Outgrowing buget optiplex build

[jboysimz]

This was my first build and my entry into PC gaming, I got a cheap Dell Optiplex 3010 and added parts that would be reusable along the line. I was on a budget and didn't want to spend too much just in case I wasn't going to end up committing to the PC gaming scene, but now I am hooked and its time for an upgrade.

 

Games I play most: Overwatch, CS:GO, Hitman 1/2, The Witcher 3, Fallout 76, Civ VI and Destiny 2.

 

Current specs:

• i5-3450 @3.1hz

• Dell 042P49 motherboard

• 8gb CorsairValue Select ddr3 @1600mhz

• GTX 1650 Super

• Corsair 550m psu

• 120gb Kingston SSD for OS

• 240gb crucial SSD for small games i play often (Overwatch, CS:GO, etc.)

• 2tb external WD HDD @5400rpm (Don’t hate! I was on a budget and I already had one of these bad boys in a drawer)

All of this in a stock optiplex case.

 

I’m currently using the LG 25um58-p 21:9 @60hz (Capable of 74hz in 1920x1080 but there’s no point as I’d rather have the 21:9)

I plan to keep this monitor for the time being until a larger upgrade (read: GPU upgrade) would warrant a 144hz monitor.

 

I’ve definitely noticed CPU bottle-necking when playing some games.

I would want to put in around $250 USD towards upgrades at this time. (I can potentially spend some more if it’s worth it but I’d like to keep it under $300 for now)

 

Upgrade path in order would be:

• Case (needed for motherboard upgrade?)

• Motherboard

  • Needed for cpu upgrade?

  • Having USB 3.0 and 6gb/s SATA would be a nice upgrade

• Hard drive

  • my 5400rpm external is just real slow

• CPU

  • not sure what would pair well with 1650 super but still be "future proof" 

  • something that would not be a future bottleneck if I end up upgrading my GPU

• RAM

  • The jump to 16gb would be real nice

• GPU

  • Farther down the line most likely

(I am not going to be doing all of these at once, just little by little to slowly improve my gaming experience over time)

 

Any thoughts or suggestions on what to do first and which parts would work well and serve well for the future?

 

I am new at this so that is why I have come to you for help!

Any suggestions, correction or advice would be greatly appreciated!

[Bombastinator]

You can get by with your current storage. Win10 will do drive caching so use your 120gb as a casche for your HDD (which will speed it up a LOT) run your OS and maybe a frequently played game or two off the larger one if there’s room, everything else goes on the HDD.  
 

mobo: b450. Something less expensive.  $90 budget maybe? There’s an argument for getting one with strong VRM that will handle a non overclocked 3700x even though you won’t be buying one now.

 

cpu: AMD 1600af (it’s basically a kinda slow 2600. $114

 

ram: 2x8gb 3200mhz cas 16.  $70-85.  Not super fast but it’s what the cpu will take and it’s gud’nuff

 

GPU: keep the one you got.  With the big new CPU stuff like CS:go will be much faster and with a 1080p monitor you wouldn’t get much out of an in budget card.

 

Case: the cheapest POS you can find: $35?  Free?  Or just screw everything to a piece of MDF and hang it on a wall.  Less desk space used.  I’ve never been impressed by cases myself.

 

that CPU/mobo/ram combo will push just about any card you want to buy later so you won’t need to upgrade it for a while.  The am4 mobo will take ryzen3 which isn’t really even out yet in any meaningful way.  Might want to upgrade the memory of you do that but you likely won’t need to.

 

Machine goes from 4/4 to 6/12 with higher clocks and much faster ram.  You got enough fast enough storage and your GPU is enough for a lot of stuff. Especially at 1080p. Machine goes from cpu light to cpu heavy and will be usable for a good while.  Might need a GPU upgrade in a year or two.  You could put a 2080ti on that CPU and get away with it.

[jboysimz]

12 hours ago, Bombastinator said:

You can get by with your current storage. Win10 will do drive caching so use your 120gb as a casche for your HDD (which will speed it up a LOT) run your OS and maybe a frequently played game or two off the larger one if there’s room, everything else goes on the HDD.  
 

mobo: b450. Something less expensive.  $90 budget maybe? There’s an argument for getting one with strong VRM that will handle a non overclocked 3700x even though you won’t be buying one now.

 

cpu: AMD 1600af (it’s basically a kinda slow 2600. $114

 

ram: 2x8gb 3200mhz cas 16.  $70-85.  Not super fast but it’s what the cpu will take and it’s gud’nuff

 

GPU: keep the one you got.  With the big new CPU stuff like CS:go will be much faster and with a 1080p monitor you wouldn’t get much out of an in budget card.

 

Case: the cheapest POS you can find: $35?  Free?  Or just screw everything to a piece of MDF and hang it on a wall.  Less desk space used.  I’ve never been impressed by cases myself.

 

that CPU/mobo/ram combo will push just about any card you want to buy later so you won’t need to upgrade it for a while.  The am4 mobo will take ryzen3 which isn’t really even out yet in any meaningful way.  Might want to upgrade the memory of you do that but you likely won’t need to.

 

Machine goes from 4/4 to 6/12 with higher clocks and much faster ram.  You got enough fast enough storage and your GPU is enough for a lot of stuff. Especially at 1080p. Machine goes from cpu light to cpu heavy and will be usable for a good while.  Might need a GPU upgrade in a year or two.  You could put a 2080ti on that CPU and get away with it.

Hey thanks for the help!

 

I had no idea about drive caching! 

 

I’ve been browsing online and found an open box 2600x for $110 and a open box b450 tomahawk for $90 (all usd) 

 

Although it says the  b450 is missing the backplate... Do you know if that would that be an issue?

[Bombastinator]

1 minute ago, jboysimz said:

Hey thanks for the help!

 

I had no idea about drive caching! 

 

I’ve been browsing online and found an open box 2600x for $110 and a open box b450 tomahawk for $90 (all usd) 

 

Although it says the  b450 is missing the backplate... Do you know if that would that be an issue?

The 2600 is a better deal than the mobo if it’s got a cooler that works.  The 1600af is almost as quick and costs $114 new.  CPUs have had some counterfeiting problems though so make sure it’s returnable. Backplates are kind of important for motherboards.  They’re what you attach the cpu cooler to.  Some coolers have their own backplate so if you use one of them it doesn’t matter.  A new tomahawk b450 is only a smidge above $110.  So the used discount isn’t huge there.

[jboysimz]

6 minutes ago, Bombastinator said:

The 2600 is a better deal than the mobo if it’s got a cooler that works.  The 1600af is almost as quick and costs $114 new.  CPUs have had some counterfeiting problems though so make sure it’s returnable. Backplates are kind of important for motherboards.  They’re what you attach the cpu cooler to.  Some coolers have their own backplate so if you use one of them it doesn’t matter.  A new tomahawk b450 is only a smidge above $110.  So the used discount isn’t huge there.

Both of these are from my local micro center so I don’t think I’ll have to worry about anything counterfeit, and even if there’s an issue micro center has a solid return policy.

 

Good to know for the motherboard, maybe I’ll just spend a little extra to get a new one.

[Bombastinator]

18 minutes ago, jboysimz said:

Both of these are from my local micro center so I don’t think I’ll have to worry about anything counterfeit, and even if there’s an issue micro center has a solid return policy.

 

Good to know for the motherboard, maybe I’ll just spend a little extra to get a new one.

Or try and talk em down $15.  At that point you save $5 with the board and the cheapest cooler that even might have a backplate.  $90 for a used tomahawk with no backplate is absolute top dollar.  They’ve got to find someone who was going to remove the backplate anyway.   PcPartPicker.com May be useful looking for deals.  Iirc microcenter matches.  I love microcenter.  If the 2600 is coming from microcenter and they charge like they do for the tomahawk the price is low.  Might be because the 3 series AMD stuff is coming out (you don’t want it) and they’re trying to move inventory, or they may know something about that particular chip.  Like it’s lead binned and runs hot or something.

[jboysimz]

1 hour ago, Bombastinator said:

Or try and talk em down $15.  At that point you save $5 with the board and the cheapest cooler that even might have a backplate.  $90 for a used tomahawk with no backplate is absolute top dollar.  They’ve got to find someone who was going to remove the backplate anyway.   PcPartPicker.com May be useful looking for deals.  Iirc microcenter matches.  I love microcenter.  If the 2600 is coming from microcenter and they charge like they do for the tomahawk the price is low.  Might be because the 3 series AMD stuff is coming out (you don’t want it) and they’re trying to move inventory, or they may know something about that particular chip.  Like it’s lead binned and runs hot or something.

My micro center doesn’t have new tomahawk’s in stock. After my (albeit brief) searching, I can’t find anywhere with one in stock besides amazon which has them at over $170.

 

I’ll definitely be needing the backplate to install the stock cooler for the 2600x...

 

There are more budget option available like these:

 

https://www.microcenter.com/product/510208/gigabyte-b450m-ds3h-amd-am4-matx-motherboard

 

https://www.microcenter.com/product/613835/msi-b450m-pro-m2-max-amd-matx-am4-motherboard

I’d like to have a board that could support some overclocking in the future and I don’t know that either of these would be a good option with that in mind.

 

edit: maybe I just get another cooler that includes a backplate? But I’d need to spend a little extra and negate the savings...

[Bombastinator]

37 minutes ago, jboysimz said:

My micro center doesn’t have new tomahawk’s in stock. After my (albeit brief) searching, I can’t find anywhere with one in stock besides amazon which has them at over $170.

 

I’ll definitely be needing the backplate to install the stock cooler for the 2600x...

 

There are more budget option available like these:

 

https://www.microcenter.com/product/510208/gigabyte-b450m-ds3h-amd-am4-matx-motherboard

 

https://www.microcenter.com/product/613835/msi-b450m-pro-m2-max-amd-matx-am4-motherboard

I’d like to have a board that could support some overclocking in the future and I don’t know that either of these would be a good option with that in mind.

 

edit: maybe I just get another cooler that includes a backplate? But I’d need to spend a little extra and negate the savings...

Best Buy, 114.99

[jboysimz]

13 hours ago, Bombastinator said:

Best Buy, 114.99

Do you have a link? All I’m seeing at Best Buy is out of stock, and one on clearance that is nowhere near my locations and won’t let me add it to cart for shipping.