Upgrade check, advice for improvement appreciated

coopsjc21 · 9 Feb 2023 at 06:52

Hi
Looking to upgrade my somewhat ageing Core2Duo system and get back into gaming a little, what with Stalker 2 on the horizon.

Existing case is suitable, peripherals all ok, have 1tb ssd and I'm hoping PSU will suffice too (SuperFlower 80plus Bronze 550w). I just need the big 4 as it were..

My budget was around £600-700, but that was never going to happen. Looking at these options, if anyone can suggest improvements for similar price (or better for cheaper of course). Much appreciated!

My basket at OcUK:

1 x AMD Ryzen 7 5800X Eight Core 4.7GHz (Socket AM4) Processor - Retail (SKU: CP-3CB-AM) = £239.99
1 x Asus TUF Gaming B650-Plus (Socket AM5) DDR5 ATX Motherboard (SKU: MB-6K1-AS) = £219.95
1 x Corsair TM30 Performance CPU / GPU Thermal Paste - 3g (CT-9010001-WW) (SKU: TH-000-CS) = £5.98
1 x Asus Radeon RX 6600 Dual 8GB GDDR6 PCI-Express Graphics Card (SKU: GX-47K-AS) = £278.99
1 x Corsair Vengeance EXPO 32GB (2X16GB) DDR5 PC5-41600C40 5200MHz Dual Channel Kit - Black (CMK32GX5M2B5200Z40) (SKU: MY-4DP-CS) = £149.99

Total: £902.89 (includes delivery: £7.99)

If I did go for a new case and PSU would these be sufficient...

Kolink Inspire Series K8 ARGB Midi Tower Gaming Case - Black

Order Kolink Inspire Series K8 ARGB Midi Tower Gaming Case - Black now online and benefit from fast delivery.

www.overclockers.co.uk

Kolink Enclave 600W 80 Plus Gold Modular Power Supply

Order Kolink Enclave 600W 80 Plus Gold Modular Power Supply now online and benefit from fast delivery.

www.overclockers.co.uk

Thank you!

Brackish · 9 Feb 2023 at 07:36

If it is mainly gaming then you want to change the CPU to the Ryzen 5 7600 or Ryzen 7 7xxx as they are the newest CPUs with better performance and they are AM5.

Gray2233 · 9 Feb 2023 at 07:56

If you're wanting to keep to that budget it's doable with AM4 if you don't mind going for last gen stuff.

My basket at OcUK:

1 x AMD Ryzen 5 5600 Six Core 4.4GHz (Socket AM4) Processor - Retail (SKU: CP-3D2-AM) = £149.99
1 x Gigabyte B550 Gaming X V2 (AMD AM4) B550 ATX Motherboard (SKU: MB-594-GI) = £139.99
1 x Team Group Vulcan Z T-Force 32GB (2x16GB) DDR4 PC4-25600C16 3200MHz Dual Channel Kit - Grey (SKU: MY-0AJ-TG) = £79.99
1 x Sapphire Radeon RX 6700 Pulse Gaming OC 10GB GDDR6 PCI-Express Graphics Card (SKU: GX-3A1-SP) = £359.99

Total: £737.95 (includes delivery: £7.99)

I've seen the 5600 go for as little as £120 on here before, you'd need an hsf too. I'd consider a new PSU but stay away from kolink, without double checking I'd say you're looking at a decent quality 650w for these specs.

coopsjc21 · 9 Feb 2023 at 08:13

Thanks for replies. Thinking about it longevity is a factor too, as I won't want to upgrade for a long time, so going for the later AM5 stuff and spending the extra is probably best option.

Gray2233 · 9 Feb 2023 at 08:16

coopsjc21 said:
Thanks for replies. Thinking about it longevity is a factor too, as I won't want to upgrade for a long time, so going for the later AM5 stuff and spending the extra is probably best option.

In that case the 5800x is incompatible with the components you selected, it's an am4 CPU. You have an AM5 motherboard and DDR5 listed, you should be looking at the 7600.

coopsjc21 · 9 Feb 2023 at 08:42

Yep, I'll go for the Ryzen 7 7700x, thanks.

A little over budget, but I suspect my budget was unrealistic to start with..

My basket at OcUK:

1 x Asus TUF Gaming B650-Plus (Socket AM5) DDR5 ATX Motherboard (SKU: MB-6K1-AS) = £219.95
1 x AMD Ryzen 7 7700X Eight Core 5.40GHz (Socket AM5) Processor - Retail (SKU: CP-3DF-AM) = £349.99
1 x Sapphire Radeon RX 6700 Pulse Gaming OC 10GB GDDR6 PCI-Express Graphics Card (SKU: GX-3A1-SP) = £359.99
1 x Corsair Vengeance EXPO 32GB (2X16GB) DDR5 PC5-41600C40 5200MHz Dual Channel Kit - Black (CMK32GX5M2B5200Z40) (SKU: MY-4DP-CS) = £149.99
1 x Kolink Inspire Series K8 ARGB Midi Tower Gaming Case - Black (SKU: CA-05Z-KK) = £42.94
1 x Kolink Enclave 600W 80 Plus Gold Modular Power Supply (SKU: CA-04A-KK) = £65.00
1 x Kolink AT/ATX "Kettle Plug" 1.2 5A Fuse Meter Mains Cable (SKU: CB-002-KK) = £0.00
1 x Corsair TM30 Performance CPU / GPU Thermal Paste - 3g (CT-9010001-WW) (SKU: TH-000-CS) = £5.98
1 x Alpenfohn Ben Nevis CPU Cooler - 120mm (SKU: HS-048-AL) = £21.95

Total: £1,223.78 (includes delivery: £7.99)

pastymuncher · 9 Feb 2023 at 10:45

This is going to blow the budget even more but ditch the junk psu and buy one from a quality brand instead. If you shop around you can get a EVGA Supernova G6 650w which has a 10 year warranty for just under £90 delivered. New to the UK is Montech who have turned out some very good psu's. You can pick up a Montech Century 650w Gold rated fully modular psu for £88 or the 850w version for just £95 which makes more sense to me and would cover you for any future upgrades. For a newcomer they are fairly expensive normally but they are discounted at the moment as a introductory price. They don't have RGB or fancy bags for the cables but they have spent the money on very high quality internals and use good quality Japanese capacitors. The warranty is "only" 5 years but that two years longer than the crappy Kolink. You can read a review of the 650w version here. With psu's you get what you pay for and this is the one place that shouldn't be skimped on.

mickyflinn · 9 Feb 2023 at 11:00

I would rather drop to a 7600 than buy a budget psu, there are changes you could make to free up budget such as motherboard and you can get 5600mhz ram for the same money.

Haz123 · 9 Feb 2023 at 11:06

I totally agree with pasty and do not think you should skimp on your PSU and should be buying from a more respected brand.

AMD gpu pricing has been yoyoing all over the place in the past 6 months as supplies start to get short. The 6700 has been as low as £300 in the past and at the current price you may want to consider the 6700xt below, just £30 more.

PowerColor Radeon RX 6700 XT Fighter 12GB GDDR6 PCI-Express Graphics Card

Order PowerColor Radeon RX 6700 XT Fighter 12GB GDDR6 PCI-Express Graphics Card now online and benefit from fast delivery.

www.overclockers.co.uk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FkQdAViLIs - Showcases performance , he can be annoying so skip to the relevant graphs.

Quartz · 9 Feb 2023 at 11:12

coopsjc21 said:
Looking to upgrade my somewhat ageing Core2Duo system

I agree with @pastymuncher - get a better PSU than the Kolink. Your existing Superflower is a decent brand, so if you get a low-power GPU and it's not too old then you might as well keep it and save some money.
I see that the 7700X is £100 off, so that's a good spot; otherwise wait for the X3D version.
I don't like that case: it has poor airflow and only one fan. In the low-price bracket I'm a big fan of the Kolink Citadel Mesh which has a mesh front and comes with two fans (and mounts for three more) but that will force you to go for a MATX motherboard.

My basket at OcUK:

1 x Asus TUF Gaming B650M-Plus WIFI (Socket AM5) DDR5 Micro ATX Motherboard (SKU: MB-6K2-AS) = £225.95
1 x Kolink Citadel Mesh Micro-ATX Case - Black (SKU: CA-051-KK) = £52.99

With regards to the GPU, take a long hard look at the Intel Arc A750 at £250.

coopsjc21 · 9 Feb 2023 at 11:17

Cheers. Sorry didn't realise Kolink were a dog crap brand, I'm very out of touch with technology these days.

I'll swap the PSU with something better, same with case and £30 extra for the Powercolor 6700xt seems a better choice.

I'm looking at end of Feb to be buying, no doubt prices will all have completely changed by then.

Haz123 · 9 Feb 2023 at 11:21

coopsjc21 said:
I'm looking at end of Feb to be buying, no doubt prices will all have completely changed by then.

Yes prices shift all the time and you really do have to keep an eye on things. What can be a good deal one day becomes poor the next. Post a fresh spec a day or 2 before you intend to press buy and get more upto date feedback.

mickyflinn · 9 Feb 2023 at 11:22

Micro ATX build.

My basket at OcUK:

1 x Aerocool Aero One Mini Eclipse ARGB Micro- ATX Case - Black Tempered Glass (SKU: CA-21N-AE) = £59.99
1 x Asrock B650M PG Riptide (Socket AM5) DDR5 Micro-ATX Motherboard (SKU: MB-18Y-AK) = £179.99
1 x Kingston FURY Beast EXPO RGB 32GB (2x16GB) DDR5 PC5-44800C36 5600MHz Dual Channel Kit (KF556C36BBEAK2-32) (SKU: MY-29S-KS) = £149.98
1 x AMD Ryzen 7 7700X Eight Core 5.40GHz (Socket AM5) Processor - Retail (SKU: CP-3DF-AM) = £350.00
1 x PowerColor Radeon RX 6700 XT Fighter 12GB GDDR6 PCI-Express Graphics Card (SKU: GX-1A5-PC) = £389.98
1 x Corsair RM Series RM650 650W '80 Plus Gold' Modular Power Supply (CP-9020194-UK) (SKU: CA-24R-CS) = £95.00
1 x Kolink Umbra EX180 ARGB CPU Cooler - 120mm (SKU: HS-000-KK) = £32.98

Total: £1,269.91 (includes delivery: £11.99)

coopsjc21 · 9 Feb 2023 at 11:27

Haz123 said:
Yes prices shift all the time and you really do have to keep an eye on things. What can be a good deal one day becomes poor the next. Post a fresh spec a day or 2 before you intend to press buy and get more upto date feedback.

Will do, cheers. Got a good starting point now though so will comeback in a couple weeks and do just that.

pastymuncher · 9 Feb 2023 at 19:06

I found a bargain that you can save money on. You can get a Thermalright Assassin AX120 R SE ARGB cpu cooler for just £20.90 delivered and that is a steal for what is a excellent cooler. The non ARGB version is £2 cheaper.

coopsjc21 · 10 Feb 2023 at 09:26

pastymuncher said:
I found a bargain that you can save money on. You can get a Thermalright Assassin AX120 R SE ARGB cpu cooler for just £20.90 delivered and that is a steal for what is a excellent cooler. The non ARGB version is £2 cheaper.

Are they good coolers for socket AM5?

coopsjc21 · 10 Feb 2023 at 09:30

So, reading back through advice here, I'm going to go with this. Planning to buy asap as some stuff is on offer and I doubt prices will change much in my favour if I wait around.

Some have suggested Kolink cases aren't good, does that apply to their coolers too?

My basket at OcUK:

1 x AMD Ryzen 7 7700X Eight Core 5.40GHz (Socket AM5) Processor - Retail (SKU: CP-3DF-AM) = £349.99
1 x Asus Prime B650-Plus (Socket AM5) DDR5 ATX Motherboard (SKU: MB-6K4-AS) = £194.99
1 x Asus RX Radeon 6700 XT Dual 12GB GDDR6 PCI-Express Graphics Card (SKU: GX-461-AS) = £399.95
1 x Kingston FURY Beast EXPO RGB 32GB (2x16GB) DDR5 PC5-44800C36 5600MHz Dual Channel Kit (KF556C36BBEAK2-32) (SKU: MY-29S-KS) = £149.99
1 x Aerocool Aero One Mini Eclipse ARGB Micro- ATX Case - White Tempered Glass (SKU: CA-21P-AE) = £59.98
1 x Corsair RM Series RM650 650W '80 Plus Gold' Modular Power Supply (CP-9020194-UK) (SKU: CA-24R-CS) = £95.00
1 x Kolink Umbra EX180 ARGB CPU Cooler - 120mm (SKU: HS-000-KK) = £32.98
1 x Corsair TM30 Performance CPU / GPU Thermal Paste - 3g (CT-9010001-WW) (SKU: TH-000-CS) = £5.99

Total: £1,300.86 (includes delivery: £11.99)

Haz123 · 10 Feb 2023 at 09:56

If you can buy components on specials at a good price then get them...as long as you do not have to pay to much for postage. The Ryzen 7700x should come down in price as soon as the 7800X 3D is released , not many people will be buying a 7700x once the X3D part is available.

Kolink, their cases are a bit on the flimsy side but they do the job and some of them are good designs and decent choices at the price point.

The cooler you have chosen is just not that cheap so you can get either of the below coolers that will do equally as good a job.

Alpenfohn Ben Nevis CPU Cooler - 120mm

Order Alpenfohn Ben Nevis CPU Cooler - 120mm now online and benefit from fast delivery.

www.overclockers.co.uk

Alpenfohn Brocken ECO Advanced CPU Cooler - 120 mm

Order Alpenfohn Brocken ECO Advanced CPU Cooler - 120 mm now online and benefit from fast delivery.

www.overclockers.co.uk

If this was in stock then this would be what I would use at that price point.

Arctic Freezer A35 CO AM4/AM5 CPU Cooler

Order Arctic Freezer A35 CO AM4/AM5 CPU Cooler now online and benefit from fast delivery.

www.overclockers.co.uk

If you can find the deal that Pasty mentions above then thats very good as well. The Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE ( yes its a rediculously long name for a damn cooler) is an outstanding cooler in the £50 region but not stocked on OCUK.

Just to mention you have picked a micro ATX case and ATX motherboard in the above build so it will not fit.

coopsjc21 · 10 Feb 2023 at 11:24

Sorry, I selected wrong motherboard, it should be the Gigabyte board,

Gigabyte B650M DS3H (Socket AM5) DDR5 Micro ATX Motherboard

Order Gigabyte B650M DS3H (Socket AM5) DDR5 Micro ATX Motherboard now online and benefit from fast delivery.

www.overclockers.co.uk

I've seen where the cooler is he mentioned, so yeah may get that instead.

I'm looking at wanting it up and running for early to mid March, so probably won't wait for 7800x 3d to come out in hope of a cheaper 7700x.

Forgot to add Win 11 into budget .