I built my PC back in 2016 and I'm ready for an upgrade. I have a budget of $750 for new parts. Here are my current specs: an RX 480 4GB GPU, an i5-6500 CPU, a Z-170E motherboard, 16GB of DDR4 RAM at 2186MHz, and a 750W CX 750m PSU. I usually game on a 65" 1080p TV and I'm okay with lowering settings to high or medium. I also use an HTC Vive for VR games, but I only play titles specifically made for VR, no mods. I'm considering a 5060 Ti 8GB along with an AM4 socket motherboard and CPU, so I wouldn't have to replace my RAM. I'd appreciate any suggestions or insights!
5 Answers
It's really about managing game settings and expectations with your $750. If that's all you have to spend, make sure you’re prioritizing the most impactful upgrades first—unless you're just itching to spend, of course!
How about getting a 7700K and using the rest of your budget on a GPU? That CPU can still hold up well. You could potentially end up with 32GB of RAM and a decent GPU—though I'm not sure how much you'll actually need that much RAM unless you really plan to multitask.
I'd keep your RAM and go for either a 5060 or 5060 Ti along with a Ryzen 5 5600 or 5700 and a B550 motherboard. That should give you a solid performance boost without breaking the bank.
Switching to an AM4 setup could cost you more than $750. My friend recently tried upgrading, and after giving away most of his old parts, he still spent $1200-$1400. Given the current parts shortage, it's tricky to do a full upgrade affordably right now.
I'd recommend getting a cheap AM4 motherboard and the least expensive Ryzen 5000 series CPU, then put the rest of your money towards a GPU. Keep an eye out for used deals too—I've seen 3080s go for around $300-320 lately!
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