I've recently received a PC and I'm looking to make some upgrades without breaking the bank. Here's my current setup:
- Motherboard: Asus Z87-PRO
- CPU: Intel i5-4670k 3.4 GHz
- GPU: GeForce GTX 1060 6GB
- RAM: 8GB (two 4GB sticks)
- PSU: Antec HCG-620M
- System Drive: 240GB Kingston SA400S37240G
I'm mostly using it for graphic design and older games (5 years old or more). I'm considering some potential upgrades:
- Intel Core i7-4790 (3.6 GHz)
- 32GB (4 x 8GB) PC21300 DDR3 2666MHz RAM
- Thermalright Assassin X 90 SE ARGB CPU cooler
I know it's not a massive upgrade, but I've got a limited budget (less than £100) and was hoping for any advice on whether these upgrades would make a noticeable difference. Thanks!
4 Answers
Honestly, upgrading the CPU might not be worth it. Just adding more RAM will make your PC feel a lot smoother, especially with design work. If you can find a used GTX 1080 for a good price, that would be a solid upgrade too!
Check if your motherboard supports Xeon CPUs; that might give you some more options for upgrades without spending too much.
Upgrading to the i7-4790 isn’t going to give you a huge boost. In fact, if you overclock your i5-4670k, it might actually outperform it in single-threaded tasks. I'd recommend going for the RAM upgrade and maybe a better CPU cooler. The Thermalright Assassin X 90 SE seems overpriced too; check out the Burst Assassin 120 SE instead. Plus, your motherboard can boot from NVMe drives with the right BIOS, so consider that if you want faster storage!
If you can grab those parts for under 80 bucks, then go for it!
Thanks a lot for the advice! I think I’ll focus on the RAM and cooler first.