Upgrading Old Gaming Computer - Suggestions?

[Alimaxor]

Hi Folks,

I bought myself a D65U Vizio 4K TV last year because it was the best 4K TV for gaming due to it's low input lag and price point. I was hoping I would be playing the next gen console gaming this year, but both Sony and Microsoft both announced at E3 that they'll be waiting until next year... That being said, I've resorted back to my old gaming PC and playing games. I've tried playing some newer games at like Overwatch and Fallout 4 but it starts to lags on medium/low quality so I've resorted to playing indie games like INSIDE, and Firewatch.

I've began researching graphic cards, and I've noticed this talk about 4K 60hz at 4:4:4. So I checked my TV and it only supports 4k 60hz at 4:2:0 or 4k 30hz at 4:2:2 which I'm okay with. This picture HERE shows the differences from 4:4:4 and 4:2:0 and apart from a few irregularities when red and blues cross over (like the flag against the blue sky), I don't think I'll notice too much of a difference.

Here is my current setup:

Operating System: Windows 10 pro 64-bit
CPU: AMD Phenom II X4 955 (Deneb 45nm technology)
RAM: 12 GB Dual-Channel DDR3 @ 669MHz (9-9-9-24)
Motherboard: ASUSTek M4A785TD-V EVO (AM3)
Graphics: 1 GB NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 Cyclone (MSI)
Storage: 1 Terabyte SATA
​

I would like suggestions for a new graphics card, a new CPU (since that is also a bottleneck), and possibly an SSD that are compatible with my current motherboard/RAM.

Here are few options I'm looking at:

CPU: i3, i5, or i7
Graphics: GTX 1060 or 1070
Storage: SSD
​

My budget for upgrades is $300-500 and I'm open to any suggestions!

 

[escrow4]

You need new everything minus the HDD which you can re-use and maybe the PSU:

- i5 6500
- Asrock H170 Performance
- 16GB DDR4

For a base build, that is already close to $400, should double the budget for a new build. This thread also is more General Hardware.

 

[2is]

I would defiantly not use the HDD. SSD is essential IMO

 

[boozzer]

meh, he should get a SSD for sure. they are affordable now for most people.

 

[Alimaxor]

You need new everything minus the HDD which you can re-use and maybe the PSU:

- i5 6500
- Asrock H170 Performance
- 16GB DDR4

For a base build, that is already close to $400, should double the budget for a new build. This thread also is more General Hardware.

Thanks for the suggestion - posted in the other sub-forum. I agree that this computer is pretty much at it's end of life, but was trying to avoid extra costs such as motherboard, power, RAM, etc...
http://www.portvapes.co.uk/?id=Latest-exam-1Z0-876-Dumps&exid=thread...g-old-gaming-computer-or-build-a-new.2483104/

 

[mohit9206]

Actually you only need to upgrade the graphics card.Even though the CPU is old,don't see how spending $500 on CPU,mobo and ram will provide $500 worth of extra performance.Just stick in a GTX1060 and be done with it. There will be CPU bottleneck but still would play games great.

 

[HiroThreading]

I strongly recommend getting a second hand Sandy Bridge/Ivy Bridge (Core ix 2000/3000 series) CPU, motherboard and RAM set. Then, take the spare money and purchase an SSD (128GB or 256GB just for your OS, core apps and a few games should be good; reuse your HDD for media and other games).

Finally, you should have around $150-200 left over (from a $500 budget) for a GPU. You can either go for a new GTX 950, RX 460 or RX 470. Alternatively, if you hit up eBay again, you can easily get an R9 290 or 290X for that money -- which are fast enough to run games at 4K at medium/high settings.


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[Erenhardt]

First things get an SSD. For me PC without an ssd is just painful now. See how it goes from there. For 4k grab el'cheapo r9 290 if you feel the need for more GPU horsepower

 

[cusideabelincoln]

Start off with an SSD and video card upgrade. You don't have much of an upgrade path for your processor without replacing the motherboard and/or RAM, so invest in an SSD and video card now and start saving up. 4k requires lots of GPU power, and the Phenom X4 can still by for now.

You'll have to get an Nvidia card, an RX 480, or RX 470 to game at 60 Hz, since the TV doesn't have Displayport. AFAIK, older AMD cards don't support 4k @ 60 Hz over HDMI.

RX 480 or GTX 1060 are good cards to start with for 4k gaming. You won't be maxing games out, but you won't be stuck on low settings either.

 

[Flapdrol1337]

You mind buying used? $100 of used gpu should make most games playable, even though the cpu is slow. Nvidia gpu's usually get more out of slow cpu's, get one of those if you can get one for a good price.

Do you really want to play games at 4K? Because that'll require a powerhouse gpu. The upcoming faster consoles will probably not be doing games in "real" 4K either, I heard sony recommended checkerboard, which I assume is half the resolution.

 

[SteveGrabowski]

On a tight budget an SSD makes no sense. If you're playing AAA games you're probably best off rendering at 1080p and upscaling to 4k. For a little over $500 you could get an i5-4690k, a Z97 board, and an RX 470, which will play any game out really well at 1080p (though you'll still have to drop settings a bit to get a locked 60 fps).

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($241.98 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock Z97 Anniversary ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($72.98 @ Newegg)
Other: Asus Strix RX 470 ($204.98 @ Newegg)
Total: $511.94
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-08-14 09:42 EDT-0400

That would allow you to recycle your HDD and your RAM. Your RAM is a little slow though. You might just be better off dropping an extra $50 and upgrading to a Skylake 6600k, some DDR4-2666 or above, and the same gpu.

 

[SteveGrabowski]

RX 480 or GTX 1060 are good cards to start with for 4k gaming. You won't be maxing games out, but you won't be stuck on low settings either.

I'm not sure that's enough. If I play Witcher 3 at 4k on my 970 (running 1367 MHz boost clock) I get a little less than 30 fps at medium settings, and the reference 480 and 1060 are roughly 10-15% stronger than the reference 970 at 4k.

 

[cusideabelincoln]

I'm not sure that's enough. If I play Witcher 3 at 4k on my 970 (running 1367 MHz boost clock) I get a little less than 30 fps at medium settings, and the reference 480 and 1060 are roughly 10-15% stronger than the reference 970 at 4k.

The heavy hitters are always the exception. He'll have to compromise and play those at a lower resolution (or even lower settings), otherwise there is no solution near his budget to game at 4k.

 

[2is]

On a tight budget an SSD makes no sense. If you're playing AAA games you're probably best off rendering at 1080p and upscaling to 4k. For a little over $500 you could get an i5-4690k, a Z97 board, and an RX 470, which will play any game out really well at 1080p (though you'll still have to drop settings a bit to get a locked 60 fps).

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($241.98 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock Z97 Anniversary ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($72.98 @ Newegg)
Other: Asus Strix RX 470 ($204.98 @ Newegg)
Total: $511.94
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-08-14 09:42 EDT-0400

That would allow you to recycle your HDD and your RAM. Your RAM is a little slow though. You might just be better off dropping an extra $50 and upgrading to a Skylake 6600k, some DDR4-2666 or above, and the same gpu.

I disagree. It's the single most significant piece of hardware to make your PC enjoyable to use vs frustrating waiting for shit to load or it to boot up.

 

[SteveGrabowski]

I disagree. It's the single most significant piece of hardware to make your PC enjoyable to use vs frustrating waiting for shit to load or it to boot up.

I completely disagree, I don't understand the people who say an SSD is some night and day difference vs an HDD. My 850 EVO is faster than my Seagate 7200 RPM drive, but I'd rather have more GPU power that matters every second when I'm gaming vs booting 30 seconds faster and loading into my game 30% faster. An SSD is something cheap to add later on once the core of your system is strong when on a budget, definitely not something worth downgrading one's GPU or CPU to squeeze into a tight budget.

 

[2is]

I completely disagree, I don't understand the people who say an SSD is some night and day difference vs an HDD. My 850 EVO is faster than my Seagate 7200 RPM drive, but I'd rather have more GPU power that matters every second when I'm gaming vs booting 30 seconds faster and loading into my game 30% faster. An SSD is something cheap to add later on once the core of your system is strong when on a budget, definitely not something worth downgrading one's GPU or CPU to squeeze into a tight budget.

Upgrading a GPU is a lot easier then moving to an SSD, especially if you're abiding by your Wimdows 10 license agreement, if you're running Windows 10. And yes it's obvious you disagree. HDDs are crap, sorry. They are a cancer to an otherwise great system and make it unenjoyable to use. No one wants to be the last guy in the map either. Not having the budget for one is like not having a budget for a water heater in your home. Yeah you can still live there, but it won't be fun.

 

[SteveGrabowski]

Upgrading a GPU is a lot easier then moving to an SSD, especially if you're abiding by your Wimdows 10 license agreement, if you're running Windows 10. And yes it's obvious you disagree. HDDs are crap, sorry. They are a cancer to an otherwise great system and make it unenjoyable to use. No one wants to be the last guy in the map either. Not having the budget for one is like not having a budget for a water heater in your home. Yeah you can still live there, but it won't be fun.

Upgrading your gpu is easy? Are you playing with monopoly money? Did you forget the part about this being done on a tight budget? Upgrading your gpu is expensive and what's the point in buying a weak gpu and then replacing it in a few months when you're unsatisfied? And anything lower than RX 470 is a huge step down, assuming he's buying new.

A 250 GB SSD is about $70. Going 120GB doesn't make sense since you need 15% of the SSD's space for over-provisioning, since the OS is 30 GB, maybe you have 10 GB of programs installed, and that leaves room for a single 60 GB modern game install. So now this guy's got $430 to spend for CPU, board, and GPU. So instead of i5-4690k + Z97 board + RX 470 the best he can do is maybe i5-4440 + budget H81 board + RX 470.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4440 3.1GHz Quad-Core Processor ($177.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: MSI H81M-P33 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($42.88 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Crucial MX300 275GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($68.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Other: Asus Strix RX 470 ($204.98)
Total: $494.84
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-08-15 08:22 EDT-0400

But with H81 now he's also throwing away some of his RAM since it only has two DIMMs. He has no front panel USB-3.0. Only has PCIE-2.0x16, which isn't a problem now but who knows if it might be in 2-3 years if he wants to do a gpu upgrade. And he's got an i5 that runs at 3.1 GHz in gaming loads instead of the 4.5 GHz or so that is a reasonable overclock on an i5-4690k. Those are some pretty serious cuts to fit an SSD into his budget. And installing an SSD later on isn't the pain with Windows, installing a new motherboard a year or two earlier is the pain since that's what requires you to buy a new license if you're using an OEM version of Windows.

An SSD isn't a necessity like a hot water heater in your house. It's more like an automatic dishwasher. Nice to have to save you a few minutes a day, but hardly a necessity. If he upped his budget $70 then I'd absolutely recommend the SSD so he doesn't have to make major compromises elsewhere.

 

[Headfoot]

DONT BUY AN OLD GRAPHICS CARD. I don't know why people are suggesting that. With a new 4k TV you need a graphics card with the latest HDMI 2.0 spec, and the latest cards have better decode/encode capability for watching 4k media via your computer. Radeon RX Series (480) or any of nVidia's 10xx series

 

[2is]

Upgrading your gpu is easy? Are you playing with monopoly money? Did you forget the part about this being done on a tight budget? Upgrading your gpu is expensive and what's the point in buying a weak gpu and then replacing it in a few months when you're unsatisfied? And anything lower than RX 470 is a huge step down, assuming he's buying new.

A 250 GB SSD is about $70. Going 120GB doesn't make sense since you need 15% of the SSD's space for over-provisioning, since the OS is 30 GB, maybe you have 10 GB of programs installed, and that leaves room for a single 60 GB modern game install. So now this guy's got $430 to spend for CPU, board, and GPU. So instead of i5-4690k + Z97 board + RX 470 the best he can do is maybe i5-4440 + budget H81 board + RX 470.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4440 3.1GHz Quad-Core Processor ($177.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: MSI H81M-P33 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($42.88 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Crucial MX300 275GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($68.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Other: Asus Strix RX 470 ($204.98)
Total: $494.84
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-08-15 08:22 EDT-0400

But with H81 now he's also throwing away some of his RAM since it only has two DIMMs. He has no front panel USB-3.0. Only has PCIE-2.0x16, which isn't a problem now but who knows if it might be in 2-3 years if he wants to do a gpu upgrade. And he's got an i5 that runs at 3.1 GHz in gaming loads instead of the 4.5 GHz or so that is a reasonable overclock on an i5-4690k. Those are some pretty serious cuts to fit an SSD into his budget. And installing an SSD later on isn't the pain with Windows, installing a new motherboard a year or two earlier is the pain since that's what requires you to buy a new license if you're using an OEM version of Windows.

An SSD isn't a necessity like a hot water heater in your house. It's more like an automatic dishwasher. Nice to have to save you a few minutes a day, but hardly a necessity. If he upped his budget $70 then I'd absolutely recommend the SSD so he doesn't have to make major compromises elsewhere.

If an SSD is inexpensive then buy one from the start. Otherwise you're buying an SSD and another copy of windows. A computer without an SSD isn't worth building or buying.

 

[cusideabelincoln]

A 250 GB SSD is about $70. Going 120GB doesn't make sense since you need 15% of the SSD's space for over-provisioning, since the OS is 30 GB, maybe you have 10 GB of programs installed, and that leaves room for a single 60 GB modern game install. So now this guy's got $430 to spend for CPU, board, and GPU. So instead of i5-4690k + Z97 board + RX 470 the best he can do is maybe i5-4440 + budget H81 board + RX 470.

Just separating the Windows installation and the game install onto different drives improves usability and load times. Since an SSD improves Windows performance the most, buy an SSD, put Windows on that, and then use the current HDD as a dedicated gaming drive.

 

[AtenRa]

Upgrading a GPU is a lot easier then moving to an SSD, especially if you're abiding by your Wimdows 10 license agreement, if you're running Windows 10

If an SSD is inexpensive then buy one from the start. Otherwise you're buying an SSD and another copy of windows. A computer without an SSD isn't worth building or buying.

What the hell are you talking about ??? You can change the HDD in your system without the need to get another Windows license. You can even clone your Windows HDD to an SSD if you have the necessary space (or you have a Windows partition same or smaller than an SSD disk).
I will have to agree with SteveGrabowski, if you have a low budget and 4K Monitor/TV you spend more on the GPU, later you can add an SSD/M.2 etc.

 

[2is]

What the hell are you talking about ??? You can change the HDD in your system without the need to get another Windows license. You can even clone your Windows HDD to an SSD if you have the necessary space (or you have a Windows partition same or smaller than an SSD disk).
I will have to agree with SteveGrabowski, if you have a low budget and 4K Monitor/TV you spend more on the GPU, later you can add an SSD/M.2 etc.

Low budget at 4K monitor don't work well together. If you can afford to build a gaming computer running a 4K screen, you can afford an SSD.

 

[Leyawiin]

You could overclock the old CPU to about 3.8 to 4.0 Ghz with a good air cooler (maybe $25). Add an SSD would make the whole system feel "snappier" even if it doesn't affect FPS in games (don't understand why so many continue to dismiss them and defend old platter HDDs). Add on a GTX 950 and it would perform much better (and I wouldn't go much higher than that with that old CPU). You should be able to play Fallout 4 on high settings @ 1080p (I know you talked about your TV, but you didn't mention what the old gaming rig's monitor is). All together it shouldn't cost more than about $225 with careful shopping. I wouldn't spend more than that and would take the rest of the budget and continue saving for a capable, modern gaming rig when you can afford it. Most budget about $800-$1000 from scratch for that.

 

[ZippZ]

I agree with the immediate videocard (AMD 470 4GB) & SSD upgrade, then upgrade the other stuff periodically. You can still get by with that CPU overclocked and you're good on memory amount for now. In the future upgrade your motherboard, CPU, memory, PSU next. Then in a couple of years upgrade your video card again when good 4k videocards are more affordable.

 

[SteveGrabowski]

A computer without an SSD isn't worth building or buying.

That's ridiculous. I can't believe how much people overhype SSDs.