Upgrading my PC
Upgrading my PC
Hi,
I'm considering an upgrade for my PC. At first, I thought about only changing the RAM from 8GB to 32GB, but then I realized I should also consider improving the processor and graphics card to make it more future-proof. I don't play the most demanding games, but since I bought it in 2017, the newer titles might not perform well on it.
My current processor is an AMD Ryzen 5 1400 at 3.20 GHz. The parts I'm evaluating are:
- Ryzen 5 5600G
- Ryzen 5 5600X
- Ryzen 7 5700X
- Ryzen 7 5800X or 5800XT
My existing graphics card is an AMD Radeon RX 480 (4GB), and the options I'm looking at are:
- Gigabyte Radeon RX 7600
- PowerColor Radeon RX 9060 XT
I just need some advice on whether these components will work together or if there are better choices. Thanks in advance.
Depends on your budget and where you are. Also, it's worth noting what parts are covered in the budget.
The PSU is also important to upgrade unless you already have a strong one.
Edit: Having a detailed list of your current components—including make, model, and variant—will be very useful for more tailored advice.
I operate from the UK and have a budget around £400, possibly up to £450, depending on finding cheaper options through CEX, which might mean secondhand items. Regarding my power supply, I don’t know the exact model since the desktop is an Aspire GX-281 and the manual doesn’t specify anything. The listed capacity of 500 W seems reasonable. The Acer forums mentioned that upgrading would likely require a Ryzen 7 1700 or 1700X, but only if the motherboard is compatible. It might be easier to focus on updating the RAM and possibly the graphics card instead of modifying the processor.
Your board is a B350 model, so you should consider switching to a system that supports PCIe 4.0 and higher RAM speeds like DDR4-3200/3600. It’s likely you’ll also need to upgrade your power supply, though I’m unsure if that’s feasible with an Acer prebuilt unit. Someone more experienced in this area should probably respond to the discussion.
Also who is aware if the board will fit the Acer case? It might be better to switch cases and ensure everything is uniform. If you check, there are options for affordable cases. For instance
https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/product/2Mwm...-903-max-b
This could provide room for future upgrades as well.
A custom-built PC featuring unique parts presents a challenging upgrade scenario. Attempts to integrate a suitable power supply have yielded limited improvements while maintaining standard performance levels. This budget offers only modest options...
PCPartPicker Part List
CPU: Intel Core i5-14400F 2.5 GHz 10-Core Processor (£112.97 @ Amazon UK)
Motherboard: MSI PRO-H610M-E-DDR4 Micro ATX LGA1700 (£54.99 @ Amazon UK)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3600 CL18 (£36.60 @ Amazon UK)
Video Card: EVGA SC ULTRA GAMING GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER 8 GB Video Card (£199.99 @ Amazon UK)
Power Supply: Corsair RM650e (2025) 650 W Fully Modular ATX (£74.60 @ NeoComputers)
Total: £479.15
Shipping, taxes, and available discounts are included in the cost
Created by PCPartPicker
Date: 2025-09-02 22:01 BST+0100
Upgrading this setup will likely require selling the existing machine and investing further for a solid upgrade, including a case. The graphics card is not cutting-edge, but its performance remains comparable to the 3060.
Thanks for your responses! Based on what you've recommended, it could be more practical to simply upgrade the RAM and keep saving for a new one instead of attempting to upgrade the existing one.
Perhaps consider upgrading to 16GB only, since you won't be able to add more RAM in a new build.