Simple Questions - April 29, 2026
Posted by AutoModerator@reddit | buildapc | View on Reddit | 20 comments
This thread is for simple questions that don't warrant their own thread (although we strongly suggest checking the sidebar and the wiki before posting!). Please don't post involved questions that are better suited to a [Build Help], [Build Ready] or [Build Complete] post.
Examples of questions suitable for here:
- Is this RAM compatible with my motherboard?
- I'm thinking of getting a ≤$300 graphics card. Which one should I get?
- I'm on a very tight budget and I'm looking for a case ≤$50
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Malesto@reddit
Trying to upgrade a friend's PC. Their parts look like this:
32GB Ram
AMD Ryzen 3 1200 Quad-core Processor(3.10GHz)
GTX 1060 3GB
Asrock AB350 Pro4
650-750ish PSU.
What should they upgrade first to see the biggest boost? I don't think they can jump to AM5, as that'd be a lot of new parts.
reckless150681@reddit
CPU upgrade. Do a BIOS update first, then you can drop in either:
5600 / 5600X for reasonable budget upgrade
5800XT to max out the socket right now (may require cooler upgrade)
--X3D to max out for gaming performance, but you will have to look secondhand
5800X3D, if you believe in the rumors that it's coming back (these are rumors and not fact)
Depending on budget, I might pick 5600 / 5600X + GPU upgrade. Or, if your friend is still using an HDD, upgrading to an SSD will make the PC feel like a whole new computer.
Malesto@reddit
Thank you for the info! I've gained a bit more information, I'm curious- their current budget for upgrading is about 1k. Would you recommend pushing to go up to AM5 or just make the most of the 1k for AM4 right now?
reckless150681@reddit
AM4 upgrade for sure. This is largely dictated by the fact that they currently have 32 GB of RAM. Upgrading to AM5 would necessitate also buying RAM, and 32GB of DDR5 would eat up almost 1/3 of that budget by itself.
Hyper-Cyber@reddit
Biggest jump is probably CPU first, GPU second.
Your board can still be useful if you update BIOS and drop in something like a 5600/5700X. That alone will make the whole system feel way less dated.
Then I’d put the rest of the budget into the GPU, because the 1060 3GB is really the part that has aged the hardest.
Also if the system is still running games off an HDD, an SSD upgrade is low-key one of the best “why does this feel so much better now?” upgrades you can do.
AzureBat@reddit
Simple enough. Upgrade the CPU (Update BIOS first) and GPU and probably add a SSD if he doesn't have one yet for both OS and games.
A simple 5600XT at around $165 will bring the CPU way up to speed. The GPU will have to depend on budget. 5060 for the absolute lowest, 9060XT 16GB or 5060 Ti 16GB for the best 1080p experience. Probably doesn't need to go higher seeing as he has been using the 1060 for so long.
Malesto@reddit
The 5600XT's I was seeing are closer to 500$, is there a kind Im not seeing that are cheaper?
Thank you for the information, though! I'll look into these for them. \^\^
AzureBat@reddit
Here's a link to the PCPP. Otherwise, just look for the 5600X, 5700X, 5800X , 5800XT as they all perform basically the same.
VoraciousGorak@reddit
Any 5600 CPU that doesn't end in G, or the 5700X (not the 5700) will be great, get whatever's within your price range. The 5700X has two more cores and may hold up better long term, and it also has a much lower power target than the 5800X/XT so it'll work better in lower-end motherboards.
The GTX 1060 3GB should be upgraded at about the same time, really, a cut-down 1060 6GB with half the VRAM didn't age well five years ago and it's actually pretty awful now. I'd dump the rest of whatever budget they have into the GPU.
MrE478920@reddit
Best motherboard to pair with 9800x3d ?
Im looking to use 3 m.2 drives.
I was looking at the strix x870e e.
Any advice is welcome.
n7_trekkie@reddit
https://pcpartpicker.com/product/6mCCmG/asus-tuf-gaming-b650e-plus-wifi-atx-am5-motherboard-tuf-gaming-b650e-plus-wifi
jamvanderloeff@reddit
Any of the drives PCIe 5? And if so would you be willing to give up a bit of GPU performance to get a bit more drive performance?
Fo0r most people you're fine with a much cheaper board than that, so long as it still connects everything you want to connect there's no inherent difference in performance, and a 9800X3D really isn't very demanding
MrE478920@reddit
The top drive bay above the board will be the only pcie 5 drive the other 2 will be pcie4.
I was thinking of getting the x870e TUF.
What do you think ?
jamvanderloeff@reddit
Then you're better off with a lower end board that doesn't steal GPU lanes to get you more PCIe 5 M.2 slots.
Does it have any features that you need?
thesprung@reddit
Looking for a good full tower case with a 5.25 drive bay
n7_trekkie@reddit
https://www.fractal-design.com/products/cases/pop/pop-xl-air/rgb-black-tg-clear/
RenzxCoreey@reddit
what's a good PSU for a RTX4060 or a RX7600? both non Ti nor XT. Current CPU is i5 12400
sexymanwithabeard@reddit
My am4 mb got bricked so im getting a new one but cant afford am5 so im sticking with am4 for now, here's the question my cpu is a r5 5500x3d, do I need to somehow update my new motherboard bios for compatibility issues or can I just slap the cpu on the motherboard as it is For reference the mb is a tuf b450 gaming plus II
ArchieTect@reddit
Last year I luckily happened to buy 64gb of DDR4-3200 (2 sticks of 32gb). That replaced 16gb of DDR4-3200 (2 sticks of 8gb) in my workstation.
Now I am in the process of buying parts to build a home server.
My plan was to put the 16gb that is currently unused into the server and keep the 64gb in the workstation.
Then I realized maybe I could mix things up a bit.
I like option 1 and will likely try for a while to see if it works out.
Any comments or suggestions?
VoraciousGorak@reddit
If your home server's workload fits in 16GB, keep the 64GB in your main PC. Don't bother mixing and matching, you'll get inconsistent performance even if the sticks work together at their rated speed - which they might not.