Looking to upgrade my 770

[Statik]

Hey guys, my current specs are in my signature, and I'm looking to upgrade. I'm considering a i5-8600k, or an i7-8700k, but for my GPU I'm not sure. I originally was planning on a 1070, but I've been out of the computer game for a while, and was blown away to see a 1070 would run me over $700. I also found a Gigabyte Windforce OC 8gb 1080 for only $550. Then someone on reddit linked me saying that I can get an XFX RX 5700 XT 8gb for $515, which outperforms the 1080. Can anyone explain why these two cards which outperform any 1070 are like $200 cheaper? And what would be my best bang for my buck card? I like Nvidia, but I know almost nothing about AMD cards, and I have no knowledge or experience with XFX. What would you guys recommend?

 

I primarily game. With the possibility of casual streaming, but mostly just gaming.

 

Thanks for any advice

[Calamity1911]

If you want to go with Intel, more power to you so long as you have the budget. AMD has some really good options, too (in terms of CPU)

In terms of the GPU in question, there is really no good explanation as to why that 1070 would be $700. Probably some companies are still trying to ride out the cryptocurrency craze. 

If you are looking for a good budget option for a GPU, the older Vega 56 GPUs from AMD perform roughly similar to a RTX 2060 (but without hardware accelerated ray tracing of course) and I've seen some on sale for around $300. Problem is that they are a bit on the power hungry side.

 

If you want me to help part you out a new system build, let me know what you're budget is and what brands you want to use and other preferences.

[Statik]

1 minute ago, Calamity1911 said:

If you want to go with Intel, more power to you so long as you have the budget. AMD has some really good options, too (in terms of CPU)

In terms of the GPU in question, there is really no good explanation as to why that 1070 would be $700. Probably some companies are still trying to ride out the cryptocurrency craze. 

If you are looking for a good budget option for a GPU, the older Vega 56 GPUs from AMD perform roughly similar to a RTX 2060 (but without hardware accelerated ray tracing of course) and I've seen some on sale for around $300. Problem is that they are a bit on the power hungry side.

 

 If you want me to help part you out a new system build, let me know what you're budget is and what brands you want to use and other preferences.

Thanks man, I appreciate it. I mean if AMD has good CPUs, then I'm interested. I just went for intel, because they've always been the "Best" and I've never had an intel rig. But in the big scheme of things, I'm not brand specific. My 8320 has done wicked. I just want a clean sexy rig, and power isn't really an issue, since I got a 850W supply.

 

My budget is IDEALLY $1000, and all I need is CPU, Mobo, GPU, and probably some new DDR4 ram. I would also like a new case, something simple with a glass side panel like the Define R6. The most I would be willing to go is ~$1250, give or take a few bucks. but closer to 1k the better. I would also possibly be willing to splurge a little more on something if it's REALLY worth it.

 

Thanks again man

[Calamity1911]

Just now, Statik said:

Thanks man, I appreciate it. I mean if AMD has good CPUs, then I'm interested. I just went for intel, because they've always been the "Best" and I've never had an intel rig. But in the big scheme of things, I'm not brand specific. My 8320 has done wicked. I just want a clean sexy rig, and power isn't really an issue, since I got a 850W supply.

 

My budget is IDEALLY $1000, and all I need is CPU, Mobo, GPU, and probably some new DDR4 ram. I would also like a new case, something simple with a glass side panel like the Define R6. The most I would be willing to go is ~$1250, give or take a few bucks. but closer to 1k the better. I would also possibly be willing to splurge a little more on something if it's REALLY worth it.

 

Thanks again man

No problem. I'll poke around on PCPartPicker for a bit and post the results. I'll just set it to pick the vendor with cheapest prices.
You can change that on the site once I post the link.

[Calamity1911]

PCPartPicker Part List

Type	Item	Price
CPU	AMD - Ryzen 5 2600 3.4 GHz 6-Core Processor	$126.71 @ B&H
CPU Cooler	be quiet! - Pure Rock Slim 35.14 CFM CPU Cooler	$28.48 @ OutletPC
Motherboard	ASRock - B450M PRO4 Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard	$74.89 @ OutletPC
Memory	Corsair - Vengeance LPX 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory	$69.99 @ Amazon
Storage	Western Digital - SN750 500 GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive	$99.99 @ Amazon
Storage	Seagate - Barracuda 2 TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive	$69.89 @ OutletPC
Video Card	MSI - GeForce GTX 1660 Ti 6 GB ARMOR OC Video Card	$269.99 @ Newegg
Case	NZXT - H500 ATX Mid Tower Case	$74.99 @ Newegg Business
	Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts
	Total (before mail-in rebates)	$849.93
	Mail-in rebates	-$35.00
	Total	$814.93
	Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-07-21 23:02 EDT-0400

This is pretty similar to my build, but with a few parts upgraded. It's a pretty good deal and can do 1080p high settings in most games, maybe even high refresh rates in some.
Some of these parts can be adjusted based on preferences in regards to looks or form factors. As a rule of thumb, the B450 chipset motherboards are the most compatible with 2000 series Ryzen CPUs but now most higher end B350 motherboards should work. B350 motherboards launched alongside the first generation of Ryzen CPUs (1000 series)
The SSD I have linked in the list (WD Black SN750 500GB) is a high speed NVMe drive that you could put your operating system and some games on for snappy load times and I also included a 2TB Hard Drive for mass storage. 

All in all, a LOT has changed since the AMD FX era. It might be worth watching some videos on, especially the newer AMD Ryzen CPUs and NVMe storage. TechQuickie has a bunch of good videos for NVMe and M.2 storage, and LinusTechTips themselves have gone over the AMD Ryzen CPUs (as have many other channels on YouTube)

 

I'm actually going to be helping my dad upgrade his FX 8350 system tomorrow. It held up fine for what he used it for, he just wanted to upgrade to Ryzen. 

Now keep in mind, AMD is only officially supporting the AM4 (Ryzen) platform until some time in 2020 (maybe early 2021)  so a new platform might be coming out.

Let me know if you want any more help. 

[seagate_surfer]

Glad to see you are considering Seagate for your mass storage device. If you need to check if there are updates available, you can do it through the following link:

• https://apps1.seagate.com/downloads/request.html

[Djinnux]

15 hours ago, Calamity1911 said:

PCPartPicker Part List

Type	Item	Price
CPU	AMD - Ryzen 5 2600 3.4 GHz 6-Core Processor	$126.71 @ B&H
CPU Cooler	be quiet! - Pure Rock Slim 35.14 CFM CPU Cooler	$28.48 @ OutletPC
Motherboard	ASRock - B450M PRO4 Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard	$74.89 @ OutletPC
Memory	Corsair - Vengeance LPX 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory	$69.99 @ Amazon
Storage	Western Digital - SN750 500 GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive	$99.99 @ Amazon
Storage	Seagate - Barracuda 2 TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive	$69.89 @ OutletPC
Video Card	MSI - GeForce GTX 1660 Ti 6 GB ARMOR OC Video Card	$269.99 @ Newegg
Case	NZXT - H500 ATX Mid Tower Case	$74.99 @ Newegg Business
	Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts
	Total (before mail-in rebates)	$849.93
	Mail-in rebates	-$35.00
	Total	$814.93
	Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-07-21 23:02 EDT-0400

This is pretty similar to my build, but with a few parts upgraded. It's a pretty good deal and can do 1080p high settings in most games, maybe even high refresh rates in some.
Some of these parts can be adjusted based on preferences in regards to looks or form factors. As a rule of thumb, the B450 chipset motherboards are the most compatible with 2000 series Ryzen CPUs but now most higher end B350 motherboards should work. B350 motherboards launched alongside the first generation of Ryzen CPUs (1000 series)
The SSD I have linked in the list (WD Black SN750 500GB) is a high speed NVMe drive that you could put your operating system and some games on for snappy load times and I also included a 2TB Hard Drive for mass storage. 

All in all, a LOT has changed since the AMD FX era. It might be worth watching some videos on, especially the newer AMD Ryzen CPUs and NVMe storage. TechQuickie has a bunch of good videos for NVMe and M.2 storage, and LinusTechTips themselves have gone over the AMD Ryzen CPUs (as have many other channels on YouTube)

 

I'm actually going to be helping my dad upgrade his FX 8350 system tomorrow. It held up fine for what he used it for, he just wanted to upgrade to Ryzen. 

Now keep in mind, AMD is only officially supporting the AM4 (Ryzen) platform until some time in 2020 (maybe early 2021)  so a new platform might be coming out.

Let me know if you want any more help. 

That is a very solid recommendation.  That system will perform wonderfully for the guy looking.  Nice suggestion.  Though id suggest that since his budget would stretch north of 800 bucks a tad he might want to consider spending a tad more on his graphics card.  Id suggest a 2060 or a 5700 depending on how far his budget will stretch

 

[Statik]

3 minutes ago, Djinnux said:

That is a very solid recommendation.  That system will perform wonderfully for the guy looking.  Nice suggestion.  Though id suggest that since his budget would stretch north of 800 bucks a tad he might want to consider spending a tad more on his graphics card.  Id suggest a 2060 or a 5700 depending on how far his budget will stretch

 

OP Here,

 

I'm honestly considering stretching my budget to $1500 and just going all out and building a really solid rig. I won't be building until the fall anyways, so I'm going to keep my eye out and see how things change, but this is what I have in mind

 

PCPartPicker Part List

Type	Item	Price
CPU	AMD - Ryzen 7 3700X 3.6 GHz 8-Core Processor	$449.00 @ Canada Computers
Motherboard	Asus - ROG STRIX B450-F GAMING ATX AM4 Motherboard	$164.95 @ Vuugo
Memory	G.Skill - Ripjaws V Series 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 Memory	$102.99 @ Newegg Canada
Video Card	XFX - Radeon RX 5700 XT 8 GB Video Card	$519.99 @ Memory Express
Case	NZXT - H500i ATX Mid Tower Case	$129.50 @ Vuugo
	Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts
	Total	$1366.43
	Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-07-22 15:08 EDT-0400

EDIT: Just for something more powerful/futureproof, and badass

[SpookyCitrus]

Just going to put this out there but the airflow in the NZXT H500 cases is terrible. If you're going to be using air cooling and want good thermals I'd recommend a different case.

[trufret]

19 minutes ago, Statik said:

OP Here,

 

I'm honestly considering stretching my budget to $1500 and just going all out and building a really solid rig. I won't be building until the fall anyways, so I'm going to keep my eye out and see how things change, but this is what I have in mind

 

PCPartPicker Part List

Type	Item	Price
CPU	AMD - Ryzen 7 3700X 3.6 GHz 8-Core Processor	$449.00 @ Canada Computers
Motherboard	Asus - ROG STRIX B450-F GAMING ATX AM4 Motherboard	$164.95 @ Vuugo
Memory	G.Skill - Ripjaws V Series 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 Memory	$102.99 @ Newegg Canada
Video Card	XFX - Radeon RX 5700 XT 8 GB Video Card	$519.99 @ Memory Express
Case	NZXT - H500i ATX Mid Tower Case	$129.50 @ Vuugo
	Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts
	Total	$1366.43
	Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-07-22 15:08 EDT-0400

EDIT: Just for something more powerful/futureproof, and badass

Keep in mind you will need to flash the bios on the b450 board to support 3rd gen Ryzen.  Looks like ver 2301 minimum.

I don't know if that board supports bios flash without cpu so you might need a 1st or 2nd gen ryzen to update the bios to support 3rd gen.

AMD will send you a loaner cpu to flash your bios if you go that route or look at the cheaper x570 boards / wait for b550 boards.

[Statik]

35 minutes ago, trufret said:

Keep in mind you will need to flash the bios on the b450 board to support 3rd gen Ryzen.  Looks like ver 2301 minimum.

I don't know if that board supports bios flash without cpu so you might need a 1st or 2nd gen ryzen to update the bios to support 3rd gen.

AMD will send you a loaner cpu to flash your bios if you go that route or look at the cheaper x570 boards / wait for b550 boards.

Yeah that's kind of a pain in the ass. Is there a timeline on B550 boards? I probably won't end up buying until beginning of November, due to work so I assume a lot is going to change before then (i.e. new boards, and new 5700 GPUs)

[Statik]

50 minutes ago, SpookyCitrus said:

Just going to put this out there but the airflow in the NZXT H500 cases is terrible. If you're going to be using air cooling and want good thermals I'd recommend a different case.

What would you recommend at a similar price point? I'm, not set on the 500i, but I like the style, design, and lights. I also will be using a 120mm AIO cooler for the CPU, but the GPU will be air. I'd like to do a full custom loop, but that's out of my budget for the time being.

[trufret]

2 minutes ago, Statik said:

Yeah that's kind of a pain in the ass. Is there a timeline on B550 boards? I probably won't end up buying until beginning of November, due to work so I assume a lot is going to change before then (i.e. new boards, and new 5700 GPUs)

I'd think B550 boards would be out by then. The cheaper x570 start around $215 CAD if you want to go with a higher end board. It's not too much more than the B450 to avoid the hassle and get better VRMs.

A local PC shop could also flash the bios for you pretty cheaply as I'd expect they would have a spare AM4 cpu kicking around.

[SpookyCitrus]

42 minutes ago, Statik said:

What would you recommend at a similar price point? I'm, not set on the 500i, but I like the style, design, and lights. I also will be using a 120mm AIO cooler for the CPU, but the GPU will be air. I'd like to do a full custom loop, but that's out of my budget for the time being.

There are a couple I've used for builds in that budget, however if you can squeeze a little bit out of it my top case for a good price is the Fractal Design Meshify C it lacks RGB but it looks great and the thermals are top notch. I personally used the H500i for about a year and a half and the airflow was abysmal, especially with a rad mounted in the front which if it's over a 120mm is the only place. Here are two of the ones I've found the most appropriate for that price range.

 

The Phanteks Eclipse P350X is a good case with tasteful lighting and good airflow.

https://www.amazon.com/Phanteks-Eclipse-PH-EC350PTG_DBK-Mid-Tower-Tempered/dp/B07D5T4SC1/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=phanteks%2Bp350x&qid=1563829610&s=gateway&sr=8-1&th=1

 

The Masterbox K500 is in the same boat for good lighting, and good airflow while it is a little aesthetically abstract.

https://www.amazon.com/Cooler-Master-MasterBox-Tower-MCB-K500D-KGNN-S00/dp/B07B5XNBQN/ref=sr_1_7?keywords=coolermaster+masterbox&qid=1563829684&s=gateway&sr=8-7

[Statik]

11 minutes ago, SpookyCitrus said:

There are a couple I've used for builds in that budget, however if you can squeeze a little bit out of it my top case for a good price is the Fractal Design Meshify C it lacks RGB but it looks great and the thermals are top notch. I personally used the H500i for about a year and a half and the airflow was abysmal, especially with a rad mounted in the front which if it's over a 120mm is the only place. Here are two of the ones I've found the most appropriate for that price range.

 

The Phanteks Eclipse P350X is a good case with tasteful lighting and good airflow.

https://www.amazon.com/Phanteks-Eclipse-PH-EC350PTG_DBK-Mid-Tower-Tempered/dp/B07D5T4SC1/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=phanteks%2Bp350x&qid=1563829610&s=gateway&sr=8-1&th=1

 

The Masterbox K500 is in the same boat for good lighting, and good airflow while it is a little aesthetically abstract.

https://www.amazon.com/Cooler-Master-MasterBox-Tower-MCB-K500D-KGNN-S00/dp/B07B5XNBQN/ref=sr_1_7?keywords=coolermaster+masterbox&qid=1563829684&s=gateway&sr=8-7

I also was looking at the Meshify S2 and I think I'm in love with it. Do you have any recommendations for in case lighting?

[SpookyCitrus]

@Statik The Corsair lighting node pro is my go to for case lighting.

https://www.amazon.com/CORSAIR-CL-9011109-WW-Lighting-Node-PRO/dp/B01MYDTC2C/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=corsair+lighting+node+pro&qid=1563831011&s=gateway&sr=8-2

 

If you also want fans they have one that is a bundle that comes with the lighting node pro setup as well as 3 rgb fans and the commander pro controller.

https://www.amazon.com/Corsair-HD120-Performance-controller-Lighting/dp/B06XK4HQ83/ref=sr_1_18?keywords=corsair+lighting+node+pro&qid=1563831064&s=gateway&sr=8-18

 

[Djinnux]

21 hours ago, Statik said:

OP Here,

 

I'm honestly considering stretching my budget to $1500 and just going all out and building a really solid rig. I won't be building until the fall anyways, so I'm going to keep my eye out and see how things change, but this is what I have in mind

 

PCPartPicker Part List

Type	Item	Price
CPU	AMD - Ryzen 7 3700X 3.6 GHz 8-Core Processor	$449.00 @ Canada Computers
Motherboard	Asus - ROG STRIX B450-F GAMING ATX AM4 Motherboard	$164.95 @ Vuugo
Memory	G.Skill - Ripjaws V Series 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 Memory	$102.99 @ Newegg Canada
Video Card	XFX - Radeon RX 5700 XT 8 GB Video Card	$519.99 @ Memory Express
Case	NZXT - H500i ATX Mid Tower Case	$129.50 @ Vuugo
	Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts
	Total	$1366.43
	Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-07-22 15:08 EDT-0400

EDIT: Just for something more powerful/futureproof, and badass

Don't buy that motherboard.  Spend another 20 bucks on the MSI X470 gaming pro carbon it has a much better VRM for overclocking that CPU

[Djinnux]

in b450 MSI is the only way to go.  

[Statik]

42 minutes ago, Djinnux said:

in b450 MSI is the only way to go.  

 

42 minutes ago, Djinnux said:

Don't buy that motherboard.  Spend another 20 bucks on the MSI X470 gaming pro carbon it has a much better VRM for overclocking that CPU

PCPartPicker Part List

Type	Item	Price
CPU	AMD Ryzen 7 3700X 3.6 GHz 8-Core Processor	$449.00 @ Canada Computers
Motherboard	MSI X470 GAMING PRO CARBON ATX AM4 Motherboard	$249.99 @ Mike's Computer Shop
Memory	G.Skill Trident Z RGB 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory	$105.99 @ Newegg Canada
Memory	G.Skill Trident Z RGB 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory	$105.99 @ Newegg Canada
Video Card	XFX Radeon RX 5700 8 GB Video Card	$454.99 @ Newegg Canada
Case	Fractal Design Meshify C ATX Mid Tower Case	$114.99 @ Newegg Canada
	Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts
	Total	$1480.95
	Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-07-23 13:25 EDT-0400

 

 

I made this build last night, I'm also not planning on building it for like ~3.5 months, so I think a new line of motherboards will be set to release.

[Djinnux]

Hrm… not sure what the exchange rate is but that MB is 170 US.... 

but at that sort of price point look for even some of the lower end x 570 boards and see what prices look like... 

[Statik]

6 minutes ago, Djinnux said:

Hrm… not sure what the exchange rate is but that MB is 170 US.... 

but at that sort of price point look for even some of the lower end x 570 boards and see what prices look like... 

170US is unfortunately $225CAD.

 

I'll keep my eye out. I also want a nice looking mobo, as well as one that I can really overclock the 3700x. So I'll do some research and keep my eye out. 

[Djinnux]

check out buildzoid and gamers nexus on youtube they might have some content to help you out

 

[Djinnux]

you may want to look into whether you can get by with a 6 core and spend more on the graphics card???

 

[Statik]

10 minutes ago, Djinnux said:

you may want to look into whether you can get by with a 6 core and spend more on the graphics card???

 

What graphics card do you recommend if I do get something like a 3600 or 3600x instead?

[awpshots]

On 7/21/2019 at 10:45 PM, Statik said:

Hey guys, my current specs are in my signature, and I'm looking to upgrade. I'm considering a i5-8600k, or an i7-8700k, but for my GPU I'm not sure. I originally was planning on a 1070, but I've been out of the computer game for a while, and was blown away to see a 1070 would run me over $700. I also found a Gigabyte Windforce OC 8gb 1080 for only $550. Then someone on reddit linked me saying that I can get an XFX RX 5700 XT 8gb for $515, which outperforms the 1080. Can anyone explain why these two cards which outperform any 1070 are like $200 cheaper? And what would be my best bang for my buck card? I like Nvidia, but I know almost nothing about AMD cards, and I have no knowledge or experience with XFX. What would you guys recommend?

 

I primarily game. With the possibility of casual streaming, but mostly just gaming.

 

Thanks for any advice

If you have the budget and plan on gaming specifically, definitely go Intel for because no matter what AMD or their biased fanboys claim Intel still provides better GAMING (emphasis on gaming) performance. In terms of GPU, there's no reason a 1070 should cost $700. With AMD you'll [typically] see better price to performance, however Nvidia will always be king because their high end cards have no competition from team red. I've heard good things about the RX 5700XT for gaming performance value but be aware that at this point in time it's essentially still early adoption making you, for lack of better words, a guinea pig finding bugs