[SOLVED] Should I build a new PC altogether or replace parts in my VERY old one?

May 4, 2020
20
0
10
Hello I am new to this forums so forgive me if I break any of the rules by accident.

Basically, I was wondering if I should get a new PC altogether or replace my old computer with new parts. I currently have a really old computer, it's a Dell XPS 8300 with an i5-2320 and an AMD Radeon HD 6450. It has 8 GB of RAM and a 1 TB Hard Drive. It has a Vostro 460 motherboard (I believe), not sure about Power Supply. So as you might wonder, it's pretty bad at gaming, which is why I want a new Gaming PC. Basically, I want to game on a monitor with 1440p and 144hz on high settings on most games, and want it to run every game. Now I know for sure that I will need to upgrade my graphics card but not sure about the CPU.

Also since I want to game on 1440p and 144hz monitor on high settings on most games, can you recommend me what parts I should get for replacing the old ones.

Btw, I don't want it to cost much. I'm not really experienced with computers but I want it to be like less than $1000 even less than that if possible. Basically I just want it to be budgeted.

So should I get a new Gaming PC or replace some parts in my old one? And which parts should I get? Thanks!

Also another question, is 1440p monitor worth it. I'm pretty sure I do want like more than 60hz because it feels and looks good, but not to sure about 1440p. Like while I even notice the difference and is it really good enough to warrant an extra $200 for spending for a monitor?
 
Solution
There's nothing really salvageable from your old PC at this point. The timeframe in which it made financial sense to upgrade an entry-level Sandy Bridge PC probably ended back in 2014-2015 or thereabouts. I guess the hard drive, though I'd be suspicious of a hard drive that's nearing a decade old.

If you want to game at 1440p/144 Hz, this is about as cheap as you can get away with.

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 3600 3.6 GHz 6-Core Processor ($172.39 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: MSI B450 TOMAHAWK MAX ATX AM4 Motherboard ($114.99 @ Best Buy)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3600 Memory ($76.98 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Blue 250 GB M.2-2280 Solid...

DSzymborski

Titan
Moderator
There's nothing really salvageable from your old PC at this point. The timeframe in which it made financial sense to upgrade an entry-level Sandy Bridge PC probably ended back in 2014-2015 or thereabouts. I guess the hard drive, though I'd be suspicious of a hard drive that's nearing a decade old.

If you want to game at 1440p/144 Hz, this is about as cheap as you can get away with.

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 3600 3.6 GHz 6-Core Processor ($172.39 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: MSI B450 TOMAHAWK MAX ATX AM4 Motherboard ($114.99 @ Best Buy)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3600 Memory ($76.98 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Blue 250 GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive ($53.50 @ Walmart)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1 TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($44.99 @ Adorama)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER 8 GB BLACK GAMING Video Card ($509.99 @ Walmart)
Case: Phanteks Eclipse P400A ATX Mid Tower Case ($74.98 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: SeaSonic FOCUS Plus Gold 550 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($99.99 @ B&H)
Total: $1147.81
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-05-04 01:38 EDT-0400


There are places you can push and get a little closer to $1000, but I can't see a usable 1440p/144 gaming build coming in much below that.
 
Solution
May 4, 2020
20
0
10
There's nothing really salvageable from your old PC at this point. The timeframe in which it made financial sense to upgrade an entry-level Sandy Bridge PC probably ended back in 2014-2015 or thereabouts. I guess the hard drive, though I'd be suspicious of a hard drive that's nearing a decade old.

If you want to game at 1440p/144 Hz, this is about as cheap as you can get away with.

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 3600 3.6 GHz 6-Core Processor ($172.39 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: MSI B450 TOMAHAWK MAX ATX AM4 Motherboard ($114.99 @ Best Buy)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3600 Memory ($76.98 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Blue 250 GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive ($53.50 @ Walmart)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1 TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($44.99 @ Adorama)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER 8 GB BLACK GAMING Video Card ($509.99 @ Walmart)
Case: Phanteks Eclipse P400A ATX Mid Tower Case ($74.98 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: SeaSonic FOCUS Plus Gold 550 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($99.99 @ B&H)
Total: $1147.81
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-05-04 01:38 EDT-0400


There are places you can push and get a little closer to $1000, but I can't see a usable 1440p/144 gaming build coming in much below that.
Alright so can you tell me if 1440p is even noticeable especially in gaming. Would it be worth it to go 1080p and 144hz then we can knock off a big chunk of the price and go lower? Also is the case useful or no.
 
Alright so can you tell me if 1440p is even noticeable especially in gaming. Would it be worth it to go 1080p and 144hz then we can knock off a big chunk of the price and go lower? Also is the case useful or no.
I really like 1440p 144Hz, the improved detail I find not only looks much better on a 27” monitor but also helps in the games I play. I wouldn’t want to go back to 1080p. However if it was a choice of 1080p 144Hz or 1440p 60Hz because of budget I’d have to go 1080p 144Hz. I’d recommend stating what your budget is and then see what display option best fits.
 
May 4, 2020
20
0
10
I really like 1440p 144Hz, the improved detail I find not only looks much better on a 27” monitor but also helps in the games I play. I wouldn’t want to go back to 1080p. However if it was a choice of 1080p 144Hz or 1440p 60Hz because of budget I’d have to go 1080p 144Hz. I’d recommend stating what your budget is and then see what display option best fits.
I would say my budget at most is like $1000 but I don't want it to be that much, I want it to be much lower. Maybe like $700-800? Coming from like a guy who's never experience game at more than like 30 fps I would be really satisfied with even having 1080p with more than 60 fps. So I might go 1080p 144hz if that means I can like knock chunks of money off. Also With 1080p gaming and 144hz I also don't wanna skimp out on performance like I wanna be able to play a lot of Triple A games with at least 60 fps with high or ultra settings, medium as well if needed. But I might wanna upgrade in the forseeable future to a higher resolution so I want a build that can accomadate me only switching out like one part like the GPU then I can upgrade to 1440p 144hz. If something like that isn't possible, ignore my previous statement, I think I'd be find with 1080p gaming. After all 1080p is not so bad and I think myself, I wouldn't even see the difference. Also if I'm going with 1080p gaming is any of my parts still salvagable or no? Thanks. Also like I asked what about the case? Also I don't want like a really high end case i just want one that delivers the performance.