My PC recently started elementary school and it seems it's suffering academically
Posted by Votislav@reddit | buildapc | View on Reddit | 177 comments
I built a budget gaming PC 8 years ago and now the budget is really starting to show.
CPU: i5 4440
GPU: ASUS Strix GTX960 DirectCU II OC 4 GB
Motherboard: ASUS H97-PLUS
RAM: 8GB DDR3 1600Mhz
What do I change first? And please don't say everything :')
The Witcher 3 used to run alright (45fps on the highest settings w/o HW) but as the years went by it started running worse, and it surely isn't the version of Windows or bloat. Aren't PC components supposed to last? Maybe I somehow wrecked it up?
For some reason even Overwatch runs badly on my PC (though I only tried it on W11, so I guess it might be the culprit, since my PC was not made for this system).
Other than Overwatch's performance, which may or may not have something to do with W11, I noticed no differences in performance between it and W10.
If I upgrade the RAM, do I need to buy a stick of the same speed? Should I just scrap this stick and get 16GB DDR4 2000+Mhz?
What should be my steps for these two games to run better (on W11)?
And then, some time down the line, I want to play GTA VI and Red Dead Redemption 2 (which this rig could probably pull off at the lowest graphical settings, though I haven't tried it). What should be my next steps?
User_man_person@reddit
if you only want to upgrade upgrade the ram, but you should probably just replace everything, ddr3 at 1600mhz just isnt good enough for modern gaming, and if youre gonna replace your motherboard *and* ram (you need to replace motherboard to upgrade to ddr4 or ddr5) you're probably gonna have to replace your cpu and at that point you may as well upgrade your gpu
Fones2411@reddit
This is not an 8 year old system. The Parts are over a decade old.
Don't spend money on this. It's a waste.
I would recommend upgrading the Motherboard, CPU and RAM first to something new. Maybe and SSD as well.
A 5600X + B450 Motherboard + 16GB (8*2) 3200MHz CL16 RAM + 1TB m.2 SSD should cost around 250-300$. This should be a good starting point. Later you can upgrade the GPU to a 6700XT or a 7600XT.
Votislav@reddit (OP)
ahahahah I just realized that even the GTX 900 series is 10 years old. time flies.
why are two people recommending a 5600x? is it that good or is it just a budget cpu? if i were to buy a new motherboard for a new cpu, i wouldn't like to buy into an architecture that would soon go obsolete, like in my current situation.
Only_Marzipan@reddit
Why does it matter if it's obsolete if you kept your last build for 8+ years? Any platform you buy will be obsolete by then.
TransientEons@reddit
The AM4 socket was launched 8 years ago in 2016 and the 5700x3D and 5800x3D are hardly obsolete, even if they have been superceded.
RChamy@reddit
Its a good decade for pc building.
Fragrant_Hour987@reddit
It's great if you ignore the GPU shortage, ASUS falling off, motherboards with less/useless feature getting more expensive, Nvidia price hikes, etc.
Trylena@reddit
As much as I agree the X3D chips are not obsolete we have to have in mind for a new build is not a great idea. For anyone already on AM4 its an option.
gigaplexian@reddit
It's still a good idea for price sensitive builds. AM5 is still in its infancy and has a big cost of entry. After another generation or 2 of CPUs you might not even want to try to reuse the OG motherboards/RAM in an upgrade even if they are technically compatible.
Trylena@reddit
If its a budget build sure but most people considering AM5 for a new build are not in a small budget
gigaplexian@reddit
But you're the one who said people should be using AM5 for new builds. AM5 isn't one of their requirements. They're clearly not made of money if they're trying to get by with this vintage system.
Trylena@reddit
If you check what OP said they are not on a small budget here.
gigaplexian@reddit
Where in the OP did they say they have a high budget?
Implies they haven't budgeted for a wholesale build on AM5.
Trylena@reddit
They literally said they want to play GTA IV and they commented in this thread they don't want a CPU in a plataform that soon will be dead.
ZeroAnimated@reddit
Yeah the cost to build a whole Zen 3 system isn't really budget friendly compared to a Zen 4 system that will last longer. Zen 5 is too expensive for budget builders, gotta wait until next year for the prices to drop.
karmapopsicle@reddit
They're not obsolete, certainly. However they are a pretty poor value proposition for building new. The cost of a 5800X3D + B550 + 32GB DDR4-3600 is almost identical to a 7600(X) + B650 + 32GB DDR5-6000. The AM5 build will be as fast if not faster, and has excellent future upgrade prospects.
Cautious_Village_823@reddit
Lol kinda agree here, BUT if they want to am5 isn't the worst option either.
Sanderiusdw@reddit
Then you might consider going to AM5 with a ryzen 7 or 9 (x3d variant) and some 6000 mhz ram.
You’ll be spending a bit more now but the platform just released and might stay a while
Xlxlredditor@reddit
AMD committed to AM5 at least till 2027 so definitely go AM5 for high mid-range
karmapopsicle@reddit
Just keep in mind that "supporting until 2027" does not necessarily mean releasing new architectures until 2027. While I do think it's reasonably likely we'll see Zen 6 in 2026 and the X3D variants in 2027 launch on AM5, the reason they explicitly say "supporting until 2027" with no concrete architecture promises is that they're leaving their options open for Zen 6 to use DDR6 depending on how quickly the spec is finalized and whether consumer availability shows up in 2026.
Even in the situation where Zen 6 moves to a new AM6 platform, I think we'll certainly see them stretch out additional Zen 5 SKUs in 2026/2027 to meet their promised support period. Similar to how AM4's last actual new architecture launch was Zen 3 in 2020, with X3D in 2022 and a few more SKU updates this year.
Xlxlredditor@reddit
If AM4 support is anything, it's going to be a long road. Am4 was supposed to be max like 2020
Adorable_Stay_725@reddit
Yeah but don’t forget they can still screw us over any way they want. Megacorporations aren’t your friend and if AMD’s marketing team is anything to go by, it could change very quick
ZeroAnimated@reddit
Also adding new fodder CPUs to AM4 like the 5700X3D and new XT models is just AMDs attempt to say they are still releasing "new" CPUs on AM4 well after advertised but there is nothing new about them.
Xlxlredditor@reddit
True, but still impressive nevertheless
nostalia-nse7@reddit
This. Just because they’ll still be shipping Ryzen 8000 / 9000 series chips on Zen5 in AM5 sockets, doesn’t mean Ryzen 10xxx / 11xxx chips will be compatible. To buy a motherboard in late 2024 because AMD is supporting it to 2027 versus maybe not, when replacing a 10 year old motherboard and cpu, doesn’t seem like OP is the type to swap a cpu in 24 months because something newer drops in.
Turn-Dense@reddit
Then 7800x would be too slow for amy app then upgrading ot to something on am5 wouldn’t change the situation. Am4 was really bad ryzens 1000 and 2000 for gaming were useless, ryzen 3000 was usable (but reviewers that said it was as fast or faster than 9/10gen should be canceled) and ryzen 5000 was first gen that were proper modern performance (good single and multi core) and amd was competition to 10gen, (even tho to this day they didnt fix main issues that couse major performance lose like proper ram speed, server arch. Personally i would buy 13700k as it is cheap and the fastest u can get (but u need A die) or wait for new x3d chips, because new ryzens are first ryzens that are fast enough (core to core latency etc) that windows is simply snappy. Ryzens x3d dont need (and cant run) fast ram so op can save money there, intels need adie and he should oc them and need to know how to set manual voltage (very easy)
cat1092@reddit
There’s the answer!💯
That GTX 960 4GB was the one I wished had purchased for my still owned (but barely used) Dell XPS 8700 in 2014 or so. Instead I did worse, getting the MSI 2GB blower version. Considering it was almost midrange at the time, I regretted not buying the 4GB model from EVGA & others.
Time to make it an emergency use PC & upgrade!💯
Uhmattbravo@reddit
It would be a pretty big upgrade with a bit of room to grow, but you'd get more out of a 5700x3d (or slightly better but more expensive 5800x3d) but that's about all the platform can handle.
Getting into AM5 with like a 7600 would probably be a smarter move because there's already a bit faster out for the platform, and it isn't EoL yet like AM4.
Fones2411@reddit
5600X is the Bang for the buck processor. Its price to performance is really good and since its required parts (RAM, Motherboard) are also cheap. So it's the best option.
Though if you want something that will be more future proof, getting a Ryzen 5 7600/7600X (or a 7500F if you are not in the US), 32 GB DDR5 RAM(I don't recommend getting a 16GB as this cost effective) and a B650 Motherboard will do but it will cost quite a bit more around 450-500$.
Slip_Lopsided@reddit
If he’s in the USA near a micro center he can get a 7600x mobo and ram for 350 in a bundle (includes another stick of g skill flare x5 to upgrade to 32gb ram)
karmapopsicle@reddit
I think there's actually a pretty reasonable case to be made for going with LGA1700 rather than AM4 on the bang-for-the-buck budget end of things. An i5-12400F is slightly cheaper ($111 vs 124) than the 5600X and has a very small edge in gaming performance. Motherboards are just as cheap now, and you can either stick with DDR4 to save as much as possible, or go DDR5.
Saves a few bucks up front, and there's higher performance future upgrade options available for the platform if ever desired. Plus if the rumours about Intel launching one more chip lineup for the platform hold true (Bartlett Lake) that could be an even better upgrade path down the line.
AlbinoRhino838@reddit
I bought an 8600k like, 6 years ago, and have a 1080 I've had since just before the 2000 series came out, got almost 50% off msrp on it, and it's just starting to show its age. It feels like slightly splurging on parts now holds up for a long time.
Eastern-Professor490@reddit
the 5600x is the best value cpu for gaming as in frames/currency followed closely by the 5700x3d
karmapopsicle@reddit
12400F would like a word.
Eastern-Professor490@reddit
tell it to go talk to either hardware unboxed or gamers nexus who made the average fps calculation. the 5600 and 5600x are basically the same cpu especially when it comes to gaming and in avg gaming performance tje 5600 is better than the 12400 and cheaper. so either the 12400 gets better or cheaper then we can talk
karmapopsicle@reddit
The 12400F is cheaper than both the 5600 and 5600X.
You can use any recent TechPowerUp CPU review for full gaming performance averages with resolutions from 720p to 4K, with a test suite that dwarfs what Hardware Unboxed or Gamers Nexus have the resources to implement. The difference between the 5600X and 12400F is basically margin of error.
I think the most likely cause for the discrepancy is that TPU's test bench for the Alder Lake chips is using DDR5-6000, allowing the 12400F to deliver it's maximum performance potential there.
Admiral_peck@reddit
The 5600x is very competitive but it is the last gen for the AM4 socket, still the 5700x3d/5800x3d are available for that socket and still offer about a 25% increase over the 5600x
The 3600x is even still viable for windows 11 with enough ram
Like I said in another comment, if you go AM5 and get an 8000g chip, the igpu in those chips is as good or better than your gtx 960 already, so you can cut a gpu out of your budget short term and get onto a platform that will be getting new products for the next 4 years at minimum and already has tons of cpu's that outperform the 8k series (8k series cpu side is roughly the same performance as the equivalent level 5000 series non-x3d chip)
karmapopsicle@reddit
The 8500G's integrated Radeon 740M offers well under half the performance of OP's existing GTX 960. Even the full fat Radeon 760M in the 8600G performs slightly worse than the 960 on average.
OP would get better gaming performance simply buying a much cheaper i5-12400F and re-using their existing GTX 960, or nearly doubling their performance by spending ~$50 on a used RX 580 8GB. I think there are a handful of scenarios where these chips make sense, but in OP's particular situation it's a bit tough to justify them unless power maximum power efficiency was one of the most important goals.
traugdor@reddit
Because
The Intel equivalent has a major hardware bug that has been bricking CPUs and you won't know when you buy one if it will happen to you or not.
So you need AMD until Intel releases Gen 15 and can verify that the bug no longer exists.
karmapopsicle@reddit
The issues only affect Raptor Lake silicon, not the Alder Lake silicon found in any of the chips like the 12400(F) that are Intel's equivalent competitor to the 5600X.
cogeng@reddit
If you live near a microcenter you can get a AM5 mobo, 7600X, and 16GB of DDR5 for $300 bundled right now.
For GPU, if you can wait a month or two there's a good chance AMDs next gen will be released and push prices down. Personally I'd get something AMD with 16GB of RAM or more if you want your system to be usable for another 10 years. If you can't wait, I'd get a RX6800 for $360 or even cheaper used. This is about 5x faster than your GTX960 and has the 16GB of VRAM that I feel is important for staying relevant longer.
NickCharlesYT@reddit
Personally I'd recommend you up to a 7000 series. AM4 is already an end of life platform, if you want your next PC to go another 8 years, you may as well set yourself up for an easy slot in CPU upgrade with architectural improvementns down the road. Sure 5600x is good bang for buck now, but you have to consider more than initial acquisition cost and for longevity AM5 is a better consideration in general.
xxam925@reddit
Because 5600x is powerful enough to run every game out right now at max settings AND leaves an upgrade path to 5700x3d which will keep the platform smacking for a few more years after the 5600x starts to show its age, which it still isn’t even close. There might be an obscure game that I’m not aware of that the 5600x isn’t maxing out but I don’t think there is.
Price the two out, I’d recommend a better mb than a 450 though. B550 I think.
Xaan83@reddit
It's good to have an upgrade path, but there is no point buying into the platform and then planning to upgrade to only a slightly more expensive CPU that already exists.
Bloodsucker_@reddit
Go for 7600 (AM5). It's a great CPU and it's affordable. Don't go for AM4.
darksidetrooper@reddit
It depends on what your budget is for PC parts really. Your current system is pretty old and if you want to upgrade to be good for another couple years, you pretty much have to replace a lot if not everything you currently have besides the case and fans.
I’d suggest an AMD AM5 CPU and 40 series GPU or AMD equivalent. Stay away from Intel CPUs for the time being and grab something solid like the 7700X or one of the AM5 X3Ds if you mostly game. I personally like Nvidia GPUs for the superb DLSS FG but a current AMD one would be great as well. As for RAM I’d go 6000 CL30 DDR5 from Teamgroup brand if you don’t care about RGB stuff, and something like a Corsair 750W PSU. MOBO will probably vary depending on your needs and preferences.
It’s gonna be costly to bring your system up to modern standards any way you slice it but it’ll last you a good long time.
cuddly_degenerate@reddit
Nah, for gaming OP should get a GPU first. That CPU, while it needs to be upgraded, will still hit 60fps in most games with a passable GPU. Then upgrade the rest. Well, that and a ssd.
Upgrade it all at once if you can afford to.
antsam9@reddit
Old PSU not worth the risk, it's done it's duty, let it go
Fones2411@reddit
As I said, if it's good. As I don't know what PSU he has.
antsam9@reddit
nah, no 10 year PSU is worth the risk, even if it was quality before hand
TheDoct0rx@reddit
My evga psus have 10 year warranties. These products were designed to last and IMO would be foolish to waste money on "upgrading" this part
antsam9@reddit
Some PSUs have 10 year warranties, there's even 12 year ones, for their best models.
It does sound like OP has a top of the line PSU
The PSU doesn't have to fail outright, it can have breakdown and lead to coilwhine, it can shorten the life of your other components and investment, at worsr/failure it can fry the hardware and make the data unrecoverable.
The upgrade on PSU is the safety and reliability, the longer and more hours you use a PSU, the less safe and reliable it is. The investment of a new PSU protects your data and hardware and is relatively low compared to the rest of the system.
If you're doing a whole new system rebuild, and it's a main system in your life, a couple hundred on the PSU is worthwhile insurance against PSU failure. If you're making a whatever piece of crap Plex box or whatever, which will have data that isn't critical, then yeah sure, sure whatever junk you got laying around, heck, go past the warranty.
Recent_Delay@reddit
Actually his GPU is waaaay worse than the CPU.
I kept my i5 4590 for like a year when I bought my RTX 2060 and everything was running good, even RDR2 and Hogwarts Legacy at medium/high settings 1440p.
I only upgraded to the R5 5600X cause I wanted +100 fps to use the 165hz of my monitor, and because I also got a 3080Ti. But i5 4590 + RTX 2060 was a pretty decent combo for medium 1440p@60fps
You're gonna have waaaaaaaay more performance with i5 4440 + 6700XT than the 5600X + 960.
People tend to underestimate old CPUs a lot when they're still great for gaming, even Cyberpunk almost max settings runs good with the i5 4460.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kp1NXC-aERc
Also, witcher 3 dx12 sucks, it still runs at 30 fps in my 5600+3080Ti if I put the raytracing on max settings.
breadatolivegarden@reddit
Nowadays I'd probably go with a 7600x and b650 motherboard, it will cost OP a little more but will allow him to save later as he can get a better cpu down the line
ikkbirsingh@reddit
i would critic the motherboard and ram , the motherboard should be b550 as of obvious reasons and the ram should be 3600 not 3200 cuz amd had optimised 5600x which i am using for 3600 mhz ram
NotTechBro@reddit
Trash advice, a 12400F/12600K are much better investments.
Renard_Fou@reddit
If the mobo and everything is so old, it honestly might be better to throw everything out and start anew
al3ch316@reddit
Don't spend money upgrading piecemeal; your platform is too old. You need a whole new chipset, which means you need to replace everything.
Reversi8@reddit
If you really don't have the budget to get a new build, 4770k and 2 or 4 8gb sticks of ddr4 will cost you $50 or so on eBay. It won't be great but at least you won't be hitting ram problems and has 50% more CPU performance.
OnlyHere4ThePussycat@reddit
It's already been said but you need to start with your mobo, CPU & CPU cooler, cuz no semi-recent CPU will fit your existing mobo. Your CPU of choice will dictate the mobo & cooler, but don't consider any CPUs older than 2 or 3 yrs, at most.
Your RAM might still work if your mobo supports it, but you definitely need more. So another 2 sticks of 4gb to match the architecture & speed of your current RAM.
I would then look at backing up and switching over your HDD to SSD. Even if it's still on SATA connection, it'll be light-years faster & larger capacity.
Then you can replace the GPU & PSU cuz all this new equipment will likely already be pushing your current PSU to its breaking point. Get a PSU that's at least 120% of the total wattage of your system including new CPU, cooler, RAM, SSD & GPU added up.
cuddly_degenerate@reddit
Upgrade your GPU first, you'll still hit 60 fps in pretty much anything on that CPU, but you are due for a total overhaul asap. New CPU, mobo, and ram.
ItyBityGreenieWeenie@reddit
Quick and dirty: get another 8GB DDR3-1600 and a SATA SSD (if you are running a spinning metal HD), then fresh install of Windows. It will improve your situation quite a bit. But the CPU and GPU are 10 years old. The PSU is likely still good, but long in the tooth.
I would grab an AMD 7600, B650 board, 32GB DDR5-6000 and a cheap M.2 SSD, then limp along with your old video card and PSU for awhile longer expecting to replace them eventually. Or do what I said above and save a bit longer until you can do a complete new build.
CountBlashyrkh@reddit
Part of the reason witcher 3 runs poorly for you now is the dx12 "upgrade". Definitely runs worse.
2 options for that game.
1) run it in dx11 mode. You can set that in the launcher that pops up.
2) downgrade to the old pre update version. It'll run just like before. Look up a guide how to do it.
In regards to upgrading, as others have said you should just rebuild a new system from the ground up. With that age if a computer even the psu should be new as the old one could go bad at some point depending on the situation.
However. If you CANT build new for whatever reason, heres what i recommend.
Your i5 is not hyperthreaded, so find an i7-4790 used somewhere. You will get a bit better clock speed and the hyper threading will smooth out a lot of your gaming woes.
Ram, just buy a new set of 16gb ddr3, should be cheap. Throw away old stick.
Upgrade to a gpu thats capable of dx12. This will get you the most performance improvement. Rx 6600 or rx 7600 will be a massive improvement. Or you can try to find a used rtx 2060 etc. Anything like that will outperform your gtx 960 by 3x-4x.
Recent_Delay@reddit
Witcher 3 dx12 sucks tho.
I can't get 60 fps with raytracing even with my 5600x + 3080Ti.
It's funny how I have 60-80 fps in RDR2, Alan Wake 2, Hogwarts Legacty, even Cyberpunk, all at max settings, but Witcher 3 being an old ass game can't get pass 40fps at max settings.
There're videos with RTX 4080S that also can't get pass 50fps for witcher with raytracing.
CountBlashyrkh@reddit
Yes it does. Part of that is the raytracing, but mostly its because the game wasnt designed in dx12, it was designed in dx11. So dx12 is literally hacked in to get technology like raytracing and FSR/DLSS to work. It runs so bad.
Turning it to run in dx11 mode solves some of the issues, but it still doesnt run as well as it used to before the "upgrade".
kermityfrog2@reddit
I’m happily gaming at 3440x1440 120hz, and PCVR using an ancient 2600k, RTX2070 and 24gb RAM. I’ll upgrade when I can’t play new games but it’s holding up surprisingly well.
karmapopsicle@reddit
A basic commodity kit of 2x8GB DDR3-1600C11 is $26 CAD brand new. 1600C9 is $32 CAD, and 1866C10 is $35 CAD.
Looking at completed listings on ebay if you were aiming for a higher end DDR3-2400 kit I'm seeing used ones going for ~$40-60CAD.
Tommy_____Vercetti@reddit
DDR3 ram is strangely expensive.
karmapopsicle@reddit
Depends on what kind of spec you're trying to buy. A basic commodity 2x8GB (16GB) DDR3-1600C11 kit is just $16. A kit of 1600C9 or 1866C10 is ~$25.
Nobody is fabbing high end DDR3 anymore, so if you're trying to find boutique speeds like DDR3-2400 you're going to be paying a significant premium for new-old stock.
Pokemon_Trainer_May@reddit
I got 4 sticks of 8gb for under $40 on Amazon a month ago
SjettepetJR@reddit
Is that also the case on the used market?
CountBlashyrkh@reddit
Ah weird. Been a while since i bought it. Last set of 16gb i bought was dirt cheap, but that was in like 2018
quickthrowaway6@reddit
If you can only upgrade 1 thing for cost reasons, upgrade the GPU. This is not because that would be a "balanced" upgrade, but it's because the rest of the system has done a good job, but isn't forwards compatible. You'll have to let it go to meaningfully upgrade. A new GPU will still work in an older board since it's all just PCIe slots and power though, so a new GPU is the one upgrade you can do now and then port forwards into a new build if you really need to only update one thing.
Siliconfrustration@reddit
It is really not worth upgrading. I know you don't want to hear that but it's true. Clean it, repaste the CPU, and reinstall the OS but don't spend any more money on it.
-CynicRoot-@reddit
Upgrading a 10 year old pc with 10 year old parts isn’t going to improve anything tbh. Even the most budget cpu/gpu today could beat anything from that era.
GonstroCZ@reddit
it is not worth upgrading really... so yeah, everything would be the best way to do it
cogeng@reddit
Definitely got their money's worth out of that machine. Put linux on it and use it as a home/plex server or just donate it. (Buy a $20 SSD for it first if its using spinning rust).
Hilly117@reddit
Is there an advantage of running Plex on Linux instead of windows? If you've already got windows installed is it with changing to Linux?
PaulTheMerc@reddit
Windows is more heavy on resources than linux.
GonstroCZ@reddit
well... OP can surely do that, but he is asking about gaming on it
cogeng@reddit
Yeah I was just saying OP should give up on that.
pcikel-holdt-978@reddit
It would help a bit more if you gave us some idea the kind of budget you're working with. That being said...
1.Follow the recommendations here
2.Compare the prices once you have compiled everything from what you have curated.
3.This step I highly recommend, build a similar priced system for AM4 fir example and compare it to what you are trying upgrade, if the prices are close go with the newer build.
BlutAxe@reddit
It's usually not actually the PC components themselves wearing out directly that is the main cause of "computer slowdown" over time. It is actually each update for each piece of software (including modern games!) demands more resources from your system, and the developers optimize the code for each update/patch to make the fullest use of the latest and greatest hardware of the day. Your components still very well likely work (nearly as fast) as they did when you first built it. The computer has simply aged beyond it's practical usefulness to you. My personal philosophy regarding PC builds is to always have Forward Compatibility in mind. So that you always have room to pop in higher capacity or faster upgrades as the years and updates go by, and after X years, it's time to put together a new build when a new generation of DDR RAM memory comes along, or the newest generation of CPU's and their motherboard chipsets.
JimTheDonWon@reddit
witcher 3 ha an upgrade that ruined performance on older PCs. I know, i saw the same thing with old i5 3470/gtx970.
Bottom line, requirements are ever increasing as time goes on and you have, what was at the time, a mid range 9 year old GPU and an 11 year old CPU. If you want any meaningful increase in performance, you'll have to replace the lot.
Symphonic7@reddit
The logical choice is to buy into a cheap AM4 system with DDR4, and pick up a second hand GPU ~200 USD. Reuse the power supply, storage, and case. But growing up poor I know that it's not always possible to just "go out and buy something new". So if you need to stretch that hardware out a year or two more, I have some tips for you.
Open up the PC and dust it thoroughly. Make sure all fans can still spin freely and that the heatsinks aren't caked in dust. Don't clean anything while the PC is still on. Turn it off, flip the PSU off.
Repaste the CPU. If you havent done it in 8 years, that thing is probably bone dry by now. Overheating CPUs will throttle and reduce performance so this is why its likely lost performance over time.
WARNING: do this only if you are tech savvy and comfortably with handling small parts. Repaste the GPU, same logic as 2. There are tons of youtube videos on this, you may be able to find one on your GPU. But those old models are dead simple and fairly robust. Its just removing the cooler, carefully applying paste, and reassembly with proper pressure on the retention bracket.
Install a debloated version of windows 10 (or 11 since 10 wont be supported post 2025). There are also videos on youtube about installing an "Unattended Windows Installation". Here is a github about it. This guys videos helped me a lot to get it done and an old PC I had laying around suddenly feels brand new.
And if you have some money laying around see if you can find some used i7 4th gen on ebay, or maybe even /r/hardwareswap. It could just be a drop in for your MB, that is if the PSU you have can handle it. And if you don't have two sticks of ram, please buy a used kit with two sticks. Same as before source it used online. Single channel vs dual channel ram makes a huge difference.
karmapopsicle@reddit
Depends on the overall quality of the PSU, but generally speaking a PSU that's getting on a decade in age is worth replacing. Again, depends on the unit, but it's more likely than not a budget build from that era is likely using something that would be better replaced than reused.
Symphonic7@reddit
Yeah I agree. I had an 8 year old Supernova G2 from EVGA that started to throw random restarts on my system when it would be under load and it would make weird sounds. Replaced that fire hazard right away.
I was just being broad. If he somehow bought a quality PSU and its not doing anything weird, he could re-use it for a year or two more.
pcikel-holdt-978@reddit
Superb advice here take this like sir!
Symphonic7@reddit
Thank you I appreciate that
bitwaba@reddit
Regarding the RAM, you have DDR3, so you can't swap it out to DDR4. Also, is it just a single stick of 8gigs, or do you have 2x4g sticks? I do think if you're really feeling slowness, it can be the RAM if you've got something like a browser running while you're also gaming. So, more RAM would help, but if youre on a single stick you're not getting the benefits of dual channel RAM either which can be slowing you down as well.
The problem is DDR3 is expensive for what it is if you buy it new. So your best bet is used hardware on something like r/hardwareswap. Hardwareswap is mostly US though so I'm not sure what options you might have.
And If you're gonna be looking around on hardwareswap, you might as well replace the guts of the PC anyways. New mobo, ram, and CPU. Lots of people are constantly upgrading their PCs and selling off the old stuff. Right now a lot of people are swapping to Ryzen AM5 builds. So you can probably get someone's old B450 + Ryzen 5600 + 16G of RAM
Alternatively you can probably find plenty of stuff on eBay
If you want new parts, and are in the US, the easiest would be to watch Newegg for any AM4 bundles they're doing to clear out inventory, or go to microcenter and do the same.
If you're happy with the performance you used to have, that might get you back in working order, and will put you on a solid platform to upgrade to a used Nvidia 3000 series or Radeon 6000 series if you can call in any gift favors around Christmas :)
karmapopsicle@reddit
Commodity DDR3 is very cheap. In fact the cheapest $/GB of any memory available right now. 2x8GB DDR3-1600C11 is ~$16USD. It only gets expensive if you're trying to buy new old stock of high end kits that haven't been produced in years.
Pokemon_Trainer_May@reddit
What is expensive for ram? Ddr3 is on Amazon, could get 32gb for $32. I just did for my old optiplex
FullHouse222@reddit
I think you're due for a new build bud. At a certain point yearly oil changes are not gonna keep your car running. It's time to buy a new car.
fuzzynyanko@reddit
If you had more RAM, you might have been able to get away with a GPU first. In this case, the mobo, CPU, RAM, case, and power supply first. You can do GPU and/or storage later if you are on a budget crunch.
Within reason. Sometimes we even get crappy parts, especially during Covid
FunBuilding2707@reddit
Time for a late-term abortion.
Arthree@reddit
Don't listen to these people who tell you to change everything. You never have to change everything at once. You can change individual things as you go and it literally hurts nothing.
If you want to game on a budget, you can just go through these 3 steps and change things gradually like a ship of Theseus over the years. There is never a reason to force yourself into a whole new PC all at once. Just upgrade the part that is the bottleneck.
dragonbud20@reddit
There are significant problems with your options 1 & 3
This isn't going to address CPU bottlenecks, and an i5 4440 will bottleneck any modern GPU. You might get better performance, but you'll also be paying for performance you can't use. You also can't use reducing settings as an analog to increase GPU power. Many graphics settings change the load balance between CPU and GPU, so the test won't be the same as adding a more powerful card. PCI-e ports have also improved over time. This usually isn't an issue, but it's always possible.
this is just replacing the whole computer, but you used different words. The PC is old enough to require a PSU replacement for safety and to keep up with the power demands of new hardware. A new CPU will require a new MoBo(new socket for CPU), which will require new RAM. At that point, you've replaced everything except the GPU, the case, and the hard drives. At that point, you might as well buy a new GPU, too, because it will become your new bottleneck. If OP really can't afford everything right now, then the best option is to keep the GPU, case, and hard drives and upgrade everything else.
Arthree@reddit
dragonbud20@reddit
Definition stolen from intel:
Do you think that when you hear "bottleneck"? or are you talking about something else? I'm talking about this when I say bottleneck.
Arthree@reddit
The "maximum capabilities" are determined dynamically based on factors that include the game being played, the monitor's resolution/refresh rate, graphics quality settings, and user preferences. They're not set in stone, and changing any of those things will change what the bottleneck is.
So in this case, as long as OP's CPU is capable of delivering frames at or above the framerate they want, it will never be the bottleneck, because it's already performing at "maximum capability".
Obsydie@reddit
Unfortunately everything... My condolences.
dfm503@reddit
Is the storage an SSD or HHD? HHD’s fail with age and are slow.
TheSilentCheese@reddit
Everything fails with age. HDD can easily run for 15+ years. Often obsolete in size before they wear out. I've got many over 10 still running. Yes, 'slow', but perfectly functional.
dfm503@reddit
Yeah they are fine for cold storage, I wouldn’t want my OS on any of those, and they won’t run newer games.
Devatator_@reddit
Don't HDDs last a lot longer than SSDs? Heck, they're still used for large file archival purposes and stuff
dfm503@reddit
HDD’s are more stable in cold storage and significantly cheaper, for server and backup use they still have some merits, for the average consumer, as a backup drive they make sense but your OS shouldn’t be on one anymore, they degrade with use faster and are substantially slower, the newest and fastest available HDD is finally as fast as a run of the mill SATA SSD, but the average HDD on the market is substantially slower.
Xaan83@reddit
My 1TB 840 EVO is 11 years old and still happily hosting part of my games library
dbr1se@reddit
If you do want to stick with the current system and go as low budget as possible, you could go find an i7 4770 or 4790 used, add another 8GB of RAM, and find a more modern GPU used. I see you're in Serbia so I obviously have no idea what the used market is like there or what is accessible but on Ebay in the US the CPU is $30-35 and will net you maybe 40-50% better CPU performance with the addition of hyperthreading. Same speed RAM is fine if you just want to add another 8GB or you can find a 16GB kit of 1866/2133 speed DDR3 that would be a little faster. GPU is the big ticket item and that just depends on budget and what's available.
breadatolivegarden@reddit
I know you don't want me to say everything, but sometimes truth hurts.
The case might be about the only thing that DOESNT need changing, depending on what it is, fan mounts, airflow, etc.
Ph4Nt0M218@reddit
4440 in 2024 is honestly impressive
jhaluska@reddit
You can get a Intel Core i7-4790 for $32 off ebay. Get another 8gb of ram for like $14 or a matched pair for $28. Get AMD RX 6600 for $200. There about a $260 upgrade.
There's a point where upgrading gets really tough. Like I saw a used 5600g, motherboard, cpu and 16 gb of ram on Craigslist for $60. So you're better off getting a used Ryzen mobo/cpu/ram combo cause it'd be significantly faster.
MarxistMan13@reddit
Sometimes the best answer is the hardest one to hear.
This PC is ancient and basically everything is holding you back. Upgrading one component is just going to be dumping more money into a PC that isn't up to snuff for what you want.
tonallyawkword@reddit
OW2 is a good bit more demanding than 1. Maybe check to see how full your storage drive is.
I guess you can upgrade your 8yr0ld build with a different 10yr0ld CPU and possibly find a good deal on some used DDR3, but the value seems questionable.
Whether or not am5 and DDR5 would be worth the extra to you is an entirely different question. First, I'd see how much less $ a 4690k and some ddr3 would be vs this: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/pVkpMb Could probably double up the RAM capacity with +$20.
Ppl are not suggesting the 12400 b/c frustrated with Intel rn.
So not "everything".. Just the GPU (which might require a new PSU), the CPU (which might require a new motherboard), the RAM (which you might want a new motherboard for), and maybe an NVME drive b/c why not spend another $100 on that?
redditingatwork23@reddit
What's your budget?
I would absolutely not upgrade this pc. You might as well just burn your money.
Save a bit if you need it. Do something like this for entry-level gaming at 1080p/1440p.
https://pcpartpicker.com/list/BTQB89
If your budget allows, there are better options for ~$1500, but the above is very solid for $1100.
Putrid-Flan-1289@reddit
You kinda have to change everything though, thats unavoidable. Your CPU is not compatible with newer motherboards, and your motherboard is not compatible with newer CPU's. Same issue with your RAM. A GPU is a GPU and that you dont need to change but you still should, otherwise youll be wasting money on a newer system that wont improve your gaming hardly at all without doing so. So again, if you change your RAMn , CPU, or motherboard, then you have to upgrade the other 2 as well. Those 3 go together for compatibility. There are some Intel boards that can use DDR4 or DDR5 Ram on 12th-14th gen CPU's, but again, your CPU is not one of them and your RAM is netither DDR4 or DDR5.
UnicornVomit_@reddit
Just start off by getting 2x8GB RAM. Make sure your motherboard can support it.
Then buy the rest of the new build.
ghjm@reddit
To know what to upgrade, you need to monitor your system during heavy workloads. Is the CPU or GPU running at 100%? Is the RAM 100% allocated? Then upgrade whatever part is most critical.
DryConclusion5260@reddit
Unless you plan on just using it for mundane things like youtube, music and emails your good but unfortunately for you the tasks you require are outdated for your pc 10 years is not bad my crappy i3 walmart dell inspiron lasted me 13 years and for a laptop that i never repasted or cleaned the fans it served it’s purpose, well kind of i remember struggling just to play mine craft on that thing
Narrheim@reddit
Witcher 3 got a next-gen update, which worsened the general performance and introduced lots of new bugs into the game.
seamew@reddit
Only thing you can change there without having to change everything else is the GPU. Keep in mind that it won't be performing to its full potential, but it will perform better than your current card.
Besides that you'll need a new motherboad if you want to upgrade to a newer CPU or RAM.
____candied_yams____@reddit
sell it on Ebay. Get $100 for it.
PapaAquchala@reddit
Unfortunately, there's no upgrade to this system that would be worth it. Best thing you can do is simply start over. I've seen some good suggestions in here already
Absinthicator@reddit
PC technology evolves rapidly, if it was compared to human years like dog years, it would age 10 years for every human year. A 10 year old pc is on it's death bead.
Admiral_peck@reddit
You need a better board/cpu/ram combo first. If you go for am5 (b650 chipset) and slot in an 8000g series CPU, the integrated gpu on those chips would be as good or better than your gtx 960, I believe the $150 8500g is comparable and the 8700g is roughly comparable to a GTX1650 TI
Really, everything but maybe your power supply is just too outdated to be worth keeping. Go with something new that's at the beginning of its life cycle if you can, or at least upgrade to AM4 or intel 10th or 12th gen on the board/cpu, even a ryzen 5 1600 would be a noticeable upgrade at this point, though a 3600/3600x is basically the same price and will be a MASSIVE upgrade (almost 50% better performance CPU side)
You should also upgrade to a better drive as likely your current drive is beginning to fail due to age.
MisterGrimes@reddit
8 years sounds like you've gotten more than your money's worth.
So well done on that.
If it were me I'd build a new rig.
Hara-K1ri@reddit
Really not much to upgrade that I personally think is worth spending money on, most of your system needs to be replaced if you want to make it run more modern stuff smoothly. There are options, but only if you can find it for free or cheap.
More RAM can help (has to be DDR3, not DDR4, as that's not compatible with your system). Look for it second-hand and don't spend much or anything at all on it.
CPU... not much to do here, except maybe an i7-4770(k) variant. Will give slightly more headroom, but won't make a huge difference, especially for more modern games. Again, better to not spend anything or barely anything on this, as just getting a second-hand budget system that's a few years newer than yours will blow this out of the water.
GPU... lots of options here. But high chance you'll just not use their full potential because the rest of your system can't keep up. Also don't know what's viable without knowing your psu. If you go second-hand, anything above a 960 will help, so you could look for a 980, 1070, 1080(Ti),... if you find them cheap. Getting a new one is just... silly if you keep the rest of your system as-is.
Essentially, your system is ancient for modern titles. Can't guarantee the performance you want (especially for GTA VI as that just doesn't exist) as it's running old hardware that isn't supported anymore.
If you want any more modern components, second-hand is still a good option, but there's just not much to upgrade, it's mostly replacing.
CockroachCommon2077@reddit
DDR3 is over a decade old. Just get a whole new PC/prebuilt. You'll be upgrading every single thing anyway
Flynny123@reddit
Afraid you really need to buy new in this situation
CtrlAltDesolate@reddit
Sadly it's an everything jobby.
If not wanting to do all at once, I'd do the motherboard / CPU / RAM first - that'll make everything (not just gaming) a lot smoother and more enjoyable, as well as helping somewhat if gaming at 1080p.
Then you can start saving / looking at options for the GPU. Either do take the "best available for my money" on a smaller budget (under $300) or "best for my resolution and framerate" approach on a larger budget ($300+). I realise $300 is not chump change but that's where the GPU market is sadly.
Tommy_____Vercetti@reddit
it has been extensively shown that the performance of pc components does NOT degrade over time, unless they are brought to their absolute extreme for extended period of times. It is a software problem.
Ecstatic-Syrup-347@reddit
They do "degrade" until you fix up their cooling. I recently had my 980ti repasted and using genshin as a benchmark I struggled around 40fps with frequent slideshows in battle at 10fps. Now after cleaning it up and giving it a new paste it handles a stable 60fps at max graphics
Tommy_____Vercetti@reddit
I have had that in mind for some time with my 970 but I heard that sometimes reseating pads could be tricky. I have heard that some people fried their pcs. Did you do that by yourself?
Ecstatic-Syrup-347@reddit
I asked my dad to help as he's done stuff like that before, but there was no "professional help" involved
c641971@reddit
You can get ryzen 7 5700x3d's for £120 from aliexpress if you can shop on there.
Just fitted one yesterday to mine.
Elc1247@reddit
yes, shove an AMD 5700X3D on the Intel motherboard. Brilliant idea.
c641971@reddit
Yes thats what i was implying belll end
Mrfunnynuts@reddit
If he got a 5700x3d he'd need to get an AM4 amd motherboard, which is now approaching about 7/8 years old. The 5000 series is a last ode to the am4 gamers, but if I was upgrading a pc now and wasn't already on am4, go with am5.
For this guy, you could try getting an i7 CPU for that processor gen maybe? That would let you use everything else.
Buy a steamdeck
Try running it on Linux.
c641971@reddit
Makes sense.
Put an i7 4790 in there.
Go am5 . Budget build maybe a ryzen 5 7500f and then build up from there.
JoelD1986@reddit
Upgrade, like others said, is a bad idea. Everything new is the path.
If you just want to play the old games i suggest cleaning the storage, maybe a fresh windows instalation. Lower settings. Dont download grapgic packs or the like.
If you have no money, dont take a loan for your hobby. Focus on increasing your earnings amd save money to pay your hobbys.
TicklishOwl@reddit
"Don't say everything"
It's everything.
EternalFlame117343@reddit
Turn it into a NAS :3
postvolta@reddit
It's like having an old car. At this point it's not really a case of upgrading one thing and the rest will be fine.
If you upgrade your CPU, it won't fit in your motherboard. If you change your motherboard, your RAM probably won't work anymore.
You might get away with upgrading just CPU, mobo and ram, but it might need more power, meaning you need a new power supply.
The graphics card was basically entry level 10 years ago.
I'm not trying to shit on you or anything but you just can't really do much with what you have. Try a clean reinstall of windows and save up for a whole new system...
HAVOC61642@reddit
Jam a second hand gtx 1070 or 2070 in the system and two sticks of 8gb ram and the budget build will live on. Can get a 1070 for under £100
HAVOC61642@reddit
Am I right in assuming you only have one 8gb stick of ram ?
alvarkresh@reddit
The cheapest possible upgrade here would be to swap in an i7 4770K or 4790K. The CPUs can still be found on Craigslist.
DiggingNoMore@reddit
Your initial budget is showing badly. My computer is also eight years old, but it's an i7 6700k, GTX 1080, 32GB DDR4-3200. And it still has legs left in it.
Your was a cheaper upfront cost, so it's not going to be able to go as long. Honestly, I'm not seeing an upgrade path for you. Just gonna have to build from scratch again.
Elc1247@reddit
not sure why a PC is going to school right now, that build doesnt look like its built as a General AI machine. /sarcasm
being totally honest, im surprised much runs at all on that machine. I was losing my sanity trying to play games on my very old PC that had an Intel 6600 and a NVIDIA 750Ti, and that was 6 years ago. The parts in your system are VERY old
Just letting you know, if you want to play anything PS3-4 era, this rig would struggle hard. To give you an idea of how old your PC is, PCs dont use DDR3 RAM anymore. New PCs all use DDR5 (yes, thats a FIVE) as their system memory. There isnt any point to getting DDR4 memory for a new PC anymore, as DDR5 is basically the same price, but gives you better performance.
It looks like you dont understand that many games get updates and changes over their lifetimes.
The Witcher 3 had a large graphical overhaul a few years ago to improve fidelity and add global illumination ray tracing. It is a very different game to release now. [Hairworks is no longer a thing, and I believe it was removed, as Hairworks is actually a terribly inefficient way to handle hair physics]
Same with Overwatch. Overwatch 2 was more than just a change from 6v6 to 5v5, it was a complete engine overhaul. This is the reason why they are having so many technical issues trying to consider the testing of 6v6 again. the changes make the game in general harder to run and is a big part of why Overwatch really needs to drop Switch support, it barely functions at all on such a low power device, and the game experience there is legitimately terrible.
Yes, which is why your PC still continues to function. Just because the parts still work, doesnt mean they are powerful enough to play newer games (in this case, RDR2 is a pretty old game, its a mid-PS4 gen game).
fuckandstufff@reddit
Brother, change everything. There is absolutely nothing worth upgrading. You'd get more value out of building a brand new $800-$1000 build today.
sa547ph@reddit
Really have to go build a new PC after that many years, as some recent titles are starting to ask a lot in terms of system requirements. That 8gb of memory is now low-tier as most setups are 16gb and more recent builds have 32gb of memory.
Renard_Fou@reddit
Honestly, just get an AM4 motherboard, a good budget Ryzen 7 (5700G is acceptable if you want to go maximum budget and run integrated then upgrade down the road) and 16-32GB or RAM and you should have your own lil beast for playing low-demand games.
Cautious_Village_823@reddit
I hate to be the change everything guy as well, but I'm gonna make some arguments for why:
Mobo, cpu, ram is obvious, just nothing really worth tracking down to upgrade just the CPU, and RAM won't really save you here, altho 8gb really is just like the bare minimum to run a PC with light use these days.
PSU - Since this was a budget build back then I'm assuming it's not all that high in wattage, and likely not modular/lacking some connections you may need for future use. Might as well just invest in a solid new 800w or w/e depending on your use case.
Speaking of case...the case. If this was a budget case, it's probably not great to work in. Cases have made a lot of advancements both in air flow (in some cases) but also in just workability and space. There's also obviously a lot more designer and pretty looking cases, but that's a preference thing.
GPU honestly is about the last thing I'd upgrade as that will be an easy jump to whatever you upgrade to, could go used and a generation or 2 back and still get a huge jump. But for now it will "technically" run things.
If you are experiencing throttling btw I'd check temps, it's possible with age something like a fan dying on the GPU is causing it to heat up and throttle slowing your performance. The chip itself under proper conditions should work a very long time consistently, but the parts around it do indeed suffer some wear and tear, and moving parts like fans are always subject to some chance of damage.
xstangx@reddit
Not really anything here worth upgrading. You will spend just as much upgrading this thing as buying a new one. Give us a budget and we can give you suggestions. $500? Try finding a used gaming PC somebody is parting with. $1000? We can build you a whole new one!
Shepherd-Boy@reddit
It sounds like you might have a new NAS or media server on your hands to be replaced by a new gaming PC. If you really want to reuse parts of it though, maybe the PSU depending on what you upgrade to, the case, any SSDs and HDDs and the fans are about it. Or, turn it into a retro machine.
astro_means_space@reddit
Slap on a Linux distro and ride it out as long as you can. The longer you can hold out, the better PCs get.
blodskaal@reddit
It's a decade old PC fren. This PC was budget when you bought it. It doesn't really have lasting quality. Hope you got a Micro enter where you live lol...
Crazy_Mann@reddit
Not just everything, everywoman and everychild too
JamesBlight@reddit
You'll probably end up buying a new set of parts anyway, you have 2 options (at least how I look at it)
Option 1: Budget Route (AM4 - Affordable, but is already considered a "dead" platform) Get a 5000 series CPU (you cant go wrong with either 5600X or 5800X3D) Get 32GB RAM at 3200 mhz (or 3600mhz if available) could be 2x16GB or 4x8GB Get an NVMe with a reputable reliability The usual favorites are from Team Group, Silicon Power, Kingston, Samsung, Lexar, Western Digital, Crucial 1TB will be fine for most For the motherboard, it depends on what options you need. (expansion slot, SATA SSD slots, etc) Just make sure that it's for AM4 and The size of the motherboard fits your build (usually it's ATX) Don't cheap out on the PSU, as this is the one thing most people probably carry over to their "future" build Check the cultist's tier list for recommended PSUs Seeing that you're using a GTX960, I'd guess that your PSU is around ~500W PSU upgrades are tied with the TDP requirements of your parts (read: current GPUs requires 600W) When the time comes in the future, that you'd want to upgrade again (say 8 years) , you'll be in a similar situation that you're in right now (AM4 will be considered "not worth it" to upgrade), and you'll have to buy new set of parts again.
Option 2: "Future-proof" Route (AM5) Get a 7000 series CPU (7600X for budget build, 7800X3D for "best" gaming performance) Get 32GB RAM at 5600 mhz (or 6000mhz if available) from what I've read, 2-dimm pairs are better for AM5 (so a 2x16GB) Again, get an NVMe with a reputable reliability The usual favorites are from Team Group, Silicon Power, Kingston, Samsung, Lexar, Western Digital, Crucial 1TB will be fine for most Again, for the motherboard, it depends on what options you need. (expansion slot, SATA SSD slots, etc) Just make sure that it's for AM5 and The size of the motherboard fits your build (usually it's ATX) Same with the PSU, don't cheap out Check the cultist's tier list for recommended PSUs PSU upgrades are tied with the TDP requirements of your parts (read: current GPUs requires 600W) AM5 platform will be supported for a few more years (read: Zen 6 CPUs)
Now with regards to your GPU options, here are some factors to consider: Look at the recommended GPU for the games you want to play Determine the display resolution you'll be playing at It doesn't make sense getting a top-of-line GPU, if you'll only be playing at a 720p monitor Does Ray-Tracing matter to you? If yes, then NVIDIA's RT and Frame-Gen in their current GPUs are the way to go If not, then AMD's pure raster performance shines (price to performance) We have new GPU's right around the corner Prices/availability could swing depending on the new cards' performance
Remember that there will always be something better in the future, so you either get what you need right now, or hold your purchase, save up, then upgrade when you really need it.
joeh4384@reddit
Save up and buy a new one. Your CPU architecture is 11 years old now. Do you live near a micro-center to take advantage of a bundle deal?
FlukeRoads@reddit
If it's is slower on the same 8 year old games, it's probably dusted up and overheating. Repaste cou and gfx card to get it back to stock performance. Use CPU-z to find out your clocks and temperatures under load
danielnicee@reddit
"It surely isn't windows or bloat". Yes, yes it can be exactly that. A clean reset of Windows might fix whatever performance issues you have.
Other than that, there's nothing worth upgrading there. It was budget when you bought it, as you said. To get any real improvements, you need to upgrade the entire thing. As in, build a completely new PC. You can go budget today too.
Ryzen 5 5600x is usually very cheap (under 100€ here), get a budget motherboard and DDR4 is cheap as chips. Then search secondhand as I did, I bought a 6800XT in CEX secondhand for 380€. High-end rtx 3080 level performance for cheaper than a 4060 ti (less powerful).
Votislav@reddit (OP)
i wouldn't say 'surely' if I didn't reinstall my windows dozens of times, and try windows 7 and 10 interchangeably.
would holding on to the same GPU be alright? or buying a new cpu that can fit into the same motherboard? i'd like to not go bankrupt :)
Jakunobi@reddit
Do you have a HDD or SSD?
_Swelly@reddit
I have a pc just as old and have the best i7 from that CPU platform. I had to retire it this year too and just build a new pc. It’s still fine as a pc for regular tasks (my gf uses it for basic browsing) especially if you switch it over to Linux, but for gaming you really need a full upgrade.
danielnicee@reddit
The GPU is pretty much end-of-life as driver support for it is soon to stop, and there's no CPU on that platform thatll provide any substantial upgrade over what you have for todays games.
It's time to slowly buy parts then. It's what I've spent the last 3 months doing. First cpu, mobo, ram, then bought power supply, ssd and cooler, and finally a gpu and a nice case. Hunt for deals, check secondhand shops with warranty, etc. I got my 32gb ddr4 for 50€ on prime day deals for example.
Tapelessbus2122@reddit
I recommend you to just save up and make a new build, there rly isn’t any reason to upgrade it now
not_gerg@reddit
Oh no way I had the same cpu in my old system! But yeah, as others have said, I think it's time for a new build. The cpu is pretty old, and so you'll need a new mobo because the socket has changed since then. So at that point while you're already doing that, may as well do the whole thing
I built mine 2 years ago and have a 12400f, 3060 ti, along with 32gb of ddr4, and it's great! Tho I'm sure that you can do better these days with more recent parts
Donleon57@reddit
If you gpu performed worse in the same games as it used to, you might wanna take it apart and reapply thermal paste. And while you are on it, do the same with the cpu. It's a 10-15€ investment.
Lion12341@reddit
DDR3 RAM should be cheap, so increasing it to 16GB would be the first thing to do.
If you're using a HDD, then upgrading to an SSD would be good.
Not much in terms of upgradability with your computer. I'd start looking into getting a new one. Something with a 7th gen Ryzen would be good for upgrading later, the AM5 socket should hopefully be in use for a long time.
KarpTakaRyba@reddit
For cheap: Buy SSD if you don't have it yet, and upgrade to 16gb of ram - maybe you can get a faster one if your board supports it. These should be really cheap upgrades that can improve everyday usage. For gaming, you have to upgrade the CPU first, so RAM+CPU+MOBO combo should go. If you're on a budget there's lots of used AM4 systems with like R5 3600 or smth that could be a really nice upgrade. Then you can go for something like Rx 6700xt or 6600 depending on budget and have incredibly strong upgrade
bb0110@reddit
Your parts more look like it started middle school, not elementary.
timfountain4444@reddit
"What do I change first"? Everything.....
MFAD94@reddit
Budget was AM4 but if you want another 8 years out of the next one get an AM5 setup. AM4 has been done and already has two releases ahead of its final chipset
Southern-Childhood19@reddit
if you wanna run gta:6 then am5 is your only choice, you can keep the gpu if you want and upgrade it close to the gta release (atleast 2 years from now)
Eastern-Professor490@reddit
all of it (did not say the bad word😅)
Votislav@reddit (OP)
ahahahah thanks
LOEILSAUVE@reddit
I'm sorry but change everything
ronan88@reddit
You might run w3 on the 960 if you can upgrade everything else?
Its a really old pc tbh.