I'm trying to upgrade my 5-year-old PC and could really use some advice. Through my new job, I have a nice perk where I can expense up to $500 at a time for home lab hardware. I'm planning to boost my RAM to 128GB for running virtual machines and also need more SSD storage, which I can easily handle via PC Part Picker. I'm also considering upgrading the GPU, but I'm not sure which one is best for my setup. Here are my current specs:
- CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 3950X
- RAM: 32 GB DDR4 @ 1573 (planning to upgrade to 4 sticks of 32GB)
- Motherboard: ASUS ROG Crosshair VIII Hero
- GPU: AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT
- Storage: Samsung SSD 970 EVO 1 TB
Any suggestions for a GPU that will work well with my system?
3 Answers
Why do you need 128GB of RAM? I run plenty of VMs with just 64GB. If you're using Docker, memory usage really drops, too.
After you upgrade the RAM and GPU, I'd suggest looking at storage and possibly the CPU next. You could consider a 5900XT or 5950X, both are priced well under $500 and would work great on your AM4 motherboard.
Are you really looking to get 128GB of RAM and a GPU for under $500? That’s ambitious!
I can split the expenses into multiple purchases. Each transaction can be under $500, so I can get the RAM and GPU separately.
I can expense all that RAM separately as long as my motherboard supports it. Why not go for the max?