I bought this PC from a friend five years ago, and while I've managed to add more RAM and change the GPU, I'm feeling stuck on how to properly upgrade it now. Honestly, I'm not very tech-savvy, and my friends are not much help (no offense, guys, lol). Here's what I currently have:
- CPU: Intel I5-8400 2.8 GHz
- GPU: RTX 4060
- RAM: 32 GB DDR4 2667
- Motherboard: Asrock B360M IB-R1
- Storage: Seagate Barracuda 7200.14 1TB and WD Blue 1TB (from 2012)
I know I need to make some changes, but I'm unsure where to start!
6 Answers
I recently upgraded my setup too! I kept my case and fans but swapped everything else out. I got a bundle from Newegg that included an i7-13700K, 32 GB of DDR5 RAM, and a Z790 motherboard. If you decide to go that route, it’s fantastic because everything's guaranteed to be compatible. You should also pick up a solid video card and a power supply of at least 800 or 900W to support it.
There’s a deal for an AMD Ryzen 5 9600X with a MSI Pro B650 motherboard, 32GB of Corsair DDR5 RAM, and a 500GB SSD for about $350. It’s a great deal if you're looking to upgrade!
I’m considering a similar bundle! I’ve added an ASRock B550M PRO4, Ryzen 7 5700X, and a 1TB M.2 to my cart, totaling around $340. Is that a good setup? Should I choose the bundle instead?
An upgrade for you would mean changing platforms. I'd recommend looking into getting an AM5 CPU and motherboard, plus a DDR5 memory kit. Don't forget to snag an NVME drive for faster storage!
Switching to SSDs across the board will be a game changer. Make sure to do a clean install of Windows too. I recommend getting an M.2 NVME SSD, but check if your motherboard supports it first. It costs around $50. After that, consider upgrading your CPU to a used i7-8700K or i7-9700, which should fit your current motherboard with just a BIOS update. This way, you won’t have to do a complete rebuild.
It’s definitely time to upgrade both your CPU and motherboard. If you want to go for a solid choice, consider an AM4 setup with great CPUs like the Ryzen 3600, 5500, or 5600. If you want to future-proof your build, go for AM5 with something like the Ryzen 7500F or 7600. This will give you a nice boost in performance!
If you can find a Ryzen 5700X3D, you should snag it. And yes, you'll need a new motherboard. Consider this: when you upgrade, don’t forget to add an SSD for better speed. Seriously, it makes a huge difference!
What would be a decent motherboard to pair with that?
Definitely look into getting an SSD in there too!
Definitely check the performance and compatibility first, but that sounds solid!