[SOLVED] Upgrading my PC; opinions/recommendations?

Greetings, I was soon intending to upgrade to a newer PC.

My current setup is Phenom II X6 1055t, 8GB RAM, R9 270X.

I have already bought 2x4GB of HyperX Fury 2666 MHz RAM as it was on discount for 60 euros total.

I already own an SSD, HDD, and am fitted with a good PSU that should be enough for my needs (XFX TS 550W).

The parts I require are a CPU, GPU and motherboard. I would really want a Ryzen 5 2600 paired with
one of these 4 B450 motherboards:
  1. Gigabyte B450M S2H (71 euros)
  2. MSI B450M PRO VDH-PLUS (82 euros)
  3. MSI B450M PRO-M2 (83 euros)
  4. Gigabyte B450M DS3H (88 euros)
There are no B350's available here, and I may decide to overclock at some point in the future.

I also cannot really decide what graphics card to get. There is an MSI GTX 1060 3GB available for ~240 euros,
and there are GTX 1660's available for 285+ euros. There are also 1050 Ti's and 1650's, but I don't think those would
be worth over the 1060 or 1660. Is the additional 50 euros for the 1660 worth it?

EDIT: There are no RX580's available.

An ASRock RX590 is available for 240 euros, but I've heard it's incredibly loud.

Also, I would like to hear your opinion on the single-fan 1060's intended for compact builds, like the
ASUS PH 1060. I understand it's a 1060, but is the single fan enough for cooling?

Thank you for all your opinions and recommendations.
 
Solution
I've considered the RX570, but I just don't think it's worth buying as an upgrade to the R9 270X, even though it's relatively cheap. Since I would like to play the newer/upcoming titles such as DOOM Eternal, RAGE 2, Wolfenstein 2, CoD MW etc, I think getting a card stronger than the RX570 should be a better investment. But nevertheless, I'll list the graphics cards I have available.

RX570:
  1. ASRock Phantom GDR 4GB - 159 euros
  2. ASUS EX O4G - 165 euros
  3. Gigabyte Gaming 4GB MI Rev 1.1 - 190 euros
  4. Gigabyte Gaming 4GB Windforce - 205 euros
There are a few 1050 Ti's and 1650's around the 210-235 euro mark.

An MSI GTX 1060 Gaming 3GB is occasionally available for ~240 euros (I assume it is sold out and then restocked...

King_V

Illustrious
Ambassador
First question: what country are you in? And, what country are you purchasing from, if different from your home country?

Second: what are the specifications of your monitor?
  • Resolution?
  • Refresh rate?
  • Does it have GSync, FreeSync, or neither?
    • If FreeSync, what is the FreeSync range?

That said, so far, you are correct: The 1050Ti and 1650 are NOT worth getting over even the 1060 3GB, unless, perhaps, you had a monitor of less than 1920x1080 resolution. Even then, they should most certainly cost less than the 1060. And, the extra money for the 1660 would be a good idea in favor if the 1060 3GB... however, I'd like to know the information about your monitor to be sure we're making the best choice here.
 
First question: what country are you in? And, what country are you purchasing from, if different from your home country?

Second: what are the specifications of your monitor?
  • Resolution?
  • Refresh rate?
  • Does it have GSync, FreeSync, or neither?
    • If FreeSync, what is the FreeSync range?
That said, so far, you are correct: The 1050Ti and 1650 are NOT worth getting over even the 1060 3GB, unless, perhaps, you had a monitor of less than 1920x1080 resolution. Even then, they should most certainly cost less than the 1060. And, the extra money for the 1660 would be a good idea in favor if the 1060 3GB... however, I'd like to know the information about your monitor to be sure we're making the best choice here.
I live in Montenegro, and I'm buying from the two most popular (and most probably best to be completely fair) sites for purchasing electronics here.

The resolution of my monitor is 1920x1080p, and the refresh rate is 60Hz. I am not sure about the other specifications, though I can give you the model: ViewSonic VX2363SMHL-W.

And yes, the 1050Ti and 1650 are cheaper than the 1060 3GB, and the 1660 of course, as well.
 

King_V

Illustrious
Ambassador
Hmm, for 1920x1080, the RX580 would be ideal, but, as you said, not available. The 590 would do it, but, it's power-hungry, and, as you mentioned (and I've read the same) the ASRock version can be loud.

The 1050Ti and 1650 would allow probably for medium settings at your resolution and refresh, 1060 3GB is better, but that 3GB memory really can strangle it in a few games.

Is the RX 570 available to you? In the US (and I think the UK), it tends to be very inexpensive, usually cheaper than the 1050Ti and 1650, but performing better than they do, and allowing for medium-to-high settings as your resolution and refresh rate. It's not going to perform as well as the RX590 or 1660, but the price/performance is very hard to beat - I just don't know what its price/availability is in Montenegro.
Also, there are 4GB and 8GB versions of it.

Also, can you list the prices of what you have available, each model and its price, from lowest-to-highest cost?
 
Hmm, for 1920x1080, the RX580 would be ideal, but, as you said, not available. The 590 would do it, but, it's power-hungry, and, as you mentioned (and I've read the same) the ASRock version can be loud.

The 1050Ti and 1650 would allow probably for medium settings at your resolution and refresh, 1060 3GB is better, but that 3GB memory really can strangle it in a few games.

Is the RX 570 available to you? In the US (and I think the UK), it tends to be very inexpensive, usually cheaper than the 1050Ti and 1650, but performing better than they do, and allowing for medium-to-high settings as your resolution and refresh rate. It's not going to perform as well as the RX590 or 1660, but the price/performance is very hard to beat - I just don't know what its price/availability is in Montenegro.
Also, there are 4GB and 8GB versions of it.

Also, can you list the prices of what you have available, each model and its price, from lowest-to-highest cost?

I've considered the RX570, but I just don't think it's worth buying as an upgrade to the R9 270X, even though it's relatively cheap. Since I would like to play the newer/upcoming titles such as DOOM Eternal, RAGE 2, Wolfenstein 2, CoD MW etc, I think getting a card stronger than the RX570 should be a better investment. But nevertheless, I'll list the graphics cards I have available.

RX570:
  1. ASRock Phantom GDR 4GB - 159 euros
  2. ASUS EX O4G - 165 euros
  3. Gigabyte Gaming 4GB MI Rev 1.1 - 190 euros
  4. Gigabyte Gaming 4GB Windforce - 205 euros
There are a few 1050 Ti's and 1650's around the 210-235 euro mark.

An MSI GTX 1060 Gaming 3GB is occasionally available for ~240 euros (I assume it is sold out and then restocked after a while).

An ASUS PH GTX 1060 6GB is also available for ~265 euros, but I would assume if I was to pay that much for a new GPU, I may as well add another 20 euros and buy a 1660.

GTX 1660:
  1. ASUS TUF O6G-Gaming - 286 euros
  2. Gigabyte Windforce 2x OC 6GB - 290 euros
  3. MSI Armor OC 6GB - 300 euros
That's pretty much all I'm dealing with. There are other, more powerful GPU's available, but they are way out of my budget.
 
I've considered the RX570, but I just don't think it's worth buying as an upgrade to the R9 270X, even though it's relatively cheap. Since I would like to play the newer/upcoming titles such as DOOM Eternal, RAGE 2, Wolfenstein 2, CoD MW etc, I think getting a card stronger than the RX570 should be a better investment. But nevertheless, I'll list the graphics cards I have available.

RX570:
  1. ASRock Phantom GDR 4GB - 159 euros
  2. ASUS EX O4G - 165 euros
  3. Gigabyte Gaming 4GB MI Rev 1.1 - 190 euros
  4. Gigabyte Gaming 4GB Windforce - 205 euros
There are a few 1050 Ti's and 1650's around the 210-235 euro mark.

An MSI GTX 1060 Gaming 3GB is occasionally available for ~240 euros (I assume it is sold out and then restocked after a while).

An ASUS PH GTX 1060 6GB is also available for ~265 euros, but I would assume if I was to pay that much for a new GPU, I may as well add another 20 euros and buy a 1660.

GTX 1660:
  1. ASUS TUF O6G-Gaming - 286 euros
  2. Gigabyte Windforce 2x OC 6GB - 290 euros
  3. MSI Armor OC 6GB - 300 euros
That's pretty much all I'm dealing with. There are other, more powerful GPU's available, but they are way out of my budget.
Compared to the HD 7970, the RX 570 is minimum 30% faster. https://www.anandtech.com/bench/product/1869?vs=1722

The 7970 is another good 10%+ faster than the 270X https://www.anandtech.com/bench/product/1043?vs=1032

Therefore it would be at minimum 40-50% faster than your 270X and for a cheap GPU that isn't bad.
 

g-unit1111

Titan
Moderator
I've considered the RX570, but I just don't think it's worth buying as an upgrade to the R9 270X, even though it's relatively cheap. Since I would like to play the newer/upcoming titles such as DOOM Eternal, RAGE 2, Wolfenstein 2, CoD MW etc, I think getting a card stronger than the RX570 should be a better investment. But nevertheless, I'll list the graphics cards I have available.

RX570:
  1. ASRock Phantom GDR 4GB - 159 euros
  2. ASUS EX O4G - 165 euros
  3. Gigabyte Gaming 4GB MI Rev 1.1 - 190 euros
  4. Gigabyte Gaming 4GB Windforce - 205 euros
There are a few 1050 Ti's and 1650's around the 210-235 euro mark.

An MSI GTX 1060 Gaming 3GB is occasionally available for ~240 euros (I assume it is sold out and then restocked after a while).

An ASUS PH GTX 1060 6GB is also available for ~265 euros, but I would assume if I was to pay that much for a new GPU, I may as well add another 20 euros and buy a 1660.

GTX 1660:
  1. ASUS TUF O6G-Gaming - 286 euros
  2. Gigabyte Windforce 2x OC 6GB - 290 euros
  3. MSI Armor OC 6GB - 300 euros
That's pretty much all I'm dealing with. There are other, more powerful GPU's available, but they are way out of my budget.

What country are you in? Germany? Spain? Greece? Knowing that information would help. Also, around that budget have you considered the RX5700? That would be faster than the 1660 and would be about in the same price range.
 
What country are you in? Germany? Spain? Greece? Knowing that information would help. Also, around that budget have you considered the RX5700? That would be faster than the 1660 and would be about in the same price range.
I live in Montenegro, and the RX5700 is around 445 euros, while the GTX 1660 is sold for as low as 285, as I wrote in this comment
GTX 1660:
  1. ASUS TUF O6G-Gaming - 286 euros
  2. Gigabyte Windforce 2x OC 6GB - 290 euros
  3. MSI Armor OC 6GB - 300 euros

Compared to the HD 7970, the RX 570 is minimum 30% faster. https://www.anandtech.com/bench/product/1869?vs=1722

The 7970 is another good 10%+ faster than the 270X https://www.anandtech.com/bench/product/1043?vs=1032

Therefore it would be at minimum 40-50% faster than your 270X and for a cheap GPU that isn't bad.
Huh, you're right, I guess I just didn't look up the right comparisons. Do you think it would still be better to buy let's say a 1660, now that I've got the money, or would an RX570 suffice?
In my opinion, I'd say the 1660 is more... future-proof? I mean it's obviously more powerful, and that's doesn't imply the RX570's performance is bad, but y'know, it would be nice to feel what proper power is with the 1660, and since I've got enough money right now, I think (for me) it would be a better investment than the RX570. I'd be willing to hear what you and others have to say about that.
 

King_V

Illustrious
Ambassador
I've considered the RX570, but I just don't think it's worth buying as an upgrade to the R9 270X, even though it's relatively cheap. Since I would like to play the newer/upcoming titles such as DOOM Eternal, RAGE 2, Wolfenstein 2, CoD MW etc, I think getting a card stronger than the RX570 should be a better investment. But nevertheless, I'll list the graphics cards I have available.

RX570:
  1. ASRock Phantom GDR 4GB - 159 euros
  2. ASUS EX O4G - 165 euros
  3. Gigabyte Gaming 4GB MI Rev 1.1 - 190 euros
  4. Gigabyte Gaming 4GB Windforce - 205 euros
There are a few 1050 Ti's and 1650's around the 210-235 euro mark.

An MSI GTX 1060 Gaming 3GB is occasionally available for ~240 euros (I assume it is sold out and then restocked after a while).

An ASUS PH GTX 1060 6GB is also available for ~265 euros, but I would assume if I was to pay that much for a new GPU, I may as well add another 20 euros and buy a 1660.

GTX 1660:
  1. ASUS TUF O6G-Gaming - 286 euros
  2. Gigabyte Windforce 2x OC 6GB - 290 euros
  3. MSI Armor OC 6GB - 300 euros
That's pretty much all I'm dealing with. There are other, more powerful GPU's available, but they are way out of my budget.

@jeremyj_83 is correct, in that the RX 570 is significantly better than the R9 270X. I'd probably guesstimate downward and say 30% better, but that's still a significant increase. I'm a bit uncomfortable making a two-step comparison and trying to come up with a total number (ie, trying to determine how much better X is than Z, given that that X is a certain amount better than Y, and Y is a certain amount better than Z)

The GPU Hierarchy chart is here - it helps to look at both the modern chart, and the legacy chart below it, to compare to older cards.

If you're concerned about the RX 570 not performing well enough, the the 1060 3GB, 1650, and 1050Ti should all be out of the question. The 1060 3GB performs around RX 570 level, except for those times when the 3GB VRAM causes its performance to drop, so it should not be considered. The 1050Ti and 1650 both perform significantly worse than the RX 570.

The 1060 6GB and RX 580 perform about equal to each other.

Agreed - if the 1060 6GB is 265 euros, then it's definitely worth paying 20 more for the 1660.


Also, here is a review of the 1650, specifically, the performance in several games at 1920x1080. On these charts, the 1050Ti, GTX 1650, RX 570, GTX 1060 6GB, RX 590, and GTX 1660 are shown, among others. They skip on the RX 580 and 1060 3GB, though. It's safe to assume that the RX 580 performs equal to the 1060 6GB (probably slightly better than it in DX12 games, and slightly worse than it in DX11 games, more or less). The 1060 3GB can perform equal to the RX 570, but the 3GB limit means that sometimes, in certain games, it can dip down to 1050Ti levels or a little less.
 
Solution
@jeremyj_83 is correct, in that the RX 570 is significantly better than the R9 270X. I'd probably guesstimate downward and say 30% better, but that's still a significant increase. I'm a bit uncomfortable making a two-step comparison and trying to come up with a total number (ie, trying to determine how much better X is than Z, given that that X is a certain amount better than Y, and Y is a certain amount better than Z)

The GPU Hierarchy chart is here - it helps to look at both the modern chart, and the legacy chart below it, to compare to older cards.

If you're concerned about the RX 570 not performing well enough, the the 1060 3GB, 1650, and 1050Ti should all be out of the question. The 1060 3GB performs around RX 570 level, except for those times when the 3GB VRAM causes its performance to drop, so it should not be considered. The 1050Ti and 1650 both perform significantly worse than the RX 570.

The 1060 6GB and RX 580 perform about equal to each other.

Agreed - if the 1060 6GB is 265 euros, then it's definitely worth paying 20 more for the 1660.


Also, here is a review of the 1650, specifically, the performance in several games at 1920x1080. On these charts, the 1050Ti, GTX 1650, RX 570, GTX 1060 6GB, RX 590, and GTX 1660 are shown, among others. They skip on the RX 580 and 1060 3GB, though. It's safe to assume that the RX 580 performs equal to the 1060 6GB (probably slightly better than it in DX12 games, and slightly worse than it in DX11 games, more or less). The 1060 3GB can perform equal to the RX 570, but the 3GB limit means that sometimes, in certain games, it can dip down to 1050Ti levels or a little less.
The RX570 version shown there is the 8GB one, whereas I only have the 4GB versions available. I assume that it would mean slightly slower performance?

Also, I am not concerned about the 570 not performing well, I think the opposite of course, especially taking into consideration your comments about the improvement it is over my R9 270X, but I just believe the 100 euros extra for the 1660 is worth it? Or maybe am I too power-hungry or something of the sort for the 1660?

Checking my store index I don't have any stores from Montenegro, but knowing where to buy parts from would help.

Due to the foreign language, I will directly link you to the graphics card choices. I would also like to hear about your opinion on what the best motherboard would be below the ~ 110 euro mark.

Site #1 - graphics cards
Site #1 - motherboards

Site #2 - graphics cards
Site #2 - motherboards
 
I live in Montenegro, and the RX5700 is around 445 euros, while the GTX 1660 is sold for as low as 285, as I wrote in this comment



Huh, you're right, I guess I just didn't look up the right comparisons. Do you think it would still be better to buy let's say a 1660, now that I've got the money, or would an RX570 suffice?
In my opinion, I'd say the 1660 is more... future-proof? I mean it's obviously more powerful, and that's doesn't imply the RX570's performance is bad, but y'know, it would be nice to feel what proper power is with the 1660, and since I've got enough money right now, I think (for me) it would be a better investment than the RX570. I'd be willing to hear what you and others have to say about that.
RX 570 4GB vs 1660 https://www.anandtech.com/bench/product/2456?vs=2499 The 1660 is around 20%+ faster than the 570. The 1660 is also based on the current architecture whereas the 570 is based on a design from 2016.
 
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RX 570 4GB vs 1660 https://www.anandtech.com/bench/product/2456?vs=2499 The 1660 is around 20%+ faster than the 570. The 1660 is also based on the current architecture whereas the 570 is based on a design from 2016.
I really should start using anandtech, I don't understand how I didn't come across it when looking up comparisons for GPU's. It really is helpful, as much as your comments are.
 
You could also wait about a month as current rumors have the RX 5500/5600 and GTX 1650Ti being released in about 3 weeks.
Didn't know about that.

To be fair with you, those cards will probably not be available here for weeks after release, if they are released, so I'd have to wait quite a bit. Montenegro does not have the demand for computers in general, and that's why everything arrives late and is generally more expensive than the prices in let's say Central Europe, Great Britain, US, etc.
 

King_V

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Ambassador
How much of a delay is typical? I wonder if it might be worthwhile to hang on to the existing video card, and put up with its weak performance for now, just to see how things look when the 1650Ti, and 5500/5600 come out.

To address your question on the RX 570, at 1920x1080, the 4GB VRAM isn't a problem. It's really more a matter of looking at the various graphs from the page I posted, and see if you're happy with the minimum (99th percentile) and average frame rates it offers, versus, say, the 1660. The 1660 is more power efficient, though.

On the other hand, depending on the 1650Ti's performance, if it winds up being equal to or very close to the performance of the 1660 while using notably less power, that might be worthwhile as well. I can't imagine it's price would be as much as the 1650Ti.


The advantage to your current situation is that, once you have the rest of the parts, even if you haven't chosen a video card yet, you're not in bad shape. The performance of the R9 270X won't be great, but, if you haven't chosen a new GPU by the time you get your Ryzen system put together, it buys you more time to make the decision.
 
How much of a delay is typical? I wonder if it might be worthwhile to hang on to the existing video card, and put up with its weak performance for now, just to see how things look when the 1650Ti, and 5500/5600 come out.

To address your question on the RX 570, at 1920x1080, the 4GB VRAM isn't a problem. It's really more a matter of looking at the various graphs from the page I posted, and see if you're happy with the minimum (99th percentile) and average frame rates it offers, versus, say, the 1660. The 1660 is more power efficient, though.

On the other hand, depending on the 1650Ti's performance, if it winds up being equal to or very close to the performance of the 1660 while using notably less power, that might be worthwhile as well. I can't imagine it's price would be as much as the 1650Ti.


The advantage to your current situation is that, once you have the rest of the parts, even if you haven't chosen a video card yet, you're not in bad shape. The performance of the R9 270X won't be great, but, if you haven't chosen a new GPU by the time you get your Ryzen system put together, it buys you more time to make the decision.
I'd say the delay varies, but usually new components arrive some time after they are released, so instead of let's say a month wait, I need to wait two months or something.

Refering to your last paragraph, are you implying I would be fine buying a Ryzen 5 2600 and using the R9 270X with it until we see what the situation is with the potential new cards?
 
Sorry for the bump, I've realised an ASRock RX580 8GB is available here. I'm reading that it's quite a loud graphics card, like their RX590, but it goes for a price of only 223 euros, compared to the GTX1660's price of 286 euros. What do you think, is it be worth it to get this RX580?

EDIT: I've also upgraded to 2x8GB of HyperX Fury 2933MHz CL17 RAM, instead of 2x4 2666 MHz CL16 RAM.
 

King_V

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The RX580 8GB is a pretty good deal for that price, BUT . . I'd still be hesitant because of ASRock's cooler not being that good. As you've pointed out, it's noisy.

It's good from a price/performance point of view, but I personally would be uncomfortable with the extra noise. I would still recommend the 1660. If it were another RX580 with a better cooler, I might choose to go with it.