What Should I Upgrade First for My Old PC Build?

Look into upgrading to something like the Intel 14600KF paired with a B760 DDR4 motherboard, and consider the 9060 XT 16GB or 5060 Ti 16GB for your graphics. You can reuse your current RAM, which is great!

Before you rush to Micro Center, think about your budget. Are you in the US and close to one? Upgrading depends a lot on what you're looking for. Just to let you know, I saw your monitors got upgraded a couple years back, but do you play AAA games? You might want to prioritize upgrading your CPU and GPU for a better experience. Once you do that, a whole new world of performance will open up.

You can still get Windows 11 running on your current setup by using Rufus to create a bootable installer—it’s easier than you think! But honestly, your i7-6700K is starting to lag behind; I’d recommend upgrading that first. However, swapping out the GTX 1650 Super should be a priority too, as it’s likely the weakest part of your system unless you're using an old mechanical hard drive instead of an SSD.

Honestly, aside from your RAM, you should look at upgrading pretty much everything. If you have around $500 to spend, you could get a huge performance boost by moving to a newer Intel (10th or 11th gen) or Ryzen 5000 series setup and pairing it with a newer GPU like anything from the RTX 3060 and up!

Before you splurge at MicroCenter, try seeing if Windows 10 IOT LTSC or a Linux gaming distro boosts your current performance. Ditching the bloated Windows 10 could give you better FPS without spending a dime. Plus, you could explore undervolting your CPU and GPU to squeeze out some extra performance. These tweaks can save you money and might help you choose your upgrades more wisely later on!