Hey everyone! I recently inherited an old PC from a friend, and after using it for about a year, I'm finally ready to upgrade some components. Here's what I'm working with: a pretty dated Intel Core i5-3450 CPU, 16GB of RAM, a 224GB Kingston SSD, a 1.82TB Hitachi HDD, and an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 graphics card.
I'm switching to a B850 motherboard, an AMD Ryzen 5 9600X processor, 32GB of Crucial Pro DDR5 RAM at 6400MHz, and a Samsung 990 EVO Plus 1TB SSD. For now, I'm keeping the GTX 1080 but might upgrade to a 5060 soon. I'm also planning to get a new power supply eventually.
One thing I'm concerned about is the HDD – it makes some weird creaking and clanking noises, especially when gaming. I think it's time to get rid of it since it's mostly filled with my friend's old files. How should I prepare my boot drive for the upgrade? Some sources say I need to uninstall Windows completely, while others don't seem to think it's necessary. Also, I've been advised to do the upgrades on wood to avoid static. Any other tips you have would really help me out! Cheers!
3 Answers
To prepare for your upgrade, make a Windows boot USB and install Windows directly onto the NVMe drive. Just don’t connect the old HDD during installation – it simplifies the process. Remember, if you want to activate Windows, you’ll probably need to buy a new key since the old one might not work with the new setup.
Honestly, for the GPU upgrade, I’d recommend looking into something more powerful than the 5060. The 1080 isn’t too far off performance-wise, and a 5070 Ti, 4070 Super, or 9060 XT would give you a much better boost for games. Just something to think about!
Definitely worth the upgrade! Those cards are great for future-proofing your setup.
The Ryzen 5 9600X is a solid choice! If you're looking for CPU cooling, I’d suggest the Arctic Freezer 3 AIO cooler. However, I saw you've chosen the Thermalright Peerless Assassin; it’s a pretty good cooler too! Just make sure it fits your case well.
I’ll check it out! I’m hoping the Thermalright will be sufficient, but good to know there are other options.
Thanks for that! I actually already have a Windows boot USB ready to go. So it's really just about swapping parts and turning it on then?