Upgrading 5 year old gaming PC

[edwjohn3]

I am currently looking to upgrade my 5 year old gaming PC without breaking the bank. The current hardware configuration is

CPU: i5 3570k @4.4 Ghz
GPU: AMD HD 7950 reference clocked
RAM: 16 gigs Mushkin DDR3 1600 (4x4)
SSD: 256 gig Crucial SATA (can't remember exact model)
HDD: 2 TB WD Green
PSU: 620 watt Corsair (HX series I believe)

I am planning to keep the CPU/RAM/Mobo as is. From what I've been reading, a 4.4 Ghz 3570k is still a capable gaming CPU, plus I'm running OEM windows, so I'd have to buy a new license if I switch out the motherboard.

I want to upgrade the GPU to a Vega 64. I know Nvidia has the price to performance and efficiency lead right now, but I recently purchased a Freesync 1440p monitor so I'd really like to get an AMD card. Plus I'd like to eventually upgrade to a Ryzen based system and I like the idea of the CPU and GPU both being AMD.

The WD Green is pretty slow for loading games that don't fit on my SSD so I'm thinking of getting two 1TB WD Black drives and running them in RAID 0 for game installs. I don't want to sink money into a new SATA SSD because once I upgrade to a Ryzen motherboard I want to get an NVMe SSD.

My current PSU is recycled from my previous build and is 10 years old. I figure I shouldn't push my luck with it any longer so I want to upgrade it to a new Corsair HX 850 watt.

What do you guys think of all that??? I figure it'll put my PC back into the high end gaming rig category for under a grand, though the Vega prices are still really inflated so I'll probably wait for them to come down closer to MSRP.

-Edwin

 

[jankerson]

Well, the Vega 64 is a serious power hog so you will need a high quality 750W PSU at least.

Something like a Seasonic Prime 750W, Focus 750W, or Corsair RMX or HXI.

Or the 850W versions of the above.

Personally I would recommend the GTX 1080, less power hungry and better performance in general. You are gaining nothing other than more expense and power draw by getting a Vega 64. And playing on a 1440P Monitor it' won't matter what high end card you get, not really. And if you wait until the custom Vega 64's come out you will likely be in the GTX 1080Ti price range and no Vega 64 will ever touch that performance wise.

And you could go with a 650w versions of the above PSU's.

As a side note my GTX 1080 FTW2 destroys ANY Vega 64 I have seen yet in any review comparing my own scores to theirs. (Most of the reviews they down clocked the GTX 1080's or slanted the results one way other another to make the VEGA 64 look better) My own scores are MUCH higher than those typical BS reviews even at stock out of the box clocks.

Bottom line here is that it's your money to spend as you see fit.

 

[edwjohn3]

Is RAID 0 a worthwhile improvement over just one HDD for game storage? The only thing the drive would be used for is game installs. My SSD will remain my system drive, and I'll use the WD Green for document storage.

 

[The Paladin]

I agree a GPU and Power Supply is all this needs, as for raid drives, for data storage safety yes, for gaming, I can see a raid 0 ssd is going to bring data faster than 500MB/S over a single one already running that fast. but your data will be safe you could push the ram to 32GB for more breathing space.

 

[edwjohn3]

Thanks for the reply, Paladin. If I do RAID 0, it would be with 2 7200 RPM HDDs for game installs, probably 2 WD Black 1TB drives. I'm just wondering if that is worth the trouble vs just a single 2TB WD Black.

 

[jankerson]

Thanks for the reply, Paladin. If I do RAID 0, it would be with 2 7200 RPM HDDs for game installs, probably 2 WD Black 1TB drives. I'm just wondering if that is worth the trouble vs just a single 2TB WD Black.

Not really, no.

I would go with a single 2TB drive.

 

[The Paladin]

I see no benefits running raid 0 for gaming drives. I would so a single drive.