What CPU, motherboard, and RAM upgrade would suit older games and PS2/PS3 emulation?
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MellowJuniper47
I'm upgrading a PC originally built around 2014. It currently has an AMD FX-8320, Asus M5A97 R2.0 motherboard, 8GB of DDR3-1600 RAM, a GTX 760 2GB, a 128GB SSD, and a 1TB hard drive. I mainly play games from several years ago, older Steam and indie titles, and use emulators. The system handles my older games reasonably well but struggles with PS2 emulation, which seems to be largely CPU-dependent. PS3 emulation would be a bonus if it is realistic.
I would like to keep the Fractal Design Arc Midi R2 case and use the existing storage for now. I'm planning to upgrade the CPU, motherboard, and RAM first, with the graphics card possibly coming later. I found a used GTX 980 4GB for about £45 and would like to know whether that would be a worthwhile improvement over the GTX 760. I'm also unsure whether my older 620W Antec power supply should be replaced simply because of its age.
The PC will initially be used at 1080p, with a possible move to 1440p later. My maximum budget is roughly £800–£1,000, although I had hoped to spend closer to £200–£300 on the CPU, motherboard, and memory if possible. What upgrade path would make the most sense?
Answers
The FX platform is effectively at the end of the road, so I wouldn’t spend money trying to improve it. Keep the case and possibly the hard drive for secondary storage, but replace the CPU, motherboard, and memory as a set. A current or recent six-core or eight-core CPU with strong single-thread performance, 16GB or 32GB of DDR4/DDR5 memory, and a sensible motherboard would be a much better foundation for PS2 emulation and older games. You probably don’t need to spend the full £1,000 unless you also want a substantial graphics-card upgrade.
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PS3 emulation is much less predictable than PS2 emulation. Check the emulator’s recommended hardware as a baseline, but individual games vary a lot and some still need a particularly strong modern CPU. Prioritize CPU performance and cooling first; the GTX 760 is not the main reason PS2 emulation is struggling. For ordinary 1080p older games, the graphics card can wait.
DriftwoodKite6: A GTX 980 for £45 could be a reasonable temporary upgrade if it works and your power supply has the required PCIe connectors, but it is still an old, power-hungry card. It won’t solve CPU-limited emulation, and I’d avoid relying on it for a future 1440p setup.
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The 620W Antec unit is powerful enough on paper for a GTX 980 and a modest modern CPU, but age matters with a power supply. If it has been running since 2014, replacing it with a good-quality modern 550W–650W model would be sensible while rebuilding the system. Don’t buy a cheap high-wattage unit just to save money; reliability is more important than extra capacity.
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MellowJuniper47: That’s more of a clean-platform upgrade than I expected, but I could stretch to around £1,000 if it gives me a system that will last. I was hoping a few hundred pounds would cover the processor, board, and RAM, though.