Upgrade from 2016 machine (Yes. I grow old).

[peet]

I built this in 2016 and it failed to distract me from making children. I now have a nine year old son who is starting to mock me. I think the mocking may have begun some time ago, and is perhaps related to the jankbox on which I now play Smash Karts with him. I can no longer ignore my predicament. I would like something that will last for as long as possible as I can't be bothered doing this again before I am ended. I will build this myself so help me God.


Purchase Timeframe: Soon as possible. No rush. Grateful for help.

Budget: AS LITTLE AS POSSIBLE SURELY IT CAN BE DONE. I was thinking of buying an old rig for about 500 quid. Will go to 700 if I must. Will probably get talked up as usual of course.

Usage: Writing documents, appearing on videos like a see you next Tuesday, playing Smash Karts (now) and pwning my son in the near future on anything else.

Preferences: Quiet as poss, case that does not look like I 420 blaze it (wooden ideal, tweed better, no flamboyant lights please).

Current Hardware: AMD FX-6300, Mobo Gigabyte 970A-DS3P, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970, 16.0GB RAM, 256GB Crucial (SSD) 111GB KINGSTON (SSD) (I have about 60GB free altogether. Need more).

Peripherals: No keyboard needed (have a k95 with the " disgusting tramp stamp " ). I have an old multi LED illuminated corsair gaming mouse which still works so no need for another one.

Special Needs/Requirements (inc Wi-Fi): Bluetooth required, wifi not essential, need USB ports for mic, keyboard, mouse, webcam and that stupid light that makes me look like an undercooked sausage. I want a 1TB or 500Gb SSD. OR DO I??? I also need windoze 11. I suppose home will do.

PS: I am of course the true professional at Smash Karts, and my son is a pathetic nub. If you are reading this and I am now dead, Ted, I lied when I said you were good. You're a scrub and a lucker.

 

[mickyflinn]

Hi

AM5 7600 with 16gb 9060xt but had to go top of your budget.

My basket at OcUK:

• 1 x AMD Ryzen 5 7600 Six Core 5.10GHz (Socket AM5) Processor - Retail (SKU: CP-3DW-AM) = £160.99
• 1 x Asrock B850M-X WiFi R2.0 (Socket AM5) DDR5 mATX Motherboard (SKU: MOT-ASR-05290) = £124.99
• 1 x Crucial Pro OC 32GB (2x16GB) DDR5 PC5-48000C36 6000MHz Dual Channel Kit (SKU: MEM-CRU-02219) = £128.99
• 1 x WD Blue SN5000 1TB SSD NVME M.2 2280 PCIe Gen4 Solid State Drive (SKU: STO-WDC-02652) = £64.99
• 1 x MSI MAG A650BN UK PSU 650W 80 Plus Bronze Power Supply (SKU: POW-MSI-03345) = £50.00
• 1 x Sapphire Pulse Radeon RX 9060 XT Gaming 16GB GDDR6 PCI-Express Graphics Card (SKU: GRA-SPR-05179) = £329.98
• 1 x Kolink Stronghold M Micro-ATX Case - Black Window (SKU: CA-068-KK) = £44.99
• 1 x Kolink Umbra EX180 Black Edition CPU Cooler - 120mm (SKU: HS-001-KK) = £17.99

Total: £922.92 (includes delivery: £0.00)​

 

[Gray2233]

I'm confused, the link of the build you've made doesn't match your current hardware list.

Is your PSU the Superflower Golden Green 550W?

Tried to get it as close to £700 as possible while going for a "wood" case, but there is some skimping here and there, nothing major but there's a couple of instances where a £10-50 would get you some better value parts. If your PSU is the above (I'm assuming it's modular) you should be able to reuse it. If the only game you play is Smash Karts you'd probably get away with keeping the 970 (or 980ti, whichever you actually own) as the system requirements seem very low.

My basket at OcUK:

• 1 x Lian Li A3 mATX Wood Edition - Black (SKU: CAS-LIA-02630) = £69.95
• 1 x Team Group MP44L 1TB SSD M.2 2280 NVME PCI-E Gen4 Solid State Drive (SKU: STO-TMG-03128) = £64.99
• 1 x Intel Holiday Bundle - Choose One Of Four Premium Games (SKU: DIG-INT-06664) = £0.00
• 1 x AMD Ryzen 5 7600 Six Core 5.10GHz (Socket AM5) Processor - Retail (SKU: CP-3DW-AM) = £160.99
• 1 x Crucial Pro OC 32GB (2x16GB) DDR5 PC5-48000C36 6000MHz Dual Channel Kit (SKU: MEM-CRU-02219) = £128.99
• 1 x Thermalright Assassin X 120 R Digital ARGB Black CPU Air Cooler (SKU: COO-TLR-03757) = £14.99
• 1 x Sapphire Pulse B850M WiFi (Socket AM5) DDR5 Micro-ATX Motherboard (SKU: MOT-SPR-05692) = £129.95
• 1 x Acer Nitro Intel ARC B570 OC 10GB GDDR6 PCI-Express Graphics Card (SKU: GRA-ACR-04170) = £169.99

Total: £751.84 (includes delivery: £11.98)​

Regardless, it'll be hefty uplift over your current, especially if it's an FX6300/970 setup.

 

[lepharaon33]

Hi

AM5 7600 with 16gb 9060xt but had to go top of your budget.

My basket at OcUK:

• 1 x AMD Ryzen 5 7600 Six Core 5.10GHz (Socket AM5) Processor - Retail (SKU: CP-3DW-AM) = £160.99
• 1 x Asrock B850M-X WiFi R2.0 (Socket AM5) DDR5 mATX Motherboard (SKU: MOT-ASR-05290) = £124.99
• 1 x Crucial Pro OC 32GB (2x16GB) DDR5 PC5-48000C36 6000MHz Dual Channel Kit (SKU: MEM-CRU-02219) = £128.99
• 1 x WD Blue SN5000 1TB SSD NVME M.2 2280 PCIe Gen4 Solid State Drive (SKU: STO-WDC-02652) = £64.99
• 1 x MSI MAG A650BN UK PSU 650W 80 Plus Bronze Power Supply (SKU: POW-MSI-03345) = £50.00
• 1 x Sapphire Pulse Radeon RX 9060 XT Gaming 16GB GDDR6 PCI-Express Graphics Card (SKU: GRA-SPR-05179) = £329.98
• 1 x Kolink Stronghold M Micro-ATX Case - Black Window (SKU: CA-068-KK) = £44.99
• 1 x Kolink Umbra EX180 Black Edition CPU Cooler - 120mm (SKU: HS-001-KK) = £17.99

Total: £922.92 (includes delivery: £0.00)

If you want to keep this under £700, your current basket is way over budget. Your build is solid for gaming and multitasking, but you’re spending a lot on DDR5 32GB and a 9060 XT, which is overkill for Smash Karts and general use.
Here’s a tighter alternative that keeps your performance strong for what you actually need:
CPU: Ryzen 5 7600 – keep it (£160)
Motherboard: B650/B550 Wi-Fi board (cheaper mATX option) – ~£90
RAM: 16GB DDR5 5200–5600MHz – ~£60 (upgrade later if needed)
SSD: 1TB NVMe – keep it (£65)
GPU: RX 6600 XT / 3060 – ~£200–250 (plenty for Smash Karts, won’t bottleneck)
PSU: 650W 80+ Bronze – £50
Case: Simple mATX case – £35
Cooler: Stock cooler or cheap aftermarket – £20
Total: ~£680–700
You’ll save ~£200+ and still crush your son in Smash Karts. Quiet, no RGB required, plenty of USB ports, and W11 Home runs fine.

 

[peet]

Good grief lads that is remarkable. I even had a look myself and gave up because I cannot make head nor tail. THANK YOU.

 

[mickyflinn]

Good grief lads that is remarkable. I even had a look myself and gave up because I cannot make head nor tail. THANK YOU.

Any questions.

Between the 2 builds Grays is more suited to 1080p for modern games where mine will do 1440p also, the difference really is the GPU.

 

[Tetras]

Budget: AS LITTLE AS POSSIBLE SURELY IT CAN BE DONE. I was thinking of buying an old rig for about 500 quid. Will go to 700 if I must. Will probably get talked up as usual of course.

I would like something that will last for as long as possible as I can't be bothered doing this again before I am ended.

By "last for as long as possible", what do you mean?

If you mean for gaming (beyond one game and possibly e.g. AAA FPS in the future), then I'd suggest a minimum of a 16GB card (9060 XT, 5060 Ti) and an AM5 CPU for future CPU upgrades.

If you get much less than the above, it will cut the usable lifespan.

 

[peet]

By "last for as long as possible", what do you mean?

If you mean for gaming (beyond one game and possibly e.g. AAA FPS in the future), then I'd suggest a minimum of a 16GB card (9060 XT, 5060 Ti) and an AM5 CPU for future CPU upgrades.

If you get much less than the above, it will cut the usable lifespan.

I suppose I mean how long I will get out of it. I can now see this is not a helpful thing to say.

 

[sastusbulbas]

Personally I think you should spend a little more, get a BeQuiet case with a solid side panel and the 7600 with a 9060xt 16gb.

If you don't want bling and want silent and some longevity why not.

 

[Quartz]

1 x Sapphire Pulse Radeon RX 9060 XT Gaming 16GB GDDR6 PCI-Express Graphics Card (SKU: GRA-SPR-05179) = £329.98

Save £130+ by dropping to a B580 or - if OCUK will do them - ~£75 to a 16 GB RX 9060 non-XT.

1 x AMD Ryzen 5 7600 Six Core 5.10GHz (Socket AM5) Processor - Retail (SKU: CP-3DW-AM) = £160.99

Save £30 by dropping to a 7400.

 

[mickyflinn]

If you want to keep this under £700, your current basket is way over budget. Your build is solid for gaming and multitasking, but you’re spending a lot on DDR5 32GB and a 9060 XT, which is overkill for Smash Karts and general use.
Here’s a tighter alternative that keeps your performance strong for what you actually need:
CPU: Ryzen 5 7600 – keep it (£160)
Motherboard: B650/B550 Wi-Fi board (cheaper mATX option) – ~£90
RAM: 16GB DDR5 5200–5600MHz – ~£60 (upgrade later if needed)
SSD: 1TB NVMe – keep it (£65)
GPU: RX 6600 XT / 3060 – ~£200–250 (plenty for Smash Karts, won’t bottleneck)
PSU: 650W 80+ Bronze – £50
Case: Simple mATX case – £35
Cooler: Stock cooler or cheap aftermarket – £20
Total: ~£680–700
You’ll save ~£200+ and still crush your son in Smash Karts. Quiet, no RGB required, plenty of USB ports, and W11 Home runs fine.

Thought it was £900 max lol I'm waiting for my new glasses

My build shows what the OP can get if he wants 14r0p gaming and then he can decide if it's worth the stretch .

 

[Gray2233]

Thought it was £900 max lol I'm waiting for my new glasses

My build shows what the OP can get if he wants 14r0p gaming and then he can decide if it's worth the stretch .

I saw that too, think the OP might have reconsidered and popped in a sneaky edit.

My initial recommendation was going to be for around £800-900 with a 9060XT, but I refreshed when I saw you'd posted.

 

[mickyflinn]

I saw that too, think the OP might have reconsidered and popped in a sneaky edit.

My initial recommendation was going to be for around £800-900 with a 9060XT, but I refreshed when I saw you'd posted.

My brother, you restored my sanity , tx .

 

[peet]

I am sorry. I had no idea it would be read instantly and yes, I did reconsider given the cackling witch is probably going to rumble me.

 

[peet]

I'm confused, the link of the build you've made doesn't match your current hardware list.

Is your PSU the Superflower Golden Green 550W?

Tried to get it as close to £700 as possible while going for a "wood" case, but there is some skimping here and there, nothing major but there's a couple of instances where a £10-50 would get you some better value parts. If your PSU is the above (I'm assuming it's modular) you should be able to reuse it. If the only game you play is Smash Karts you'd probably get away with keeping the 970 (or 980ti, whichever you actually own) as the system requirements seem very low.

My basket at OcUK:

• 1 x Lian Li A3 mATX Wood Edition - Black (SKU: CAS-LIA-02630) = £69.95
• 1 x Team Group MP44L 1TB SSD M.2 2280 NVME PCI-E Gen4 Solid State Drive (SKU: STO-TMG-03128) = £64.99
• 1 x Intel Holiday Bundle - Choose One Of Four Premium Games (SKU: DIG-INT-06664) = £0.00
• 1 x AMD Ryzen 5 7600 Six Core 5.10GHz (Socket AM5) Processor - Retail (SKU: CP-3DW-AM) = £160.99
• 1 x Crucial Pro OC 32GB (2x16GB) DDR5 PC5-48000C36 6000MHz Dual Channel Kit (SKU: MEM-CRU-02219) = £128.99
• 1 x Thermalright Assassin X 120 R Digital ARGB Black CPU Air Cooler (SKU: COO-TLR-03757) = £14.99
• 1 x Sapphire Pulse B850M WiFi (Socket AM5) DDR5 Micro-ATX Motherboard (SKU: MOT-SPR-05692) = £129.95
• 1 x Acer Nitro Intel ARC B570 OC 10GB GDDR6 PCI-Express Graphics Card (SKU: GRA-ACR-04170) = £169.99

Total: £751.84 (includes delivery: £11.98)​

Regardless, it'll be hefty uplift over your current, especially if it's an FX6300/970 setup.

PSU is XFX XT Series 500W 80 Plus. Do I need a new one? Do I have to buy fans for this case? Thank you again I used to know these things but now my head is full of unicorns and duplo.

 

[peet]

I have just changed my password on the main site (to fill up my basket) and have now lost my password to this forum because I updated the password field. Oh dear. How do I get back on here now? If I vanish, that is the reason why. Very grateful for all the help and will very likely go for the rig above.

 

[mickyflinn]

PSU is XFX XT Series 500W 80 Plus. Do I need a new one? Do I have to buy fans for this case? Thank you again I used to know these things but now my head is full of unicorns and duplo.

I wouldn't be putting a 9 year old PSU in my new build for the sake of £50, the MSI 650w in my build comes with a 5 year warranty .

 

[peet]

I wouldn't be putting a 9 year old PSU in my new build for the sake of £50, the MSI 650w in my build comes with a 5 year warranty .

Thank you. Will do.

 

[peet]

I have faffed about with this a bit. Is this any good? Do I need to buy case fans (idk what radiators are)? Do I need thermal paste? Anything else (tools?)

I have gone for a different cpu as it seems faster. 500w psu seems overkill but I went for this because it says quiet. Cant remember why I changed the SSD.

My basket at OcUK:

• 1 x Lian Li A3 mATX Wood Edition - Black (SKU: CAS-LIA-02630) = £69.95
• 1 x Acer Nitro Intel ARC B570 OC 10GB GDDR6 PCI-Express Graphics Card (SKU: GRA-ACR-04170) = £169.99
• 1 x Intel Holiday Bundle - Choose One Of Four Premium Games (SKU: DIG-INT-06664) = £0.00
• 1 x Crucial Pro OC 32GB (2x16GB) DDR5 PC5-48000C36 6000MHz Dual Channel Kit (SKU: MEM-CRU-02219) = £128.99
• 1 x Sapphire Pulse B850M WiFi (Socket AM5) DDR5 Micro-ATX Motherboard (SKU: MOT-SPR-05692) = £129.95
• 1 x WD Blue SN5000 1TB SSD NVME M.2 2280 PCIe Gen4 Solid State Drive (SKU: STO-WDC-02652) = £64.99
• 1 x be quiet! Pure Rock Slim 2 CPU Cooler - 92mm (SKU: HS-01S-BQ) = £24.95
• 1 x Aerocool Integrator 500W 80 Plus Bronze Power Supply (SKU: CA-23M-AE) = £37.99
• 1 x AMD Ryzen 5 7600X Six Core 5.30GHz (Socket AM5) Processor - Retail (SKU: CP-3DG-AM) = £169.99

Total: £796.80 (includes delivery: £0.00)​

Again, thank you very much to anyone willing to help such a lettuce as myself.

 

[peet]

I have decided to ignore the cackling witch and simply crack on. I currently have an old LG telly from about 2005 as a monitor. Should I get an "eyecare" one? Is that just a hook for monitor noobs like myself? I write documents on it mainly. Seems ok, but I realise this is probably a howler.