Upgrading my CPU, RAM and motherboard on a budget. I have two ways to go and could use your opinions.

theblindleader

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Oct 9, 2017
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Alright, so first things first: I have been out of the hardware game for a while now and wanted to ask if anybody could check my picks, to make sure I didn't miss something. I also am struggling to decide between two setups.

My budget is around 350€ (410$) and I need to upgrade the CPU. With that comes an upgrade of my motherboard and RAM because right now I am running a real relict as my CPU (Intel Core i5 750).

The rest of the performance defining components (graphics and SSD) are relatively up to date.

I would overclock CPU and RAM to their stable limits.

First setup:

Ryzen 3 1200 for 100€ (117$)
Gigabyte GA-AB350-Gaming 3 for 103€ (121$)
16GB Crucial Ballistix Elite DDR4-2666 DIMM CL16 Dual Kit for 150€ (176$)

Total: 353€ (414$)

Second setup:

Ryzen 5 1600 for 200€ (234$)
ASRock AB350M Pro4 for 70€ (82$)
8GB Crucial Ballistix Sport LT grau DDR4-2400 DIMM CL16 Dual Kit for 74€ (87$)

Total: 344€ (403$)

I am currently leaning towards the second setup. My thinking is that I could just get a second 8GB kit in a few months to upgrade to 16GB.

I hope I have provided enough information so you guys got a clear picture and maybe can offer some advice :D Thanks in advance for helping me!

EDIT: Only 5 minutes after posting I stumbled over the new i3-8350K and i5-8400. It looks like they could be a third option to go with. Right now I am reading up on them, but the problem right now is that the Z370 motherboards start at around 110€.
 
Solution
You are on the right path. The second setup is much more potent and will not only perform better but also last much longer in terms of scaling and optimization. You should get the second configuration and upgrade the RAM down the line.
You are on the right path. The second setup is much more potent and will not only perform better but also last much longer in terms of scaling and optimization. You should get the second configuration and upgrade the RAM down the line.
 
Solution

theblindleader

Prominent
Oct 9, 2017
5
0
510


Thanks for the fast reply!

Only 5 minutes after posting I stumbled over the new i3-8350K. It looks like it could be a third option to go with. Right now I am reading up on it but the problem right now is that the Z370 motherboards start at around 110€.

 
Yup, the i3 unlocked is equal to Ryzen in terms of price, but the board will not fit the budget. Also at that price the i5-8400 is a better buy for 6cores. But these choices are relevant if you are looking for that extra gaming performance over Ryzen.
Ryzen 1600 is currently doing pretty good on gaming benches and not far behind. If gaming is not as high in terms of importance, the Ryzen would be a better value purchase.
For more on coffelake, you can go through this discussion thread, there are some benchmarks there which you might find useful to take a decision... http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/id-3529443/intel-coffee-lake-8th-generation-megathread-faq-resources/page-3.html#20248812
 

theblindleader

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Oct 9, 2017
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Thanks for the link, some good information there. And yes, gaming is the main focus of the system apart from a bit of light virtualisation. But it really looks like I would have to go far over budget to go with Intel. Also while most reviews I have seen have the i5-8400 slightly ahead of the Ryzen 5 1600 stock, when overclocked it should be able to overtake it.

Another reason why I think I will go with the Ryzen 5 1600 is the frequently changing sockets of Intel. While funds are tight right now, I am sure to be able to afford higher-end parts at a point in the near future and then it will be nice to just get a better CPU and keep the motherboard.
 

theblindleader

Prominent
Oct 9, 2017
5
0
510
Yea, I am pretty sure I will go for the 1600.

Another question, might be a bit off-topic, but I read that while some overclocking will work with the boxed cooler, a better one would allow more. Now, would a 15-20€ one already make a difference? If not I will wait and overclock to what the boxed cooler allows and maybe get a better one later.
 
The stock Wraith cooler is pretty decent and better than most of the cheaper aft ones. You can push upto 3.7ghz or thereabout with that. If you want to push higher clocks, you can consider a Noctua or Cryorig good quality unit. And for extreme clocks, an AIO is recommended.