I'm planning to upgrade my brother's PC, which I built a year ago using parts from my old setup. He's on a tight budget, so I'm mainly looking at used components. We're in Canada, so prices are in CAD. Here's the current build:
- **CPU**: Ryzen 5 1600
- **RAM**: Corsair 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3000 CL16
- **GPU**: EVGA GTX 1060 3GB
- **MoBo**: MSI B350 PC MATE ATX
- **PSU**: EVGA 500 B1 500 W 80+ Bronze
- **Case**: MSI MAG FORGE 100R ATX Mid Tower
For the planned upgrade:
- **CPU**: Ryzen 5 5600X (used $180)
- **RAM**: Corsair 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3000 CL16
- **GPU**: RTX 3070 (used $300)
- **MoBo**: MSI B350 PC MATE ATX
- **PSU**: EVGA 500 B1 500 W 80+ Bronze
- **Case**: MSI MAG FORGE 100R ATX Mid Tower
I'd like to know if I need to replace the motherboard for better compatibility or if the current one will suffice. Also, can the PSU handle the RTX 3070? Is there a way to undervolt it to make sure the PSU can manage? Any tips for these upgrades would be greatly appreciated!
2 Answers
You should really consider upgrading the PSU. 500W might not cut it for the RTX 3070, especially under load. I'd recommend going for at least a 600-650W power supply to ensure stable performance.
You might need to upgrade the motherboard too. The B350 supports Ryzen 3000 series with a BIOS update, but it might not be the simplest solution. If you can, I’d go for a B450 board because they typically offer better compatibility and performance.
That makes sense! I’ll definitely look into the BIOS update, but a new B450 could save me some headaches.