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Help me know what to upgrade

Post Date: 2020-08-11
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Holtb3 View Drop Down
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Posts: 4 		  Quote Holtb3 Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Topic: Help me know what to upgrade
    Posted: 11 Aug 2020 at 1:04pm
I have an old PC that is hardly ever used. It is an older 2013 prebuilt digital storm, and has room for upgrades. I have all the parts listed in the photo, and I am willing to spend a decent amount on upgrades.



Thank you so much for anyone that can help me know what to upgrade. I do not know that much about computers so this is a great help.
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Tidgxor View Drop Down
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Posts: 13000 		  Quote Tidgxor Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 11 Aug 2020 at 5:03pm
Generally speaking when it comes to upgrades I'd ask yourself why you need to upgrade. Is there a particular issue you're having? CPU maxed out? High RAM usage? Poor GPU performance? Of course, because I want to is also a perfectly valid answer too Big%20Smile.

Looking over what you've listed and assuming you don't have any critical issues for upgrading, I would strongly recommended spending your hard earned money on upgrading your GPU (the GeForce GT 620), I think you'd get a massive bang for your buck upgrading to a newer GPU. Personally I think the other parts of your PC are fine, but I'm also not one to upgrade very frequently (I'm still on the 4770k as well, for example, and have zero issues with its performance). As for which GPU would be best for you, that's a matter of what sorts of games/programs you use, what resolution you run at, and what kinds of expectations you have for graphical settings. Depending on which GPU you go with and what sort of settings your running at, there's probably going to be some degree of bottlenecking with the 4770k, but that's one of those things that really comes down to personal preference (i.e. how much of a bottleneck is acceptable to you) and what specific games/programs you are running. Regardless I'd focus on a GPU upgrade before anything else, if it were me.


Edited by Tidgxor - 11 Aug 2020 at 5:04pm
My Two Digital Storm Rigs: Mr. Bojangles (HAF-X, 2010) & Mrs. Bojingles (Bolt I, 2013).
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hoserator View Drop Down
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Posts: 7966 		  Quote hoserator Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 11 Aug 2020 at 5:12pm
That's a nice system. And a Noctua!Awesome
If it were mine, I would just go for a new card (gpu) and wait another couple of months or so for the new Nvidia cards to come out for more options in price and power. In addition, upgrade to W10 Pro and install it on an SSD and have your system boot to that new drive.  Much faster boot times that way. I would go for a complete new W10 install and then uninstall the W8 from your HDD.
That should give you another couple of years +  of gaming and many more of general computing.

What monitor are you using or will attach to it?
Other more savy members will hopefully chime in. Smile



Edited by hoserator - 11 Aug 2020 at 5:14pm
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hoserator View Drop Down
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Posts: 7966 		  Quote hoserator Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 11 Aug 2020 at 5:16pm

LOL, Tidgxor beat me to it with a much more reasoned writeup. His is better. Big%20Smile
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Holtb3 View Drop Down
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Posts: 4 		  Quote Holtb3 Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 11 Aug 2020 at 7:56pm
Originally posted by hoserator


That's a nice system. And a Noctua!Awesome
If it were mine, I would just go for a new card (gpu) and wait another couple of months or so for the new Nvidia cards to come out for more options in price and power. In addition, upgrade to W10 Pro and install it on an SSD and have your system boot to that new drive.  Much faster boot times that way. I would go for a complete new W10 install and then uninstall the W8 from your HDD.
That should give you another couple of years +  of gaming and many more of general computing.
What monitor are you using or will attach to it?
Other more savy members will hopefully chime in. Smile



thanks for the advice it was very helpful!
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Holtb3 View Drop Down
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Posts: 4 		  Quote Holtb3 Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 11 Aug 2020 at 8:00pm
Originally posted by Tidgxor


Generally speaking when it comes to upgrades I'd ask yourself why you need to upgrade. Is there a particular issue you're having? CPU maxed out? High RAM usage? Poor GPU performance? Of course, because I want to is also a perfectly valid answer too Big%20Smile.
Looking over what you've listed and assuming you don't have any critical issues for upgrading, I would strongly recommended spending your hard earned money on upgrading your GPU (the GeForce GT 620), I think you'd get a massive bang for your buck upgrading to a newer GPU. Personally I think the other parts of your PC are fine, but I'm also not one to upgrade very frequently (I'm still on the 4770k as well, for example, and have zero issues with its performance). As for which GPU would be best for you, that's a matter of what sorts of games/programs you use, what resolution you run at, and what kinds of expectations you have for graphical settings. Depending on which GPU you go with and what sort of settings your running at, there's probably going to be some degree of bottlenecking with the 4770k, but that's one of those things that really comes down to personal preference (i.e. how much of a bottleneck is acceptable to you) and what specific games/programs you are running. Regardless I'd focus on a GPU upgrade before anything else, if it were me.


thank you so much for the reply, would you be able to suggest a graphics card that would be a great fit for my PC?
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Holtb3 View Drop Down
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Posts: 4 		  Quote Holtb3 Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 11 Aug 2020 at 8:02pm
I am really looking for a great graphics card for gaming. Able to run games very well, and compatible for the power supply.
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Cretae View Drop Down
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Posts: 7331 		  Quote Cretae Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 12 Aug 2020 at 2:27am
Assuming you're looking to power a 1080p monitor with that setup, even an entry level GTX 1650 would blow your card completely away! So, it's a matter of what you want to spend. A 1650 could be had for $150, but a 1660 SUPER is probably your sweet spot. Would run around $240, and keep you going strong for a long while. Your power supply is way overpowered, so no limitation.

You also want to follow hoserator's advice and get an SSD with WIN 10. the speed boost you'd get from that will amaze you. Don't get too carried away, and you will like your results.
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Posts: 278 		  Quote SnowandSand Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 12 Aug 2020 at 9:48am
Absolutely agree with what has been said already. For gaming any newer card will give you a massive increase and a SSD will make your computer feel much faster in everyday tasks. On which card to get... it all depends on what resolution your monitor is and what FPS you are trying to reach. Cretae gave great advice for 1080p and just let us know what you are looking to game at(for instance I use a 34" 3440x1440). Also it is good advice to wait for the new batch of cards to come out which is rumored to be very soon. Hope this helps
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Tidgxor View Drop Down
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Posts: 13000 		  Quote Tidgxor Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 12 Aug 2020 at 11:34am
+1 for the SSD, I missed that part. I wrongly assumed since our PCs were approximately the same age you had an SSD but forgot that wasn't standard then. So yes, definitely go for a SSD if you can. The installation will be slightly more complex than the GPU since you'll need to reinstall/clone/etc. your OS but absolutely worth it. 

Also I just saw your note about the power supply, yeah, unless you're having specific functionality issues with it your power supply it's going to be absolutely fine with practically any setup imaginable for your PC and will serve it until the power supply dies or you just replace the entire PC, and you'll probably replace the PC before it dies. Big%20Smile


Edited by Tidgxor - 12 Aug 2020 at 11:37am
My Two Digital Storm Rigs: Mr. Bojangles (HAF-X, 2010) & Mrs. Bojingles (Bolt I, 2013).
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Cretae View Drop Down
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Posts: 7331 		  Quote Cretae Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 13 Aug 2020 at 4:16am
A note on waiting for the new cards. Nvidia's practice is to roll out the top two or three at first, and then come out with the rest of the line several months later. There is no way you should consider a top card to pair with your rig. A suitable new card for your use could be months away, so I still recommend a 1660 SUPER for a 1080p monitor.
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hoserator View Drop Down
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Posts: 7966 		  Quote hoserator Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 13 Aug 2020 at 9:35am
Hi
Did not mean to get a top tier card, either from the current crop or the next, just that the prices of the current cards will drop (and some substantially). Big%20Smile
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