Help with Gaming System Upgrade
Help with Gaming System Upgrade
Hi
I was wondering if you might have some guidance for me?
I’m a 52-year-old with an old rig I built a long time ago. It works just fine for most games—right now I’m playing 'Red Dead 2' on med settings with FPS around 30-40, which suits me well (being used to 30 FPS). However, I want to try 'Starfield' and my current setup isn’t up to the task. I’m tight on money since I spend it all feeding my kids, so I’d really like to stretch my old machine a bit more, but maybe I’m in over my head.
Details about my hardware:
- Azrock z77 extreme4 MB
- 16GB DDR3 RAM
- i5 3570k CPU
- GTX 1060 GPU
I think the Azrock z77, which uses a 1155 socket, pairs best with an i7 3770 or i7 3770k. I’m considering combining it with a GTX 1070/1080 from eBay.
If upgrading everything is necessary, I’d love to hear any suggestions for the most affordable upgrade path. I’m open to buying used parts from eBay.
Thanks a lot
Ian
Hi, I’m looking for a CPU/motherboard/ram package similar to this one. At around $350, it includes a 6-core, 12-thread processor, which is a significant improvement over an i5. 16GB of RAM should handle Starfield comfortably, and the 3600MHz clock speed will work well with the 5600X. You’ll need an aftermarket cooler since this combo doesn’t include one. A GTX 1080 should suffice for Starfield, possibly even on medium settings. Upgrading to an i7 3770k isn’t necessary, as it would still struggle on the lowest settings in Starfield. What power supply do you have? The exact make/model.
Starfield minimum specs require a 1070ti processor. GPU Benchmarks and Hierarchy 2023 details show various graphics cards evaluated across different platforms. We’ve tested numerous GPUs from Nvidia, AMD, and Intel and organized them in a detailed ranking. Affordable options available within your budget? Eventually, you could upgrade the CPU to 5800X3D and pair it with a solid GPU such as the 7800XT. The motherboard and power supply will accommodate these upgrades. PCPartPicker Part List CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 4500 3.6 GHz 6-Core Processor (£66.50 @ Amazon UK) Motherboard: Asus TUF GAMING B450M-PLUS II Micro ATX AM4 (£84.99 @ AWD-IT) Memory: Klevv BOLT X 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3600 CL18 (£33.18 @ Amazon UK) Storage: Samsung 970 Evo Plus 1 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 3.0 X4 NVME SSD (£44.97 @ Amazon UK) Video Card: Sapphire PULSE Radeon RX 6650 XT 8 GB (£229.99 @ Scan.co.uk) Power Supply: FSP Group Hydro G Pro 650 W, 80+ Gold Certified, Fully Modular ATX (£98.16 @ Amazon UK) Overall Cost: £557.79 Includes shipping, taxes, and applicable discounts Created by PCPartPicker 2023-09-08 15:03 BST+0100
If you're looking to play the game, a budget CPU upgrade might suffice. An i7 3770 with an RX 470 4GB can handle it smoothly at 1080p low settings around 25 to 30 frames per second. If you prefer 720p or resolution scaling, your GTX 1060 performs slightly better than the RX 470 with more VRAM (especially the 6GB model), offering marginally higher performance. The i7 3770 weighs around 30 to 35 pounds; alternatives like the Xeon E3 1240 V2, 1245 V2, or 1270 V2 are lighter and still provide similar power, though slightly faster. Pairing it with an RX 5700 or RX 6600 will allow you to play at a decent level. You may still encounter some frame time issues, but a new setup would help until you can afford the rest. I wouldn't recommend a GTX 1080 right now unless you spot a great deal, as RX 5700 or RX 6600 are better and more recent options.
A lot of useful suggestions really helped. Knowing what upgrades are needed is important. Of course, if I can afford a full upgrade, that would be ideal, but having the ability to adjust what I already have is also valuable.