Build Advice Potential PC Upgrades?

[SQAHS]

Hi all. I'm a first-time poster, new to Tom's Hardware. I'm seeking advice on potential upgrades for my 9-year-old PC ~£500. My intention is to upgrade the CPU, Motherboard, and RAM. My current PC components are:

• CPU: Intel i7-4790 @ 3.60 GHz
• GPU: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 Ti
• RAM: Timetec DDR3 16GB(8GBx2)
• Motherboard: GIGABYTE GA-H81M-S2H mATX
• Storage: Samsung SSD 870 EVO 1TB (Boot Drive) | Crucial MX500 500GB SSD | Seagate ST1000DM003 1TB
• PSU: Corsair CX600
• OS: Windows 10 Home
• Monitor: BenQ GL2250

Approximate Purchase Date: Summer 2024

Budget Range: ~ £500

System Usage from Most to Least Important: Gaming, Multitasking work (Programming), Surfing the internet, Music production (hobby)

Are you buying a monitor: No (open to suggestions)

Parts to Upgrade: CPU, Motherboard, RAM

Parts Preferences: Anything

Your Monitor Resolution: 1080p (1920x1080) 60hz (DVI connection)

Why Are You Upgrading:

1. As far as I understand, my CPU is bottle-necking my GPU when playing games. So I want to upgrade my processor to a faster, newer CPU. I also think I will benefit when doing multitasking work, etc.
2. Alongside upgrading the CPU, i'll need to upgrade my motherboard to a modern one too. Which will mean I will also need upgrade RAM to suit new motherboard.
3. I want to be able to play games with a better framerate. Also use PC for programming (work), music production (as a hobby), create small projects in blender (as a hobby).

Additional Comments: Would it be better to keep upgrading my PC or save up and build a PC from scratch for ~£500? I have had this PC for around 9 years, bought pre-built, over time I have made small upgrades such as GPU, RAM, and making SSD boot drive. I intend to save up to upgrade the CPU, Motherboard, and RAM during the summer of 2024. I am open to all advice and any suggestions. I'm a novice when it comes to building PCs, I apologise in advance if I have wrongly stated anything.

Thank you,
SQAHS.

 

[punkncat]

Considering the overall age of this build, it may not be a bad idea to consider a whole new base system including a new power supply.

The 1050ti will for sure be what is holding performance back even with a meager modern update to your CPU/mobo/RAM. In other words, a new i3 will kick the stuffing out of that 4th gen i7. Those were great CPU for their time and had insane lasting power. Still good for an e sports build or so forth.

 

[geofelt]

It is premature to be making any decisions now, with the build time so far away. Products and prices will change.
There is no meaningful cpu upgrade available to you without also changing out the motherboard and ram.

 

[Lucky_SLS]

You can find used CPUs for cheap like this:

CPU - Ryzen 5600G - £95 - https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/18631103...1NB--Zrh|tkp:Bk9SR8DcqdfAYw&LH_RPA=1&LH_BIN=1

PCPartPicker Part List

Motherboard: Asus Prime B450M-A II Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard (£68.50 @ Amazon UK)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3600 CL18 Memory (£39.95 @ Amazon UK)
Power Supply: Corsair RM650 (2023) 650 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply (£74.98 @ Amazon UK)
Total: £183.43
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2024-03-03 18:10 GMT+0000

save up a bit more and look for used RX 6600XT, 6650XT or RTX 3060

 

[SQAHS]

Hey all, apologies for the late reply. Thank you all for taking the time to reply. After considering my options, it would be wise to build a new PC from scratch. My current PC has served it's purpose with me, and hopefully once I pass it on to someone else, it will serve a new purpose with them. Thank you all again for replying, and hopefully we'll meet again in the future where i'll inevitably have more questions when building the PC.

 

[Why_Me]

Hi all. I'm a first-time poster, new to Tom's Hardware. I'm seeking advice on potential upgrades for my 9-year-old PC ~£500. My intention is to upgrade the CPU, Motherboard, and RAM. My current PC components are:

• CPU: Intel i7-4790 @ 3.60 GHz
• GPU: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 Ti
• RAM: Timetec DDR3 16GB(8GBx2)
• Motherboard: GIGABYTE GA-H81M-S2H mATX
• Storage: Samsung SSD 870 EVO 1TB (Boot Drive) | Crucial MX500 500GB SSD | Seagate ST1000DM003 1TB
• PSU: Corsair CX600
• OS: Windows 10 Home
• Monitor: BenQ GL2250

Approximate Purchase Date: Summer 2024

Budget Range: ~ £500

System Usage from Most to Least Important: Gaming, Multitasking work (Programming), Surfing the internet, Music production (hobby)

Are you buying a monitor: No (open to suggestions)

Parts to Upgrade: CPU, Motherboard, RAM

Parts Preferences: Anything

Your Monitor Resolution: 1080p (1920x1080) 60hz (DVI connection)

Why Are You Upgrading:

1. As far as I understand, my CPU is bottle-necking my GPU when playing games. So I want to upgrade my processor to a faster, newer CPU. I also think I will benefit when doing multitasking work, etc.
2. Alongside upgrading the CPU, i'll need to upgrade my motherboard to a modern one too. Which will mean I will also need upgrade RAM to suit new motherboard.
3. I want to be able to play games with a better framerate. Also use PC for programming (work), music production (as a hobby), create small projects in blender (as a hobby).

Additional Comments: Would it be better to keep upgrading my PC or save up and build a PC from scratch for ~£500? I have had this PC for around 9 years, bought pre-built, over time I have made small upgrades such as GPU, RAM, and making SSD boot drive. I intend to save up to upgrade the CPU, Motherboard, and RAM during the summer of 2024. I am open to all advice and any suggestions. I'm a novice when it comes to building PCs, I apologise in advance if I have wrongly stated anything.

Thank you,
SQAHS.

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: *Intel Core i5-12400F 2.5 GHz 6-Core Processor (£118.97 @ Amazon UK)
CPU Cooler: *Deepcool AG400 75.89 CFM CPU Cooler (£22.99 @ AWD-IT)
Motherboard: *MSI PRO B760-P DDR4 II ATX LGA1700 Motherboard (£125.00 @ Ebuyer)
Memory: *Corsair Vengeance LPX 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3200 CL16 Memory (£64.98 @ Amazon UK)
Total: £331.94
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
*Lowest price parts chosen from parametric criteria
Generated by PCPartPicker 2024-03-06 21:49 GMT+0000