How much would I need upgraded?

Rowan88

Rowan88

Rowan88

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Hi,

I have my current PC in the signature below. I have had it 4 years and to be honest it's still running strong. However I am going through a "rgb" phase and I have some cheap LEDs installed.

I was looking into getting the NZXT Hue+ and Kraken AIO Cooler as an upgrade to my current machine but I can obviously use them in a future build once I upgrade.

Based on my specs what do you think I would need to upgrade or am I best just doing nearly all of it (mobo, cpu, gpu, memory, psu)?

Thanks
 
A new gpu would give you a significant performance boost and with a extra 8Gb of identical memory or sell the 8Gb that you have now and buy a faster 16Gb kit would see you good for some time yet. The cpu and everything else is still more than capable.
 
Still a decent CPU with a healthy clock.

Depending on what res you game at GTX 1060 (1080p), GTX 1070 (1440p) or GTX 1080/ti (4K).

Plus an extra 8Gb - 16Gb total.

Edit: Ninja'd by @pastymuncher (mornin' :)) - and as above.
 
Thanks for the replies..

I just wasn't sure because the motherboard and ram were DDR3 if I should be selling and upgrading to DDR4.

So I would just be looking at new case (to freshen things up)
Keep CPU as it is still running strong and upgrading wouldn't give me a worthy benefit
Add extra 2 x 4GB of DDR3 ram to make it 16GB
PSU, Motherboard, SSD and HDD are fine to keep
And upgrade GPU to a 1060 (1080p) 3GB

As far as the GPU goes would going from 2GB to 3GB be a worthy £200.. would I not need to jump up to 4/6/8GB?
 
Rowan88 said:
As far as the GPU goes would going from 2GB to 3GB be a worthy £200.. would I not need to jump up to 4/6/8GB?
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If you're thinking of the GTX 1060 then ideally you would get the 6Gb card as the 3Gb essentially has a crippled core - ~10% slower. Plus, 6Gb of Vram will be utilised in a lot of games - especially big new releases.
Rowan88 said:
Add extra 2 x 4GB of DDR3 ram to make it 16GB
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Again, ideally (as pastymuncher mentioned), 2 x 8GB would be preferable - sell on the 2 x 4Gb. The clock may be harder to maintain with all slots filled (extra stress on MC), plus you'll have to match the existing sticks, timings, voltage etc...

But you can add another 2 x 4 GB - if you can't find exact matching pairs buy a superior pair and underclock settings to your present sticks.

EDIt: The Zotacs 1060 have a special offer on (thanks to @Danny75)

My basket at Overclockers UK:

Total: £249.89
(includes shipping: £9.90)




Zot1060
 
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Definitely not much of need to change CPU yet unless you have excess of money.

But upgrade to 16GB of memory would give more flexibility in leaving web browsers etc open on background while playing games.
Besides Windows uses spare RAM as disk cache for last accessed files improving loading times in games after first access of files.
Two 8GB DIMMs would keep stress on memory controller lower than adding second pair of 4GB DIMMs.

Also graphics card upgrade can give very clear benefit especially depending on resolution.

As for PSU it has cheap capacitors in secondary.
So if you're heavy user I would definitely put that into "upgrade inside year or two" list of components.
Actual high quality parts made PSUs can be expect to work upward 10 years.
(Seasonic's new mid range series comes with 10 year warranty, while top Prime serie has 12 years)


Also especially if you play FPS-games making sure audio side is at decent level gives long time return/value for used money.
 
Thanks for the answers.. I am not buying today but I am more pricing is so I know how much upgrading would cost.. I honestly thought I would have to buy whole new PC and didn't think CPU/Mobo would still live up to newer builds.

So far my basket consists of:

NZXT Source 340 Elite Tempered Glass White Case - £95
NZXT Hue+ LED Controller Kit White/Purple - £48
NZXT Kraken AIO CPU Cooler - £140

I will look into GPU's more just now, hoping to get a nice white coloured one to change the build up. Currently I am rocking full black/blue theme and now looking for white RGB.

:)

If I was to sell my RAM where is the best place to sell and how much would I get for them?

Just seen post about PSU. This one currently does have a bit of whistle about it during heavy load (CPU 73 and GPU 80).. so possibly see about an upgrade.
 
Rowan88 said:
I honestly thought I would have to buy whole new PC and didn't think CPU/Mobo would still live up to newer builds.
Click to expand...
With the recommended upgrades your computer will be fighting with the best of them for your usage.

Rowan88 said:
If I was to sell my RAM where is the best place to sell and how much would I get for them?
Click to expand...

The MM Forum ideally but i think you need 1000+ posts to access it - in which case you're stuck with the bay or Gumtree etc...

Price - approx £20/£30 (depends where you sell)
 
Thanks,

Was that £30 for the pair yeah?

Was actually shocked when I ran Gears of War 4, Hitman etc and my PC was still running most games at High. I thought it would have been dead wood by now after 4 years..

Just shows what a bit of TLC does :)

Also in the Kraken AIO, would I need a single or dual fan on it? Is there a big difference?
 
Rowan88 said:
Yeah I mean that one but there is one with one fan.. is this worth it or get twin?
https://www.overclockers.co.uk/nzxt-kraken-x42-aio-water-cooling-unit-140mm-hs-015-nx.html
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Not a lot in the x42 and x52 - below are reviews of both using the same HW 6700K:

X42 - results

X52 - results

I've moved back to air for silence - but if i was buying for RGB/aesthetic purposes - with results that close i would pick the unit that best fitted the look and desired effect within your case/window.

It's the CPU cover of the NZXT that makes the look - it then becomes about how much impact the fan/rad placement has on the look of your case.
 
To be honest, the main reason I chose the kraken was because I got told I should upgrade my current Air Cooler and I wanted RGB.. Is the AIO noiser than air fans? If so can you recommend anything else RGB related I can look into?
 
Rowan88 said:
To be honest, the main reason I chose the kraken was because I got told I should upgrade my current Air Cooler and I wanted RGB..
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Totally understand if you want to change for new look - but nothing wrong with your present cooler unless it's under performing. Main problem is that it's a PITA to fit if i remember?..

Rowan88 said:
Is the AIO noiser than air fans?
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It's all relative - but for me yes.

I found the fans noisier - mainly due to rad placement being on an open side of case (more noise to escape) plus some of the fans on units are noisier than quality air coolers.

Add to that pump noise (on some units), dying pump noise, clicking - plus the fact they have a shelf life (pump breaking, fluid evaporating) where as a decent air cooler will last for years and years if looked after - and even then it's usually a simple fan change. For example my Silver Arrow is still going strong after ~6 years and works and looks as good as the day i bought it. Although it has it's fair share of my blood on its cooling fins as it's a bitch to fit :/.

Having said all that - AIOs have there place as they perform very well. They're excellent at what they do, simple to fit (on the whole), more working space around CPU, and if you get a unit without any issues it will last you many years.

Each to their own - i certainly don't want to put you off getting one if it fulfils your criteria as there are loads of happy users out there who would counter my opinions.

Rowan88 said:
If so can you recommend anything else RGB related I can look into?
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I'm out of my league when it comes to RGB i'm afraid. I build sleek, plain black boxes - no emission of light - where the CPU is essentially locked away in the dark surrounded by sound proofing - my components have a deprived existence :)

My preferences would guide you to looking into boring looking be-quiets, Phanteks and Noctuas (air coolers) - the be-quiets for a moody look. And then looking at creating shadows/effects within the case via case lighting/strips etc...

You can replace the air cooler fans with LED fans - but i wouldn't know how quiet these are. Someone else with more RGB experience would need to advise you there.

But, i will add i've fitted an NZXT - and it did look very classy. So don't let my ramblings put you off your preferred choice...
 
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Thanks for the post..

I will prioritize what I need but so far this looks like what I would be after:

ASUS GTX1060 6GB Dual OC White - £300
NZXT S340 White Mid Tower Case - £60 or Tempered version for £95
Kingston HyperX Fury 16GB (2 x 8GB 1866MHz DDR3) - £110
NZXT Hue+ RGB Kit - £48
NZXT Kraken x52 AOI RGB Cooler - £140

By the sounds of it the main thing I need would be GPU and MEM, then a case to make it look new... as far as the cooler goes my BeQuiet! works great just now getting me a nice OC but I would probably look into the NZXT or Corsair stuff for more of a bling/upgrade factor.

If the x52 was £140, would it cost about the same if I was to build my own custom water cooling system?
 
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Rowan88 said:
Thanks for the post...
Click to expand...
No problem.

Rowan88 said:
ASUS GTX1060 6GB Dual OC White - £300
NZXT S340 White Mid Tower Case - £60 or Tempered version for £95
Kingston HyperX Fury 16GB (2 x 8GB 1866MHz DDR3) - £110
NZXT Kraken x52 AOI RGB Cooler - £140
Click to expand...

NZXT S340 is a great value case - easy to work on too.

Added another case for you to look at, Corsair Carbide, and added a white themed cooler as would match your Asus GTX 1060 - and goes nicely with white memory sticks. More options for you to pick over...

My basket at Overclockers UK:


​

Rowan88 said:
By the sounds of it the main thing I need would be GPU and MEM, then a case to make it look new... as far as the cooler goes my BeQuiet! works great just now getting me a nice OC but I would probably look into the NZXT or Corsair stuff for more of a bling/upgrade factor.
Click to expand...

Sensible and bang for buck choices - and the NZXT will cool and give you the personal touch your after.

Rowan88 said:
If the x52 was £140, would it cost about the same if I was to build my own custom water cooling system?
Click to expand...

Quality custom water will cost more - even the starter kits.

If you're seriously interested in that you would need to start a separate post in the Water Cooloing Forum as again i've not built a water cooled system in years so completely out of the loop and my depth (puns intended)
 
Thanks again m8 a lot to ponder over..

I also found it a bit limited to find a white graphics card. If I bought a black one are they easy enough to paint the shrouds? Its not dangerous to the card in any way?
 
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Rowan88 said:
I also found it a bit limited to find a white graphics card. If I bought a black one are they easy enough to paint the shrouds? Its not dangerous to the card in any way?
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Not something i've done personally but perfectly possible to do, and results can often look better than the colour schemes the card manufacturers use.

So, yes, don't limit yourself to one card choice if you have other styles you prefer.

Clip of an MSI GTX 970 being painted white - Clicky 1.

Painting components in general - Clicky 2

Also, browse the Project Logs forum for tips/inspiration - some excellent builds/threads.
 
Rowan88 said:
But again, only downside is if I paint it then it breaks I can't RMA it :(
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Unfortunately, there's always a compromise/risk with customising a PC.

Memory sinks are easy but yes, gfx cards are a more ballsy affair as you've usually spent your maximum and there's always a slight risk involved in removing the shroud. Be sure to use the right tools - even small sockets when required (some aren't screwed on).

I've replaced paste on a few GFX cards and never experienced a problem - but i am extremely careful. If i had chosen to paint the shroud at the same time the risk wouldn't have been any greater - unless i had poor spraying skills and globbed paint on the fans.

Watch clips, seek advice from experienced modders - but ultimately stick with what you're comfortable doing and can afford to risk.

Have you got an old card you can experiment with?
 
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