hunter63

Current PC - CPU - Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-4670K CPU @ 3.40GHz 4 Cores MOBO - MSI Z87-G45 RAM - 8GB GPU - Radeon (TM) RX 480 Graphics PSU - corsair bronze 650 (3 month old) Display - 3 x 1080p - 1 x ASUS MG248 - 2 x ASUS VS238 OS - Windows 10 (updated from 8 ) SSD1 120gb - OS etc. SSD2 120gb - games HDD1 1tb - files and folders, mostly work orientated, documents etc. HDD2 1tb - games, media etc. Upgrading to - CPU - Ryzen 5 3600 MOBO - MSI B450 gaming plus max RAM - 16GB 3200mhz ddr4 GPU - Radeon (TM) RX 480 Graphics PSU - corsair bronze 650 (3 month old) So, as you can see im going to be installing a new MOBO, CPU and trimmings tomorrow. The help i am asking is the software side of things where i am getting a bit confused about what is the best route to go down. As i currently have my OS on SSD1 i guess i can disconnect the other 3 hardrives to safely do what i need to do to SSD1. There are many conflicting ideas floating around about fresh installs of the OS, drivers, etc when changing the MOBO and CPU. Is this the best way to do it? should i format SSD1 prior to changing the hardware and then fresh install windows 10 onto SSD1? Or is this a waste of time? Also, of note as i updated from window 8, i dont have a W10 product key, and i also dont have a disk drive installed so would somehow need to get a copy of windows to install from USB. Any help about how to carry out the installs, what to install, any helpful programs, or any videos that may be useful would be great! Theres so much conflicting information im a bit lost at what to do. Thank You!!

thanks a huge amount for all the feedback. i think ill go with the 3600, and hope it stands up to the new GPUs in 2021!

Thanks so much for all the replies! Last question, as i have no experience with AMD cpus, would i need an aftermarket cooler (even a cheaper one) with the 3600 or 3700, or does the stock cooler work well.

i will have £1k plus in 2021 for a new GPU and monitor, will a r5 3600 be good enough for taking it to that level, or should i splash a little more on a ryzen 7 3700? i think i am swooping for AMD over the new i5 for now though....

Budget (including currency): £500 - less is better Country: UK Games, programs or workloads that it will be used for: total war, wow, idie games, the odd RP story game, constant dual/triple screening, and using for processes linked to work. Other details (existing parts lists, whether any peripherals are needed, what you're upgrading from, when you're going to buy, what resolution and refresh rate you want to play at, etc): Current PC - CPU - Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-4670K CPU @ 3.40GHz 4 Cores MOBO - MSI Z87-G45 RAM - 8GB GPU - Radeon (TM) RX 480 Graphics PSU - corsair bronze 650 (3 month old) Display - 3 x 1080p - 1 x ASUS MG248 - 2 x ASUS VS238 My PC has started to vastly slow, huge issues with gaming and also dual screening. I desperately need an upgrade to the CPU, including MOBO and RAM. Had a PSU problem 3 months ago so this is brand new. I dont currently want to upgrade the GPU as of money, but will do this early 2021 when i will have a much more vast budget to spend on it looking at the new nvidia range. The idea is to semi future proof the PC, so i can happily upgrade the GPU next year to maximise the output of the amchine, including maybe purchasing a 2k 144hz primary monitor. This is where i have an issue. I like to the idea of getting a ryzen processor, but realise a new Gen is coming in 6 months and dont particularly like the idea of spending the money on something that is so soon to be out of date. Intel have their brand new CPUs out now and i was looking at the i5 10600k. i cant wait till xmas as i need my PC for work as well and need to upgrade now rather than wait for new gen ryzen The thing i want to ask is a second opinion on the matter: brand new i5 10600k, or go with a gen 2 - ryzen 7 3800X or ryzen 5 3600X the i5 and ryzen 7 work out to be a similar cost in the UK, with both including mobo ram and maybe aftermarket cooler around the £400 - £450 range. the ryzen 5 is significantly cheaper at £300. Thanks for the help and please take into account what im asking, im not here for a ryzen vs intel fanboy debate but more looking for some input on a problem i am trying to solve. I realise i am still bottle necked till 2021 on gaming by my GPU, but want to upgrade in preparation for the new cards.