I built this PC in 2014 and stopped using it around 2019. Now I'm getting back into PC gaming and want to see how far I can push this system without spending more than necessary. The current hardware is a Rosewill Thor V2 case, MSI H81M-P33H motherboard, Core i5-4440, Radeon R9 290, 8GB of DDR3 memory, a hard drive, and a 650W non-modular power supply. I play GTA V and Warframe at 1080p on a 100Hz monitor. I'm considering adding another 8GB of RAM and replacing the hard drive with a SATA SSD. Would those upgrades make a noticeable difference, and is it worth replacing the CPU or graphics card? Alternatively, would I be better off putting roughly $400 toward a newer used or entry-level system?
5 Answers
If you’re willing to spend close to $400, a newer platform is probably the better long-term investment. A Ryzen 5 5500 or 5600 with a basic B550 board, 16GB of DDR4, an SSD, and a reliable power supply would give you a much stronger upgrade path. You could reuse the case and possibly the R9 290 temporarily, though replacing that graphics card later would make the new system much more capable and efficient.
A used i7-4770 or Xeon E3-1230 v3/E3-1231 v3 can be a reasonable low-cost drop-in upgrade if you find one around $20–$40. The Xeon models generally have four cores and eight threads and are a good match for this platform, although you should verify BIOS compatibility and remember that many Xeons lack integrated graphics. Don’t pair this old CPU with an excessively powerful modern GPU expecting full performance; something around an RTX 2070 Super or RX 6600 XT is already more than enough for this system.
For those two games, you can probably keep this system going. The most worthwhile inexpensive upgrades are another 8GB of DDR3, preferably matching the existing stick for dual-channel operation, and a 1TB SATA SSD. The SSD will make Windows, loading screens, and general use feel dramatically faster, although it won’t add much FPS. If you find one cheaply, an i7-4770 or a compatible Xeon E3 v3 would also give you four cores and eight threads, but don’t spend much on the old platform. The R9 290 can still handle older games, though it runs hot and uses a lot of power.
I wouldn’t rush into a marketplace build unless you can verify the parts and condition. For now, add the RAM and SSD, clean out the dust, replace thermal paste if temperatures are high, and check the health of the hard drive and power supply. That should make the computer much nicer to use for GTA V and Warframe while you save for a properly balanced modern build.
Your motherboard does have two SATA III ports, so a normal 2.5-inch SATA SSD will run at its intended interface speed. You don’t need an NVMe setup for this machine. I’d start with the RAM and SSD, then test your games before buying anything else. Make sure the power supply is still healthy, since an old 650W unit can be a bigger concern than its wattage suggests.
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