What upgrades should I start making on my PC?

[ChiefStevy]

So before I start, I just want to make it clear that I don't have a lot of advanced knowledge when it comes to PC hardware. I just generally haven't been doing a lot of researching regarding it and I'm very new to this forum. That being said, this is my current build:

Intel G3258 CPU
ASUS H81M-A
Crucial Sport 8GB Ram
Seagate 1TB Hard Drive
Zotac GeForce GTX 750 Ti
Rosewill FBM-01 Case
EVGA 500W Power Supply

You may recognize this build to be Techsource's $350 Gaming PC build, "Budtron." This is the link to his video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Npx2ugLFDIo

I built this PC about a year and a half ago and it's been working pretty well since I've had it. I've used it mainly for schoolwork and general office material while I game mainly on my PS4, which I pretty much have to since I enjoy most of its console exclusives. Recently, though, I've decided that I want to start upgrading my PC since a lot of people I know prefer it over console and have said that you get a lot more worth for your money on it. I was wondering what I should start looking to upgrade first. Money isn't much of an issue, as long as its not out of the world. The PC costed me about $500, so I would prefer the parts to be under $150 each. Like I said, I'm still new to PC hardware, so I don't know if I have to start spending a lot more for a significant upgrade.

Some of the games that I'm looking forward to the most on my PC is The Witcher 3, Assassin's Creed Origins, GTA 5, Doom, and Skyrim's Special Edition. I already know most, if not all, of these games run perfectly fine on my console, so I'm hoping for more of the same for the upgrades on my PC.

 

[UsandThem]

There's not much you can do with that system that makes financial sense. You'd honestly be better to just sell it, and buy (or build) something with a whole lot more gaming power.

The CPU is dual core, and the GPU is pretty weak. I mean, you could always throw a $300 GTX 1060 in it, and you should be able to play most of the games you listed at medium settings. That dual core CPU is what will hold back your gaming experience with the more demanding games in the future.

 

[ChiefStevy]

There's not much you can do with that system that makes financial sense. You'd honestly be better to just sell it, and buy (or build) something with a whole lot more gaming power.

The CPU is dual core, and the GPU is pretty weak. I mean, you could always throw a $300 GTX 1060 in it, and you should be able to play most of the games you listed at medium settings. That dual core CPU is what will hold back your gaming experience with the more demanding games in the future.

What if I were to upgrade the CPU along with the GPU? I don't remember using any thermal paste when installing it. Would it cause problems to replace the CPU?

 

[ao_ika_red]

Look for used i7 4770 and GTX1060

 

[whm1974]

I have to ask, but how much did your build cost you? Your CPU and video card were fairly old even when you brought the parts.

 

[UsandThem]

What if I were to upgrade the CPU along with the GPU? I don't remember using any thermal paste when installing it. Would it cause problems to replace the CPU?

You likely used the included Intel cooler that comes with thermal paste pre-applied, and it melts and spreads when it heats up for the first time.

You can always upgrade your CPU, but it depends on what you will spend doing so. A mid-range GPU and a used i5/i7 Haswell CPU will likely run you $450+, and it's not worth it in my opinion. At that point, you could catch a modern pre-built on sale from Dell (consumer and outlet), and get more computer for your money.

Just keep an eye on Slickdeals, and you should be able to grab a nice system for $600 - $700, and with high RAM and GPU prices, you won't be able to build one as cheap as that.

Here's a couple pre-built deals (both are sold out by this point) that were posted here recently, which I personally feel would be a better way to go if you really want to get into PC gaming:

https://forums.anandtech.com/thread...n-1700-16gb-ram-rx-560-costco-599-99.2544804/

https://forums.anandtech.com/thread...d-1tb-hdd-gtx-960-2gb-500-w-free-s-h.2546956/

 

[ChiefStevy]

You likely used the included Intel cooler that comes with thermal paste pre-applied, and it melts and spreads when it heats up for the first time.

You can always upgrade your CPU, but it depends on what you will spend doing so. A mid-range GPU and a used i5/i7 Haswell CPU will likely run you $450+, and it's not worth it in my opinion. At that point, you could catch a modern pre-built on sale from Dell (consumer and outlet), and get more computer for your money.

Just keep an eye on Slickdeals, and you should be able to grab a nice system for $600 - $700, and with high RAM and GPU prices, you won't be able to build one as cheap as that.

Here's a couple pre-built deals (both are sold out by this point) that were posted here recently, which I personally feel would be a better way to go if you really want to get into PC gaming:

https://forums.anandtech.com/thread...n-1700-16gb-ram-rx-560-costco-599-99.2544804/

https://forums.anandtech.com/thread...d-1tb-hdd-gtx-960-2gb-500-w-free-s-h.2546956/

If I do decide to sell it, how much would you recommend I put it up for?

 

[UsandThem]

If I do decide to sell it, how much would you recommend I put it up for?

We aren't allowed to do "price checks" here, so you'll have to research what similar ones sell for on places like Ebay or Craigslist.

But it likely won't be very for much since mainstream mid-range CPUs now all feature 6+ cores, and yours is a 3rd gen dual core.

 

[corkyg]

You can also just keep it as a backup system.

 

[VirtualLarry]

I have to ask, but how much did your build cost you? Your CPU and video card were fairly old even when you brought the parts.

Yes. OP, if you were aiming for a "Budget Gaming Build", within the last year and a half, you really should have gone for a G4560 build with DDR4. Unless you were buying parts used.

Edit: To be clear, I am NOT suggesting side-grading from what you have now to a G4560. Even a dual-core with HT, which was semi-adequate for most, but not all AAA titles, is starting to show its age.

I would suggest a re-build with an i5-8400, some DDR4-2667 (8GB min, 16GB preferred), and a cheap(er) 1151 300-series mobo.

But be careful, the 100-series and 200-series chipsets, are incompatible with Coffee Lake. You need a 300-series chipset board for the i5-8400.

 

[whm1974]

Yes. OP, if you were aiming for a "Budget Gaming Build", within the last year and a half, you really should have gone for a G4560 build with DDR4. Unless you were buying parts used.

Edit: To be clear, I am NOT suggesting side-grading from what you have now to a G4560. Even a dual-core with HT, which was semi-adequate for most, but not all AAA titles, is starting to show its age.

I would suggest a re-build with an i5-8400, some DDR4-2667 (8GB min, 16GB preferred), and a cheap(er) 1151 300-series mobo.

But be careful, the 100-series and 200-series chipsets, are incompatible with Coffee Lake. You need a 300-series chipset board for the i5-8400.

Yeah the i5-8400 isn't a bad choice at all for a decent build and should last for some time. Oh, don't forget about AMD APUs/CPUs. They can make for decent gaming rigs as well.

 

[VirtualLarry]

Oh, don't forget about AMD APUs/CPUs. They can make for decent gaming rigs as well.

I'm not forgetting, but AMD rigs that are capable of gaming to the level of Intel CoffeeLake rigs, requires some pretty decent RAM, etc., which pushes the price up.

 

[Yuriman]

Agree with others. To put it bluntly, the PC you built was several years outdated when you built it. You could replace CPU and GPU and end up with something half decent, but really the only part I'd consider reusing in a new build is the power supply.

@UsandThem, despite the G3258's name, it's actually a 4th gen chip, Haswell.

@OP, you could use any 4th gen (or 5th gen) chip. I certainly wouldn't pay new retail price for one of these, but it looks like a used i7 4770 runs about $175 on eBay, and a 4790 is about $10 more. Both would be fair choices. A new i5 8400 is around the same price and is a better and faster CPU, but then you have to pay for new RAM and a new motherboard too. I second the addition of something like a GTX 1060. The other major upgrade (and major oversight in your original build) would be to get a solid state drive for your OS and programs. Lightly used drives can be found on eBay for pennies. A 250GB Samsung 850 EVO runs about $50, while the 500GB is around $85.