[SOLVED] Upgrading Friends 8yr Old Gaming PC

laserpp

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His current computer is about 8 years old - wants an upgrade.

Approximate Purchase Date: ASAP

Budget Range: 1000-1200 (willing to have some wiggle room if the parts make the system a lot better)

System Usage from Most to Least Important: Dual Monitor Setup and any game (Apex Legends, SC2, COD, etc)

Are you buying a monitor: No

Do you need to buy OS: No
Please note that if you're using an OEM license of Windows, you will need a new one when buying a new motherboard.

Preferred Website(s) for Parts:
Cheapest Site

Location: Suffolk County, NY

Parts Preferences: Intel & MSI/EVGA

Overclocking: No

SLI or Crossfire: No


Quick put together I did below: (need to add a case, he doesn't want to re-use his own.

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: Intel Core i7-9700K 3.6 GHz 8-Core Processor ($369.99 @ Best Buy)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($34.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: MSI Z390-A PRO ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($127.33 @ Walmart)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 Memory ($83.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Crucial P1 1 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive ($109.99 @ B&H)
Video Card: MSI GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER 8 GB GAMING X Video Card ($409.50 @ B&H)
Power Supply: Corsair RM (2019) 750 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($119.99 @ Best Buy)
Total: $1255.78
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-04-08 14:54 EDT-0400
 
Solution
If they're ok with 1080/60, then a 2070Super is about as far as I'd go.... although a 2060Super should be plenty.

Should be comfortably <$1,000 (sans case) if you go the 2060 Super route.
Example:
PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 3600 3.6 GHz 6-Core Processor ($174.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: MSI B450 TOMAHAWK MAX ATX AM4 Motherboard ($114.99 @ B&H)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3600 Memory ($84.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Intel 660p Series 1.02 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive ($114.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: MSI GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER 8 GB VENTUS GP OC Video Card ($397.99 @ Newegg)
Case: NZXT H510 ATX Mid Tower...

Barty1884

Retired Moderator
$1,000 - $1,200, predominantly gaming and no interest in overclocking, your best bet is going to be Ryzen, and a stronger GPU.

What resolution/refresh rate are his monitors currently? Assuming 1080p/60Hz?

This has a ~$70 placeholder case.

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 3600 3.6 GHz 6-Core Processor ($174.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: MSI B450 TOMAHAWK MAX ATX AM4 Motherboard ($114.99 @ B&H)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3600 Memory ($84.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Intel 660p Series 1.02 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive ($114.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER 8 GB WINDFORCE OC 3X Video Card ($489.99 @ Newegg)
Case: NZXT H510 ATX Mid Tower Case ($69.99 @ Best Buy)
Power Supply: SeaSonic FOCUS 650 W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-modular ATX Power Supply ($99.99 @ B&H)
Total: $1149.93
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-04-08 15:10 EDT-0400


If they're giving consideration to ~$1,260 sans case.... a 2080Super works too:

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 3600 3.6 GHz 6-Core Processor ($174.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: MSI B450 TOMAHAWK MAX ATX AM4 Motherboard ($114.99 @ B&H)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3600 Memory ($84.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Intel 660p Series 1.02 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive ($114.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Zotac GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER 8 GB GAMING Video Card ($689.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: SeaSonic FOCUS 650 W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-modular ATX Power Supply ($99.99 @ B&H)
Total: $1279.94
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-04-08 15:12 EDT-0400


If they're running 1080/60, it's complete overkill. But for gaming, they're going to be better off with the 2070Super and (potentially) selling their current monitors & replacing.

A 1440p/144Hz panel can be had for as low as ~$270:
https://pcpartpicker.com/product/HbCD4D/viotek-gn27d-270-2560x1440-144hz-monitor-gn27d

Or a single panel, 1440p ultrawide, 100Hz & 34" for ~$370:
https://pcpartpicker.com/product/gVJtt6/viotek-gn34cw-340-3440x1440-100-hz-monitor-gn34cw
 
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Barty1884

Retired Moderator
If they're ok with 1080/60, then a 2070Super is about as far as I'd go.... although a 2060Super should be plenty.

Should be comfortably <$1,000 (sans case) if you go the 2060 Super route.
Example:
PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 3600 3.6 GHz 6-Core Processor ($174.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: MSI B450 TOMAHAWK MAX ATX AM4 Motherboard ($114.99 @ B&H)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3600 Memory ($84.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Intel 660p Series 1.02 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive ($114.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: MSI GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER 8 GB VENTUS GP OC Video Card ($397.99 @ Newegg)
Case: NZXT H510 ATX Mid Tower Case ($69.98 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Corsair CX (2017) 550 W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($74.98 @ Newegg)
Total: $1032.91
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-04-08 17:12 EDT-0400


...Or the 2070 Super build I posted above.
 
Solution

laserpp

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Okay awesome thanks - I will talk to him about the monitor and if he has appetite for a nicer monitor I will show the 2080 super build. Never built a AMD - should I be concerned with the compatibility warning about the AMD CPU and BIOS update?
 

laserpp

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So here are the 2 builds - would the 2070Super work fine with a potential 2 1440p monitors?

Okay so here is the first one with everything -2080Super

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 3600 3.6 GHz 6-Core Processor ($174.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: MSI B450 TOMAHAWK MAX ATX AM4 Motherboard ($114.99 @ B&H)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3600 Memory ($84.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Intel 660p Series 1.02 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive ($114.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Zotac GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER 8 GB GAMING Video Card ($689.99 @ Amazon)
Case: NZXT H510 ATX Mid Tower Case ($69.99 @ Best Buy)
Power Supply: Corsair RMx (2018) 650 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($119.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit ($106.99 @ Other World Computing)
Total: $1476.92
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-04-08 18:35 EDT-0400



And with a cheaper card for better price - 2070Super

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 3600 3.6 GHz 6-Core Processor ($174.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: MSI B450 TOMAHAWK MAX ATX AM4 Motherboard ($114.99 @ B&H)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3600 Memory ($84.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Intel 660p Series 1.02 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive ($114.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER 8 GB Video Card ($499.99 @ Best Buy)
Case: NZXT H510 ATX Mid Tower Case ($69.99 @ Best Buy)
Power Supply: Corsair RMx (2018) 650 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($119.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit ($106.99 @ Other World Computing)
Total: $1286.92
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-04-08 18:37 EDT-0400
 

laserpp

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And to enter a Player 3 - the 2060Super def makes him feel more comfortable with the price tag and allows for him to buy his first 1440p - Is there that much performance difference buy jumping like $200 to the 2070SUper and possibily another ~$300-350 for 2080Super?

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 3600 3.6 GHz 6-Core Processor ($174.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: MSI B450 TOMAHAWK MAX ATX AM4 Motherboard ($114.99 @ B&H)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3600 Memory ($84.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Intel 660p Series 1.02 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive ($114.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: MSI GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER 8 GB GAMING Video Card ($429.99 @ Newegg)
Case: NZXT H510 ATX Mid Tower Case ($69.99 @ Best Buy)
Power Supply: Corsair RMx (2018) 650 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($119.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit ($106.99 @ Other World Computing)
Total: $1216.92
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-04-08 18:47 EDT-0400
 

Barty1884

Retired Moderator
So here are the 2 builds - would the 2070Super work fine with a potential 2 1440p monitors?

Gaming on a single 1440p monitor, sure. If they were looking to game across both, that's going to be a tough ask - even of greater GPUs, at anything resembling 'high' settings in most games.

And to enter a Player 3 - the 2060Super def makes him feel more comfortable with the price tag and allows for him to buy his first 1440p - Is there that much performance difference buy jumping like $200 to the 2070SUper and possibily another ~$300-350 for 2080Super?

A 2060Super is a nice card, and will allow 1440p gaming. Not the same degree a 2070Super would, but plenty playable.

The devils' in the detail, literraly in this case.
A 2060Super can do 1440p, high refresh gaming at lower settings (low/medium... some on high, depending on the game).
A 2070Super is more
Personally, I would say the 2070Super is a fairly justified spend over a 2060Super. In a strict cost per dollar, it's not.... but you'd stepping up from 1440p low/medium to achieve >60FPS/Hz (depending on the title) to more in the realm of high 144FPS (again, titled dependent).

The 2080 Super steps that up to more of a guaranteed "Ultra" 1440p through to low/medium 4K. Not as such a noticeable jump, IMO.
 

laserpp

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Last question: I am seeing warnings about the new AMD chip might not work with the MOBO bios and to use a old AMD to update the bios - I have no AMD CPUs - can I upgrade the MOBO to not have that issue?
 

laserpp

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Okay think we are almost there - updated the MOBO and pick a cheaper Power Supply.

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 3600 3.6 GHz 6-Core Processor ($174.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Asus TUF GAMING X570-PLUS (WI-FI) ATX AM4 Motherboard ($189.99 @ Best Buy)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3600 Memory ($84.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Intel 660p Series 1.02 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive ($124.99 @ B&H)
Video Card: Zotac GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER 8 GB MINI Video Card ($499.99 @ B&H)
Case: NZXT H510 ATX Mid Tower Case ($69.99 @ Best Buy)
Power Supply: EVGA GD (2019) 600 W 80+ Gold Certified ATX Power Supply ($66.98 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit ($109.99 @ B&H)
Total: $1321.91
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-04-09 09:37 EDT-0400
 
Last edited:

laserpp

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Lol scratch that friend is getting the upgrade bug - he wants the 2080Super for no issues with playing games at high settings and future proofing with potential nice 1440p monitor.

Final Form! All from MicroCenter - $1571 allin

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 3600 3.6 GHz 6-Core Processor ($174.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Asus TUF GAMING X570-PLUS (WI-FI) ATX AM4 Motherboard ($189.99 @ Best Buy)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3600 Memory ($84.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Crucial P1 500 GB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive ($68.95 @ B&H)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER 8 GB BLACK GAMING Video Card ($699.99 @ Walmart)
Case: NZXT H510 ATX Mid Tower Case ($69.99 @ Best Buy)
Power Supply: EVGA BQ 650 W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-modular ATX Power Supply ($79.94 @ ModMyMods)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit ($109.99 @ B&H)
 
Last edited:

laserpp

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haha thanks all - yea he will eventually get dual 1440p mointors

Just noticed this on pcpartpicker "he Asus TUF GAMING X570-PLUS (WI-FI) ATX AM4 Motherboard has an additional 4-pin ATX power connector but the EVGA BQ 650 W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-modular ATX Power Supply does not. This connector is used to supply additional 12V current to the motherboard. While the system will likely still run without it, higher current demands such as extreme overclocking or large video card current draws may require it. "

Will this cause issues using just the 1 4-pin?