Help with determining hardware upgrades

Posted by spacewhaleosaur@reddit | buildapc | View on Reddit | 15 comments

A coworker of mine helped me build a pc in 2019 and I no longer have access to his help. I have very basic knowledge on computers and am hoping for some advice on what to upgrade.

Realistically everything, even then, was not the best of the best.l, but I am noticing some newer games won’t even open because it says my computer doesn’t have the specs to run them. Ideally I can make a few upgrades or changes under $1,000 total to take me another 5-10 years of gaming.

CPU

Intel core i7-8700k 3.7 GHz 6- core processor

Motherboard

Asus Prime Z370-A ATX LGA 1151

Memory

G. Skill Ripjaws V 16Gb (2x8 Gb) DDR4-2666 CL 15 Memory

Video Card

MSI Armor OC GeForce GTX 1070 8 Gb video card

Power Supply

EVGA SuperNova 750 G3 750 W 80+ Gold certified fully modular ATX power supply

Pleaser me know what is most outdated and where I’d see the most improvement and bang for my buck. Or what to replace.

It won’t let me add pictures of the inside but do I replace items or add more? There are still ports and stuff available on the motherboard.

Thanks

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HankHippoppopalous@reddit

I'd swap video cards first. There is nothing your system can't run (albeit poorly)

Depending your budget, find a 5060 and throw it in. Also, if you've never done a clean install of Windows in 7 years, you should factory reset it - it'll feel like a new machine. If it still runs poorly after all of this, then look at a Board/CPU combo.

Lots of people running 8th Gen intel with no issue at all, including myself.

Also, make sure you're running on an SSD, thats crucial.

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spacewhaleosaur@reddit (OP)

I know the new final fantasy 7 games wouldn’t run on it, wouldn’t even start. I haven’t bought any similar newer higher graphics since so not sure how many others wouldn’t work

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HankHippoppopalous@reddit

Right. I have a 1070 and it does run. You’ve got a software issue mate

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Naerven@reddit

Honestly just put a lower end GPU in there. A used RTX3060 12gb would give you some new life. Upwards maybe a RX9060XT 16gb depending on your budget.

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aragorn18@reddit

What country are you in? If you're in the US, are you near a Micro Center?

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spacewhaleosaur@reddit (OP)

US, there is one 2 hours away

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aragorn18@reddit

Motherboard/CPU/RAM bundle: https://www.microcenter.com/product/5007384/amd-ryzen-5-7500x3d,-asrock-b850m-c-am5,-gskill-flare-x5-series-16gb-ddr5-6000,-computer-build-bundle

GPU: https://www.microcenter.com/product/696272/asrock-amd-radeon-rx-9060-xt-challenger-overclocked-dual-fan-16gb-gddr6-pcie-50-graphics-card

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spacewhaleosaur@reddit (OP)

Thank you. Would you say that these are pretty substantial improvements based on what I have?

Do I replace what is there currently or is any of this additional if there are open slots?

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SterlingArcher824@reddit

Just to add to this, if you were going to go to microcenter, i'd suggest looking at their website and selecting the particular store that you are going to, then browse for open box deals, you might be able to snag a better gpu for your budget, or maybe a cpu cooler if you need one.

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therightwhite@reddit

I just want to add to this, if the drive to micro center isnt bothering you, definitely go. I upgraded my pc because the cpu failed (ryzen 9 5900x) and upgraded with the bundle to a 9800x3d and got a good msi motherboard, they have several tiers on the bundles. It saved me over 500 dollars. Then, my wife's PC got upgraded right after and we spent almost 2 grand on a 5070, a b560 mobo, and 750e corsair power supply with a 9800x3d and it was over 2 grand. Micro center is definitely worth the drive.

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