Help me spend ~ £150 on upgrade(s) ?

[Rob_B]

I've got a budget of around £150 to use on upgrades for my rig and I'm struggling to decide on what to do, I'd like some sort of upgrade but I also originally intended to go ITX but I don't think that's possible with this budget (even if selling old parts)

My Usage:
Gaming on a 4K TV in the living room. No productivity/editing etc

Current Specs:
A320m-K
Ryzen 2600X w/ Wraith Spire
1TB NVME SSD (not looking to upgrade)
GTX 1070 8GB
12GB RAM (8GB + 4GB 2400 o/c'd to 2866)
Coolermaster Q300L
NZXT 650W PSU (modular, v quiet, not looking to upgrade)


Temps are ok, ~mid 60s on both CPU & GPU when gaming. PSU fan doesn't even spin up but I can hear the case fans/CPU cooler a *bit*. Looking at FarCry 6 I seem GPU bound moreso than CPU so my thoughts on what I could do are a mixture of:

- 240mm AIO (~£80)- Gets rid of 1 case fan + Wraith Spire so probably quieter & a bit better on CPU temp.
- New CPU - 3600 (~£100) or above, maybe even stretch to a 5600.
- New RAM (~£60-£70) Get a matching set of 3200 C16 or above.
- New mobo (~£70) - Not sure this really gives me much back for the money apart from being able to OC)

Or

Buy an ITX case, new PSU (sad face), new mobo and transplant/sell parts. I really want to do this but think this would blow my budget by, ooh about 400%


Help!!

[Saracen999]

I'm no harwdare (or gaming) expert but that looks fairly well-balanced to me, and I can't see any obvious 'upgrade this' opportunities.

Which leads me to suggest either upgrading something with a view to upgarding other bits later, or to just sit on the money for now.

The problem with the first option is that there comes a point where upgradig one part, especially of mobo/CPU/RAM more or less means changing all, because the platform changes .... as indeed, both Intel and AMD are currently doing so be careful if you spend now with a view to rebalancing again next time. By the time next time rolls round, you might find whatever you need now redundant, or leap-frogged.

Please don't take this the wrong way. It's not meant to offend ... but it sounds like you're looking to indulge in a bit of retail therapy for it's own sake. I wonder if it would honestly be better to wait, acumulate a bigger budget at least until you know what you want out of it, and the problem is affording it. At that point, this £150-ish could make a big difference.

I mean I get it, it's been a rough couple of years and goodness knows I've done some retail therapy of my own recently. If that is how you feel, I get it. Just make sure you won't look back in 6 months, 12 month, whatever, wishing you still had that £150-ish to boost a major change's budget that much more.

If necessary, draw the cash, stick it in your sock drawer and forget about it for now so it doesn't get 'used' for run-of-the-mill household stuff.

Anway, this probably isn't what you want to hear so I'll stop there, and just say, if you aren't sure what you want, are you really sure you want it enough to spend on it? Only you can answer that one.

[Rob_B]

I'm no harwdare (or gaming) expert but that looks fairly well-balanced to me, and I can't see any obvious 'upgrade this' opportunities.

I totally agree, but..

..Please don't take this the wrong way. It's not meant to offend ... but it sounds like you're looking to indulge in a bit of retail therapy for it's own sake.

^ quite a lot of it is this

Big birthday happening soon so I'm splashing out a little, I can't get a red 2 seater sports car for £150 so PC parts it has to be

[[GSV]Trig]

I'm with Saracen, there's nothing really on that list that you need to change.

What about a new keyboard/mouse?

[AGTDenton]

I'd be inclined to go CPU & RAM, however, the 3600 isn't much of an upgrade from the 2600x and would suggest going to the 5600.
But that then uses all the budget.

A good price on RAM here for your spec if you have the free delivery offer on OCUK (£50)
https://www.overclockers.co.uk/team-...my-0ak-tg.html

Does your £150 include any sales, like for the existing RAM & CPU?

For some reason a Ryzen 4500 is releasing tomorrow - but there are no reviews for it. This might help on the budget side of things, but I'd be hesitent on the performance gains.
https://www.ebuyer.com/1421654-amd-r...0-100000644box

[Rob_B]

..What about a new keyboard/mouse?

I've got an MX Master and a Logitech K380 which serves my couch gaming pretty well

I'd be inclined to go CPU & RAM, however, the 3600 isn't much of an upgrade from the 2600x and would suggest going to the 5600.
But that then uses all the budget.

A good price on RAM here for your spec if you have the free delivery offer on OCUK (£50)
https://www.overclockers.co.uk/team-...my-0ak-tg.html

Does your £150 include any sales, like for the existing RAM & CPU?

For some reason a Ryzen 4500 is releasing tomorrow - but there are no reviews for it. This might help on the budget side of things, but I'd be hesitent on the performance gains.
https://www.ebuyer.com/1421654-amd-r...0-100000644box

As I'd kind of alluded to, the CPU isn't probably a bottleneck anyway so maybe going total overkill with a 5600 would be best, I just thought 3600 or above as that kinda fits the budget.
£150 is a ballpark budget, and selling my CPU/RAM would be extra if I went that way. I think if i go with a CPU upgrade I should go 5600 or above as it's a bit more future proofed, unless something changes I won't be upgrading much for a couple of years unless I go ITX.

A B450I + 3600 just went on eBay for £180, chuck in a cheap ITX case/PSU and sell my 2600X/mobo and I *might* get close to £150ish, or just go ITX and reuse CPU/RAM/GPU for now

[Saracen999]

...

What about a new keyboard/mouse?

Good point. A really good mouse, or KB, or maybe even joypad, can make a big difference, depending on your gaming preferences. It can also suck up much of that budget for either mouse or KB, depending on choice.

I indulged in a Logitech Pro X Superlight recently, and I love it. But, "indulged" is the word for it. Overkill? Probably. But, at least to my taste, blooming nice. A really nice KB is another luxury treat.

EDIT - Maybe not. Cross-posted, there.

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

Having done the upgrade from a Ryzen 5 2600 to a Ryzen 7 3700X and then to the Ryzen 7 5700X,the 1st upgrade to Zen2 seemed to be the bigger of the two,although the last was still noticeable IMHO. This was in games such as Fallout 4 which are more dependent on single core performance and memory bandwidth/latency.

However,the RAM being under 3200MHZ is a bigger issue even with a Ryzen 5 2600/2600X,especially as you have it in asymmetrical layout,but I am uncertain how good the A320 fares WRT to tuning memory. However,even on Zen+ tuning RAM speeds is important.

Edit!!

An example:
https://forums.hexus.net/pc-hardware...ml#post4306494

The game is very CPU bound in that benchmark - I was loosing between 13% to 17% performance from dialing back from 3600C16 to 2666MHZ memory speeds. It might not sound much but,when lows in a CPU limited scene can go below 40FPS in actual playthroughs its noticeable.

I didn't put it the quick tests I did with my Ryzen 5 2600 but having it at 3200C14/3200C16 was noticeable compared to 2666MHZ non-DOCP speeds.

[cptwhite_uk]

I think the case and motherboard are the weakest links in that. I'd get the Corsair 220T case from Scan for £69.99, which has 3x aRGB fans pre-installed and excellent build quality and air flow, in a relatively compact ATX form factor (not very deep). I'd get myself a Vetroo V5 CPU cooler, which can be synced with the aRGB header the case comes with. That's about £100. Then I would get something like the MSI B450 Tomahawk Max, which is a massive step up from your current motherboard, and is currently about £60 on OCUK.

That's a going to give you better cooler, better build quality and some sexy RGB for your money.

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

Keep a watch on HUKD - Ebay and CCL Computers often have money off deals or vouchers which you can use. Even if the motherboard the OP has is not great(no VRM cooling for one),a Ryzen 5 5600 with a horizontal air cooler should probably be fine(it doesn't draw much power and horizontal air coolers draw air over the VRMs). If the motherboard was to be changed,I would get a B550,so at least there is PCI-E 4.0 for future dGPU generations with Zen/Zen3 ,especially as both AMD and Nvidia seem to be cutting PCI-E link speed on their sub £300 offerings.

Lots of deals on 32GB DDR4 kits,like this Crucial 3200C16 kit for under £90:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B083TSLD...339070103&th=1

3600C16 would be better with Zen2/Zen3 but Zen+ would be more of a PITA to tune with 3600MHZ DDR4. 16GB kits are

Edit!!

The Ryzen 5 2600X still sells for around £90~£110 on Ebay.

[Rob_B]

Having done the upgrade from a Ryzen 5 2600 to a Ryzen 7 3700X and then to the Ryzen 7 5700X,the 1st upgrade to Zen2 seemed to be the bigger of the two,although the last was still noticeable IMHO.

That surprised me but then again it's also going from 6C to 8C

However,the RAM being under 3200MHZ is a bigger issue even with a Ryzen 5 2600/2600X,especially as you have it in asymmetrical layout,but I am uncertain how good the A320 fares WRT to tuning memory. However,even on Zen+ tuning RAM speeds is important.

Good point, which I've always been kinda aware of. I'm using 8+4 as my son had an 8GB stick die so obviously I had to donate my RAM to him! I've tweaked it a bit, upped to 2866 and brought it to 16-16-16-38 (38 I think) from something like 18-18-18-40something at the stock 2400.
Maybe a set of 3600 CL16 is in order which, for the small extra cost over 3200 is a bit more future proofy. I'll have to look at costs for that.

I think the case and motherboard are the weakest links in that. I'd get the Corsair 220T case from Scan for £69.99, which has 3x aRGB fans pre-installed and excellent build quality and air flow, in a relatively compact ATX form factor (not very deep). I'd get myself a Vetroo V5 CPU cooler, which can be synced with the aRGB header the case comes with. That's about £100. Then I would get something like the MSI B450 Tomahawk Max, which is a massive step up from your current motherboard, and is currently about £60 on OCUK.

That's a going to give you better cooler, better build quality and some sexy RGB for your money.

Aaw I like my little case It was the smallest ATX one I found that I like, temps are totally fine which I think is most people's problem with them (?) The 220T seems bigger length/height and it's the former that I'd like to shrink if anything (again, ITX is my end goal at some point). As for motherboard, I'm not sure what a B450/550 would even give me, sure build quality and OC but the A320 seems 'fine'

Keep a watch on HUKD - Ebay and CCL Computers often have money off deals or vouchers which you can use. Even if the motherboard the OP has is not great(no VRM cooling for one),a Ryzen 5 5600 with a horizontal air cooler should probably be fine(it doesn't draw much power and horizontal air coolers draw air over the VRMs). If the motherboard was to be changed,I would get a B550,so at least there is PCI-E 4.0 for future dGPU generations with Zen/Zen3 ,especially as both AMD and Nvidia seem to be cutting PCI-E link speed on their sub £300 offerings.

Lots of deals on 32GB DDR4 kits,like this Crucial 3200C16 kit for under £90:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B083TSLD...339070103&th=1

3600C16 would be better with Zen2/Zen3 but Zen+ would be more of a PITA to tune with 3600MHZ DDR4. 16GB kits are

Edit!!

The Ryzen 5 2600X still sells for around £90~£110 on Ebay.

I've got Ryzen watched on HUKD in hopes of another 5700X mix up
I've added some small SSD heatsinks to my VRMs The Wraith does provide airflow over them though which I'd potentially lose with a tower/AiO - Are people thinking a cheap 240 AIO isn't worth it over a low-end-ish tower cooler?

I'm leaning towards getting a 3200/3600 16GB kit and sitting tight, this seems like a bargain? 2x8GB 3600 15-15-15-36 ?! https://www.ebuyer.com/1262574-patri...-pvb416g360c8k

[cptwhite_uk]

Just thinking you'll have the case, motherboard and the cooler to sell, which might get you £40-50 back, as which point you can look at moving on the RAM for £20 as well, giving you a budget of about £65. Then you can get youself some 3200 RGB RAM to go with your new RGB cooler and case:

https://www.ebuyer.com/962573-crucia...,%20LLC_206719

[cptwhite_uk]

Well you ain't going ITX with £150. The NR200P is the obvious choice, but as you already know you'll also be needing a motherboard, PSU....it's a £250+ spend minimum. Saw an NZXT H100 going for £100 recently (case / psu / aio cooler), which I really should have snapped up.

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

That surprised me but then again it's also going from 6C to 8C

Well the game does not really use more than 4~6 cores - in some specific games Zen3 shows very big improvements,but others its mostly down to the clockspeed improvements IMHO. I think the biggest improvement was Overwatch,and the increase from Zen+ to Zen2 was already decent and Zen3 seems to do well in MOBAs.

However,in the non-gaming applications I use Zen2 and Zen3 are much closer together.

Good point, which I've always been kinda aware of. I'm using 8+4 as my son had an 8GB stick die so obviously I had to donate my RAM to him! I've tweaked it a bit, upped to 2866 and brought it to 16-16-16-38 (38 I think) from something like 18-18-18-40something at the stock 2400.
Maybe a set of 3600 CL16 is in order which, for the small extra cost over 3200 is a bit more future proofy. I'll have to look at costs for that.

With Zen+ and a B450 mini-ITX motherboard 3200C16 was easy to run,and 3200C14 needed more tweaking. 3600C16 might be pushing Zen+ a bit fine IMHO.

I've got Ryzen watched on HUKD in hopes of another 5700X mix up
I've added some small SSD heatsinks to my VRMs The Wraith does provide airflow over them though which I'd potentially lose with a tower/AiO

I'm leaning towards getting a 3200/3600 16GB kit and sitting tight, this seems like a bargain? 2x8GB 3600 15-15-15-36 ?! https://www.ebuyer.com/1262574-patri...-pvb416g360c8k
Are people thinking a cheap 240 AIO isn't worth it over a low-end-ish tower cooler?

3600C15! Only a 16GB kit but the timings look decentish out of the box.

But when I said to keep a look out:
https://www.hotukdeals.com/deals/asu...online-3921724

OK,its an ATX motherboard but that is a very good deal. B550 gives you PCI-E 4.0 with a Zen2/Zen3 CPU,and with the latest AMD/Nvidia sub £300 dGPUs using 8X and 4X PCI-E links,PCI-E 3.0 will start to be an issue at some point especially with the next generation and after of dGPUs IMHO.

The current ones like the RX6600/RX6600XT and RTX3050 seem mostly OK.

[Rob_B]

That kit isn't as good as I thought, C15 is the base (2133) spec! It's 3600 @ 18-22-22-42

I don't mean to run my 2600X @ 3600, would stick to 3200 but I can then re-use the RAM on a future possible upgrade to a mobo/CPU that could take advantage of the extra speed.

I'd seen that deal, 5600 is £180 so it was ~ £55 for the mobo, decent price.

[Rob_B]

Hmm, what's best if we assume I'll run it at 3200?

Kingston Fury 3200 @ 16-18-18-38 (£49.99 https://www.overclockers.co.uk/kings...my-293-ks.html)
Team Group Vulcan 3200 16-18-18-38 (£49.99 https://www.overclockers.co.uk/team-...my-0ak-tg.html)
Patriot Viper Steel 3600 18-20-20-41 (£59.99 https://www.overclockers.co.uk/patri...my-104-pa.html)
Patriot Viper Blackout 3600 18-22-22-42 (£55.70 https://www.ebuyer.com/1262574-patri...-pvb416g360c8k)