[SOLVED] Upgrade or Build a New PC?

princolio

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Jan 6, 2020
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Hello everyone, I'm wondering is it still a viable option to upgrade with my current specs and what could be changed? Or should I build a new system? I am primarily gaming and in FHD, I like my game settings to be on High or Ultra. I'm just looking to improve my overall gaming experience. Thanks

mobo: ASRock z77 Extreme4
CPU: Intel i7 3770k 3.50Ghz
GPU: EVGA GTX 1060 6GB
RAM: Kingston HyperX Beast 24GB DDR3 2400MHz (3x8GB)
Case: Cooler Master HAF 912 (I feel it's important to note, I think it's rather small, or just hard to fit bigger GPU's
 
Solution
I'd suggest this as an upgrade: But not putting any more money into your old system. That would be a waste,

Keep your GPU/HDD's/SSD's, and PSU (if the PSU is decent) and case

Then get something like this to upgrade your base system.

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 3600 3.6 GHz 6-Core Processor ($194.99 @ Walmart)
Motherboard: MSI B450 TOMAHAWK MAX ATX AM4 Motherboard ($114.99 @ B&H)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 Memory ($77.99 @ Corsair)
Storage: Samsung 860 Evo 500 GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($79.98 @ Amazon)
Total: $467.95
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker...
I'd suggest this as an upgrade: But not putting any more money into your old system. That would be a waste,

Keep your GPU/HDD's/SSD's, and PSU (if the PSU is decent) and case

Then get something like this to upgrade your base system.

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 3600 3.6 GHz 6-Core Processor ($194.99 @ Walmart)
Motherboard: MSI B450 TOMAHAWK MAX ATX AM4 Motherboard ($114.99 @ B&H)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 Memory ($77.99 @ Corsair)
Storage: Samsung 860 Evo 500 GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($79.98 @ Amazon)
Total: $467.95
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-01-06 06:01 EST-0500


I've added an SSD for a boot drive, it along with the other parts and the GTX1060 will keep you gaming at 1080p 60-75hz nicely. Then in 6 months or whenever you have the money, get a RTX2060/2070 super, for high res/hz gaming.
 
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Solution

princolio

Reputable
Jan 6, 2020
3
1
4,515
I'd suggest this as an upgrade: But not putting any more money into your old system. That would be a waste,

Keep your GPU/HDD's/SSD's, and PSU (if the PSU is decent) and case

Then get something like this to upgrade your base system.

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 3600 3.6 GHz 6-Core Processor ($194.99 @ Walmart)
Motherboard: MSI B450 TOMAHAWK MAX ATX AM4 Motherboard ($114.99 @ B&H)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 Memory ($77.99 @ Corsair)
Storage: Samsung 860 Evo 500 GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($79.98 @ Amazon)
Total: $467.95
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-01-06 06:01 EST-0500


I've added an SSD for a boot drive, it along with the other parts and the GTX1060 will keep you gaming at 1080p 60-75hz nicely. Then in 6 months or whenever you have the money, get a RTX2060/2070 super, for high res/hz gaming.

Thanks for the suggestions, I will look into buying a new build then, but keep some of the old parts, my wallet is thanking you as well.
 
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Depending on the games, I would have thought a graphics card upgrade would be the easiest way to achieve higher graphical settings.

That is mostly true. But if you have an older system, the CPU can bottleneck the newer powerful GPU to the extent that it can often be an underwhelming boost. It's best to have a balanced PC with a CPU that can fully drive the GPU to it's max performance.

With that said, the I7 3770k is still a relevant gaming CPU, IMO. So, you could get by for a while, and save for a bigger upgrade. With what you have you will still be able to play most games at 1080p/60hz without much hassle.
 
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