I built this PC in 2017 and have mostly used it for work, but I now want to play games on it as well. I currently use two 1440p monitors and a vertical 1080p monitor. Is the existing system worth upgrading, or would I be better off building a completely new computer? With about $1,000 USD to spend, which CPU, graphics card, memory, storage, or other upgrades would make the biggest difference?
3 Answers
A high-end AM4 processor such as the Ryzen 7 5800X3D and a top-tier graphics card could technically bring the system close to its maximum potential, especially with the 850W power supply. However, that combination would exceed the $1,000 budget by quite a bit. For this budget, prioritize the graphics card, then upgrade the CPU and memory as prices allow.
You definitely don't need to replace the whole system. Since the motherboard uses the AM4 platform and the power supply is already substantial, a CPU and graphics card upgrade should take you a long way. A used Ryzen 5 5600 is a good value choice, while a Ryzen 7 5700X or better would provide a more substantial upgrade. Add a modern 1TB NVMe SSD if you need more storage, and put the rest toward the graphics card.
I would also upgrade the memory to 32GB of DDR4, ideally as a matched 2x16GB kit. You could sell the existing 16GB kit to recover some of the cost. A used Ryzen 5 5600 combined with a newer graphics card would offer much better value than replacing the motherboard, memory platform, and processor all at once.
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