After about two months of troubleshooting my brother's roughly 10-year-old family PC, I'm ready to stop replacing parts one at a time and move to a new CPU and motherboard. The system originally had an i7-6700, GTX 1060 3GB, and MSI Z170 motherboard. It first showed a "USB device overcurrent detected" error. Testing outside the case seemed to help briefly, so I bought a new case, but the issue returned. I then tried a refurbished H110 motherboard, after which the system stayed powered on but stopped sending a display signal. Testing with a known-good RAM stick did not fix it, so I'm concerned the CPU or its memory controller may have failed. The power supply is a Seasonic S12II 620W 80+ Bronze, probably around 10 years old, and the PC has been used in an area with frequent thunderstorms. My budget for a CPU and motherboard upgrade is about $200–$250. Is a used Ryzen 5 3600 with a B450 board still worthwhile, or is there a better budget upgrade path?
3 Answers
A Ryzen 5 3600 and B450 board can still work for a very cheap build, especially alongside a GTX 1060, but I wouldn’t pay much for it in 2026. If you can find a used Ryzen 5 5600 with a compatible B450 or B550 board near your budget, that would be a much better choice. The 5600 is noticeably faster and gives you a stronger AM4 upgrade path. Keep the GTX 1060 for now and upgrade the graphics card later.
Your $200–$250 budget is realistic for used parts. Look for a Ryzen 5 5600, B450 or B550 motherboard, and 16GB of DDR4 if your current memory isn’t usable. A Ryzen 3600 bundle is only worth considering if it’s significantly cheaper, since the 5600 is a better value for gaming and general use. Make sure the board has an updated BIOS if necessary, and don’t assume the old PSU is safe to reuse without testing it.
Before declaring the CPU dead, test with a known-good power supply. A 10-year-old PSU that has seen frequent storms is a major suspect, even though Seasonic is generally a reputable brand. It could have damaged or destabilized the motherboard, CPU, or USB circuitry. Also test with only the motherboard, CPU, one RAM stick, and graphics output connected, with every USB header and storage drive disconnected.
The PSU is a Seasonic S12II 620W 80+ Bronze and is probably about as old as the rest of the system. I’ll try to borrow a newer unit before buying more parts.