Question Which components to upgrade on my Gamer PC

[BubaBu]

Hi everyone

I have a old Gamer PC i use for Videoedit and Photoshop. I need to change the mainboard, because i need USB 3.2 gen 2 für my external Harddrive.

My questiins

1. Which mainboard do you recommend?
A fast LAN would be also nice.

2. Which else components should i change?
Processor and Graphicskard i dont wont to change.

What will have a good impact at low money or medium money.

Components
Mainboard: MSI MPG Z490 GAMING PLUS (MS-7C75)
Chipset: Intel Z490
RAM: Corsair CMW16GX4M2C3200C16 DDR4 SDRAM 32GB (4 Slots)
GPU: Zotac RTX 3060 AMP
CPU: i7 10700F 14nm Socket H (LGA1200)
Harddisk: NVMe x4 8.0 GT/s (512GB)

Greetings
Buba

 

[Aeacus]

I need to change the mainboard, because i need USB 3.2 gen 2

Your MoBo already has two USB 3.2 Gen2 ports. Both at the back panel of MoBo.

Intel® Z490 Chipset​

• 2x USB 3.2 Gen 2 10Gbps ports (1 Type-A port and 1 Type-C port on the back panel)

MoBo specs: https://www.msi.com/Motherboard/MPG-Z490-GAMING-PLUS/Specification

 

[BubaBu]

Your MoBo already has two USB 3.2 Gen2 ports. Both at the back panel of MoBo.


MoBo specs: https://www.msi.com/Motherboard/MPG-Z490-GAMING-PLUS/Specification

Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat? How ist this possible? Its a over 4 years old PC!

Thank you for your fast reply. Very nice!
Greetings.

 

[BubaBu]

Whick component should i Change? Is there a bottleneck?

 

[Aeacus]

Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat? How ist this possible? Its a over 4 years old PC!

Sometimes, not all is remembered of what MoBo features are.

For example, few years back i discovered that my MoBo has USB type-C port on the back panel. And my MoBo is 8 years old. 😆

Whick component should i Change? Is there a bottleneck?

No apparent issues.

Btw, PSU make and model (or part number) is?

 

[BubaBu]

Sometimes, not all is remembered of what MoBo features are.

For example, few years back i discovered that my MoBo has USB type-C port on the back panel. And my MoBo is 8 years old. 😆


No apparent issues.

Btw, PSU make and model (or part number) is?

Woow, 8 years and still in use? Why not?
I will leave everithing like it is. I dont need alwas new stuff.

PSU i have to look, but why is this important?

I have an other Question.

> Can i connect a HP Dockingstation G4 on my PC? Does the Mainboard have Thunderbold?

THX.

 

[Aeacus]

Woow, 8 years and still in use? Why not?

Well, my PC can do everything i need. So, i don't have a need to new one.

If interested what i have, look "Skylake" from my signature. Full specs with plenty of pics there.

PSU i have to look, but why is this important?

Since PSU powers everything, it is the most important component inside the PC.

Also, when PSU blows up and releases magical smoke, PSU has magical ability to fry everything that is connected to it (aka your whole PC). Whereby, the lower the PSU's build quality is, the higher the chance of PSU frying other components as well.

If what you have is great or good quality PSU, you are fine. But if PSU is mediocre, low or crap quality, PSU replacement to great/good quality is suggested.

Does the Mainboard have Thunderbold?

It does, sort of.

Namely, your MoBo does have one TBT internal connector and one RTD3 internal connector (further reading from holy bible of PCs, page 27).

Which means, that you can use thunderbolt add-on card, but that card must support RTD3.
Now, finding compatible thunderbolt PCI-E add-on card is difficult.

This Gigabyte one should be compatible with your MoBo, since it has both the 5-pin (TBT) and 3-pin (RTD3) cables, which you can connect to your MoBo;
specs: https://www.gigabyte.com/Motherboard/GC-MAPLE-RIDGE-rev-10#kf
amazon: https://www.amazon.com/GC-MAPLE-RIDGE-Thunderbolt-Controller-DisplayPort/dp/B083HZHP62

 

[BubaBu]

Well, my PC can do everything i need. So, i don't have a need to new one.

If interested what i have, look "Skylake" from my signature. Full specs with plenty of pics there.


Since PSU powers everything, it is the most important component inside the PC.

Also, when PSU blows up and releases magical smoke, PSU has magical ability to fry everything that is connected to it (aka your whole PC). Whereby, the lower the PSU's build quality is, the higher the chance of PSU frying other components as well.

If what you have is great or good quality PSU, you are fine. But if PSU is mediocre, low or crap quality, PSU replacement to great/good quality is suggested.


It does, sort of.

Namely, your MoBo does have one TBT internal connector and one RTD3 internal connector (further reading from holy bible of PCs, page 27).

Which means, that you can use thunderbolt add-on card, but that card must support RTD3.
Now, finding compatible thunderbolt PCI-E add-on card is difficult.

This Gigabyte one should be compatible with your MoBo, since it has both the 5-pin (TBT) and 3-pin (RTD3) cables, which you can connect to your MoBo;
specs: https://www.gigabyte.com/Motherboard/GC-MAPLE-RIDGE-rev-10#kf
amazon: https://www.amazon.com/GC-MAPLE-RIDGE-Thunderbolt-Controller-DisplayPort/dp/B083HZHP62

Omg! This is the best idea! Ill buy this card, because this has USB 3.2 2x2!

The bad news is, at the back of the PC the USB-C is labled with SS 10 🙁
So it is not 3.2 2x2 🙁

But with your recomendet Card, ill have USB 3.2 2x2, the one with 20.

Thanks a lot!

 

[BubaBu]

Is it bether to buy the recomendet Card, or a newer Mainboard? Maybe a new Mainboard has faster chips like north south bridge?!?!?

 

[Aeacus]

Is it bether to buy the recomendet Card, or a newer Mainboard? Maybe a new Mainboard has faster chips like north south bridge?!?!?

Modern MoBos do not have north and south bridge chipsets anymore. What they have today, are chipset (located near bottom right) and VRMs (located left and above of CPU socket).

Newer chipset MoBo, e.g Intel 700-series or AMD 600-series will have the latest stuff on it, including more and faster USB ports than your current Intel 400-series chipset MoBo. Including faster network, e.g wi-fi 6E.
However, with latest MoBo, you have to buy new CPU as well. Intel 700-series chipset needs Intel 12th, 13th or 14th gen CPU and AMD 600-series chipset needs Ryzen 7000 or 8000-series CPU.

If you do not replace your CPU and are adamant on keeping it, then best you can get is Intel 500-series chipset, e.g Z590.

All-in-all, it comes down to amount of money you're willing to spend.
* Cheapest, ~100 bucks, is the thunderbolt add-on card, that should work.
* Z590 chipset MoBo, that has one USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 port, start at ~250 bucks, pcpp: https://pcpartpicker.com/products/motherboard/#s=39&Q=1,2&mt=ddr4&sort=price&c=148
* Latest CPU (i5-14600K) + CPU cooler (155mm tall) + Z790 chipset MoBo, that supports DDR4 RAM, has wi-fi 6E and also has USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 port, combo costs ~600 bucks, pcpp: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/CyhvN6

With latest hardware, cost can be lower IF you get cheaper CPU. But it can also be higher if you go with better CPU. Also, i can not tell if 155mm high CPU cooler i included will fit into your PC case. But you have to go with aftermarket CPU cooler since the stock Intel CPU cooler you have, is not compatible with 12/13/14th gen CPUs. Moreover, if you would go with MoBo that supports DDR5 RAM and also buy new, DDR5 RAM, then selection regarding MoBos is wider. But price will also go up.

So, it comes down on how thick your wallet is.

 

[BubaBu]

Modern MoBos do not have north and south bridge chipsets anymore. What they have today, are chipset (located near bottom right) and VRMs (located left and above of CPU socket).

Newer chipset MoBo, e.g Intel 700-series or AMD 600-series will have the latest stuff on it, including more and faster USB ports than your current Intel 400-series chipset MoBo. Including faster network, e.g wi-fi 6E.
However, with latest MoBo, you have to buy new CPU as well. Intel 700-series chipset needs Intel 12th, 13th or 14th gen CPU and AMD 600-series chipset needs Ryzen 7000 or 8000-series CPU.

If you do not replace your CPU and are adamant on keeping it, then best you can get is Intel 500-series chipset, e.g Z590.

All-in-all, it comes down to amount of money you're willing to spend.
* Cheapest, ~100 bucks, is the thunderbolt add-on card, that should work.
* Z590 chipset MoBo, that has one USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 port, start at ~250 bucks, pcpp: https://pcpartpicker.com/products/motherboard/#s=39&Q=1,2&mt=ddr4&sort=price&c=148
* Latest CPU (i5-14600K) + CPU cooler (155mm tall) + Z790 chipset MoBo, that supports DDR4 RAM, has wi-fi 6E and also has USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 port, combo costs ~600 bucks, pcpp: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/CyhvN6

With latest hardware, cost can be lower IF you get cheaper CPU. But it can also be higher if you go with better CPU. Also, i can not tell if 155mm high CPU cooler i included will fit into your PC case. But you have to go with aftermarket CPU cooler since the stock Intel CPU cooler you have, is not compatible with 12/13/14th gen CPUs. Moreover, if you would go with MoBo that supports DDR5 RAM and also buy new, DDR5 RAM, then selection regarding MoBos is wider. But price will also go up.

So, it comes down on how thick your wallet is.

Damn, so they force us to buy new components! This is not fair 🙁 for a newer MoBo i have to buy few other components 🙁

I will not suport this strathegy, so i stay at my currebt MoBo.

Woow, no more South britdge? Hmmy i did learn that before 10years in scool lol

Last Question.

》the card with thunderbolt 4, does it have also USB 3.2 2x2?

If not, which one has both?
My current MoBo has only USB 3.2 gen 1 with 10 and not 20 🙁

 

[ohio_buckeye]

Trust me, technology has evolved significantly over the past few years. Now for example, some of your i5 and i7 cpus can about rival older i9 units or even surpass them. Everything these days has gone more core counts more ram. For example, a typical office PC we order where I work contains an i7 13700, 32gb of ram and an ssd drive. But imagine, a few years ago, who'd have thought you'd buy 32gb for an office pc? But by the time you load up onedrive, microsoft teams, outlook, antivirus, Google Chrome/Microsoft Edge, etc etc you can easily be using 50-60% of that ram pretty quickly.

 

[Aeacus]

Damn, so they force us to buy new components!

Keeping same MoBo over multiple generations of CPUs isn't viable.

Intel does the tick-tock, where each chipset supports 2 generations of CPUs. Except the last three, 12/13/14th gen. All are using LGA1700 socket. But Intel's 15th gen CPU will use different CPU socket (LGA1851) and thus, needs completely new MoBo.

AMD did try to sustain same CPU socket (AM4) for 5 generations of CPUs but they also ran into issues, whereby e.g A320 chipset, that came out first and supports Ryzen 1000-series CPU, does not support Ryzen 5000-series CPU, despite the CPU socket being the same AM4. So, AMD also went back to better tactics, replacing the CPU socket to AM5, with the release of Ryzen 7000-series CPUs. Now, latest AMD CPUs, Ryzen 8000-series also use AM5 socket and same 600-series chipset can be used with newest CPUs. But it isn't known how long AMD is keeping the support for AM5 socket.
AMD says they will support AM5 socket til 2025, but it is unknown if the next CPU generation (either 9000-series or 10000-series) would also use AM5 socket and same MoBo as Ryzen 7000/8000-series does.

I will not suport this strathegy

Eventually, you have 2 choices:
* buy the latest/new MoBo
* do not use the PC at all, if you refuse to buy new MoBo/CPU

Since you can not keep using your current PC til the end of the time. It will die at some point.

Woow, no more South britdge? Hmmy i did learn that before 10years in scool lol

More like no north bridge. Since at that spot, there is now MoBo VRM and north bridge nowadays is included within CPU itself. So, what remains, is south bride, known as just "chipset". North bridge was phased out around 2010.

the card with thunderbolt 4, does it have also USB 3.2 2x2?

Specs, that i linked, say;
Thunderbolt 4 - 40 Gbps
USB 3.2 Gen2 type-C - 10 Gbps

 

[BubaBu]

Thank you! This was very usefull and i did learn a lot.
I will keep everithing like it is.

Ps: one (other) last question:

If i would change CPU and MoBo, could i stay with my graphicscard?

I learn from you, that CPU and MoBo must use the same socket, and they change on intel almost every generation.
RAM will also change with DDR5.

But whats with the Graphicscard?
Can this ve reused for many generation?

Thx a lot!

 

[BubaBu]

Again a Question 🙁

I have a second HDD but i use it as a Backup and direct on the MoBo because i dont have USB 3.2 2x2.

I dont won the HDD to run always becose of many reasons (heat, lifetime, security) so is there e way, to unplug it without remove it from the MoBo?

My idea is to encrypt the HDD so it wont be used by the PC until encryptet?!?! So no heat, no used time, no security problems?

Maybe soldering the power cord to a switch?

Any idea?

 

[Aeacus]

But whats with the Graphicscard?
Can this ve reused for many generation?

You can use the GPU as long as it's performance is good enough for you. If GPU's performance drops too low (e.g too low FPS in games), then just upgrade GPU to a better one.

Btw, what is your PSU make and model?

I dont won the HDD to run always becose of many reasons (heat, lifetime, security) so is there e way, to unplug it without remove it from the MoBo?

3.5" HDD is connected to the PC via 2 cables: SATA data cable (goes directly to MoBo) and SATA power cable (goes directly to PSU). So, to keep the HDD installed inside the PC, without it being powered on at every time, just remove the SATA power cable from HDD. Do this when PC is powered off.
This way, HDD isn't powered on and you can keep it installed inside the PC. And once you need to use the drive again, just open up your PC and plug the SATA power connector back to the HDD.

Same goes to the 2.5" SSD.

M.2 drives (either AHCI or NVMe) can not be powered off when PC is running. Those you have to physically remove from MoBo M.2 slot if you don't want them to power on when PC is on.