How to Build a System That is Easier to Upgrade

[Dubesta11]

For many people, getting the best possible computer performance for the money is a very important factor when choosing parts. That generally leads to high end builds with a few cheap components that limit how much the computer can be upgraded. There are two important factors to keep in mind when choosing components. They are:

 

Upgrading: This is when a part is completely replaced for a better performing part. Examples include the CPU, motherboard, power supply, replacing a GPU, case, or any other part that requires the removal of the old one.

 

Expanding: This is when a new part is added without needing to change other parts. Examples include adding another GPU, storage device, fans, and any other part than is just added in.

 

It is generally better to focus on expanding a system because no parts are left unused. Upgrading means parts are going to be unused (which is bad for budgets, but spare parts are always good to have). Let me break down 2 different builds using different upgrade methods. The scenario is that someone has about 600 USD to spend and only needs the tower, but wants to be able to upgrade later on. Here is what I would pick:

 

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/gxfJTW

CPU: Intel Pentium G3258 3.2GHz Dual-Core Processor  ($69.99 @ Newegg)

Motherboard: MSI Z97S SLI Krait Edition ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($125.99 @ Amazon)

Memory: G.Skill Sniper 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($64.99 @ Newegg)

Storage: Crucial MX100 256GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($109.99 @ Amazon)

Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 750 Ti 2GB Video Card  ($129.99 @ Amazon)

Case: Corsair Graphite Series 230T Black ATX Mid Tower Case  ($60.34 @ Amazon)

Power Supply: Rosewill Capstone 750W 80+ Gold Certified ATX Power Supply  ($59.99 @ Newegg)

Total: $613.28

Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

 

Here is a breakdown of the parts selected:

 

CPU: Unlocked dual core CPU capable of matching the performance of an i3 in most games.

CPU Cooler: Intel stock cooler, it can handle high loads with a decent noise level and good heat levels. Oh and its free.

Motherboard: Normally this would be a weird selection, but it offers a few major upgrade paths that I will be discussing later.

Memory: Since the motherboard selected has 4 slots, and this is going to be a gaming build (compared to a production build, which focuses on a lot of RAM), 8GB of dual channel RAM is plenty to handle current games.

Storage: As time goes by, SSD’s will keep going down in price. But for now, a 256GB SSD is recommended because a few large games can be installed on it, as well as the entire system. It is much easier to add another drive later, but is a pain to merge from an HDD to an SSD.

Video Card: Nothing amazing, but provides very playable performance at 1080p, and offers Nvidia features like stable drivers, a good heat/power ratio, and can be easily upgraded with the help of the GeForce Experience application (which also provides game performance enhancing).

Case: This case has good airflow to start, and enough room to expand in the future.

Power supply: Very overkill for this system, but provides expansion potential and great power efficiency. A modular power supply can be purchased for more money and improves the aesthetics and cable management if desired.

 

This is definity not the build someone should go with if they wanted the best possible performing build for the money. That will come later in this guide. Now I will talk about the motherboard selection. Not many people people understand how important the motherboard selection is, from the simple things like connector locations to SLI/Xfire and overclocking support. Getting a cheap board is fine, but doesn’t leave much expansion potential. Remember, upgrading is alright but expansion is the way to go.

 

Here is a possible upgrade and expansion route:

 

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/kM3KkL

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($209.99 @ Newegg)

CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler  ($33.99 @ Amazon)

Motherboard: MSI Z97S SLI Krait Edition ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  (Purchased For $0.00)

Memory: G.Skill Sniper 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  (Purchased For $0.00)

Memory: G.Skill Sniper 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($57.99 @ Newegg)

Storage: Crucial MX100 256GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  (Purchased For $0.00)

Storage: Seagate Barracuda 3TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($101.47 @ Amazon)

Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 970 4GB Twin Frozr V Video Card  ($349.99 @ Amazon)

Case: Corsair Graphite Series 230T Black ATX Mid Tower Case  (Purchased For $0.00)

Power Supply: Rosewill Capstone 750W 80+ Gold Certified ATX Power Supply  (Purchased For $0.00)

Total: $753.43

Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

 

Here are the parts that were upgraded:

 

CPU: Upgraded to an unlocked i5, which is just about the best CPU you can get for the money for gaming since it can be overclocked for less potential bottlenecking.

CPU Cooler: Technically it was expanded because the old one was free. This is one of the best coolers for the money on a low end budget mainly because it provides stable temperatures for very high overclocks.

Memory: Expanded with another set of the same RAM that was already owned, for 16GB total.

Storage: Expanded to a stupid amount of HDD storage (well, at least for todays use).

Video Card: Upgraded to one of the best current graphics cards that can max out 1080p for all games (except ubisoft, possibly max out at console settings). This card should last many years without needed to be upgraded.

 

Left over parts include the Pentium G3258 and the GTX 750ti. Both of these parts are great for testing out possible problems and are cheap enough to forget about. And people are going crazy for these parts used, so selling should not be a problem. Total price out with these parts is 199.99, assuming they are displayed on a shelf. For the parts being added, they can be purchased individually whenever needed or on sale. Also, another 970 can be added in SLI for even greater performance at high resolutions (or for future ubisoft games

 

____________________________________________________________

 

Let me shift gears to an alternative build. What if someone wanted the best performing build they could get with the same 600 USD and not focus on expanding? This is what they would get:

 

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/LkzzCJ

CPU: Intel Core i5-4440 3.1GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($169.99 @ Newegg)

Motherboard: ASRock H81M-HDS Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($56.99 @ Amazon)

Memory: G.Skill Sniper 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($64.99 @ Newegg)

Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($54.99 @ Amazon)

Video Card: XFX Radeon R9 280 3GB Double Dissipation Video Card  ($199.99 @ Amazon)

Case: Deepcool TESSERACT BF ATX Mid Tower Case  ($35.98 @ Newegg)

Power Supply: EVGA 500W 80+ Certified ATX Power Supply  ($34.99 @ Amazon)

Total: $604.92

Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

 

Here is a breakdown of the parts selected:

 

CPU: Cheapest current generation i5.

CPU Cooler: Same as previous build.

Motherboard: Cheap board that fits an i5.

Memory: Same as previous build.

Storage: 1TB Hard Disk Drive, capable of holding a lot of games with a decent speed.

Video Card: One of the best cards for that price point, handles 1080p on high settings.

Case: Cheap case that fits all the components.

Power Supply: Cheap PSU that has enough power for the whole build.

 

This is just about the best possible performance for gaming for the money, but does not leave much of an upgrade route. Builds like this are recommended daily but may come back to bite when looking to get more performance. Here is what the cost looks like when upgrading to something similar to the previous upgrade:

 

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/r7nWyc

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($179.99 @ Micro Center)

CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler  ($31.92 @ OutletPC)

Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z97M-DS3H Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($77.27 @ TigerDirect)

Memory: G.Skill Sniper 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  (Purchased For $0.00)

Memory: G.Skill Sniper 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($57.99 @ Newegg)

Storage: Crucial MX100 256GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($109.96 @ OutletPC)

Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  (Purchased For $0.00)

Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($79.99 @ Amazon)

Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 970 4GB Video Card  ($339.98 @ NCIX US)

Case: Cooler Master N200 MicroATX Mid Tower Case  ($39.99 @ NCIX US)

Power Supply: EVGA 500W 80+ Certified ATX Power Supply  (Purchased For $0.00)

Total: $917.09

Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

 

Here are the parts that were upgraded:

 

CPU: Upgraded for overclockability, a low clocked i5 would eventually become a bottleneck.\

CPU Cooler: Same as before.

Motherboard: A Z97 board would be best for overclocking that i5 for the price.

Memory: Same as before.

Storage: An SSD for the speed increase, and 2 more terabytes of storage.

Video Card: Same as before, because Crossfiring would require upgrading the motherboard and power supply.

Case: Cheaping out on a case does not lead to good things, more airflow is needed for an overclocking setup.

 

More on next reply:

[Dubesta11]

Continued:

 

In this case, left over parts include a motherboard, CPU, video card, and case. The total unused parts price spent is 462.95. This would also require a reinstallation of Windows, and a rebuild of the computer. Many people would not upgrade the i5 and wait a while for another generation to come out, but having an unlocked CPU allows for it to stay relevant for much longer. Also, this does not allow the new GPU to be SLIed.

__________________________________________________________

 

In conclusion, it is a lot easier to build with the intention of upgrading, because it’s bound to happen. This guide also suggests that you overclock, which is very easy with the simple applications and efficient CPUs. Sales are not included either, which can make a large difference when adding up total costs (Microcenter bundles are a great way to save money, as well as shopping during major sales). Even with a non-overclocked system, time and hassle is still saved with an easily upgradable system. It pays off to buy the best possible parts that should not be upgraded often, like the motherboard, case, and storage devices. Also make sure to keep enough RAM slots open to add more if needed. I hope you enjoyed this long reading, and happy building!

___________________________________________________________

 

Disclaimer: This guide has no intention of listing specific parts that should be purchased, but explains how builds should be created with the future in mind. PCPartPicker is not affiliated in any way, it was used as a resource environment. Prices shown are as of 11/13/2014.

[TheSLSAMG]

Here are the parts that were upgraded:

 

CPU: Upgraded for overclockability, a low clocked i5 would eventually become a bottleneck.\

CPU Cooler: Same as before.

Motherboard: A Z97 board would be best for overclocking that i5 for the price.

Memory: Same as before.

Storage: An SSD for the speed increase, and 2 more terabytes of storage.

Video Card: Same as before, because Crossfiring would require upgrading the motherboard and power supply.

Case: Cheaping out on a case does not lead to good things, more airflow is needed for an overclocking setup.

 

More on next reply:

The whole "A low clocked i5 would eventually become a bottleneck" thing is true, but at that point, clockspeeds wouldn't completely close the gap. People still use i5 Sandy Bridge locked CPUs today with current high end GPUs and are fine with them. Few people are even stupid enough to sidegrade from a non-K series CPU to a K-series CPU on the same architecture. Such a concept is asinine. And you're treating this as if the upgrade path were being done now, when it wouldn't be done for at least two or three years. I read your disclaimer above, but it still applies in the manner of which you're treating it.

[Dubesta11]

The whole "A low clocked i5 would eventually become a bottleneck" thing is true, but at that point, clockspeeds wouldn't completely close the gap. People still use i5 Sandy Bridge locked CPUs today with current high end GPUs and are fine with them. Few people are even stupid enough to sidegrade from a non-K series CPU to a K-series CPU on the same architecture. Such a concept is asinine. And you're treating this as if the upgrade path were being done now, when it wouldn't be done for at least two or three years. I read your disclaimer above, but it still applies in the manner of which you're treating it.

 

That is true, and also why I said that overclocking is not necessary. This is not an instant upgrade, but one done over time. 

[GodSpoon]

Excellent guide, and very informative 

Good job!

[SteveGrabowski]

Let me shift gears to an alternative build. What if someone wanted the best performing build they could get with the same 600 USD and not focus on expanding? This is what they would get:

 

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/LkzzCJ

CPU: Intel Core i5-4440 3.1GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($169.99 @ Newegg)

Motherboard: ASRock H81M-HDS Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($56.99 @ Amazon)

Memory: G.Skill Sniper 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($64.99 @ Newegg)

Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($54.99 @ Amazon)

Video Card: XFX Radeon R9 280 3GB Double Dissipation Video Card  ($199.99 @ Amazon)

Case: Deepcool TESSERACT BF ATX Mid Tower Case  ($35.98 @ Newegg)

Power Supply: EVGA 500W 80+ Certified ATX Power Supply  ($34.99 @ Amazon)

Total: $604.92

Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

 

Here is a breakdown of the parts selected:

 

CPU: Cheapest current generation i5.

CPU Cooler: Same as previous build.

Motherboard: Cheap board that fits an i5.

Memory: Same as previous build.

Storage: 1TB Hard Disk Drive, capable of holding a lot of games with a decent speed.

Video Card: One of the best cards for that price point, handles 1080p on high settings.

Case: Cheap case that fits all the components.

Power Supply: Cheap PSU that has enough power for the whole build.

 

This is just about the best possible performance for gaming for the money, but does not leave much of an upgrade route. Builds like this are recommended daily but may come back to bite when looking to get more performance. Here is what the cost looks like when upgrading to something similar to the previous upgrade:

 

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/r7nWyc

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($179.99 @ Micro Center)

CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler  ($31.92 @ OutletPC)

Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z97M-DS3H Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($77.27 @ TigerDirect)

Memory: G.Skill Sniper 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  (Purchased For $0.00)

Memory: G.Skill Sniper 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($57.99 @ Newegg)

Storage: Crucial MX100 256GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($109.96 @ OutletPC)

Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  (Purchased For $0.00)

Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($79.99 @ Amazon)

Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 970 4GB Video Card  ($339.98 @ NCIX US)

Case: Cooler Master N200 MicroATX Mid Tower Case  ($39.99 @ NCIX US)

Power Supply: EVGA 500W 80+ Certified ATX Power Supply  (Purchased For $0.00)

Total: $917.09

Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

 

Here are the parts that were upgraded:

 

CPU: Upgraded for overclockability, a low clocked i5 would eventually become a bottleneck.\

CPU Cooler: Same as before.

Motherboard: A Z97 board would be best for overclocking that i5 for the price.

Memory: Same as before.

Storage: An SSD for the speed increase, and 2 more terabytes of storage.

Video Card: Same as before, because Crossfiring would require upgrading the motherboard and power supply.

Case: Cheaping out on a case does not lead to good things, more airflow is needed for an overclocking setup.

 

More on next reply:

 

I completely disagree with the notion that this kind of system is a bad investment.

 

1. Consoles drive most of the games development.

2. Console APU's have garbage single core performance.

3. Thus games aren't likely to be optimized for strong single core performance this generation of consoles; they're going to be optimized for moar corez.

4. So if my i5-4440 is struggling due to insufficient virtual cores, an i5-4690k probably is too.

5. For example, see how weak a G3258 is compared to an i3 even with a 1 GHz clockrate advantage.

6. If my i5-4440 is struggling because Intel made huge gains in IPC, well, the 4690k has the same architecture and same weakness too.

 

I personally think the platform cost of an overclocked i5-4690k doesn't make sense for anyone on any kind of budget. The i5-4440 can usually be found for around $180, while the i5-4690k is usually around $230. Add in at least $30 extra for the Z-series motherboard vs the H-series one and $30 more for the heatsink and that's $110+ already for no performance difference now in a single GPU setup.

 

Buy what you need now. If in a couple of years the i5-7xxx has some major upgrade that makes the i5-4440 obsolete, which would you rather have? The i5-7440 or an unlocked i5-4690k on an obsolete architecture?

 

As for the Z97 board for future SLI, that doesn't make sense either. It doesn't make sense to buy a video card and then a year or two later buy a second one of the same model once the first isn't sufficient. Better to just buy the new video card then and sell your old one. SLI makes sense for running a high resolution setup right now. If I want to play 1440p or 4k right now, then I'll buy two GTX 970/980. But for future proofing so you can buy a second card later on when it's already obsolete? I don't see it. Buy the system you need now so if things change in an uncertain future you're not thinking "Shit, I dropped $130 on this motherboard and $230 on this CPU and god-dammit, I'm going to use it with how much I have invested in it". Save the overclocking for people who want top of the line performance and are willing and/or able to spend the premium in takes to get there.

[wreckem1214]

I completely disagree with the notion that this kind of system is a bad investment.

 

1. Consoles drive most of the games development.

2. Console APU's have garbage single core performance.

3. Thus games aren't likely to be optimized for strong single core performance this generation of consoles; they're going to be optimized for moar corez.

4. So if my i5-4440 is struggling due to insufficient virtual cores, an i5-4690k probably is too.

5. For example, see how weak a G3258 is compared to an i3 even with a 1 GHz clockrate advantage.

6. If my i5-4440 is struggling because Intel made huge gains in IPC, well, the 4690k has the same architecture and same weakness too.

 

I personally think the platform cost of an overclocked i5-4690k doesn't make sense for anyone on any kind of budget. The i5-4440 can usually be found for around $180, while the i5-4690k is usually around $230. Add in at least $30 extra for the Z-series motherboard vs the H-series one and $30 more for the heatsink and that's $110+ already for no performance difference now in a single GPU setup.

 

Buy what you need now. If in a couple of years the i5-7xxx has some major upgrade that makes the i5-4440 obsolete, which would you rather have? The i5-7440 or an unlocked i5-4690k on an obsolete architecture?

 

As for the Z97 board for future SLI, that doesn't make sense either. It doesn't make sense to buy a video card and then a year or two later buy a second one of the same model once the first isn't sufficient. Better to just buy the new video card then and sell your old one. SLI makes sense for running a high resolution setup right now. If I want to play 1440p or 4k right now, then I'll buy two GTX 970/980. But for future proofing so you can buy a second card later on when it's already obsolete? I don't see it. Buy the system you need now so if things change in an uncertain future you're not thinking "Shit, I dropped $130 on this motherboard and $230 on this CPU and god-dammit, I'm going to use it with how much I have invested in it". Save the overclocking for people who want top of the line performance and are willing and/or able to spend the premium in takes to get there.

 

I see where you're coming from, but buying one card now and another one in the future isn't a terrible idea for someone who wants a certain gaming experience now (with one 970 or 980), with the ability to maintain that level in the future. Let's say someone bought a 770 when they first came out, for example. Are you saying it would be a better idea to sell the 770 and go with a 970/980, instead of purchasing a second 770? It's at least arguable.

[VIhul]

Yeah I tried to stick to the principles outlined in this build, getting parts that maybe weren't necessary but provided headroom for expansion. Some of my friends doubted me but they can think what they want When I help people with builds, I always choose for example a motherboard around $100, a slightly overkill PSU, and the best processor for their price range. That way, they can easily add a better GPU later and not have to worry about upgrading other parts they cheaped out on.

[SteveGrabowski]

I see where you're coming from, but buying one card now and another one in the future isn't a terrible idea for someone who wants a certain gaming experience now (with one 970 or 980), with the ability to maintain that level in the future. Let's say someone bought a 770 when they first came out, for example. Are you saying it would be a better idea to sell the 770 and go with a 970/980, instead of purchasing a second 770? It's at least arguable.

 

I would absolutely sell the 770 if I was dying to upgrade. The 770 is horribly overpriced right now, so you'd probably get a good amount of money for it to put towards that 970. Plus SLI with 2GB cards just seems crazy right now. I know this is kind of an extreme case because it's strange to see a 70-series GPU launch at $330 with double the RAM of the previous 70-series, but I'm not a fan of building towards an uncertain future in the case of video cards which still show a lot of improvement year to year (unlike CPUs lately). Everyone says they want to build with the option for SLI, but how many people actually do get that second card a year later? Seems lot not many, because it usually doesn't make sense when this year's video card is way better. So you have just blown $30 on an overkill motherboard to support a feature you're not likely to use. SLI is great for someone playing on 1440p/4k or who wants a 120/144Hz refresh rate on games now and is willing to spend for that, but it seems a really inefficient way to keep a gaming system at 60FPS 1080p. 

 

I do agree with going over requirements on a power supply, because it usually doesn't cost a whole lot more to get a 750W/650W/600W quality PSU than it does a quality 500W one, and since even a user on a budget might want to upgrade his video card in a couple of years. And right now it seems like AMD is going to keep making cards that need lots of power since their reference cooler for the 390x looks to be closed loop water.