2021 system update - CPU, Motherboard, RAM

Eliehbeth · 21 Jan 2021 at 12:54

So it's been a while (2014) since I did a proper update and the old girl is past due for some beefier parts.

My current setup:
Antec 900 case
Cooler Master RS-850-ESBA
i5-4690K
Asus Z97-A
Corsair 8GB DDR3 1600MHz Vengeance
AMD HD7850
Samsung 970 Evo
Western Digital 2TB HDD

I tend to use the PC for a mix of general desktop use (email, web browsing etc.), occasional workstation use (running CPU heavy post processing software) and some gaming (mainly MMOs, LoL and some older titles - Skyrim, Arkham city etc.)

Since 2014 I have graduated uni, got a job and consequently have more budget than I had then. However, I'm torn between wanting a good system for future proofing and not throwing money away on a system I'm only going to use 10% of the potential of. I might well buy some more recent titles once I have system that can them well but I'm probably never going to be a heavy gamer - maybe 10 hours a week.

I'm considering upgrading my monitor to 4K but trying to decide if the extra pixels are really worth £1000 (for monitor plus GPU to run it).

My current thinking is to just upgrade Motherboard, CPU and RAM since graphics cards are impossible to get hold of which leads me to the first question: AMD or Intel.

It's a topic that's probably been done to death so apologies for that but my current understanding of the general consensus is that AMD have Intel beat for price/performance with current generation. However, I look at things like this: https://cpu.userbenchmark.com/Compare/Intel-Core-i7-10700-vs-AMD-Ryzen-5-5600X/4077vs4084 and see two very similar CPUs in terms of price and performance.

Those are both top end in terms of what I'm looking for and I'm probably looking at something closer to the i5-10600. Will I see any real world difference between that and the i7 (or at least enough of a difference to justify the price difference). I can look at motherboards and RAM once I have the CPU sorted but thought that's the best place to start.

Thanks for your help.

mickyflinn · 21 Jan 2021 at 13:23

6 to 8 cores will only be beneficial if any off your tasks use more cores or you r doing multiple things at once.

Intel lack of pcie4 is not a massive deal breaker but may be advantageous in the future. Its also how much you really want to spend and inyrls pdicibg is quite competive at the moment due to AMD release.

The higher refresh rate the more the game iz gpu bound so no need to go high end cpu.

K chips will allow you to overclock if thats relevant.

Amd 3600 is what you should compare to a 10600 in terms of pricing .

Intel 11th gen cpu should be released march this year.

ASMB · 21 Jan 2021 at 14:55

I would recommend waiting until end of March and the review of the intel 11th gen, the intel 11400f should be all you need. The wait will also allow a bit more time to see if the GPU market settles down or changes, eg possible release and review of AMD 6700 gpu

IMO I would prefer a 1440p high refresh monitor over a 4k. I do avoid TN monitors though of any resolution

Gamefreak501 · 21 Jan 2021 at 21:09

I will be going down the 1440p route myself, 4k is just too costly for now, when you factor in everything. I'm looking at IPS technology for my monitor upgrade.

Afaik, Intel are still using the 14nm process, even on their upcoming 11th gen based on the rumour mill, they had major problems getting down to 10nm, which means power demands are likely to match or exceed 10th generation CPUs, but LGA1200 is apparently safe, but we'll know more details by March hopefully.

I'm almost in the same boat as you and may even consider going to 6 cores instead of 8-cores to have more GPU money (when stock gets better).

whatalegend123 · 21 Jan 2021 at 22:44

Do you really need to upgrade? Is anything you are doing actually not performing well?

As sounds like you are only playing older games

Could just get a 2nd hand gpu that would meet your needs like a rx 580? To play more modern stuff @ 1080p

EsaT · 23 Jan 2021 at 08:57

Gamefreak501 said:
Afaik, Intel are still using the 14nm process, even on their upcoming 11th gen based on the rumour mill, they had major problems getting down to 10nm, which means power demands are likely to match or exceed 10th generation CPUs, but LGA1200 is apparently safe, but we'll know more details by March hopefully.

When Intel increased TDP even though core count dropped to 8, you know top models will likely be even worser landfill fires than Skylake rebrands under full all core load.

Tetras · 24 Jan 2021 at 12:54

For such light gaming I really wouldn't target 4K right now, it's just not worth it for the amount of money you'd have to pay to maintain performance at this level. That said, the requirements for those old games you play are significantly lower, so even a 3060 or 3060 Ti might be enough. Still, the temptation to get into newer stuff is going to be there.

Eliehbeth · 25 Jan 2021 at 14:41

I played some more games over the weekend, this time with task manager open on a second screen monitoring CPU/RAM/GPU utilisation and annoyingly, my biggest bottleneck right now is my GPU. I guess putting a faster CPU and more RAM into the PC can't hurt but it isn't going to give me any more FPS without a new GPU.

As a stop gap, I might get myself some more RAM as DDR3 is pretty cheap (even though it still feels a bit of a waste as I can't use it after I upgrade) and hope for GPUs to become obtainable again. I guess the question is whether I go for something like an RX580 (if I can even get hold of one of those - they also seem to be sold out in most places) or just keep hammering F5 until the summer and try and get an RTX30xx.

I can see the argument for waiting for Rocket Lake. I guess my main thinking for upgrading CPU was simply its age rather than it being a bottleneck. For as long as it's good enough, I might hold off. As soon as I can get a new GPU, that'll probably trigger a larger upgrade as there's no doubt a 4690K will be a bottleneck when pared to even a 3060.

Tetras · 26 Jan 2021 at 12:58

Please don't buy a rx580 for £300!

Hopefully they'll refresh the low-end soon, I would consider a 3050, but I'm not buying a 4 year old power-hungry monster for these prices.

Eliehbeth · 27 Jan 2021 at 12:27

Tetras said:
Please don't buy a rx580 for £300! Hopefully they'll refresh the low-end soon, I would consider a 3050, but I'm not buying a 4 year old power-hungry monster for these prices.

Another store has them for £200 but even those are out of stock so I think I'll hold off and get a 3060 and look at processors in the summer.

Tetras · 27 Jan 2021 at 12:52

For me, 200 is still way too much for something that was £130 - £150 a few months ago and is really old tech now. By the way, you can't mention competitors here.

Eliehbeth · 27 Jan 2021 at 14:02

Fair points on both fronts. I edited the original post. Feel free to edit the quote. And I didn't know how cheap the RX 580 was. I guess the whole market has gone mad and not just the latest gen.

Tetras · 27 Jan 2021 at 14:48

Eliehbeth said:
Fair points on both fronts. I edited the original post. Feel free to edit the quote. And I didn't know how cheap the RX 580 was. I guess the whole market has gone mad and not just the latest gen.

Yeah, RX570/580s were going for as little as £100 new at one point, anything with a fan on it is getting stupid money right now. I've seen a few 1650s and 1050 Tis around 150, which is better than a £300 RX 580, but it's still not great value. If I wasn't bothered about waiting, I'd consider a pre-order if you see something at old prices. I'm hoping a refresh of the low/mid-end will come soon, but right now it would still sell out in minutes.