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Build anew or upgrade?


Miek

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I'm currently running a PC that I built in 2010 with the the following core specs.

  • i5-760
  • GTX 460
  • 4GB DDR 1333MHz RAM
  • 1TB mechanical HDD
  • P55 motherboard with USB 2, SATA II, and PCIe gen. 2

Purchasing a 250GB SATA III SSD, additional 4GB of RAM, and a GTX 1050 Ti would run me $330 CAD and would give me an excuse to re-do my cable management.

 

However, for $900 CAD, I could do an entirely new build based around the following core specs.

  • Pentium G4560
  • GTX 1050 Ti
  • 8GB DDR4 2400MHz RAM
  • 1TB mechanical HDD + 256GB M.2 SSD
  • B250 mATX board with USB 3.1, SATA 6GB/s, and PCIe gen. 3

I don't think I need an exceptionally powerful PC since I only really use my PC for general stuff (web browsing, chat clients, video and voice calls, etc.) and light-duty gaming, and I'm just wondering if I'd be better off to slap some upgrades into my existing rig than to build a whole new computer. I'm still negotiating a price, but I have a friend interested in purchasing my current PC if I do decide to build a new one. I use a 1080p monitor that I plan on keeping for now.

Edited by Miek

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I saw $900 before CAD and thought that seems a bit high for a Pentium rig.  Honestly if you were to rebuild I would look more towards Ryzen since some of their 4 core variants are dirt cheap for the amount of performance they offer.  You're kind of limited with the 1st gen 1156 socket and like you already pointed out, it also only has USB 2.0, Sata II and PCIe 2.0, no M.2 for NVMe drives, no Sata III, USB 3.0 let alone 3.1... You're at a point where I would either stretch it out until Intel's response to Ryzen or just go with Ryzen for the price/performance.

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Thanks for the input. Maybe I'll just hold off until Intel releases a response, then. I want to save as much money as possible if I do a new build and feel that AMD and Intel competing for business is going to be better for the consumer. To be honest, though, I don't know if I'd even have a use for all the power that even the least expensive Ryzen chip offers.

Edited by Miek
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I saw $900 before CAD and thought that seems a bit high for a Pentium rig.  Honestly if you were to rebuild I would look more towards Ryzen since some of their 4 core variants are dirt cheap for the amount of performance they offer.  You're kind of limited with the 1st gen 1156 socket and like you already pointed out, it also only has USB 2.0, Sata II and PCIe 2.0, no M.2 for NVMe drives, no Sata III, USB 3.0 let alone 3.1... You're at a point where I would either stretch it out until Intel's response to Ryzen or just go with Ryzen for the price/performance.

Or what he could do is add more memory, and buy my video card.

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I saw $900 before CAD and thought that seems a bit high for a Pentium rig.  Honestly if you were to rebuild I would look more towards Ryzen since some of their 4 core variants are dirt cheap for the amount of performance they offer.  You're kind of limited with the 1st gen 1156 socket and like you already pointed out, it also only has USB 2.0, Sata II and PCIe 2.0, no M.2 for NVMe drives, no Sata III, USB 3.0 let alone 3.1... You're at a point where I would either stretch it out until Intel's response to Ryzen or just go with Ryzen for the price/performance.

Or what he could do is add more memory, and buy my video card.

 

Your card would destroy his GTX 460.  It is an option depending on his power supply.

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@xenkw0n

 

He would need a better cpu, ram, motherboard, and PSU to use the R9 290 4GB none x version. From a GTX 460 to a R9 290 is a massive upgrade for sure.

Edited by Dynamic

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  • 2 weeks later...

I think I've made up my mind that I want to build an entirely new system and that I'm going to sell my existing tower to a friend that currently has no PC.

 

There are just a couple points I've been debating with myself.

  1. Should I use a Ryzen chip (and if so, which one?) or wait for Intel's response and then decide on a CPU?
  2. Should I go with an RX 570, RX 580, wait to see what AMD Vega brings, or go with an NVIDIA 10xx card (GTX 1050 Ti? 1060?)? I'm fine with the 1080p monitor I have right now, but could be swayed towards one with a higher resolution in the future if the price was right.

Maybe it's just because I've always used Intel/NVIDIA systems and want to try something different, but I feel myself being swayed towards an AMD/AMD system.

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Choosing AMD or Intel right now is kind of a toss up.  It might depend on exactly what you are doing.  AMD has done great with Ryzen and in many comparisons there isn't enough difference to be able to see a difference except maybe in a benchmark, and sometimes not even there.  That said, the AMD's are cheaper for what you get, and with more programs and games having the ability to use more cores, is +1 for them.  As far as which Ryzen to choose, again really depends on what you plan to do and your budget.  IMO, for the added price of the "x" versions, isn't really worth it, and definitely not if you plan to OC yourself.

I would use the 290, or whatever you can until Vega comes, and then compare them to whatever NVidia has at that time.  The 570 and 580 are nice, especially if you consider cost, vs the nvidias, but they really aren't much new with them at all.  Outside of frequency bumps which you might be able to do yourself, they aren't a whole lot different than the 470 and 480, which also weren't a whole lot different than the 390 and 290!  More ram in some cases, but besides that I think the 580 is about 10 or 15% better than your 290, in certain situations.  And remember if you're already getting 60+ fps than 15% more won't make a noticeable difference at all.  And the 580 uses less power, if that matters much to you.  Even the 290 is dx12!

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  • 2 weeks later...

I've tentatively set up a build. I've been reading whatever info gets leaked about Vega, and it sounds like the Cards are going to range from $399 to $599 USD ($544 to $818 CAD) which is quite a bit more than I am looking to spend on a video card. For now, I have an RX 580 8GB card in my wishlist. I probably won't order parts until after Vega is officially announced and released, but if those prices are accurate I probably won't go with it.

 

In Canadian dollars...

Total cost = $1406.61 CAD (1031.73 USD)

 

I'm always open to suggestions and changes. At some point I may update to a 144Hz monitor (and maybe even go 1440p), but I'd like to get a new tower first and foremost. I currently have a 24" 1080p / 60Hz monitor that will probably serve me well enough until I find something on sale to replace it.

Edited by Miek

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The 1600 comes with a Wraith Spire cooler. I had planned to use that since I don't plan on overclocking right away. Everything I've read about the Ryzen 1600 has suggested that the cooler that comes with it is adequate for most uses.

 

Though, cooler is generally better and the money I'm saving from not going with the 1600X may as well be put towards a cooler.

 

* Added Thermaltake Contac Silent 12 to the build. It's $30 and seems to be a good performer for the money spent. It supports socket AM4 out of the box, too.

Edited by Miek

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