Help needed / Upgrading my PC for Streaming

patol · Oct 27, 2018

Hello everyone I wanted to upgrade my PC as It's been 4 years since I built it and I feel like it doesn't quite preform too well when streaming games. My budget is up to £600 total but if needed I could extend it a little bit. I want to mainly focus on CPU, GPU and probably Motherboard upgrades unless my ones are fine, up to your judgement.

My current set up:

CPU: Intel Core i5 4690K Processor (3.5 GHz, 6 MB Cache, LGA1150 Socket) https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00KPRWB9G/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s02?ie=UTF8&psc=1

GPU: Asus AMD Radeon R9 280 DirectCU II Top Graphics Card (3GB, GDDR5, PCI Express 3.0)
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00J3K9Y6E/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Motherboard: MSI Z97 Gaming 3 Intel LGA1150 Z97 ATX Motherboard (4x DDR3, 6x USB3.0, 6x USB2.0, GBE, LAN, HDMI, DVI, DP, VGA)
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00K8KJ6Y8/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

RAM (I've got 16gb of this): Ballistix Sport XT 4GB Single DDR3 1600 MT/s (PC3-12800) UDIMM 240-Pin Memory - BLS4G3D169DS3CEU
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00CWR3HVS/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Storage: Seagate ST1000DM003 3.5 inch 1TB Barracuda Hard Drive
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B006GAK6EI/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Power supply: Cooler Master G550M PSU 'Semi-Modular, 80 Plus Bronze, 550W' RS550-AMAAB1-UK
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00FNCNWHI/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Case: Zalman Z9 Plus Midi Tower Computer Case - Black
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B004FPQL0E/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s03?ie=UTF8&psc=1

As you can see I spent around £600 and it has lasted me for about 4 years, it's still rocking and manages most games at ultra settings.
I would like something that will last a while but not be too crazy expensive. As stated above I can extend my budget to probably £800 in total but only if absolutely necessary.

Any help would be appreciated,

Thank you very much,

Patol

bmockeg · Oct 27, 2018

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: AMD - Ryzen 5 2600 3.4GHz 6-Core Processor ($159.89 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: ASRock - B450 Pro4 ATX AM4 Motherboard ($86.01 @ Walmart)
Memory: Team - T-Force / Night Hawk 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3200 Memory ($130.98 @ Newegg)
Video Card: EVGA - GeForce GTX 1060 6GB 6GB SSC GAMING Video Card ($269.00 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Corsair - CX (2017) 550W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($29.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $675.87
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2018-10-27 09:58 EDT-0400

Here is what I would go with. You could wait on the power supply if you wanted.

patol · Oct 27, 2018

bmockeg :

But are all those upgrades completely necessary? Because for example I've already got 16gb of RAM and I think I would rather prefer to focus on a better CPU/GPU, specially because this is for streaming and streaming uses CPU the most.

I would love if you could break it down a little more for me.

bmockeg · Oct 27, 2018

The RAM you have is DDR 3 and unable to be used on any current platform as they all use DDR 4. Any new motherboard will require new RAM. A 6 core CPU with hyperthreading is recommended for any streaming While gaming. A Ryzen 2600 is the minimum.

patol · Oct 27, 2018

bmockeg :

Lets say I'm willing to raise up the budget to £800 that way I can get a more solid CPU that will last me for years, is that possible? Or would you invest the money on some other upgrade?

Thanks for all the answers and sorry if I'm being a bit picky

bmockeg · Oct 27, 2018

The CPU is fine and will last you for a few years. What resolution are you gaming at? What games are you trying to play?

bmockeg · Oct 27, 2018

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: AMD - Ryzen 7 2700X 3.7GHz 8-Core Processor (£287.99 @ Aria PC)
Motherboard: ASRock - Fatal1ty X470 Gaming K4 ATX AM4 Motherboard (£151.49 @ Ebuyer)
Memory: Corsair - Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3200 Memory (£135.74 @ CCL Computers)
Video Card: Gigabyte - GeForce GTX 1060 6GB 6GB WINDFORCE OC 6G Video Card (£239.99 @ CCL Computers)
Total: £815.21
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2018-10-27 16:08 BST+0100

patol · Oct 27, 2018

bmockeg :

1080p 60 fps most likely, games like LOL, PUBG, The new COD Battle Royale.

patol · Oct 27, 2018

bmockeg :

Should I buy them in a specific order, or it doesn't matter. Because For example I'll be able to buy half of it this month and half next.

Also any tips on what to do with old PC components? Are they worth selling? Should I keep them and build a second PC? Any other ideas?

bmockeg · Oct 27, 2018

Well you have to get the CPU, RAM and motherboard at the same time for it to work. You can get the GPU and PSU later. Definitely sell your old parts

patol · Oct 27, 2018

bmockeg :

Any good website to sell them on? They are used so I'm not too sure for how much they would go but I guess it's worth giving it a try.

bmockeg · Oct 27, 2018

Ebay or any local places

patol · Oct 27, 2018

bmockeg :

Will I need a cooler or something like that for this whole set up?

bmockeg · Oct 28, 2018

The 2700x comes with a decent cooler. You don't "need" one. I would use the included cooler and see how you like it unless you just want to spend $80+ on a better one.

patol · Oct 28, 2018

bmockeg :

Alright that'll be it then, thank you very much for your help at the end I think what I'm going to do with my old PC is maybe use it for streaming too as I've seen people streaming with 2 PCs so maybe if I just upgrade the Graphics card a little I could use it to play on while I use the new PC to stream on, idk, will see. Thanks anyways for the help, much appreciated!

bmockeg · Oct 28, 2018

A 2700x will game and stream with ease

patol · Oct 30, 2018

bmockeg :

One last thing, I was thinking I might as well get a whole new case if I'm going to completely upgrade my PC so do you have any cool recommended case I can get for this set up?

Also the power supply is the same one you mentioned in the first quote? or do I need a different one?

bmockeg · Oct 30, 2018

Cases should have good cooling as a main emphasis. They are mostly personal preference.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: AMD - Ryzen 7 2700X 3.7GHz 8-Core Processor (£287.99 @ Aria PC)
Motherboard: ASRock - Fatal1ty X470 Gaming K4 ATX AM4 Motherboard (£148.98 @ Ebuyer)
Memory: Corsair - Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3200 Memory (£135.97 @ Amazon UK)
Video Card: Gigabyte - GeForce GTX 1060 6GB 6GB WINDFORCE OC 6G Video Card (£239.99 @ CCL Computers)
Case: Fractal Design - Focus G (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case (£46.99 @ AWD-IT)
Power Supply: Corsair - TXM Gold 550W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply (£64.99 @ CCL Computers)
Case Fan: Corsair - Air Series AF140 Red 66.4 CFM 140mm Fan (£12.99 @ Amazon UK)
Case Fan: Corsair - Air Series AF140 Red 66.4 CFM 140mm Fan (£12.99 @ Amazon UK)
Total: £950.89
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2018-10-30 15:07 GMT+0000

This is what I would go with. Put the 140mm fans in front and move the included fans to rear and top.

patol · Nov 5, 2018

bmockeg :

What do you think about this case? Is it a better choice? Because a couple of people are telling me that it's a pretty solid case but it doesn't have front fans that's why I'm not too sure about it.

https://www.scan.co.uk/products/nzxt-s340-elite-computer-chassis-side-window-2x-usb-30-2x-quiet-120mm-fans-mitx-matx-atx-black?gclid=Cj0KCQiA8f_eBRDcARIsAEKwRGeQRFhwKTeQVHpKjVqGGV524wg0nE6vwLx81E_yEm-

bmockeg · Nov 5, 2018

The nzxt s340 is a solid case but I don't like it myself. I prefer the front fan cases.

DSzymborski · Nov 5, 2018

You can put front fans in an S340.

bmockeg · Nov 5, 2018

Yes, with very restricted airflow.

DSzymborski · Nov 5, 2018

bmockeg :

It's far from the best performer, but Anand's testing found it to at least be adequate and that was the stock configuration. I wouldn't run it without adding fans to the front, but there is ventilation at the top and bottom of the front of the case.

Not really my cup of tea as I'm cooling-obsessed, but it's not a crazy choice for a solidly built, minimalist, budget case.

bmockeg · Nov 5, 2018

I agree, it will work, but I'm with you on cooling. I would use the fractal design with an open front design instead. The nzxt 340 is a popular solid case, I just wouldn't use it or recommend it personally.

patol · Nov 6, 2018

bmockeg :

Alright, thanks for your inputs, I guess I'll just go for the fractal case. With those 2 extra fans it should have some crazy cooling.

Also I was thinking about getting an SSD to instal windows and maybe some games on it that way everything runs faster, what do you think about this one? 480 GB for £65

https://www.amazon.co.uk/SanDisk-PLUS-Sata-Inch-Internal/dp/B01F9G46Q8/ref=sr_1_8?s=computers&ie=UTF8&qid=1541496718&sr=1-8&keywords=ssd

Help needed / Upgrading my PC for Streaming

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