Gaming PC Upgrade Build

batfastard13

Hey all!

I got you to spec a build for me all the way back in 2014 (feck it that's flew by!!) and it's worked great to this day but... it's starting to struggle a bit in more modern games (and chrome seems to suck the life out of the 8GB of RAM). My current specs are below. The r9, in particular, is pretty loud while gaming and is like a radiator at full blast (grand in the middle of winter for warming my feet, but you'd be sweating from the heat of it any other times :pac:)

Current Spec:

RAM: 8GB-Kit Crucial Ballistix Sport Series DDR3-1600, CL9

Case: Fractal Design FD-CA-MESH-C-BKO-TG Meshify C Tempered Glass ATX/mATX/ITX PC Computer Case - Black

Motherboard: ASRock H97 Pro4, 1150 Socket, ATX

PSU: EVGA 750 GQ, 80+ GOLD 750W, Semi Modular, EVGA ECO Mode, Power Supply 210-GQ-0750-V3

GPU: Gigabyte Radeon R9 290 WindForce 3X, 4GB GDDR5, 2x DVI, HDMI, DisplayPort

CPU: Intel Core i7-4790

CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 RGB Black Edition

Monitor 1: Acer Predator XB271HUbmiprz 27-inch WQHD Gaming Monitor - (IPS Panel, G-Sync, 165Hz (OC), 4ms, ZeroFrame, DP, HDMI, USB hub, Height adjustable stand, 1440p (Main gaming display)

Monitor 2: LG 22MP65HQ-P, 1080p (Side display for web browsing, documents or videos while gaming)

Sound System: Logitech Z506 Surround Sound Speakers

Headphones: Turtle Beach PX22

Storage:
• Crucial M500 120GB (OS)
• WD Blue 1TB
• Samsung 860 Evo 1TB
• Crucial BX100 250GB
• Crucial BX300 240GB

I want to upgrade the more important hardware for improved performance and hopefully some future-proofing. My current thoughts are updating the CPU, Motherboard, RAM and GPU while keeping all the other bits the same. I've listed the upgrades below that seemed good with my less than stellar knowledge. The PC will be used primarily as a gaming PC as well as web browsing, media and other general use. While gaming, I like to use the second monitor for watching youtube, twitch etc and web browsing so I'd like it to be able to do both at the one time (that's the reason for 32GB RAM vs 16GB...as well as future proofing).

I like to play some more CPU intensive games (like TW:Warhammer 2 or Starcraft 2) as well as your standard AAA titles (The current Tomb Raider/Outer Worlds/Metro Exodus etc.). In particular I'd like to be able to play Cyberpunk 2077 at Max or near-max setting at 1440p, preferably at my monitor's higher refresh rate and with 60+ fps, if possible, when it releases. Ideally, the system would be pretty quiet and fairly cool when gaming as well (within reason).

I already have all the peripherals that I need (for now at least ).

Current Upgrade Items:

CPU: RYZEN 7 3700X EIGHT CORE 4.4GHZ (SOCKET AM4) PROCESSOR

Motherboard: Aorus X570 AORUS ELITE (Socket AM4/X570/DDR4/S-ATA 600/ATX)

RAM: VENGEANCE LPX BLACK 32GB (2X16GB) 3200 MHZ AMD RYZEN TUNED DDR4 MEMORY DUAL KIT

GPU: AORUS GEFORCE RTX 2070 SUPER 8192MB GDDR6 PCI-EXPRESS GRAPHICS CARD

Any thoughts on the above list? Will it work for what I need and will all the parts match up (together and with the other items in my current spec)?

Also...Will I need a new copy of Windows for the new board?

Sorry for the long post and thanks for the help!

Simi

If you have the cash, that seems like a well rounded upgrade. You will need a new copy of windows 10, you can buy codes off eBay for a few euro.

K.O.Kiki

You should be installing Windows 10 64-bit since it's the latest & most supported version.
Your old key might still work though, especially if it's a retail copy.

Also you should clean install to the Samsung 860 Evo drive.

You can get 3600/3733MHz CL17 RAM for similar price - disregard if you know how to OC RAM.

batfastard13

Thanks for the advice! The main thing I was worried about was compatibility and keeping everything quiet and cool.

I wouldn't be that knowledgeable about OCing RAM. Is it difficult to do?

Would the RAM you mentioned be an upgrade from what I've linked?

Cheers!

K.O.Kiki

It depends on the game, but Ryzen 3000 series does scale well with RAM speed & CL (latency): https://www.gamersnexus.net/guides/3508-ryzen-3000-memory-benchmark-best-ram-fclk-uclock-mclock

I personally got a deal on 3600 CL17 so haven't been arsed to tune yet.