Wanting to upgrade, not sure what to get - any help appreciated!

[Guest]

Budget (including currency): $700 - $1,000 USD

Country: U.S.

Games, programs or workloads that it will be used for: Gaming (new games & old games), work, etc. 

Currently I have:

• MSI X570-A PRO
• AMD Ryzen 5 3600
• Gigabyte RTX 2080 Super Windforce OC 8GB
• Corsair LPX 32GB (2x16GB) 3200MHz C16 DDR4
• SAMSUNG 970 EVO Plus SSD 2TB - M.2 NVMe
• +2 other regular SSDs and 1 mechanical HDD
• MasterWatt 750 Watt Semifanless Modular Power Supply, 80 PLUS Bronze
• Corsair iCUE 220T RGB Airflow Tempered Glass Mid-Tower
• 3x monitors - left-side monitor is a Viewsonic 1080p (older), middle (main) monitor is an ASUS 1440p 165hz Gsync monitor, right-side monitor is a Gigabyte M32U (4k HDR Gsync)

 

I don't plan on upgrading my GPU yet. I'm not sure if I need to upgrade my RAM or PSU either. I'll be using the 2TB NVME for my boot drive, I game at 1440p, but do have the other 2 monitors listed connected.

 

I'm having some major issues with my current motherboard (I think) where my PC freezes up and then won't start for a long time. It says something about overcurrent on USB devices or something. I've tried a lot of things to fix this, but I'm just ready to buy a new MOBO/CPU/etc.

I'd like to buy a larger case with more space than this Corsair one, it was a pain to build in it. I'd also like a MOBO/CPU upgrade and probably a CPU air cooler. I think the 2080 super is fine to stick with for now, but I will be upgrading that in the not so distant future as well. And any other stuff that I may not be thinking about.

 

Any thoughts?

 

[Deadpool2onBlu-Ray]

5 minutes ago, SlimTimDoWork said:

Budget (including currency): $700 - $1,000 USD

Country: U.S.

Games, programs or workloads that it will be used for: Gaming (new games & old games), work, etc. 

Currently I have:

• MSI X570-A PRO
• AMD Ryzen 5 3600
• Gigabyte RTX 2080 Super Windforce OC 8GB
• Corsair LPX 32GB (2x16GB) 3200MHz C16 DDR4
• SAMSUNG 970 EVO Plus SSD 2TB - M.2 NVMe
• +2 other regular SSDs and 1 mechanical HDD
• MasterWatt 750 Watt Semifanless Modular Power Supply, 80 PLUS Bronze
• Corsair iCUE 220T RGB Airflow Tempered Glass Mid-Tower
• 3x monitors - left-side monitor is a Viewsonic 1080p (older), middle (main) monitor is an ASUS 1440p 165hz Gsync monitor, right-side monitor is a Gigabyte M32U (4k HDR Gsync)

 

I don't plan on upgrading my GPU yet. I'm not sure if I need to upgrade my RAM or PSU either. I'll be using the 2TB NVME for my boot drive, I game at 1440p, but do have the other 2 monitors listed connected.

 

I'm having some major issues with my current motherboard (I think) where my PC freezes up and then won't start for a long time. It says something about overcurrent on USB devices or something. I've tried a lot of things to fix this, but I'm just ready to buy a new MOBO/CPU/etc.

I'd like to buy a larger case with more space than this Corsair one, it was a pain to build in it. I'd also like a MOBO/CPU upgrade and probably a CPU air cooler. I think the 2080 super is fine to stick with for now, but I will be upgrading that in the not so distant future as well. And any other stuff that I may not be thinking about.

 

Any thoughts?

 

MSI's X570 boards were really bad if I recall. Their B550 boards were much better. For this budget, I'd get a new case, cpu, mobo, etc.

 

I'd get the Ryzen 7700x combo from Microcenter if you have one near you for $449. That takes care of CPU/RAM/Mobo

 

Then for the case I'd get a Lancool 216

[Why_Me]

I'm not seeing a cpu cooler listed in your post but if you already have one then disregard this one.

 

https://pcpartpicker.com/product/JmhFf7/amd-ryzen-7-5700x-34-ghz-8-core-processor-100-100000926wof  

AMD Ryzen 7 5700X $192.80

 

https://www.amd.com/en/products/cpu/amd-ryzen-7-5700x 

 

https://pcpartpicker.com/product/MkFbt6/deepcool-ag620-bk-argb-6788-cfm-cpu-cooler-r-ag620-bkanmn-g-2      

Deepcool AG620 BK ARGB Dual Tower CPU Cooler $49.99

 

https://www.deepcool.com/products/Cooling/cpuaircoolers/AG620-BK-ARGB-Dual-Tower-CPU-Cooler-1700-AM5/2022/16082.shtml

[Guest]

49 minutes ago, Deadpool2onBlu-Ray said:

MSI's X570 boards were really bad if I recall. Their B550 boards were much better. For this budget, I'd get a new case, cpu, mobo, etc.

 

I'd get the Ryzen 7700x combo from Microcenter if you have one near you for $449. That takes care of CPU/RAM/Mobo

 

Then for the case I'd get a Lancool 216

I'm thinking of going with this:

 

 

What are your thoughts about my PSU? Is there any reason why I should definitely get a new one or is mine probably fine?

[Why_Me]

10 minutes ago, SlimTimDoWork said:

I'm thinking of going with this:

 

 

What are your thoughts about my PSU? Is there any reason why I should definitely get a new one or is mine probably fine?

Do you have more info on that RAM?

[owosoup]

From what I know, there are plenty of good options for CPUs:
For gaming, a 7600 would perform with no bottleneck, but an i5 or even i3 13th gen intel would have the benefit of more cores with E-cores and P-cores.
But, intel CPUs tend to be more expensive and a 7600 is just a non-OC 7600X for 40 bucks less.
If you're buying last-gen, a 5800X3D holds GREAT in gaming for what it is. See if you can find some deals on that.

You might be interested in a CPU with an iGPU, since it could render one of your screens (i.e. the 1080p one) freeing up your GPU.

 

For a GPU, intel's ARC is getting better, with drivers getting more stable and performant.
I think it would be a good investment considering how dirt cheap these cards are and the rate at which they improve.
Sadly only the 770 has 16Gb of VRAM, the 750 has 8Gb. And 8Gb isn't enough for newer games.

I bought an RX 6800, it was pretty good value and has 16 Gb, but still more expensive than a 770 a 12Gb 3060.
6700XT's are going for cheap, it seems, with 12Gb they perform well and have a lot of OC room if you get a good cooler.

But a 2080 super is still a great GPU right now, you don't necessarily need to upgrade.

 

As for the RAM, forget about it.
I myself couldn't refrain from buying a 32GB kit DDR5 6000MHz. The numbers and synthetic benchmarks really look impressive but I can tell you:
It doesn't make a noticeable difference at all from DDR4. I couldn't tell if my RAM OC was on or off.
DDR4 forces you to use a last-gen CPU, but that would be adequate for your budget. You can keep your sticks, 32Gb is great for now.

 

For a MOBO, any board is fine as long as you don't pick a suspiciously cheap one. I'd recommend switching, a clean start is always refreshing.
Look for reputable brands when choosing, and you'll be fine.

 

For NVMe and storage, same as the RAM but be a bit more considerate:
Buying good drives does make a difference from bad ones. But diminishing returns in terms of price come fast. A $200 and a $250 drive will perform very similarly while a $100 and a $150 drive will have more of a performance bump.

Either way, we're talking about seconds of difference in loading times for games. You seem to already have great storage as well, so I don't see anything to upgrade!


For a PSU, it's always a good practice to have a safe and high quality one. 750W of power is enough, and if the 80+ bronze efficiency doesn't spit out too much heat, then there's no real reason to upgrade here either. You could upgrade if you want, it would be justified if you find a safer, more up-to-date PSU. You'll be fine either way.


For a cooler, air coolers are still great performers. However new CPUs basically demand a great cooling solution now.
I'd recommend upgrading this alongside the CPU. Make sure to get good fans, Noctua is king but the new Phantek T30 fans are the top performers.

You might want to ponder for a PC case! Airflow can give you quiet performance with good fans.

Think about your fan placement, if you want a mesh panel, or anything else. These make a difference!

[QuantumSingularity]

Considering your current setup, i'd keep the mobo, the memory and the storage. Why? Because AM5 isn't still worth upgrading to, coming from latest gen AM4. It's ok if you are from intel 10th gen or  Ryzen 1000 series, but X570 mobo... not worth the extra price over a simple 5800X3D swap. 7700X for example is anywhere from 15% faster to 5% slower than the 5800X3D and requires an entire platform change. The real value will be with Zen 5 and the Ryzen 8000 series CPUs. That's when you want to switch to AM5.

 

What i'd upgrade is the CPU, the GPU and the PSU with these:

 

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D 3.4 GHz 8-Core Processor  ($289.27 @ Amazon) 
CPU Cooler: Thermalright Peerless Assassin 66.17 CFM CPU Cooler  ($42.90 @ Amazon) 
Video Card: ASRock Phantom Gaming OC Radeon RX 6950 XT 16 GB Video Card  ($629.99 @ Newegg) 
Power Supply: Corsair RM1000e (2023) 1000 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply  ($179.99 @ Amazon) 
Total: $1142.15
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2023-06-06 15:37 EDT-0400

 

It's a bit over the budget, but selling the 2080 and the 3600 should cover the difference and leave some bucks for beer.

 

[Why_Me]

If you're going to go with ARGB case then why not a ARGB cpu cooler? Low latency DDR 6000 AMD EXPO RAM.

 

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: *AMD Ryzen 7 7700X 4.5 GHz 8-Core Processor  ($315.73 @ Amazon) 
CPU Cooler: *Deepcool AG620 BK ARGB 67.88 CFM CPU Cooler  ($49.99 @ Newegg) 
Motherboard: *MSI PRO B650-P WIFI ATX AM5 Motherboard  ($133.24 @ Adorama) 
Memory: *G.Skill Flare X5 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR5-6000 CL30 Memory  ($114.99 @ Newegg) 
Case: *Lian Li LANCOOL 216 ATX Mid Tower Case  ($109.99 @ B&H) 
Power Supply: *Corsair RM850e (2023) 850 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply  ($129.99 @ Amazon) 
Total: $853.93
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
*Lowest price parts chosen from parametric criteria
Generated by PCPartPicker 2023-06-06 15:41 EDT-0400

[Guest]

I'm not too worried about aesthetics, I really just added the first Lian Li 216 I found on Microcenter's site. As far as not replacing the MOBO, as one replier suggested, I really want to. I'm not sure if you read the part of my original post that mentioned I am having some major issues with what I think is the MOBO, but I think a fresh start is due. Might as well go AM5 I think.

[Guest]

32 minutes ago, owosoup said:

You might be interested in a CPU with an iGPU, since it could render one of your screens (i.e. the 1080p one) freeing up your GPU.

 

This is very interesting. I had never considered just plugging one of my side-monitors directly into the MOBO. Is that something that works alongside a GPU? I've always wondered what real performance effects having 3x monitors hooked up to one GPU has while gaming on just one of them.

[Why_Me]

1 minute ago, SlimTimDoWork said:

I'm not too worried about aesthetics, I really just added the first Lian Li 216 I found on Microcenter's site. As far as not replacing the MOBO, as one replier suggested, I really want to. I'm not sure if you read the part of my original post that mentioned I am having some major issues with what I think is the MOBO, but I think a fresh start is due. Might as well go AM5 I think.

Microcenter has some great deals but on the flip side they're limited on their inventory as in hardware choices.

[owosoup]

Quote

This is very interesting. I had never considered just plugging one of my side-monitors directly into the MOBO. Is that something that works alongside a GPU? I've always wondered what real performance effects having 3x monitors hooked up to one GPU has while gaming on just one of them.

@SlimTimDoWork Yeah that's exactly how you do it! Although it may take some extra steps with the boot config to set it up, it should work with any modern CPU! 

[Guest]

On 6/6/2023 at 1:14 PM, Deadpool2onBlu-Ray said:

MSI's X570 boards were really bad if I recall. Their B550 boards were much better. For this budget, I'd get a new case, cpu, mobo, etc.

 

I'd get the Ryzen 7700x combo from Microcenter if you have one near you for $449. That takes care of CPU/RAM/Mobo

 

Then for the case I'd get a Lancool 216

Hey, just wanted to come back here and thank you for this recommendation. That combo deal was really good and I am thrilled with the size/setup of the Lancool 216. It's perfect. Thanks!

[Deadpool2onBlu-Ray]

On 6/10/2023 at 7:48 PM, SlimTimDoWork said:

Hey, just wanted to come back here and thank you for this recommendation. That combo deal was really good and I am thrilled with the size/setup of the Lancool 216. It's perfect. Thanks!

Awesome I am glad it worked out!