Upgrading wife's computer - basic understanding
Upgrading wife's computer - basic understanding
Hello! You're thinking about improving your wife's computer and wanted some advice. I've only upgraded my PC twice before—once in 2015 and once this year. I'm new to the topic and have basic understanding.
Her current setup includes:
- Ryzen 7 3700X
- 32 GB RAM (4x8 GB, DDR4, 3600 MHz)
- Gigabyte B550 Aorus Pro AC (WiFi built-in, BIOS F1 in dxdiag)
- RTX 2070 SUPER 8 GB
- Lianli case with stock Ryzen cooler and 6 fans
Upgrade options:
Option A: Ryzen 7 5700X for $138
ASUS TUF Gaming GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 8GB GDDR6 Non-OC for $465
DeepCool LS720 SE DIGITAL 360mm AIO CPU Cooler for $97
Total: $700
Option B: Ryzen 7 5700X3D (currently out of stock, $182)
GALAX GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER EX Gamer 1-Click OC 12GB GDDR6X for $638
DeepCool LS720 SE DIGITAL 360mm AIO CPU Cooler for $97
Total: $917
Follow-up questions:
1. Is the R7 5700X sufficient? Will the upgrade make a noticeable difference now?
2. Should I stick with the RTX 4060 Ti or go for the 4070 Super? Budget is tight, but I want it to last a while.
Thanks a lot!
PCPartPicker Part List
CPU:
*
AMD Ryzen 7 5700X 3.4 GHz 8-Core Processor
($149.99 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler:
*
ARCTIC Freezer 36 A-RGB CPU Cooler
($33.10 @ Amazon)
Video Card:
*
Asus DUAL EVO OC GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER 12 GB Video Card
($599.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply:
*
ADATA XPG Core Reactor II 750 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply
($89.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $873.07
Costs cover shipping, taxes, and applicable discounts
*Selected lowest-priced items based on criteria*
Created by
PCPartPicker
2024-12-30 03:46 EST-0500
In what way is wife's pc not doing the job?
If this is gaming,( which I presume) what kinds of games are played?
Try this simple test:
Run HER games, but lower your resolution and eye candy.
This makes the graphics card loaf a bit.
If your FPS increases, it indicates that your cpu is strong enough to drive a better graphics configuration.
If your FPS stays the same, you are likely more cpu limited.
What resolution are you playing at?
Higher resolutions like 4k need very strong graphics cards.
Tom's gpu hierarchy chart can size the gpu options.
If budget permits, buy the stronger card.
The joy of savings a bit is short compared to the second guessing if you did not opt for the stronger.
What is the make/model of your psu?
Is it sufficient for a graphics card upgrade?
On the cpu side, 5700x and 5700X3d are not very different.
The x3d is excellent for gaming, but is not so good by comparison with the 5700x for anything else.
On cpu coolers, there is no accounting for tastes.
If wife wants an aio, buy an aio.
I would not when a good air cooler can do the job.
AIO coolers do not last forever, think of one as a 5 year rental.
In time the mechanical pump will fail or get clogged.
Air will intrude through the tubes requiring complete replacement.
Noctua maintains a list of suitable coolers for processors.
Here is the list for the 5800X3D:
https://ncc.noctua.at/cpus/model/Ryzen-7-5800X3D-1597
You can find thermalright peerless assassin coolers for about $50.
https://www.newegg.com/p/13C-011K-0...MI...gKbLfD_BwE