Looking to upgrade 4 year old PC

S

Slap_You7

Bronze Level Poster
Hi,

I bought my PC from PCS almost 4 years ago and looking to potentially upgrade some of the components to increase gaming performance and FPS.

Shall I start with CPU and if so what would you recommend?

Alienware 25' 240mHz monitor
TUF Gaming X570-Plus
AMD Ryzen 5 5600x
500GB SAMSUNG 980 PRO M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 6900MB/R, 5000MB/W)
1TB CORSAIR MP400 NVMe PCIe M.2 SSD (up to 3480 MB/R, 1880 MB/W)
32GB of RAM
RTX3070
CORSAIR 850W RM SERIES™ MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
CoolerMaster MasterLiquid Lite 240 High Performance Liquid Cooler
 
SpyderTracks

SpyderTracks

We love you Ukraine
Can you copy and paste the full specs from the order page leaving out your windows license?

You haven't mentioned the resolution of the monitor? Make and Model would help if you're unsure.

What's your max budget for upgrades?
 
S

Slap_You7

Bronze Level Poster
SpyderTracks said:
Can you copy and paste the full specs from the order page leaving out your windows license?

You haven't mentioned the resolution of the monitor? Make and Model would help if you're unsure.

What's your max budget for upgrades?
Click to expand...
Thanks for the tip, I tried copying the order link but it's not coming up with the right items as I bought it during covid and have upgraded it a few times whilst waiting. For some reason it's picking some of the initial components rather than the final order. Hope this helps instead:

Regarding the budget, I am open to suggestions. Let's say I can afford a decent upgrade, but don't want to build a new PC from scratch as it doesn't feel that long since I bought this one.

Here's the monitor:
Dell Alienware 25 Monitor - AW2521HFA -63.5cm(25")

Case
CORSAIR iCUE 220T RGB AIRFLOW MID TOWER GAMING CASE
Promotional Item
Choose from 3 incredible Ubisoft PC titles - Free with select Samsung SSDs
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Promotional Code DPHX-H7FA-6VXC-QN7Y
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 5 3500X Six Core CPU (3.6GHz-4.1GHz/35MB CACHE/AM4)
down_right_arrow.gif
Change to: AMD Ryzen 5 5600X Six Core CPU (3.7GHz-4.6GHz/35MB CACHE/AM4)
Motherboard
ASUS® TUF GAMING B550-PLUS (DDR4, USB 3.2, 6Gb/s) - ARGB Ready!
down_right_arrow.gif
Change to: ASUS® TUF X570-PLUS GAMING (USB 3.2 Gen 2, PCIe 4.0, CrossFireX) - ARGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
32GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3600MHz (2 x 16GB)
Graphics Card
12GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 3060 - HDMI, DP
down_right_arrow.gif
Change to: 8GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 3070 - HDMI, DP, LHR
1st M.2 SSD Drive
1TB INTEL® 665p M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD (up to 2000MB/sR | 1925MB/sW)
down_right_arrow.gif
Change to: 500GB SAMSUNG 980 PRO M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 6900MB/R, 5000MB/W)
2nd M.2 SSD Drive
NONE
down_right_arrow.gif
Change to: 1TB CORSAIR MP400 NVMe PCIe M.2 SSD (up to 3480 MB/R, 1880 MB/W)
1st Storage Drive
NOT REQUIRED
DVD/BLU-RAY Drive
NOT REQUIRED
Power Supply
CORSAIR 650W TXm SERIES™ SEMI-MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
down_right_arrow.gif
Change to: CORSAIR 850W RM SERIES™ MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
PCS FrostFlow 150 Series High Performance CPU Cooler
down_right_arrow.gif
Change to: CoolerMaster MasterLiquid Lite 240 High Performance Liquid Cooler
Thermal Paste
ARCTIC MX-4 EXTREME THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY COMPOUND
down_right_arrow.gif
Change to: STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
LED Lighting
NONE
down_right_arrow.gif
Change to: 50cm RGB LED Strip
Extra Case Fans
3x PCS ARGB LED Fan + Controller Kit
down_right_arrow.gif
Change to: 1 x 120mm Black Case Fan
Sound Card
Asus Xonar AE 7.1-Channel Gaming Audio Card
down_right_arrow.gif
Change to: ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
 
SpyderTracks

SpyderTracks

We love you Ukraine
Slap_You7 said:
Regarding the budget, I am open to suggestions. Let's say I can afford a decent upgrade, but don't want to build a new PC from scratch as it doesn't feel that long since I bought this one.
Click to expand...
It’s not something we can advise you on, you need to tell us the maximum you have available for this upgrade, it doesn’t change based on anything we say, we have no idea what “decent“ means to you
 
SpyderTracks

SpyderTracks

We love you Ukraine
Slap_You7 said:
Fair point, let’s say £600 then.
Click to expand...
That won't get you very far, that will only just about cover a GPU, let alone other parts.

IMHO this is what could do with upgrading to get it closer to where it needs to be for 1080p 240Hz

CPU - 5700X3D - £200
GPU - RX 4070 Super - £500 - £600 (you'd have to be careful which model as some are over the 300mm supported by your case)
Corsair H100i AIO - £70 - £130

I only mention that GPU as it's the only one that could make a reasonable dent in the monitor, but even a 4090 wouldn't max out 240Hz as scaling is extremely poor, so you're limited by budget.

I would buy the CPU asap as they won't carry on making it forever and it's in high demand.

But I wouldn't actually buy a current gen GPU, I'd wait until february or March for the 5070 which will outperform the 4070 for around the same money.

The 4000 series have stopped production so prices are artificially inflating well beyond their value, they're just not worth the money and they'll only rise until the next gen are released.
 
S

Slap_You7

Bronze Level Poster
SpyderTracks said:
That won't get you very far, that will only just about cover a GPU, let alone other parts.

IMHO this is what could do with upgrading to get it closer to where it needs to be for 1080p 240Hz

CPU - 5700X3D - £200
GPU - RX 4070 Super - £500 - £600 (you'd have to be careful which model as some are over the 300mm supported by your case)
Corsair H100i AIO - £70 - £130

I only mention that GPU as it's the only one that could make a reasonable dent in the monitor, but even a 4090 wouldn't max out 240Hz as scaling is extremely poor, so you're limited by budget.

I would buy the CPU asap as they won't carry on making it forever and it's in high demand.

But I wouldn't actually buy a current gen GPU, I'd wait until february or March for the 5070 which will outperform the 4070 for around the same money.

The 4000 series have stopped production so prices are artificially inflating well beyond their value, they're just not worth the money and they'll only rise until the next gen are released.
Click to expand...
Appreciate the advise, it seems that it would be more sensible to build a brand new pc rather than upgrading a few parts.
 
SpyderTracks

SpyderTracks

We love you Ukraine
Slap_You7 said:
Appreciate the advise, it seems that it would be more sensible to build a brand new pc rather than upgrading a few parts.
Click to expand...
I disagree personally, your current system is only mid way through it's lifecycle, you just have to understand that what you're after to fit that monitor you can't do on a shoestring, even if it was a new build, it's going to cost cash, you can't do it on a budget. IMHO the monitor is letting down the build, you'd get a far more valuable gaming experience from a good quality 1440p 144Hz monitor than any 1080p monitor, the high refresh is largely meaningless in gaming terms.

Current gen GPUs have stopped production so prices will only increase before next gen gpus are released from January. I wouldn’t be buying any current gen GPU at this time, they’re not worth the price and next gen will beat them at lower cost.

This is why we hammer on about the importance of designing a solid platform at the outset so that when it comes to upgrade time, the only thing you need to do is drop in a new GPU. It's SOOOO important, people just don't understand the needless additional expense it generates when you cheap out on the platform. It doesn't save any money in the lifetime of the build, actually makes the build more expensive than it needs to be.
 
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S

Slap_You7

Bronze Level Poster
SpyderTracks said:
I disagree personally, your current system is only mid way through it's lifecycle, you just have to understand that what you're after to fit that monitor you can't do on a shoestring, even if it was a new build, it's going to cost cash, you can't do it on a budget. IMHO the monitor is letting down the build, you'd get a far more valuable gaming experience from a good quality 1440p 144Hz monitor than any 1080p monitor, the high refresh is largely meaningless in gaming terms.

Current gen GPUs have stopped production so prices will only increase before next gen gpus are released from January. I wouldn’t be buying any current gen GPU at this time, they’re not worth the price and next gen will beat them at lower cost.

This is why we hammer on about the importance of designing a solid platform at the outset so that when it comes to upgrade time, the only thing you need to do is drop in a new GPU. It's SOOOO important, people just don't understand the needless additional expense it generates when you cheap out on the platform. It doesn't save any money in the lifetime of the build, actually makes the build more expensive than it needs to be.
Click to expand...
That’s fair, I’ve built that pc during Covid when parts were expensive and wait times were excessive, plus this was my first build. In terms of the monitor, any recommendations at all? I might be able to get a good deal in January.
 
S

Slap_You7

Bronze Level Poster
SpyderTracks said:
That won't get you very far, that will only just about cover a GPU, let alone other parts.

IMHO this is what could do with upgrading to get it closer to where it needs to be for 1080p 240Hz

CPU - 5700X3D - £200
GPU - RX 4070 Super - £500 - £600 (you'd have to be careful which model as some are over the 300mm supported by your case)
Corsair H100i AIO - £70 - £130

I only mention that GPU as it's the only one that could make a reasonable dent in the monitor, but even a 4090 wouldn't max out 240Hz as scaling is extremely poor, so you're limited by budget.

I would buy the CPU asap as they won't carry on making it forever and it's in high demand.

But I wouldn't actually buy a current gen GPU, I'd wait until february or March for the 5070 which will outperform the 4070 for around the same money.

The 4000 series have stopped production so prices are artificially inflating well beyond their value, they're just not worth the money and they'll only rise until the next gen are released.
Click to expand...
Also, regarding the new cooler. Is it a simple swap, or would it require replacing the brackets and taking off the back plate to plug into the motherboard?
 
SpyderTracks

SpyderTracks

We love you Ukraine
Slap_You7 said:
That’s fair, I’ve built that pc during Covid when parts were expensive and wait times were excessive, plus this was my first build. In terms of the monitor, any recommendations at all? I might be able to get a good deal in January.
Click to expand...
For a good monitor, this is impossible to beat, it’s the cheapest it’s been also, don’t think it will go lower. It’s insanely popular as normally a monitor with HDR1000 would cost north of £500, so it’s likely to sell out quite fast

 
S

Slap_You7

Bronze Level Poster
SpyderTracks said:
For a good monitor, this is impossible to beat, it’s the cheapest it’s been also, don’t think it will go lower. It’s insanely popular as normally a monitor with HDR1000 would cost north of £500, so it’s likely to sell out quite fast

Click to expand...
Thanks a lot. I’ll get the cpu and the cooler next week. Hopefully some Black Friday deals.
 
S

Slap_You7

Bronze Level Poster
SpyderTracks said:
That won't get you very far, that will only just about cover a GPU, let alone other parts.

IMHO this is what could do with upgrading to get it closer to where it needs to be for 1080p 240Hz

CPU - 5700X3D - £200
GPU - RX 4070 Super - £500 - £600 (you'd have to be careful which model as some are over the 300mm supported by your case)
Corsair H100i AIO - £70 - £130

I only mention that GPU as it's the only one that could make a reasonable dent in the monitor, but even a 4090 wouldn't max out 240Hz as scaling is extremely poor, so you're limited by budget.

I would buy the CPU asap as they won't carry on making it forever and it's in high demand.

But I wouldn't actually buy a current gen GPU, I'd wait until february or March for the 5070 which will outperform the 4070 for around the same money.

The 4000 series have stopped production so prices are artificially inflating well beyond their value, they're just not worth the money and they'll only rise until the next gen are released.
Click to expand...
I was just thinking. Will I need to update bios for the cpu upgrade? Currently running 3403? This is not something I’ve done before but heard some bad stories.
 
SpyderTracks

SpyderTracks

We love you Ukraine
Slap_You7 said:
I was just thinking. Will I need to update bios for the cpu upgrade? Currently running 3403? This is not something I’ve done before but heard some bad stories.
Click to expand...
It’s worth updating to the latest non beta.

I don’t know where these horror stories come from about BIOS updates, it’s just like installing a program, there’s nothing to it
 
S

Slap_You7

Bronze Level Poster
SpyderTracks said:
It’s worth updating to the latest non beta.

I don’t know where these horror stories come from about BIOS updates, it’s just like installing a program, there’s nothing to it
Click to expand...
I updated the BIOS without any issues—it was straightforward. I've also ordered a new CPU and cooler (Corsair iCUE H100i ELITE LCD XT Liquid CPU Cooler with an IPS LCD screen). Since this is my first time handling PC upgrades or managing cabling, I watched a few tutorial videos to prepare for the cooler installation.

I assumed that since I have a Corsair case and already use the iCUE software for fan colors, it might include an iCUE COMMANDER Core pre-installed in the back. Looking at the item circled in the image, is that the iCUE COMMANDER Core, just without the backplate?

If it isn’t, I assume I’ll need to install the one that comes with the new cooler. In that case, will I need to reconnect the existing front fans to the new Commander Core as well?
 

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T

TonyCarter

VALUED CONTRIBUTOR
The AIO normally (well the retail version does) comes with a iCUE Commander CORE fan and RGB controller which does both RGB & fan speeds. The basic node you have in the case only does RGB IIRC.

This is what should come in the kit...
commander_core.width-1000.format-webp.png
 
S

Slap_You7

Bronze Level Poster
TonyCarter said:
The AIO normally (well the retail version does) comes with a iCUE Commander CORE fan and RGB controller which does both RGB & fan speeds. The basic node you have in the case only does RGB IIRC.

This is what should come in the kit...
View attachment 42961
Click to expand...
Ok thanks, should I remove the basic node and plug the case fans into the ICUE module instead? Or leave the old module but plug the case fans into a new one? Also looking at the spare cables, I don't think I can see a spare SATA slot. Does this mean I will have to take the power supply out to plug directly into it?
 
T

TonyCarter

VALUED CONTRIBUTOR
You can leave the old one in place if there's room, but I know it's a very tight space at the back of that case. However you'll want to move the cables (RGB that are connected to the current node & PWM that will be connected to the motherboard) over to the new controller.

There should be a spare SATA power socket (or a splitter / molex convertor) to connect to, but I've not got that PSU and it's a relatively low power one so will have fewer outputs than the higher power ones (just noticed you changed to a 850RMx model). You may have some spares in the PCS box that came with the PC.
 
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