Fraya

If you don't want to reinstall the OS and keep all your old files etc then you would most likely have to stay with the same motherboard, for the ram obviously more is better but not really need more than 64GB for most people, even a good 32GB kit is fine right now. if you get a Samsung m.2 drive you will most likely get there "disc clone" software with it. i use a Seagate software that i got with a m.2 drive a few years ago and it still works well today and is easy to use. right now i have all "Team Group, T-Force" m.2 nvme SSD drives and never had any problems. its still not the end of the world if you want to get a new motherboard, don't even have to be the latest gen, as you can maybe find a good deal on a board in a sale and fit a last gen or so CPU also. even though most people always want the latest and greatest new components, its not always affordable for others. you can still build a good system with a mix of new but older gen components, then some used / reconditioned components, like a GPU as there so expensive and hard to get nowadays, but the used market has some decent ones. i would always review products before buying them and check out the sellers source, see if genuine and good feedback. so many options, if you do go for new motherboard then back up all our important files, pics, music, videos, documents etc onto an external drive first then later with a fresh install you can at least get back your important files and stuff. I live in Canada so hard for me to look at products, components in your area. if you look hard enough there is sellers that do have refurbished and last gen components that are much lower pricing than new stuff. as for clone a drive, always back up first, then the new drive has to be formatted first before it can be used for cloning, most clone software has smart wizard programme that will allow you to format the new drive and then move your old data onto the new drive leaving lots of extra space if you increased the capacity of the drive. i usually will double the size of more. if you run something like Microsoft flight sim, get a 2TB drive.

the title to this topic says "upgrade" so if your thinking of maxing out your current system without renewing all the parts, then look into a used or reconditioned 20 series RTX GPU, maybe you can find another 2X 16GB memory kit the same manufacture as you have currently and then go to 64 gb overall. upgrade bigger m.2 nvme drives (clone drive tool so you don't have to reinstall and so it keeps all your current files and data. there is also now lots of reasonable used CPU's on the market, so you could max out your motherboard and go for a used i9. not sure what motherboard you currently use? sometimes you can update the bios and be able to fit a newer gen CPU to that board. myself i still have a Z370 i Gaming ROG m-itx m/board (8th Gen) and was able to fit a i9 9900 CPU. i match it up to a 2070 Super RTX and can run AAA games no problem. look for a 2080 Super or Ti if possible and make other upgrades if possible then in a few years you can do a full new build.

going Intel does bump up the cost so cut down the storage size and PSU. to keep within $2000 range (USD) https://pcpartpicker.com/list/WXRk6r Component Selection Base Promo Shipping Tax Price Where CPU Intel Core i7-11700 2.5 GHz 8-Core Processor $323.98 $323.98 Buy CPU Cooler Noctua NH-U9S 46.44 CFM CPU Cooler $59.95 $59.95 Buy Motherboard Asus TUF GAMING B560M-PLUS WIFI Micro ATX LGA1200 Motherboard $149.99 $149.99 Buy Memory G.Skill Trident Z Neo 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3200 CL16 Memory $154.99 FREE $154.99 Buy Add Additional Memory Storage Team CARDEA ZERO Z440 1 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive $124.99 $124.99 Buy Add Additional Storage Video Card Asus Radeon RX 6700 XT 12 GB DUAL Video Card $829.99 $829.99 Buy Case Corsair Crystal 280X MicroATX Mid Tower Case $149.99 $149.99 Buy Power Supply Corsair RMx (2021) 750 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply $119.99 -$20.00 1 FREE $99.99 Buy Operating System Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit $109.98 2 FREE $109.98 Buy Monitor Choose A Monitor Expansion Cards / Networking Sound Cards, Wired Network Adapters, Wireless Network Adapters Peripherals Headphones, Keyboards, Mice, Speakers, Webcams Accessories / Other Case Accessories, Case Fans, Fan Controllers, Thermal Compound, External Storage, Optical Drives, UPS Systems Base Total: $2023.85 Mail-in Rebates: -$20.00 Total: $2003.85

for an all out AMD build including a new copy of Windows. There are some things that can be changed to save cost like a 750W PSU, a 1TB storage drive. and always look for used GPU. i think the RX6700XT duel series with 12 Gb of memory is a good deal. Prices should be USD as i used the USA parts picker. hope this can give you some ideas. so many options to look into.

Crystal Series 280X RGB Tempered Glass Micro ATX Case — Black (corsair.com) you can also get in white. prices are Canadian it might convert if you go to the US site.

This recommendation is not bad, i like the idea that they chosen M-ATX, there is no need for full ATX unless your building a super big or water cooled gaming machine. i would go for 64GB of RAM, as its still uses DDR4 ram the pricing is ok. for the GPU, yes there is a world wide problem getting a modern GPU at sensible price, looking into a quality used high end 20series RTX or even a new high end AMD card should be fine. for case, its personal choice. if you really want to be different then Parvum do nice acrylic custom cases, or look into the Corsair 280X m-atx crystal series. for sure you could most likely get a 2TB nvme M.2 SSD drive, i found a good deal on Newegg. Air cooler is ok. and i have for the past 2 or 3 builds now always gone for the highest i7 / i9 NON K CPU, works a treat, you get the cores, hyperthreading and performance but less power usage and heat. you can also look at AMD, there is some good m-boards for an AMD build. try to keep similar manufactures throughout the build and always review and research the components your considering. if you want a recommendation list just ask, right now i have to go to work.

very nice and clean build my friend. is that monitor 2k 27", i think it is. if so good choice. i have been running a 27" 2K monitor for a few years now and 1440p or more is the way to go.

Some screenshots of MSFS, this is not by means a super high spec PC (as i write this) however everyone has a budget and it is also important to know that a smart PC builder will choose components that work together and not have any major bottlenecks in the system. yes the Intel i9 9900 is a few yeas old now, same as the Asus 2070 super RTX but it still does a wonderful job and good all round PC for my needs. having nvme M.2 drives makes the system run smooth and is affordable now to get 1TB & 2TB drives.

If your wanting to play Cyberpunk 2077 on an i3 then i recommend looking at a console, the specs are too low and some old tech / interfaces that will slow it down. M.2 is so cheap now that you don't need to worry about a HDD. AMD Ryzen would give you more performance for price.

replacing a 12 year old system means pretty much a full clean new build, the technology has changed a lot since then and for sure with that budget you should consider looking at all drives been nvme M.2 drives. if your not doing serious gaming then you can get some good deals on Gen 3 or even newer Gen 4 drives, i would recommend a 1TB high speed Gen 4 for Windows / operating system and then gen 3 or 4 2TB M.2 nvme drive for files, games, etc. unless you want to just keep it super simple and have one drive, then a 2TB or more. you should be able to transfer important files, music, media from your old SATA drives onto the new drives once your up and running. a question, what form factor do you want for your build? something small / portable like m-itx or medium build with m-ATX or full on ATX. look into a good monitor also worth upgrading, i recommend go for a 2k (1440p) 27" IPS as a minimum,. use a large SSD external drive to backup your system and files. get a decent motherboard that has good quality on board sound, LAN, interfaces and chipset. air cooling is adequate for most applications if you have good case design, right amount and type of fans. there are so many variations, and with your budget you can build a really nice rig that should handle things smoothly. also always think about futureproofing, hence a good motherboard now will last a long time and wont have to upgrade for a while. need some more feedback about the size of system you intend, colour scheme etc before i could compile a list. If you have the time and skill you can also design and build your own custom case. or spec one to be manufactured to your own requirements,. like a Parvum case. hope this helps.

If your needing extra space and have on old hard drive, its a no brainer to upgrade to a SSD, you can still buy the 2.5" SSD (SATA) in large capacity for dirt cheap, then you can Clone your drives (mirror image copy onto the new drive) and then after a successful Clone of the data (works also with main drive that has operating system on it) you simply swap the drive out and fit the new one (with larger storage and faster speeds) keep in mind don't erase or format your old drive until your certain the new one works, all files are there and even when that is confirmed i would just keep a back up of your old data on your old drive and store it just in case / for future unless its a drive you no longer want or want to erase any old files / personal data etc. Now you can also if you want to save space and cables, if your motherboard has a M.2 drive, you can get large capacity M.2 drive in (SATA) or in Nvme formats. obviously if you can afford it then a Nvme M.2 drive is the best and faster option, but you don't have to get super high speed / top of the range drives if your not gaming etc. there is many many good solid drives that will do the job and still be way faster than a old HDD. Team Group do some nice drives are good pricing. check out Newegg. hope this all helps.

Parvum cases might be a good solution, you can also fit heavy duty switches and do some mods or have it built to the size and specs you require.

PC Cases | CORSAIR I would say the Corsair m-atx cases are some of the best, as duel chamber and good solid design.

Parvum cases aren't all that expensive either, and make sure if you want to go with m-itx that you get it an inch taller to fit a 2.7 slot GPU if so desired. a lot of other pre made manufacture cases don't always have room for a 2.7 slot card so be aware of this when choosing case. I wouldn't get an i5, the more higher spec the better, i even have a spare i7 8700 laying on my shelf and 16gb of 3200mhz DDR4. maybe you would be interested. only thing the i7 is 1151 socket. just go for one M.2 drive even the Gen 3 ones now are cheap enough for a 1TB or 2TB, i found 256GB too small a drive for windows now, look into what your motherboard supports and get the spec to suit it.

MSFS all the way, look how far its come since release, and yes the scenery will only keep improving, we just need slightly better weather and lots lots more planes, traffic etc. i only like the Steam gauge cockpits and prefer the smaller aircraft that you actually have to fly and navigate. looking forward to a Cessna 421C Golden Eagle, Boeing 727, VC10, Lockheed Connie, DH Beaver, all the planes i had on FSX but now want for MSFS. got the Seminole, its pretty nice.