[SOLVED] Upgrade advice

[Harris j]

I was given the pc is there any chance to upgrade it to play any new games at 60fps?

Ok my specs are
Cpu AMD Phenom ll4 955 3.20GHz
Motherboard ASUS m4a89gtd
Ram 16gb
Hdd 1 tb I think
Gpu AMD Radeon HD 7800 series
Os Windows 10 pro
Psu atx modular 5520n2-36

I was thinking of upgrading to a
Amd FX 8150
Radeon Rx 580 8 gb
Is this possible or not.

 

[Shektron]

I don't think that upgrade is worth it. I highly suggest saving up and do a full system upgrade rather than "upgrade" to an old, obsolete platform that wouldn't be able to play today's games that well. The FX platform is really not something to upgrade to in 2020. Save up for a CPU+Motherboard+RAM upgrade to Ryzen, it would be better for playing modern games and much faster. No point getting an FX chip today, not for gaming.

Can you tell us how much you can spend on the upgrade right now?

 

[Harris j]

I’m usually a console guy but really getting into the ins and outs of a pc. With the ps5 coming out just wondering if I can upgrade what I have for cheaper, and get same performance. Would be willing to spend maybe 400usd.

 

[Shektron]

If you can spend a little bit more, I'd suggest getting this setup:

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 1600 (12nm) 3.2 GHz 6-Core Processor ($104.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Gigabyte B450M DS3H Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard ($72.99 @ Best Buy)
Memory: G.Skill Aegis 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3000 CL16 Memory ($59.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Zotac GeForce GTX 1650 SUPER 4 GB Twin Fan Video Card ($159.99 @ B&H)
Power Supply: Corsair CX (2017) 450 W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($109.98 @ Amazon)
Total: $507.94
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-06-11 00:31 EDT-0400

The PSU is way too overpriced in this due to the pandemic, it's usually around the $50 mark if I remember correctly, so this would come to about a $450 upgrade, but it's a lot faster than any FX processor and will play games at 1080p medium-high settings.

 

[Harris j]

Can I try and find cheaper used parts on eBay? Or would you not trust that.

 

[Shektron]

Can I try and find cheaper used parts on eBay? Or would you not trust that.

Most of the parts I listed are fairly new and they might not be available second hand. The 1600AF is a newly launched refresh of the Ryzen 5 2600, so what you could do is maybe try to find an R5 2600 that's cheaper than the 1600AF, but I'm not sure if you can find one so cheap. But everything else I don't think can be found second hand, they're still current gen mostly. It's worth a shot, I guess, but no guarantee of better results than buying new.

 

[Harris j]

Thanks for all your help!

 

[puw2]

Can I try and find cheaper used parts on eBay? Or would you not trust that.

Yes you can search used parts from ebay to get the components at a cheaper price

One thing you shouldnt buy used is the PSU but other than that go for it.

 

[Harris j]

Can the rx 570 run the same as the gtx 1650 with this equipment power source.

 

[Shektron]

Can the rx 570 run the same as the gtx 1650 with this equipment power source.

https://gpu.userbenchmark.com/Compare/Nvidia-GTX-1650-vs-AMD-RX-570/4039vs3924

Seems the RX 570 is faster than the GTX 1650 in most games, except those that favor Nvidia hardware. What do you mean by equipment power source?

 

[Harris j]

Can I use the 500 watt psu I have save 100.

 

[Shektron]

Can I use the 500 watt psu I have save 100.

No, that's some no-name off-brand trash. If you want your other parts to survive under load and not get damaged gradually(or worse, die altogether), then you need to get a good PSU. Like I said, the CX450 I recommended is way too overpriced at the moment due to the pandemic, and is usually priced in the $45-50 bracket I think. So if you can wait for normal prices to return, you won't have to spend $100 on a unit worth $45.

 

[Harris j]

Thanks

 

[GorillaMonsoon]

I wouldn't recomend that PSU. I have a CX550 and after experiencing some reset type issues and reading a lot about PSUs lately I'm pretty sure that is whats causing it. The sticky in the PSU section here has some really helpful info https://forums.tomshardware.com/thr...t-to-avoid-and-psu-discussion-thread.3212332/

Just today I ordered an Antec Earthwatts Gold Pro 650W for $100 CAD ($73 USD) on Amazon... It should be a way more solid choice.

I also have an RX 570 4Gb and it plays everything on high or ultra no problem with at least 60 FPS and usually more like 80-90.
I can't find the link anymore but I just saw somewhere selling a bunch of Ryzen 5 chips for really cheap, I just remember the price of the 2600 cause it's what I have for $169 CAD, Also a R3 1200 for $75 CAD.

Getting a generation or two old gear will still handle pretty much all games very well. The problem seems to be finding it at a good price as the best Ryzen deals are on their current 3000 lineup and GPUs seem to depreciate very slowly but if you keep searching with patience will will fine some great flash sales.

 

[Shektron]

I wouldn't recomend that PSU. I have a CX550 and after experiencing some reset type issues and reading a lot about PSUs lately I'm pretty sure that is whats causing it. The sticky in the PSU section here has some really helpful info https://forums.tomshardware.com/thr...t-to-avoid-and-psu-discussion-thread.3212332/

Just today I ordered an Antec Earthwatts Gold Pro 650W for $100 CAD ($73 USD) on Amazon... It should be a way more solid choice.

I also have an RX 570 4Gb and it plays everything on high or ultra no problem with at least 60 FPS and usually more like 80-90.
I can't find the link anymore but I just saw somewhere selling a bunch of Ryzen 5 chips for really cheap, I just remember the price of the 2600 cause it's what I have for $169 CAD, Also a R3 1200 for $75 CAD.

Getting a generation or two old gear will still handle pretty much all games very well. The problem seems to be finding it at a good price as the best Ryzen deals are on their current 3000 lineup and GPUs seem to depreciate very slowly but if you keep searching with patience will will fine some great flash sales.

I have the CX550 as well, and it works excellent. Even the link you mention says that the CX 2017 models are okay in quality, not fantastic but for the price and for not-so-demanding systems, they are fine. Just because one unit in thousands(or more) fails, does not make it a bad platform - even the most expensive and high quality units can sometimes just turn out to be defective - it's just how electronics are. But, like I said, that does not mean they are not good units - for a low-end or mid-range system on a budget, they are fine.

 

[GorillaMonsoon]

I have the CX550 as well, and it works excellent. Even the link you mention says that the CX 2017 models are okay in quality, not fantastic but for the price and for not-so-demanding systems, they are fine. Just because one unit in thousands(or more) fails, does not make it a bad platform - even the most expensive and high quality units can sometimes just turn out to be defective - it's just how electronics are. But, like I said, that does not mean they are not good units - for a low-end or mid-range system on a budget, they are fine.

If your buying new you could certainly do better. I wouldn't go so far to say there fine for a mid range system, perhaps for an APU build. They didn't make the cut of recomemded Corsair platforms for a reason.

 

[Shektron]

If your buying new you could certainly do better. I wouldn't go so far to say there fine for a mid range system, perhaps for an APU build. They didn't make the cut of recomemded Corsair platforms for a reason.

I'm sure you'll have a 'counter' ready for this as well but here's a PSU tier list that most people agree with and certainly don't hesitate to follow when making recommendations : https://linustechtips.com/main/topic/1116640-psucultists-psu-tier-list/

You might see the CX gray units in the Tier B+ - recommended for midrange systems. And I'd trust this PSU tier list more than one person's bad experience with an electronic.

 

[GorillaMonsoon]

I'm sure you'll have a 'counter' ready for this as well but here's a PSU tier list that most people agree with and certainly don't hesitate to follow when making recommendations : https://linustechtips.com/main/topic/1116640-psucultists-psu-tier-list/

You might see the CX gray units in the Tier B+ - recommended for midrange systems. And I'd trust this PSU tier list more than one person's bad experience with an electronic.

No that's fair enough...Unless your that one person with a bad experience.
Thanks for that list BTW

 

[Shektron]

No that's fair enough...Unless your that one person with a bad experience.
Thanks for that list BTW

Honestly, if a single defective component is enough for you to become wary of it, pretty much every electronic would be called bad quality. I've even seen people get defective replacements, but they still know it's just bad luck that it happened, and that does not make the company or that product bad. Not unless a major part of the products are defective/bad quality. Electronics just happen to be defective sometimes, it cannot be avoided by even the best companies and the best quality testing.

 

[GorillaMonsoon]

Yours is on the side of good enough, mine is more on the not so great side, it's not that big of a deal. The TH review pretty much nailed it.
Were all on here to share our personal experiences otherwise reading the company's description of a product on their website would be good enough info. I don't think Corsair is bad because of it or think everything they make is crap, but I certainty won't be buying the same model of PSU again.