System Upgrade
System Upgrade
Upgrade question
Hello all, my current configuration is as follows:
-I5 6600k with air cooling
-Gigabyte GTX 970 G1 gaming board
-Asus 170 pro gaming motherboard
-Corsair 750w power supply
-2x8GB RAM at 3200 or 3600 MHz
-A random, old 250GB SSD
-Western Digital Green 2TB hard drive
I assembled this PC between 2016 and 2017 and it still performs well in full HD (some games run smoothly on ultra, others struggle a bit). I’m considering upgrading certain components so I can enjoy full HD without issues.
My budget is between 500 and 600 euros, and I’d prefer to spend less if possible.
I was thinking of:
- Purchasing another RAM module similar to the one I have, giving me four 8GB sticks
- Swapping the SSD for a Samsung 980, reserving it only for the operating system
- Upgrading the hard drive to something better, perhaps a WD Black model
- Replacing the GTX 970 with a 4060
My questions are:
- Is the 4060 a suitable card, or can I find a better option?
- Should I upgrade the RAM, or keep it at about 50€?
- Should I stick to using the SSD only for the OS and the hard drive for games, or should I buy a 2TB SSD for all use?
- Will my CPU become a bottleneck? (It’s overclocked slightly)
- Is this PC worth upgrading, or should I consider buying a new one?
Thank you very much for your advice, and I’m open to any suggestions.
If feasible, purchase a complete new RAM set if you plan to upgrade. And consider installing 2 modules in dual channel instead of 4. If you aim for 32GB, opt for a 2x16GB full package.
Reasons for replacing the existing components vary: simply use both units together. For the hard disk, the same applies—just use both.
Depending on cost, the 4060 usually falls short compared to alternatives like the RX7600, which offers better value, or the RX6600, which provides superior performance and efficiency. See the points above for more details.
Some enthusiasts might push for a full platform upgrade, especially if you're on a 6th generation Intel system. However, if your current setup meets your needs and these improvements will deliver what you want, it may be more effective and cost-efficient to replace everything at once.
Note: Are you planning to use this for gaming? Also, which PSU model are you using? You might need to upgrade that as well.
It's hard to suggest sticking with your current motherboard and CPU if you can invest 500 or 600 Euros. That's a 7-year-old system. You might still use the existing SSD, perhaps the case or RAM, but likely an HDD would be better. I don't know the local prices or how those costs might change in a few months.
Thanks for the reply, yes I use this for gaming.
My PSU is a Corsair CX750M 80 Plus Bronze.
I’m considering buying the same RAM modules I currently have, but I don’t want to throw away the ones I already own—there’s such a big difference between 2x16 and 4x8 (100 vs 50 euros).
The 4060 costs 350 euros, the 3060/3060 Ti is similar, and the 3070 is 460 euros (I live in Italy).
My PC runs just fine, I’d say it’s perfect, but some games don’t perform well at ultra settings, so I’m not sure if changing the RAM is necessary. I’d rather not spend too much money.
I’ve never bought anything from AMD, so I prefer Nvidia products (like the 970 from Gigabyte—it’s still doing great in 2023).
The main goal is to play full HD at ultra settings, and when it’s time I’ll upgrade if needed. Right now it’s not a priority.
Thanks again.
I don't believe a significant CPU upgrade is feasible on that motherboard. You could possibly locate a used CPU that would be fairly inexpensive and still provide a small improvement. I haven't determined the exact top choice.
6600K was quite capable back then; I owned one; it's still sufficient for non-gaming tasks.
I suggest focusing most of your budget on the GPU instead. I have no idea how to allocate the rest effectively.
Up to you on splitting the funds between the two components.
I wouldn't recommend replacing the drives, considering your needs and budget.
A RAM swap likely wouldn't make much difference either, within the constraints you've mentioned.
Slightly over budget:
reuse the rams. upgrade to 5800X3D later.
PCPartPicker Part List
CPU:
AMD Ryzen 5 4500 3.6 GHz 6-Core Processor
(€81.00 @ Amazon Italia)
Motherboard:
ASRock B450 Steel Legend ATX AM4 Motherboard
(€106.00 @ Amazon Italia)
Storage:
Crucial P5 Plus 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive
(€112.17 @ Amazon Italia)
Video Card:
PowerColor Fighter Radeon RX 7600 8 GB Video Card
(€290.00 @ Amazon Italia)
Power Supply:
Corsair RM750e (2023) 750 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply
(€109.99 @ Amazon Italia)
Total:
€699.16
Prices cover shipping, taxes, and available discounts
Created by
PCPartPicker
2023-08-24 15:07 CEST+0200
Hello, thank you for your message. I understand you're considering only changing the GPU. Would you prefer the 7600 from Gigabyte at 320 euros, or would you rather opt for the 4060 for an additional 30 euros? Or do you think the 7600 is the superior choice?
If I were purchasing a 4060 for 350 Euros, I'd likely choose an RX 6700XT for 360 Euros. It offers better performance and more memory at almost the same cost. Unless you're particularly interested in NVIDIA's ray tracing or DLSS features.
https://imgur.com/a/UnVdm8t