Need help to upgrade a prebuilt that I bought from a friend

[ZaViper]

I bought a pre-built gaming computer from a friend of mine recently. I think it's pretty great. I haven't own a gaming computer before. The only downside is that it's 2-3 years old now and I would like to upgrade parts so that it will last me for several years to come. Here is what I have:

MB: GA-78LMT-USB3
CPU: AMD FX-6300 Six-Core Processor
GPU: Radeon RX 470 Graphics
RAM: 1x8GB
PSU: Thermaltake SMART Series SP-650P 650W
Storage: 2x1 TB HDD
Cooling: 5xAigo Aurora C5 Fans
OS: Win 10
PC Case: iBUYPOWER ARC 647 Gaming Chassis

I don't have a lot of money to spend on this project right away. I would like to ask any of you kind people if you can suggest what I should upgrade first, then second, then third, etc and what I should upgrade them to. I want to make a priority list so that every 3-5 months when I have the money to spend I could buy the next item on the list and upgrade the computer slowly over time. I'm new to building computer and pretty excited to learn the ins and outs of this computer.

 

[Hamsker]

Is there any suggestions ?

 

[caddi daddi]

I would start with getting a 2 stick kit of ram so you run in dual channel and also get an ssd for a boot drive.

 

[JLK03F150]

I agree with both of Caddi's suggestions. An SSD boot drive makes a world of difference, even with SATA 2. Get a nice SATA 3 drive so you can move it to a new build down the road.

A processor upgrade would mean a new CPU, motherboard and DDR4 RAM. That would be a single $500 to $600 upgrade for you. You might consider a better CPU cooler and do a little overclocking for now.

The RX 570 is just a refreshed RX 470, so a lateral 'upgrade'. Graphic cards that would be a nice upgrade are still wildly overpriced because of the crypto-currency craze. I think we are all waiting for that to die down so GPUs become affordable again.

 

[Bill Dimwit]

The cpu and ram stands out to me. Get a second stick for dual channel mode, second hand FX cpus are cheap one could look in to getter a faster FX cpu if you plan to stay on the platform. Or save some money oc the cpu you have.

If you plan to move upto a newer platform. Id get a better gpu and ssd. Forgot the ram and cpu upgrades. Save the money for a new motherboard/cpu/ddr4

 

[Alaric]

I'd look at, in order, SSD, RAM, and FX octo core (at stock speeds). All assuming you're staying with that platform for now since the CPU/mobo/DDR4 upgrade is a pretty big hit to the wallet.

 

[Mr.Scott]

Don't put an 8 core on that board. 4+1 phase. The 6 core is on the edge as it is.

 

[Alaric]

8320E=95 watts, same as the 6300.

 

[Mr.Scott]

8320E=95 watts, same as the 6300.

Lol.
AMD's wishful thinking.

 

[JLK03F150]

Is this a fair analogy? FX8000 on an AMD 760G chipset...

 

[ZaViper]

Thanks everyone for your suggestions. I think this is going to be my battle plan so far:

1.) Get a SSD - How much SSD should I need? I was thinking 1T, but is that to much?
2.) Get more RAM - G.SKILL Ripjaws V Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) 288-Pin SDRAM DDR4 3000

After that, the 3rd thing I'm going to split up over a few months. From what everyone is saying my motherboard is old and if I want my computer to last it needs to be replaced. So what I'm thinking is that I'm going to buy a motherboard and a Noctua NH-D14 6 Heatpipe Dual Radiator together and store it. Then a couple of months later get the CPU.

3.) Motherboard and CPU cooler
4.) CPU
5.) GPU - I'm thinking either the XFX GTS Black Edition RX 580 8GB OC+ 1425Mhz DDR5 or ASUS GeForce GTX 1060 6GB Dual-fan OC Edition

Does that sound good? Love to hear what you guys think. When I get to the motherboard what motherboard should I get?

 

[Alaric]

Is this a fair analogy? FX8000 on an AMD 760G chipset...

View attachment 197705

Maybe more flames? LOL I was going on published specs.

 

[JLK03F150]

Instead of buying a new 2x8GB DDR3 kit see if you can just find a single 8GB stick to pair with what you already have now.

Where do you live ZaViper? Are you near a Microcenter in the US? If so you would want to get a CPU/motherboard combo in-store from them. Then get DDR4 RAM online.

 

[Lochekey]

Thanks everyone for your suggestions. I think this is going to be my battle plan so far:

1.) Get an SSD - How much SSD should I need? I was thinking 1T, but is that too much?
The size is really going to be dependent on your usage and budget. I run a 256gb drive for my OS and my highly used games/programs. Everything else like long-term photo storage is on traditional spinners. You could consider a 500gb drive if you have a lot of games you play on a regular basis.

2.) Get more RAM - G.SKILL Ripjaws V Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) 288-Pin SDRAM DDR4 3000
First off, you need to look at DDR3 ram, not DDR4 Ram, for your current system. If I remember correctly that platform really did not like RAM over 2133mhz so I would look at something in either the 2133/1866mhz range with some decently low timings.

After that, the 3rd thing I'm going to split up over a few months. From what everyone is saying my motherboard is old and if I want my computer to last it needs to be replaced. So what I'm thinking is that I'm going to buy a motherboard and a Noctua NH-D14 6 Heatpipe Dual Radiator together and store it. Then a couple of months later get the CPU.

3.) Motherboard and CPU cooler
Please realize that if you buy a motherboard that is compatible with your current CPU it will not offer a good upgrade path. If you buy a new updated Motherboard you will have to look at a new CPU at the same time as your current CPU will not fit the new sockets. I good CPU cooler would be a nice investment as most should work on your current and future boards. Make sure you check case clearances though as a lot of people run into issues fitting the bigger coolers in OEM cases.

4.) CPU
See above about the Motherboard. These should be replaced as a pair.

5.) GPU - I'm thinking either the XFX GTS Black Edition RX 580 8GB OC+ 1425Mhz DDR5 or ASUS GeForce GTX 1060 6GB Dual-fan OC Edition
Either of these would be a decent upgrade but the current market has them way overpriced, it really is not a great time to upgrade a GPU. What type of resolution are you running at? depending on your resolution and type of games you play you may not see a huge increase in performance from an upgraded GPU and the cost/performance ratio may not be ideal due to the current market prices.

Does that sound good? Love to hear what you guys think. When I get to the motherboard what motherboard should I get?

Hope this gives you a little direction. Please realize that if you Invest in DDR3 Ram you will not be able to use it in a current GEN upgrade to your system so if you plan to upgrade to a current GEN system in the near future you would be better off saving your money and upgrading the MOBO, CPU, and RAM all at once. A better cooler and an SSD is a safe investment though as it will span multiple generations and you will be able to reuse them.

 

[ZaViper]

Instead of buying a new 2x8GB DDR3 kit see if you can just find a single 8GB stick to pair with what you already have now.

Where do you live ZaViper? Are you near a Microcenter in the US? If so you would want to get a CPU/motherboard combo in-store from them. Then get DDR4 RAM online.

I live in Michigan. I just looked them up I have one about 50 minutes from me. Thanks for the tip! I'll have to drive out to them sometime soon.

Hope this gives you a little direction. Please realize that if you Invest in DDR3 Ram you will not be able to use it in a current GEN upgrade to your system so if you plan to upgrade to a current GEN system in the near future you would be better off saving your money and upgrading the MOBO, CPU, and RAM all at once. A better cooler and an SSD is a safe investment though as it will span multiple generations and you will be able to reuse them.

That did give me a little more direction! Thanks for the suggestion. I think what I'm going to do is get a SSD and a CPU cooler in the next few days, then in the summer time spend the money on getting the motherboard, CPU, and RAM all at the same time. Then around Christmas get one of those GPUs if the prices drop then, otherwise I'll wait it out. Any recommendations on which motherboards I should look into? Also whats a great cooler to get? I would like to have something that lights up for more pleasing looks.

Also my resolution is 1920x1080. I'm using my computer with a 46 inch HDTV and I'll be maybe hooking it up to a 55+ inch HDTV later this year.

 

[trents]

If you are going to bet a new motherboard and CPU there is no sense in getting more DDR3 RAM now. It does not make any sense to me for you to spend enough money to get a better DDR3 based motherboard so you can run a more demanding FX CPU. You would be much better off selling what you have on ebay and investing the proceeds into a Ryzen-based DDR4 system which will give you much better performance per dollar.

 

[Bill Dimwit]

Don't put an 8 core on that board. 4+1 phase. The 6 core is on the edge as it is.

Good eye. I missed that. Yeah a 8 core on a 4+1 phase could end baddy if the phase's aren't strong. Also TDP =/= power draw. Its more to do with heat output if I'm not mistaken.

 

[Daleon]

As far as SSD's go two choices. A super cheap 250GB SATA3 now to do till after you upgrade MB and can get a nvme drive or a decent 500GB SATA3 you would stick with even after upgrading as the cost to gain at that point wouldn't really be worth replacing it until you just have excess funds. I don't know what your OS situation is but you will likely have to do some wiping, reinstalling, or cloning if possible.

You should be able to find a used 8GB stick of DDR3 pretty cheap. After that save for the platform change.