5 GHz 14-Core Processor ($283.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 5 CPU Cooler ($79.90 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock Z690 Extreme ATX LGA1700 Motherboard ($129.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: TEAMGROUP MP44L 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive ($116.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Gigabyte WINDFORCE OC GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER 16 GB Video Card ($799.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Fractal Design Meshify 2 ATX Mid Tower Case ($120.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: SeaSonic VERTEX GX-850 850 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($139.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $1671.83
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2024-05-28 15:48 EDT-0400

Under budget and more savings possible if you don't buy a new case, don't need a new NVMe or PSU.
Consider also the Vertex Platinum 1000: https://pcpartpicker.com/product/m7...fully-modular-atx-power-supply-vertex-px-1000
It could last through a number of upgrades, so even though it's expensive it's build quality, silence and long warranty do make it a worthy choice.


Choice of case is up to you, esp. if you can reuse one
Use this to filter cases that don't have room for a GPU or a USB-C port, or things like that:
https://pcpartpicker.com/products/case/#D=4&sort=price&page=1&None=260000000,635000000

The 7800X3D would be as good or better. However going with a z690 Extreme is cheaper and has some good upgrade options for a number of years. By the time it's obsolete, new more powerfull toys will be on the market.
For a similar experience, the 7800X3D would cost more, but it would be a good gaming system. In some cases slightly better than a 13600K or 14700K.
 
1080p 244, I would either drop in an 5700x3d into his current rig, with a ram and GPU upgrade, or build a 7800x3d system for him. Do you happen to live near a Microcenter?

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D 4.2 GHz 8-Core Processor ($344.99 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE 66.17 CFM CPU Cooler ($33.90 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Gigabyte B650 GAMING X AX V2 ATX AM5 Motherboard ($175.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill Flare X5 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR5-6000 CL30 Memory ($104.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: TEAMGROUP MP44 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive ($119.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Gigabyte WINDFORCE OC GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER 16 GB Video Card ($799.99 @ Best Buy)
Case: Montech AIR 903 MAX ATX Mid Tower Case ($75.00 @ B&H)
Power Supply: SeaSonic FOCUS GX-750 ATX 3.0 750 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($89.99 @ B&H)
Total: $1744.84
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2024-05-28 16:13 EDT-0400
 
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35below0 said:
What is your motherboard?


Option 1 is most expensive and probably the best one.

Option 2 saves money on the motherboard unfortunately the MSi PRI is not so great for an unlocked i5. It's ok, maybe better than spending a ton on a new one. Except...

Except with a slight change Option 2 might be very good with a motherboard swap.
The AsRock z690 Extreme is currently very cheap, it's got a very good VRM that can run even an i9 14900KS, or a more sensible 14700K. It has most of the same features as z790 motherboard, and it's a DDR4 board so your son can keep his RAM.
Later upgrades are possible to a stronger CPU or a larger/faster 32Gb RAM kit.

One important note, the AsRock z690 Extreme may not support a 13th or 14th gen CPU out-of-the-box. BIOS probably needs to be flashed. However, this can be done without a host CPU or RAM. Only the PSU needs to be connected to the mobo for power. It can be flashed from a USB stick.

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: Intel Core i5-13600K 3.5 GHz 14-Core Processor ($283.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 5 CPU Cooler ($79.90 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock Z690 Extreme ATX LGA1700 Motherboard ($129.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: TEAMGROUP MP44L 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive ($116.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Gigabyte WINDFORCE OC GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER 16 GB Video Card ($799.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Fractal Design Meshify 2 ATX Mid Tower Case ($120.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: SeaSonic VERTEX GX-850 850 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($139.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $1671.83
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2024-05-28 15:48 EDT-0400

Under budget and more savings possible if you don't buy a new case, don't need a new NVMe or PSU.
Consider also the Vertex Platinum 1000: https://pcpartpicker.com/product/m7...fully-modular-atx-power-supply-vertex-px-1000
It could last through a number of upgrades, so even though it's expensive it's build quality, silence and long warranty do make it a worthy choice.


Choice of case is up to you, esp. if you can reuse one
Use this to filter cases that don't have room for a GPU or a USB-C port, or things like that:
https://pcpartpicker.com/products/case/#D=4&sort=price&page=1&None=260000000,635000000

The 7800X3D would be as good or better. However going with a z690 Extreme is cheaper and has some good upgrade options for a number of years. By the time it's obsolete, new more powerfull toys will be on the market.
For a similar experience, the 7800X3D would cost more, but it would be a good gaming system. In some cases slightly better than a 13600K or 14700K.
Click to expand...
I have Asus X570 Tuf Gaming Motherboard which I think is compatible with 5800x3d. Thanks, I will think it through with this. My son's goal is primarily gaming
 
logainofhades said:
1080p 244, I would either drop in an 5700x3d into his current rig, with a ram and GPU upgrade, or build a 7800x3d system for him. Do you happen to live near a Microcenter?

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D 4.2 GHz 8-Core Processor ($344.99 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE 66.17 CFM CPU Cooler ($33.90 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Gigabyte B650 GAMING X AX V2 ATX AM5 Motherboard ($175.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill Flare X5 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR5-6000 CL30 Memory ($104.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: TEAMGROUP MP44 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive ($119.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Gigabyte WINDFORCE OC GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER 16 GB Video Card ($799.99 @ Best Buy)
Case: Montech AIR 903 MAX ATX Mid Tower Case ($75.00 @ B&H)
Power Supply: SeaSonic FOCUS GX-750 ATX 3.0 750 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($89.99 @ B&H)
Total: $1744.84
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2024-05-28 16:13 EDT-0400
Click to expand...
Thanks, yes I live near a microcenter. Question is the 5700x3d vs 5600x, is it that much better? I was looking into 5800x3D
 
Thanks all, obviously going with option 1 with a new build will have better performance, except for the cost. I wasn't sure if DD5 vs DD4 would be worth it. The goal is to last this rig for 3-4 years.
 
swzeng said:
Thanks all, obviously going with option 1 with a new build will have better performance, except for the cost. I wasn't sure if DD5 vs DD4 would be worth it. The goal is to last this rig for 3-4 years.
Click to expand...
DDR4 will last longer than 3-4 years. DDR5 is faster but has higher latency which hurts gaming performance, so DDR4 with lower latency can more than keep up.
In 3-4 years though, the picture will be different.

If going the AMD 7800X3D route, @logainofhades's build is great except i would not want less than an 850w PSU. Both CPUs and GPUs surge in power demand occasionally so it's better to have extra power available. Also, it's not ideal for a PSU to run so close to it's max output.

If going intel, i strongly recommend the AsRock Extreme because it can utilize all current intel CPUs and because it's a flagship chipset motherboard rather than a budget model.
Also, it's just dirt cheap at the moment. 😀

What PSUs do you and your son have currently? And how old are the units? If theyr'e still ok, you don't need a new PSU for the next 3-4 years.
 
35below0 said:
DDR4 will last longer than 3-4 years. DDR5 is faster but has higher latency which hurts gaming performance, so DDR4 with lower latency can more than keep up.
In 3-4 years though, the picture will be different.

If going the AMD 7800X3D route, @logainofhades's build is great except i would not want less than an 850w PSU. Both CPUs and GPUs surge in power demand occasionally so it's better to have extra power available. Also, it's not ideal for a PSU to run so close to it's max output.

If going intel, i strongly recommend the AsRock Extreme because it can utilize all current intel CPUs and because it's a flagship chipset motherboard rather than a budget model.
Also, it's just dirt cheap at the moment. 😀

What PSUs do you and your son have currently? And how old are the units? If theyr'e still ok, you don't need a new PSU for the next 3-4 years.
Click to expand...
Thanks, below is he what has currently. I bought these from microcenter couple years ago.

GPU - RTX 2080 (my previous GPU)
232439SAMSUNG E 500GB 980EVO NVME M.2 SSD

S/N: S64ENJ0RA28680
1​
61.99​
61.99​
348201G.SKILL 16G 2X8 D4 3200 C16 RJ
1​
66.99​
66.99​
362020INTEL INTEL I5-12400 BOX

S/N: M1NT706103291
1​
169.99​
169.99​
372870MSI PRO B660-A D4 ATX

S/N: 601-7D59-010B2201005237
1​
129.99​
129.99​
118455EVGA BQ 750W 80+B SM ATX

S/N: 2103560705845832
1​
84.99​
84.99​
366393MONTECH AIR 1000 MESH TG ATX MT B
1​
89.99​
89.99​

ID-COOLING SE-214-XT 68.2 CFM CPU Cooler - got this from amazon
 
Last edited:
https://www.microcenter.com/product...-8-core-boxed-processor-heatsink-not-included

My microcenter is sold out of the 5700x3d. But it would be a nice step for strictly games. Maybe give him your box with an x3d cpu and the 3080ti. That should be great for 1080p. For 1440p as well I might add.

This video should give some perspective. Even though it’s a review of the 5700x3d, the charts have a lot of modern CPUs on them. So you should be able to get a decent idea where they fall.

View: https://youtu.be/MU-jUtrfANA?feature=shared
 
Last edited:
ohio_buckeye said:
https://www.microcenter.com/product...-8-core-boxed-processor-heatsink-not-included

My microcenter is sold out of the 5700x3d. But it would be a nice step for strictly games. Maybe give him your box with an x3d cpu and the 3080ti. That should be great for 1080p. For 1440p as well I might add.

This video should give some perspective. Even though it’s a review of the 5700x3d, the charts have a lot of modern CPUs on them. So you should be able to get a decent idea where they fall.

View: https://youtu.be/MU-jUtrfANA?feature=shared
Click to expand...
Thanks, yea same, just checked my Microcenter as well, 5700x3d sold out. I might just bite the bullet go for 5800x3d
 
The temps with the 5800x3d are not really the problem, if not the greatest cooler it will just stay/stop at ~90C from that point it will just limit boost. The Thermalright cooler talked above isn't alot of money and should do fine.
 
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