Build Advice Upgrade or build a new one?

[JacksonLPK]

Hi all,

My computer sometimes have some warning like "Motherboard -124.0 centigrade" or "Motherboard +12V 0.000V".
Also, the usage of CPU always between 95% to 100% while playing PUBG at 1080p.

Current System was built in 2012
CPU: I5-3470 @ 3.2
Cooling: Cooler Master MA610P
Mobo: Asus P8B75-V
RAM: Corsair Vengeance Low Profile DDR3 4GB x 2 @1600
GPU: GTX 1060 6GB
PSU: Antec 520W



As the chipset B75 does not support overclocking, upgrading the CPU only will not increase the performance a lot. So, I am wondering is it the time to upgrade my current system or build a new one.

 

[Hazzahead]

The RAM should be upgraded to DDR4 and you could upgrade the CPU to at least 8th gen if you want. Not really much point in building a completely new PC, and PUBG is always very CPU-intensive. What are your CPU temps while playing? 100% usage probably means it's high.

 

[ConanLock]

What percentage is the GPU at when your CPU is at 100%? If the GPU percent is low, you could do with an upgraded CPU... Best one is i7 3770. Although this won't fix your errors, it will certainly get you an FPS boost.

 

[JacksonLPK]

The RAM should be upgraded to DDR4 and you could upgrade the CPU to at least 8th gen if you want. Not really much point in building a completely new PC, and PUBG is always very CPU-intensive. What are your CPU temps while playing? 100% usage probably means it's high.

Actually, it wasn't too hot. It was about 60 degrees at 3.4.

 

[JacksonLPK]

What percentage is the GPU at when your CPU is at 100%? If the GPU percent is low, you could do with an upgraded CPU... Best one is i7 3770. Although this won't fix your errors, it will certainly get you an FPS boost.

The GPU perform between 70% to 95%.

 

[hftvhftv]

I'd suggest upgrading your CPU, motherboard, and RAM. An i5 3570 is getting quite old, and even an upgrade to a i7 3770 is going to cost a bit, especially when you're experiencing motherboard warning messages. The good thing is even without upgrading your graphics card with a new CPU you'll see FPS gains in most games due to the extra power.

 

[jeremyj_83]

For under $700 you can get a very nice machine for years to come. This would keep your GPU that can be upgraded at a later time.
PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD - Ryzen 5 2600X 3.6 GHz 6-Core Processor ($179.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock - B450 Pro4 ATX AM4 Motherboard ($79.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: Crucial - Ballistix Sport LT 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory ($78.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Crucial - P1 1 TB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive ($107.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Seagate - Desktop HDD 4 TB 3.5" 5900RPM Internal Hard Drive ($73.85 @ Amazon)
Case: Fractal Design - Focus G ATX Mid Tower Case ($58.06 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: SeaSonic - FOCUS Gold 550 W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-modular ATX Power Supply ($74.99 @ Amazon)
Case Fan: Enermax - UC-12EB 44 CFM 120 mm Fan ($11.38 @ Amazon)
Total: $665.24
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-05-23 08:58 EDT-0400

 

[DMAN999]

I agree with hftvhftv,
To get any real performance gain you need to Upgrade your MB, CPU and RAM.
If I were you I would consider a AMD Ryzen based build.
I considered an i7-8700 when I built my current rig last November BUT I went with a Ryzen 5 2600 instead because it provides very similar performance and cost me about $400 less to build. (see my signature for my current specs).

 

[ConanLock]

Building on jeremyj's suggestion, remember that you may not need the case, storage, psu or cooler (although cooler most likely you will need unless your current one is compatible, and you probably will want a new PSU as a new build is the perfect time to replace the old and possibly dying one. Also, you can sell the current parts that you won't need anymore. You could potentially be looking at up to $300 less than it says because of this.

 

[jeremyj_83]

Building on jeremyj's suggestion, remember that you may not need the case, storage, psu or cooler (although cooler most likely you will need unless your current one is compatible, and you probably will want a new PSU as a new build is the perfect time to replace the old and possibly dying one. Also, you can sell the current parts that you won't need anymore. You could potentially be looking at up to $300 less than it says because of this.

Going with Ryzen gives you a cooler that works perfectly well if you don't plan on overclocking. I would recommend going with a new PSU no matter what. The PSU in the current build is 7 years old and means it is getting towards the end of its life. Storage is a dime a dozen, but for $110 you can get an entry level NVMe SSD, which is faster than any SATA SSD, is quite a deal.

 

[geofelt]

I think you now have a relatively well balanced pc.
Some games are graphics limited like fast action shooters.
Others are cpu core speed limited like strategy, sims, and mmo.
Multiplayer tends to like many threads.

You need to find out which.
------------------------------------------------------------
To help clarify your CPU/GPU options, run these two tests:

a) Run YOUR games, but lower your resolution and eye candy.
If your FPS increases, it indicates that your cpu is strong enough to drive a better graphics configuration.
If your FPS stays the same, you are likely more cpu limited.

b) Limit your cpu, either by reducing the OC, or, in windows power management, limit the maximum cpu% to something like 70%.
Go to control panel/power options/change plan settings/change advanced power settings/processor power management/maximum processor state/
This will simulate what a lack of cpu power will do.
Conversely what a 30% improvement in core speed might do.

It is possible that both tests are positive, indicating that you have a well balanced system,
and both cpu and gpu need to be upgraded to get better gaming FPS.
-------------------------------------------------------------

If you need a cpu boost, the best you can do with your motherboard will be a i7-7700K.
You get 4 more threads and while you can't OC the K, it will have a higher stock clock than the base i7-7700.
Your i5-3470 has a passmark rating of 6715 and a single thread rating of 1915.
As an estimate of a non overclocked i7-3700K I would guess a rating of 9300 and 2100.
Not really worth it unless your games need more than 4 threads.

Anything else and you are looking at not only a cpu change, but also a motherboard and ddr4 ram.
You will get fair value with intel 9th gen or ryzen processors.

If you need a graphics upgrade, you are likely to need more than a 520w psu to get a significant graphics upgrade to a GTX1080 class card or better.

 

[jeremyj_83]

I think you now have a relatively well balanced pc.
Some games are graphics limited like fast action shooters.
Others are cpu core speed limited like strategy, sims, and mmo.
Multiplayer tends to like many threads.

You need to find out which.
------------------------------------------------------------
To help clarify your CPU/GPU options, run these two tests:

a) Run YOUR games, but lower your resolution and eye candy.
If your FPS increases, it indicates that your cpu is strong enough to drive a better graphics configuration.
If your FPS stays the same, you are likely more cpu limited.

b) Limit your cpu, either by reducing the OC, or, in windows power management, limit the maximum cpu% to something like 70%.
Go to control panel/power options/change plan settings/change advanced power settings/processor power management/maximum processor state/
This will simulate what a lack of cpu power will do.
Conversely what a 30% improvement in core speed might do.

It is possible that both tests are positive, indicating that you have a well balanced system,
and both cpu and gpu need to be upgraded to get better gaming FPS.
-------------------------------------------------------------

If you need a cpu boost, the best you can do with your motherboard will be a i7-7700K.
You get 4 more threads and while you can't OC the K, it will have a higher stock clock than the base i7-7700.
Your i5-3470 has a passmark rating of 6715 and a single thread rating of 1915.
As an estimate of a non overclocked i7-7700K I would guess a rating of 12,000 and 2400.

Anything else and you are looking at not only a cpu change, but also a motherboard and ddr4 ram.
You will get fair value with intel 9th gen or ryzen processors.

If you need a graphics upgrade, you are likely to need more than a 520w psu to get a significant graphics upgrade to a GTX1080 class card or better.

He cannot run an i7-7700/K on his motherboard. The best CPU would be an i7-3700K.

 

[JacksonLPK]

Thank you guys for all your suggestion.
It would be a good time to build a new system after computex 2019.

By the way, What does those motherboard warning means?
Do I need to do something to stop them??

They were like "Motherboard -124.0 centigrade", "Motherboard +12V 0.000V", "Motherboard -1.0 centigrade"

 

[geofelt]

He cannot run an i7-7700/K on his motherboard. The best CPU would be an i7-3700K.

Thanks for the catch. I meant i7-3770K and have edited my post.

 

[ConanLock]

The two temperature ones mean things are looking a little bit chilly in your PC, and the 0v one means you have no power.
Of course, both of these are false alarms. You obviously don't have a -100° pc, and the 12v rail is the most important to a PC, it wouldn't even show this error if it was at 0v. Inspect for visible damage in the motherboard, as that could cause problems. Otherwise, updating BIOS could help. I'd get a second opinion on that though, as it might also make it worse.

 

[JacksonLPK]

The two temperature ones mean things are looking a little bit chilly in your PC, and the 0v one means you have no power.
Of course, both of these are false alarms. You obviously don't have a -100° pc, and the 12v rail is the most important to a PC, it wouldn't even show this error if it was at 0v. Inspect for visible damage in the motherboard, as that could cause problems. Otherwise, updating BIOS could help. I'd get a second opinion on that though, as it might also make it worse.

The bio is the latest version. I remember the warning issue happened after installing more case fans and the new CPU cooler.