Seeking guidance on improving your CPU, MOBO, and RAM setup.
Seeking guidance on improving your CPU, MOBO, and RAM setup.
I’m planning to kick back into PC gaming once more, using it as a way to explore game design ideas. My setup is pretty basic right now—just the Series X console and an FX-6300 CPU. I’ll need a fresh CPU, motherboard, and RAM since newer systems use DDR4 or DDR5. My wife suggested a budget of $500, which is within our savings limit. I might be able to stretch that further with some allowance money, but getting closer to the target would help.
I’m thinking 32GB of RAM sounds good. I’ll stick with my current Corsair Carbide case, EVGA PSU, existing SSDs and HDDs, and quiet fans. My graphics card is an EVGA GTX 1070 SC2 with 8GB. I expect it to suffice for now, so I’ll upgrade later. Maybe I’ll find a used 1070 on eBay for SLI compatibility.
Regarding the processor, I’m leaning toward AMD but unsure whether AM5 or AM4 is better. If I go AMD, I should consider the cost of DDR5 memory versus the price. A Ryzen 7 7700X is available on Amazon for $264, but that leaves limited room for a good motherboard and cooler.
Display-wise, I plan to switch between a 2560x1080 monitor and a 4K LG C3. Once my GPU improves, I want a system that can handle those resolutions smoothly. I’m hoping to snag a solid Black Friday deal. Any tips would be great!
Most games except a handful are pretty average. This bundle is decent. Used DDR5 is the only realistic way to avoid getting taken advantage of by the AI surge. If your PSU is similar in age to the 6300, consider swapping it for a new 750W unit around $100. I’m using an R5 5600 and 1080, and I’m really happy with the 1080p performance. I keep looking for upgrades, but a monitor and a used 3070 seem like my next goals.
Yeah, the SLI path seems like an idea. I could buy another card for around $80 on eBay, but it might be smarter to just add that to a fresh card right now. I got the PSU back in January 2021 after my FX6300 build’s original cheap one stopped working. That’s about five years since purchase, and I’m not sure when it was made. I probably won’t upgrade it until I replace the GPU. I’m hoping to wait a bit longer. Hmmm. The 9700X is also on sale, but it would stretch my budget. EDIT: I chose the 9700X now, thinking about matching a solid MOBO and a cooler look.
I chose the Ryzen 7 9700X, ASUS TUF Gaming B850-PLUS, and Pure Rock 3 pro cooler. The total comes to $576. I need to locate a decent used RAM deal. A 6000 MHz CL30 is suggested as the ideal match for this CPU, especially with AMD Expo. That sounds right? I’m sure I made the best choice. My biggest worry is whether the fan will handle the workload.
Yes, you can configure the system to use 6000 MTS while running at a lower base frequency like 7200 or 6400. The difference between AMD Expo and Intel architecture mainly affects performance characteristics rather than memory support itself.
The sole motivation is discovering several solid offers on second-hand RAM. My concern stems from this discussion, though I’m uncertain whether it’s something to worry about.
Hey, there is a deal on DDR5 On Newegg. It's like $437 but come with a CPU liquid cooler. I could return my CPU cooler. Then it might not be that bad of a deal. EDIT: Nevermind. I just found 2x16 GB sticks, 6000 30 CL for $200. The seller is holding them for me until I can meet them on Friday. Score!