Choose to enhance or start from scratch?
Choose to enhance or start from scratch?
I own this machine for quite some time now, and it has performed well. It runs older games smoothly, but over the past couple of years it’s slowed down noticeably. Thanks to this community, I managed to get RAM that fits, which really improved things. Now my CPU and GPU are lagging behind. Plus, my research suggests the motherboard I have is nearing its limits. I’m thinking about whether to upgrade or build a completely new system. With the games I want to play, should I go for an upgrade or a full rebuild?
Current setup: Intel Core i5-6600k, Asus Z170 Pro Gaming Vengeance LPX with 4x8GB RAM at 3200MHz DDR4 (32GB), MSI GTX 970, Corsair CX600M, 600W 80 Plus Bronze, Samsung 850 EVO, Western Digital Black 2TB, WD2003FZEX cooler, and a Hyper 212 airflow case.
P.S. I’m comfortable with 30+ FPS and lower graphics settings. I’m not new to building PCs, but I’m quite unfamiliar with the technical side now.
Begin fresh with a simpler approach. If performance isn't up to the required standards, it makes sense not to proceed.
You’d need to swap the CPU, motherboard, graphics card, and power supply if you’re aiming for a solid upgrade (6700K/7700K might help, but not enough to justify their low second-hand prices). You’ll likely also want better cooling and more RAM, which means building a completely new system would be practical. It’s simpler to sell the whole setup than to try selling parts separately, so consider replacing everything for ease. If you can’t afford a full rebuild, look for discounts on i7 models with hyper-threading benefits (6700K/7700K are viable, but 8700K+ aren’t ideal without modifications). Consider a 1080 Ti GPU if you’re interested in modern AAA titles, though it’s not essential. For new games, a fresh system is usually the best choice.
Budget and country details are important. You can sell your CPU, GPU, and motherboard; expect around $80–100 for the CPU and $50–70 for the board. The GPU choice depends on your budget—consider a used 6600X or 5700X for better performance, roughly $120–150 for non-XT models, and more for XT versions. Otherwise, keep it simple. Just make sure the cooler has a mounting kit if needed.
The budget hinges on whether I can source the components through a location accepting PayPal's pay-in-4 method. If possible, costs range from 100 to 500 per item. If purchasing all at once, it drops to 100 to 300 per part. Also, note this applies to the U.S.
Budget looks like around 900$, focusing mainly on the CPU motherboard. Total amount you have without paying later seems reasonable, especially with options like a used Ryzen 3600 or 5600 and a B450 chipset. A used 6600X or 5700X would be solid for about 300$.
I believe I could have clarified things better. I’m a patient person and spent most of a year assembling my first computer. The overall cost came to around $1500 (adjusted for inflation, now near two grand). It was split fairly evenly across the parts. Also, PayPal’s pay-in-4 is interest-free, so that expense won’t add extra to my budget. If you prefer a precise amount, the figure of about two grand works well.
It’s better to get everything at once instead of buying one piece after another. Doing it all at once saves a lot of time. If you still prefer, you can buy these temporarily as a stopgap so you don’t have to wait too long. Once you have your parts, you can resell them for a small profit—perhaps around 30 dollars if you sell them.
It largely comes down to your expectations for the PC and the games you plan to play. The CPU on 1151v1 boards wasn’t a good investment when 6700K/7700K were expensive (around $150-$200+ used), but prices have dropped significantly now. If you enjoy tinkering, you might consider a BIOS tweak to fit 1151v2 CPUs, though there’s a chance you could damage your hardware. The graphics card is quite outdated; a RX 66x0 XT or better would perform much better today. Many users who upgraded from 6700K/7700K have shared their results on their benches. You might find this channel helpful, as it features plenty of content about older systems: https://www.youtube.com/@RandomGaminginHD/videos
Here’s a revised version of your text:
The focus should be on boards priced under $50. Anything over $7,700 is not worth the effort. The 7700 model isn’t worth it unless it meets the same low price point. If it doesn’t, consider swapping to a used B3/450 for around $50, which lets you purchase a used 5600(x) for $80–$100 or even a used 3600(x) for about $50. Both options eliminate those older i7 Coffee Lake units and are not recommended under the same budget. The 8700K won’t stand a chance either—it’s too expensive to ignore with this price range. Spi headers are common on most boards, making external flashing possible with a BIOS programmer like the Ch341A. This protects you from faulty BIOS updates and lets you crossflash your system, which I often use for overclocking gains (like a P7P55D with a P7P55D-E deluxe BIOS to fix ASUS BIOS issues).
For the hardware itself, you can install a pad mod or a SuperIO chip mod. Pad mods are simpler since they don’t require soldering and are similar to the 771 pad mod, except you just connect a signal pin to VSS so the motherboard powers on. If it doesn’t work, check the SKTOC pin and link it to a nearby ground pad. There’s a tool that can patch BIOS support for Coffee Lake, but I’m not searching for it right now—it would make updating BIOS easier than using mmtool.
This is just some info I gathered while exploring modding for 100/200 series boards a few months ago. If I ever get a 100/200 board, I’ll definitely upgrade it to support Coffee Lake because the resale value matters and troubleshooting its BIOS is tricky.