What to upgrade first on my gaming PC?

Kreia95 · Aug 9, 2018

I was thinking about getting the AMD Ryzen 7 2700x as I'm pretty sure my CPU is the weak point on my system. I'm no expert though. For any that currently or have used it, what are your experiences in terms such as performance, temp with stock cooler and overclocking potential? Next question, should I upgrade something entirely different, or is the CPU the way to go? My budget is around $400 give or take. Thanks in advance.

Windows 10
CPU: AMD Ryzen 3 1300x @ 3.8 GHz
RAM: 8GB
GPU: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 6GB

bmockeg · Aug 9, 2018

Your RAM is low, recommend 16GB. What is your problem in games?

captaincharisma · Aug 9, 2018

what games and resolution are you trying to play at? i think the cheapest upgrade first would upgrade to a 16GB + kit of ram

cryoburner · Aug 9, 2018

Also, what resolution and refresh rate are you gaming at, 1080p at 60Hz, or something higher?

Kreia95 · Aug 9, 2018

cryoburner :

Yes I am playing at 1080p at 60Ghz (1920x1080)

Kreia95 · Aug 9, 2018

bmockeg :

It depends on the game in question, but I usually get FPS spikes every so often. Sometimes just low FPS altogether.

what games and resolution are you trying to play at? i think the cheapest upgrade first would upgrade to a 16GB + kit of ram

Okay, any reccomendations on brand? I've noticed RAM is crazy high right now. Was hoping it would go down soon, but I doubt it at this point.

WildCard999 · Aug 9, 2018

For $400 I'd go with something like this...

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: AMD - Ryzen 5 1600 3.2GHz 6-Core Processor ($149.99 @ Walmart)
CPU Cooler: be quiet! - Dark Rock 4 CPU Cooler ($67.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: G.Skill - Ripjaws V Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3200 Memory ($149.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $367.97
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2018-08-09 12:22 EDT-0400

The difference between the 1600 & 2600X is minimal post overclocking.

mgallo848 · Aug 9, 2018

I would upgrade (in order of importance):

1: Memory to 16gb
2: CPU (to at least a 2600x)
3: GPU (yours still has plenty of power yet plus the new cards will be released over the next several months)

Kreia95 · Aug 9, 2018

mgallo848 :

Good to know my GPU is still good. Thanks for your reply.

captaincharisma · Aug 9, 2018

upgrading the GPU depends on what resolution they are trying to play at. most games will run fine with a 1060 if playing at 720P-1080P but more modern games may need a 1070 minimum

WildCard999 · Aug 9, 2018

captaincharisma :

It's hard to say what future requirements will be but a 1060 6gb should be more then enough for most AAA games at least for now. Going from the 1300X to 1600 (OCed to 3.8-4.0ghz range) will help with any games or programs that are utilizing more then 4 cores and if the OP wants to stream they'll have the extra threads.

cryoburner · Aug 9, 2018

WildCard999 :

It might be worth going with the 2600 though, considering it costs just a little more. Not only should the 2600 overclock a little higher, but it offers improved memory performance as well, and also comes clocked better out of the box, for anyone not overclocking. A GTX 1060 will undoubtedly limit the performance difference between these two processors in most of today's games, but in CPU-limited scenarios, the 2600 has the potential to be more than 5% faster than the 1600.

The only thing the 1600 does better is that it comes with a more capable stock cooler, but if you're replacing that with a tower cooler, that won't matter anyway. Also, I don't really think you actually need a $70 cooler for a six-core Ryzen. The 1600 can even manage to overclock near 4GHz on its included Spire cooler if you don't mind some fan noise and relatively high temperatures, and there are tower coolers for around half the cost of a Dark Rock 4 that should allow a 2600 to overclock up near 4.2GHz relatively quietly. So, as an alternative suggestion, something like this could net you slightly higher performance at a slightly lower cost...

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: AMD - Ryzen 5 2600 3.4GHz 6-Core Processor ($165.99 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: ARCTIC - Freezer 33 eSports ONE (Black/White) CPU Cooler ($31.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill - Ripjaws V Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3200 Memory ($149.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $347.97
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2018-08-09 13:55 EDT-0400

Kreia95 · Aug 9, 2018

cryoburner :

WildCard999 :

It might be worth going with the 2600 though, considering it costs just a little more. Not only should the 2600 overclock a little higher, but it offers improved memory performance as well, and also comes clocked better out of the box, for anyone not overclocking. A GTX 1060 will undoubtedly limit the performance difference between these two processors in most of today's games, but in CPU-limited scenarios, the 2600 has the potential to be more than 5% faster than the 1600.

The only thing the 1600 does better is that it comes with a more capable stock cooler, but if you're replacing that with a tower cooler, that won't matter anyway. Also, I don't really think you actually need a $70 cooler for a six-core Ryzen. The 1600 can even manage to overclock near 4GHz on its included Spire cooler if you don't mind some fan noise and relatively high temperatures, and there are tower coolers for around half the cost of a Dark Rock 4 that should allow a 2600 to overclock up near 4.2GHz relatively quietly. So, as an alternative suggestion, something like this could net you slightly higher performance at a slightly lower cost...

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: AMD - Ryzen 5 2600 3.4GHz 6-Core Processor ($165.99 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: ARCTIC - Freezer 33 eSports ONE (Black/White) CPU Cooler ($31.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill - Ripjaws V Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3200 Memory ($149.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $347.97
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2018-08-09 13:55 EDT-0400

Seems like a good solution to me. I don't mind a bit of noise. I wear headphones anyways, lol. Thanks for your help.

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What to upgrade first on my gaming PC?

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