Upgrading after 11 years

David Bisset · 26 Feb 2020 at 17:50

So my trusty i5 750 is still going strong, down to 3.6GHz nowadays but I'm finding I run out of RAM sometimes with 8GB and that my AMD HD 7850 is pretty weak for graphics nowadays. Rather than upgrading these, it's probably time to replace the whole machine.

A quick stab at a build is here (some of the prices are not what I'd pay etc, especially e.g. the PSU!) - but at a glance what have I messed up? I'm very out of touch with modern hardware

There isn't a strict budget but I'm a bit cheap generally so aim to not go for high-end stuff unless I need it (given I've been chugging along on an i5 750 & HD 7850 you can imagine I don't really need *that* much performance!)

My own thoughts so far:
32GB RAM is probably overkill now, but if I keep it for ages I guess it won't be eventually. I got 4GB in 2009 when plenty still used 2GB and later doubled to 8GB and still ran short eventually (Chrome AND SC2? Not after upgrading to win 10 :/) so figured I could go a bit overboard there with more if slower RAM.
I like the Define 7 case as well - probably should stick with the cheaper case in my spec below given the overall build value but might get the newer case cause shiny.

Edit: Also ideally I like things fairly quiet, hence the CPU cooler that is definitely overkill for a R5 3600. Maybe a waste given the noise the RX 5700 will make anyway?

My basket at Overclockers UK:

1 x AMD Ryzen 5 3600 Six Core 4.2GHz (Socket AM4) Processor - Retail= £154.99
1 x Scythe SCMG-5100 Mugen 5 Rev.B CPU Cooler= £42.95
1 x MSI B450 TOMAHAWK MAX (Socket AM4) DDR4 ATX Motherboard= £98.99
1 x Corsair Vengeance LPX Black 32GB (2x16GB) 3200 MHz AMD Ryzen Tuned DDR4 Memory Dual Kit= £158.99
1 x Samsung 1TB 860 EVO SSD 2.5" SATA 6Gbps 64 Layer 3D V-NAND Solid State Drive (MZ-76E1T0B/EU)= £128.99
1 x Gigabyte Radeon RX 5700 Gaming OC 8GB GDDR6 PCI-Express Graphics Card= £319.99
1 x Fractal Design Define S Midi Tower - Black= £74.99
1 x Seasonic Prime Ultra Platinum 650W 80 Plus Platinum Modular Power Supply= £159.95

Total: £1,139.84 (includes shipping: £0.00)

Kelt · 26 Feb 2020 at 22:36

I'd drop the PSU for this, saving £60 and gaining 200W.

https://www.overclockers.co.uk/cors...lar-power-supply-cp-9020196-uk-ca-24t-cs.html

I'd drop the 3200Mhz RAM (better to get 3600Mhz) and get Corsair Vengeance RGB Pro 32GB (2 x 16GB) DDR4 3600Mhz C18. only around £16 more.

With the £44 you've just saved, get the Powercolor 5700XT for an extra £30 over what you selected.

https://www.overclockers.co.uk/powe...ddr6-pci-express-graphics-card-gx-19f-pc.html

Overall you're still £14 up, with faster RAM, a more powerful PSU, and a more powerful GPU.

Maybe substitute that SSD for an M2 drive.

https://www.overclockers.co.uk/wd-b...-solid-state-drive-wds100t2b0b-hd-54n-wd.html

That's a faster drive, another £10 saved bringing it overall to £24 with IMO a much better system.

I'd also be looking for a different case, those ones with a front door cut off too much airflow for my liking, but I appreciate cases are such a personal, subjective purchase.

Gray2233 · 26 Feb 2020 at 22:50

My basket at Overclockers UK:

1 x Corsair TX650M 650W 80 Plus Gold Semi Modular Power Supply (CP-9020132-UK)= £74.99
1 x WD Blue SN550 1TB NVME M.2 2280 PCIe Gen3 Solid State Drive (WDS100T2B0C)= £109.99

Total: £194.88 (includes shipping: £9.90)

1. A 850W PSU is massive overkill, a decent 650W like the one listed would be ample and would save a further £25.
2. Much faster NvME drive for a tenner less than the WD M.2 listed.

Kelt · 26 Feb 2020 at 23:40

Gray2233 said:
My basket at Overclockers UK:

1 x Corsair TX650M 650W 80 Plus Gold Semi Modular Power Supply (CP-9020132-UK)= £74.99

1 x WD Blue SN550 1TB NVME M.2 2280 PCIe Gen3 Solid State Drive (WDS100T2B0C)= £109.99

Total: £194.88 (includes shipping: £9.90)

1. A 850W PSU is massive overkill, a decent 650W like the one listed would be ample and would save a further £25.
2. Much faster NvME drive for a tenner less than the WD M.2 listed.

I missed that drive, that's the one I was thinking of.

David Bisset · 27 Feb 2020 at 10:05

OK thanks for the feedback

I've swapped out the drive for the WD Blue SN550 1TB, was entirely unaware of this drive! I'd looked at e.g. some Samsung nVME drives and their performance was great but were just too expensive for me to justify, this one however.... nice. Glad I asked!

RAM I've switched to 3600 C18 rather than 3200 C16 for now, it's not too big a price bump so maybe a good idea.

The PSU I'm probably sticking with - mostly because the price listed above is very misleading as it can be had for only slightly more than the Corsair above and 550W should be ample, platinum is nice and seasonic review very well. The Corsair was a tempting alternative though! I may yet switch as it's still saving money for no performance loss.

I'm still on the fence about if I should step up to the 5700XT - at the moment I'm only on a 1080p 60Hz monitor so probably don't need the performance yet, but I may try some VR goodness at some stage and I'm sure it'll demand all I can throw at it and more.

subbytna · 27 Feb 2020 at 11:22

If you intend on keeping the computer for a good few years again like the current one, drop the 3600 six core and go for a future proof 8 core like the 2700x. Older gen but still capable. 8 cores 16 threads too.

faceman123 · 27 Feb 2020 at 11:23

subbytna said:
If you intend on keeping the computer for a good few years again like the current one, drop the 3600 six core and go for a future proof 8 core like the 2700x. Older gen but still capable. 8 cores 16 threads too.

with ryzen he always has the option to drop in a 16 core ryzen 4000 series cpu say after 3-4 years for cheap

subbytna · 27 Feb 2020 at 11:37

Yeah but he hasn't bought anything new for his system for 11 years. If he wants to keep the same setup and not spend any money at all, then the 8 core is a better option. Buying a 16 core cpu later is still spending money.

Danny75 · 27 Feb 2020 at 11:58

David Bisset said:
Edit: Also ideally I like things fairly quiet, hence the CPU cooler that is definitely overkill for a R5 3600. Maybe a waste given the noise the RX 5700 will make anyway?

One less noisy thing in the system. Then undervolt the 5700 XT and tune the fans. The Powercolor Dual is cheaper. The Gigabyte 5700 XT will be less noisy (probably before or certainly after tuning) if you don't mind spending more. Barring any coil whine of course.

Could wait a bit (end of March) for news on Ampere cards. Just upgrading the CPU will give you an fps boost on the 7850.

Quartz · 27 Feb 2020 at 12:22

Take a look at the Fractal Design Meshify cases for better airflow. And the Ryzen comes with a cooler that's entirely adequate if you don't want to overclock; if you're serious about noise reduction, get a Noctua DH series cooler or a Dark Rock Pro.

Since you're still on 1080p, you might consider getting a low-end GPU like the 1660 Super now and upgrading it when you get a new monitor. I do not see the 5700 having long-term value.

lee32uk · 27 Feb 2020 at 12:26

subbytna said:
If you intend on keeping the computer for a good few years again like the current one, drop the 3600 six core and go for a future proof 8 core like the 2700x. Older gen but still capable. 8 cores 16 threads too.

The R5 3600 is faster than the R7 2700X if his main usage is gaming.

faceman123 · 27 Feb 2020 at 14:23

subbytna said:
Yeah but he hasn't bought anything new for his system for 11 years. If he wants to keep the same setup and not spend any money at all, then the 8 core is a better option. Buying a 16 core cpu later is still spending money.

true man - but his 3770k meant his Mobo socket was EOL - this isn't the case here - Buy what you need today, sell when needed and upgrade i guestimate the 3950x will be <£150 in 3 years time a nice little 10 core increase

David Bisset · 27 Feb 2020 at 14:42

Ohh lots more for me to think about

thanks all for the suggestions.

I'll happily consider future upgrades in whatever path I choose - especially things like GPU etc which are super easy, though a CPU swap doesn't scare me. I did upgrade my old rig a bit - the GPU was originally a 5750, started with 4GB RAM and added SSDs so all pretty simple changes. By the time I considered upgrading the CPU it seemed relatively pointless given the options for the socket. So future upgrade options are definitely worth thinking about, and if I save money now it makes it easier to justify later upgrading. However I am aware I tend to just leave things as they are for far longer than I should so getting a decent system up front is desirable

The meshify cases are quite appealing too, I like the idea of good airflow (and they look nice) although most of the reviews I stumbled over in my frantic attempts to re-learn stuff seemed to place them as being a bit noisier than the more closed cases - presumably better airflow means you create less noise in the first place but then it escapes into the room more? Happy to be proven wrong and/or swap out stock fans or whatever as a nice quiet PC definitely appeals!

My main use is gaming. I'm a developer but almost all the heavy lifting in my work is done in the cloud so I don't really need much performance locally for that. This is why the 3600 seemed appealing

though as I say, I'm very out of touch on hardware.

Anyway I should probably do my actual job for a few hours to keep getting the money to pay for this

I'll think & look more later.

faceman123 · 27 Feb 2020 at 15:02

David Bisset said:
Ohh lots more for me to think about thanks all for the suggestions.

I'll happily consider future upgrades in whatever path I choose - especially things like GPU etc which are super easy, though a CPU swap doesn't scare me. I did upgrade my old rig a bit - the GPU was originally a 5750, started with 4GB RAM and added SSDs so all pretty simple changes. By the time I considered upgrading the CPU it seemed relatively pointless given the options for the socket. So future upgrade options are definitely worth thinking about, and if I save money now it makes it easier to justify later upgrading. However I am aware I tend to just leave things as they are for far longer than I should so getting a decent system up front is desirable

The meshify cases are quite appealing too, I like the idea of good airflow (and they look nice) although most of the reviews I stumbled over in my frantic attempts to re-learn stuff seemed to place them as being a bit noisier than the more closed cases - presumably better airflow means you create less noise in the first place but then it escapes into the room more? Happy to be proven wrong and/or swap out stock fans or whatever as a nice quiet PC definitely appeals!

My main use is gaming. I'm a developer but almost all the heavy lifting in my work is done in the cloud so I don't really need much performance locally for that. This is why the 3600 seemed appealing though as I say, I'm very out of touch on hardware.

Anyway I should probably do my actual job for a few hours to keep getting the money to pay for this I'll think & look more later.

Enjoy

just saw your location is Edinburgh - like me

, I'm a developer too! enjoy your rig bud!