I built my current PC in 2016 with an Intel Z170 motherboard, an i5-6600K, 16GB of DDR4, and a GTX 1070. It was an excellent upper-midrange system at the time, but I'm now looking at a very different market and feeling a bit overwhelmed by the prices and sheer number of hardware options.
I mostly play indie games, with some AAA titles mixed in. I'd like a system that can handle the existing PC game library comfortably and run current-generation games at reasonable settings for the next few years. Ultra settings and maximum ray tracing aren't important to me.
My target budget is roughly €600–800, and I'm happy to buy used components, reuse parts where practical, do some DIY work, or even 3D-print brackets or adapters if needed.
Would it make sense to keep my existing case and DDR4 memory while replacing the motherboard, CPU, graphics card, and possibly the power supply? Would a small-form-factor build using a used last-generation GPU be a better value? I've also considered unusual options such as a BC-250 Linux build, though I'm aware that could involve driver and configuration headaches.
I'm mainly looking for a sensible upgrade path and advice on which parts are worth prioritizing in 2026.
4 Answers
A complete used PC can be an excellent middle ground. I found a system with a Core i7-9700K, a Z390 motherboard, an RTX 2080 Ti, 32GB of DDR4, an 850W power supply, storage, cooling, and a decent case for about £430. It runs my games very well and was far cheaper than assembling a comparable new machine.
Former enthusiasts who are downsizing or no longer have time for the hobby sometimes sell surprisingly capable systems. Check the condition of the power supply, cooling, storage, and graphics card, but don’t overlook complete builds.
The BC-250 is an interesting project, but I wouldn’t choose it as the main upgrade if your goal is a noticeable gaming improvement. Its CPU has more cores than your current processor, but the graphics performance may not be a dramatic leap over the GTX 1070, and the Linux drivers and setup can be a lot of work. It makes more sense as a cheap experiment than as the most reliable gaming solution.
For this budget, used hardware is probably the best route, especially for the graphics card. Look for a complete former-enthusiast system rather than buying every part separately; older high-end machines can offer much better value than a new build.
If you do buy individual parts, sales are worth watching for cases and power supplies. A secondhand AM4 X3D processor or a late-generation Intel platform could work if you already have good DDR4, although the graphics card will make the biggest difference. AMD cards are often cheaper for similar raster performance, while Nvidia tends to offer better feature support in some ray-traced games.
Try to target at least 12GB of VRAM, with 16GB preferable for longevity. An 8GB card can still work, but it may force lower textures and other settings in newer games.
Thanks, that gives me a much clearer direction. I’ll keep an eye out for used GPUs and complete systems instead of assuming I need to replace everything at once.
I’m in a similar position with an older i7, 16GB of memory, and a GTX 1070. At some point the whole platform becomes difficult to justify upgrading piece by piece, especially when prices keep climbing. If your current machine still works, it may be worth waiting for the right deal rather than rushing into a new build.
That’s a great suggestion. I’ll look for complete systems from people who are selling an old enthusiast build, since that could provide much more performance per euro.