I'm looking to upgrade my PC and I've got a budget of about $355. Currently, my specs include an Intel i7 2600 processor running at 3.40GHz, 16GB of RAM, and 500GB of storage. I'm not sure what's the best route to take with this budget—what upgrades or components should I consider?
5 Answers
You might be able to snag a GTX 1070 for around $80 to give your current rig a bit of a boost, but at the end of the day, saving for a whole new PC might be the smartest move for the long run.
Honestly, it's tough to find anything great with that budget. Your best option might be to grab an SSD if you’re still using a hard drive, but your current setup lacks m.2 slots. I’d really recommend saving up for a full rebuild instead since your parts are pretty outdated.
If you're trying to upgrade, I’d suggest looking for an AM4 system on Marketplace. You could possibly find a setup with a Ryzen 3700x and an RTX 1080 Ti for around your budget, maybe even cheaper if you negotiate. You might also find some budget-friendly builds on YouTube for around $300, but they usually won’t perform as well as a 3700x with a 1080 Ti.
Definitely think about saving up more for a complete new computer. You'll get way better performance that way in the long term!
If you're keen on upgrading, keep an eye out for deals on parts—and try eBay or Facebook Marketplace for used machines. Just a heads up, your current setup is pretty outdated, and if your storage drive is just mechanical, moving to an SSD will be a game changer. But if you're looking for decent gaming, it might just be worth using your rig for some casual older games for now.
Thanks for the advice! I’ll look into that.

Yeah, saving for a new build seems to be the best advice!