Looking to upgrade existing i7 system, need advice

AndyD

AndyD

AndyD

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Joined
19 Nov 2020
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2
I am looking for advice on what hardware to upgrade to make my system perform better (which was purchased as a bundle from Overclockers in 2018. I use the machine for gaming but also for standard windows programs etc.

Intel Core i7-8700 3.2GHz (Coffee Lake) Socket LGA1151 Processor - Retail
Gigabyte Z370P motherboard
Team Group Vulcan T-Force 16GB (2x8GB) DDR4 PC4-19200C14 2400MHz Dual Channel Kit - Grey (TLGD416G24
Zotac GeForce GTX 1060 Mini 6144MB GDDR5 PCI-Express Graphics Card
Raijintek Themis Black Heatpipe CPU Cooler PWM - 120mm
Phanteks Eclipse P400S Glass Midi Tower Case - Noise Dampened Black/Red
SATA solid state drive (not M.2) 500GB

My main focus is replacing the SATA drive. I see there are several read/write speeds available on M.2 SSDs, is it best to just go for the fastest I can?
What Graphics card upgrade should I consider? I am not looking to spend a fortune and be at the bleeding edge but something that is a good upgrade from a previous generation would be fine (to get the framerate up during gaming). Forza Horizon on Ultra settings has an average framerate of 12-20fps (so had to dial back the performance to find that perfect balance).

Any other suggestions for upgrades?
 
Last edited:
Cheap upgrade:
My basket at Overclockers UK:
Total: £96.88 (includes shipping: £9.90)​
​

The panel will improve airflow in your case.
No need to spend ££'s on Samsung M.2 models, you wouldn't notice the difference. Clone your OS over to the M.2 using macrium reflect, install Forza on the SATA ssd, job done.
I'd sit tight & wait for lower end current gen GFX cards to be released. Demand for what's out there now is bonkers.
 
Replacing drive won't do any good.
You have there extremely severe graphics card bottleneck for gaming.
That card was low end already when new many many years ago!
Heck, even consoles literally nuke it.

What kind budget you have?
 
Thanks for the advice everyone. I tested Forza again and was getting around 40 frames a second, with a resolution of 5120 x 1440 with Ultra settings. I have a budget up to £300, is this enough to boost performance with a new card?
I will get an M.2 SSD to upgrade the system anyway as my SSD HD is currently 500GB (and I need more space on the system drive)
 
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