Looking for ways to boost your setup? Consider upgrading Mobo and CPU.
Looking for ways to boost your setup? Consider upgrading Mobo and CPU.
Hey there. Thanks for your time. I set up my PC in 2015 with a Z97 board and an i7 4790k. My current motherboard isn’t ideal—it’s missing things like built-in WiFi, Bluetooth, M.2 slots, and has some bent USB pins. I’m thinking about swapping it out since new Z97 boards aren’t being produced anymore, and I don’t want to waste money on a better board. Instead, I’m considering a fresh CPU and a new motherboard.
I do gaming and creative work like Photoshop, Premiere Pro, Cinema4D, and Unreal Engine 4. I already have a GTX 980 and plan to upgrade it later, but right now I’m okay with 1080p. I’ve upgraded my storage to a high-capacity SSD and an SSD+HDD combo.
For a CPU upgrade, I’m open to both AMD and Intel options. I can’t afford i9s, so I want something practical. My 4790k feels solid but might be a bit slower than a newer model like the 9700K. I’m not sure how much speed difference matters yet, but I’d like to know what to expect. No need to overspend—just want a reliable boost without breaking the bank.
P.S. My case is a NZXT H510.
The R5 3600 impresses with its performance versus your 4790 CPU and offers good value. The NVME SSD delivers significantly faster data transfer than typical storage options. Alternatively, you could opt for a last-generation Ryzen 2700, providing two extra cores ideal for video editing, though it sacrifices about 15% single-core performance compared to gaming. Personally, I’d avoid any Intel CPU lacking security updates, as their efficiency drops noticeably each month. A 10th-gen chip would be preferable. With Ryzen 4K on the horizon, I’d hold off on purchasing a CPU now and revisit options once prices adjust. I’d consider the Ryzen 3K if it meets expectations, or wait for a better deal on the 4K.
Thanks. I think I'm set on AMD, it just does wonders for my budget. Back when I was building my computer like 5-6 years ago AMD was pretty bad (Core FX processors) so it's surprising to see they're a good deal now. I have no issue with waiting til the new Ryzen processors come out.