[SOLVED] Upgrading this Mini ITX PC

[coffeenfifa]

I have a Mini ITX build that I've had for about 5 years now. Back then, it was decently fast but I've never upgraded it and it is showing it's time. The PC is built as follows:

MSI Mini ITX DDR3 2600 LGA 1150
Intel i5 4590
Crucial Ballistix Sport 16 GB (2x8GB) DDR3 1600 PC3-12800
Gigabyte GTX 770 GDDR5-4GB
Samsung SSD
Seasonic G-Series 550 Watts 80+ Gold
Cooler Master Elite 130 Mini ITX Tower Case

What upgrades can I make to this thing to bring it up to today's speeds without breaking the bank? I eventually want to convert this built to my streaming PC.

My main computer is a completely different beast, but I feel like I can still use this old one for something useful.

 

[SchizTech]

Well, what's breaking the bank here? Upgrade options without more or less building a new system are limited by the age of the platform. You could upgrade to the corresponding i7 and boost the GPU a bit. Otherwise, a new board is needed to move to a newer chip, which in turn likely means new RAM also (depending on how much newer you go; getting it to 2019 specs would require DDR4)

 

[coffeenfifa]

Well, what's breaking the bank here? Upgrade options without more or less building a new system are limited by the age of the platform. You could upgrade to the corresponding i7 and boost the GPU a bit. Otherwise, a new board is needed to move to a newer chip, which in turn likely means new RAM also (depending on how much newer you go; getting it to 2019 specs would require DDR4)

Thanks! I guess it means investing where it makes sense. I guess for a system that is this old, spending under $250 to greatly increase its speed could make sense. Anything higher than that and I might as well just build something new in the ~$600 range. Would this be the smarter move?

 

[SchizTech]

After some quick sleuthing on Google it seems the i7-4790K (18% faster on userbenchark.com) is available 185-ish on ebay, and a 1060 3gb (+32%) about $95 (best price). That's a pretty decent boost without a new board.

For a sample new build, keeping case, PSU and SSD:

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/fVfFPn

 

[coffeenfifa]

Thanks!

I'm toying with this: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/mVfFPn which comes out at about the same price.

Do you think this would perform better given that they're at a similar price? I'm at this place where I know the computer still works great and think upgrading it would make it work for what I need to, even if it is somewhat obsolete, but I'm also thinking if I should just go with something newer (newer chipset, newer slot, etc.)

 

[SchizTech]

Thanks!

I'm toying with this: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/mVfFPn which comes out at about the same price.

Do you think this would perform better given that they're at a similar price? I'm at this place where I know the computer still works great and think upgrading it would make it work for what I need to, even if it is somewhat obsolete, but I'm also thinking if I should just go with something newer (newer chipset, newer slot, etc.)

Not quite as powerful in the near term but has better upgrade options later, given AMD's more generous backwards compatibility.

 

[SchizTech]

Sorry, I was comparing 1660 vs 1650 (not super). So your proposal is stronger on the GPU side, giving up a small amount of CPU

 

[coffeenfifa]

I just realized that the Mini ITX format will not work for an internal capture card if the slot is taken by a GPU. I either need to have integrated graphics or switch formats, which would mean I would have to buy a case as well.