What motherboard and CPU should I pair with this build?

What kind of motherboard and CPU should I pair with this setup? Honestly, everything else in my rig is still solid enough, so I just want to swap out this ancient motherboard and processor for something modern. Any suggestions on what would work best?

ASUS ROG Strix B350M (S.AM4, 4xDDR4, RAID) mATX
AMD Ryzen 5 1600 AF (3.2/3.6GHz Boost,19MB,65W,AM4) box, Wraith Stealth
ARCTIC COOLING Freezer 34 cooler, fits 1150/1155/1156/2011/2011-3/2066/AM4, black
G.Skill Aegis 16GB (2x8GB) 3200MHz CL16 - F4-3200C16D-16GIS
NVIDIA GTX 1660 SUPER GAMING OC GDDR6 6GB/192bit, MHz/14 000 MHz
Crucial BX500 480GB 3D NAND SATA 2.5-inch SSD
500W Power Supply, ANTEC VP500P Plus EC, ATX, 120mm fan, PFC

Strictly for gaming.
Looking to spend around $500-$600 total on Amazon.
Thanks for any help, and sorry if I'm being repetitive here.

https://www.amazon.com/intel-core-i5-12400/b09m444p5r

Just keep that motherboard and save your cash for a GPU upgrade or something else actually useful.

I guess just flash the BIOS and call it a day

If the 5500 is $299 and the Intel Core i5-12400 is $415, then a difference of $150 doesn't make sense when you consider it's about 7% slower on average in games using an NVIDIA RTX 3060 Ti, and up to 17% slower in one specific title tested with a 6950XT!

Alexander Moore67 said:If the 5500 is $299 and the 5600 is $415, an $150 gap doesn't justify being 7% slower on average in games with a 6600xt, and up to 17% slower in one specific game tested against a 6950xt!

The price is slightly lower at "Logitech," but then again, you can grab the 5500 at the same place for less than $300... which is a killer deal.

The thing is, if someone actually has a budget, they have more options. But yeah, strictly looking at immediate value for money, the 5500 is the better play.

If they’re just itching to spend cash, they could always drop a 5800X3D onto that board. That’s basically the ceiling for that platform, and honestly, still a smarter move than swapping out the motherboard just to pair it with some mid-range chip.

Alright, so the move here is basically stick with the current motherboard, flash the BIOS, and then just pick between those two CPUs. But let's talk cards—which GPU is actually worth my time? I'm looking for something that’s going to feel like a massive leap over my NVIDIA GTX 1660 SUPER GAMING OC GDDR6 6GB without me having to sell a kidney or anything crazy.

What's your budget looking like? If you aren't trying to break the bank, maybe $667 or $1667 would work, though that's subjective

Are we talking just for the GPU, or better yet, a combo deal for the CPU and GPU together?

And don't forget, you can probably flip your old processor and card for some decent cash.

Look, let's say I pull the trigger on one of those two CPUs you guys suggested. If I end up with an extra $400 or $500 left over specifically to dump into a GPU, what else am I looking at? I'm trying to build something that isn't going to turn into a paperweight in two years; I want to be set for a good while without having to constantly worry about my frame rates dropping.

Steven Walker72 said:Let's say I go with one of those two CPUs you suggested. I'd probably have an extra $400-$500 left over for a GPU, so what else could I do with that? Looking for something that'll let me sleep easy for a few years.

The Intel Core i5-12400 is about $150, while the 5800X3D is closer to $400. We aren't even talking about the same tier here—that's a $250 gap.

The best bang-for-your-buck move is the 5600.

https://www.newegg.com/processors/...ache-198237281

Pair it with a card like a 6650XT for $400.
https://www.amazon.com/search.php?q=6650xt&cod=&cdo=

So, total comes to $550.

Maybe an NVIDIA RTX 3060 Ti, but your power supply isn't exactly top-tier.

What resolution and refresh rate are you running? If you're stuck on 1080p 60Hz, take that extra cash and buy a better monitor instead.

Dropping $500 on a GPU right now isn't the smartest play. New cards in that bracket—or slightly above—are dropping in the next few months, which means current gen prices are just going to tank further.

I'm rocking a 27" AOC monitor, 144Hz at 1440p, and honestly, I don't need anything better than this, haha

Steven Walker72 said:I’ve got a 27" 1440p 144Hz AOC monitor. Honestly, I don't need anything better than that. haha

👍👍

In that case, you might as well go for a beefier GPU. You won't really need anything stronger than an Intel Core i5-12400 since 1440p is mostly GPU-bound at that level compared to 1080p.

Just not so sure about that power supply, though.
If I were you, I'd hold off until January or February to upgrade the graphics card, and maybe just deal with the processor for now.

If this motherboard is actually up to snuff, what kind of power supply should I grab so I can just get this whole thing sorted once and for all? I want to knock out both the PSU and the CPU in one go and be done with it.

Steven Walker72 said:If this motherboard is actually good enough, what should I grab for a power supply so I can just get the PSU and CPU sorted once and for all?

Here, for example.

The EVGA is modular, but the Corsair unit has a longer warranty and a slightly better reputation.

There might be a better deal floating around somewhere right now, but it's a pain to sift through every single model...

wiredotter14 said:👍👍

If you're moving up in class, just go for a beefier GPU; honestly, you don't even need anything crazy beyond an Intel Core i5-12400 because at 1440p, you're mostly going to be hitting the limits of your graphics card anyway compared to when you're playing at 1080p.

I'm just a little iffy about that power supply, though.
If I were in your shoes, I'd probably hold off until January or February before pulling the trigger on a new GPU, but maybe grab a better CPU right now.

So, let's say I actually follow your advice and sort out the PSU and CPU situation first:
Corsair 650W G12 GC-650
Intel Core i5-12400.

Which GPU would be my best bet if I want to stay under $500?

RX 6650XT (around $350)
RX 6700XT (around $400)

Or should I aim for something even stronger? Just nothing over $500.

The NVIDIA RTX 3060 Ti at $400 is a total steal right now. I actually grabbed one for about $440 just a couple of weeks ago. Honestly, for that price, it beats the 6650XT any day of the week.

If you can hunt down an RX6800 for $550, do it. There were some decent deals popping up over at Newegg recently, but they’re hard to catch.

Finding a 6700XT for $400? Yeah, that's a solid deal if you find it.

So, look, is there any way this NVIDIA RTX 3060 Ti is actually gonna fit on my motherboard? I’m seriously stressing that I might run out of power connectors or something after dropping like $480 on this thing. 😁😁

It'll work on pretty much any motherboard from the last 15 years, including yours.

So, I’ve got this "old" NVIDIA GTX 1660 that I’m looking to swap out for a fresh NVIDIA RTX 3060 Ti. Does anyone have a clue what I could actually pull for it? It’s been running for almost three years now, but honestly, it still works perfectly fine without any issues. Maybe I could snag about $100 to help offset the cost of the new card?

Steven Walker72 said:So, I’m looking at swapping my "old" NVIDIA GTX 1660, which I've had for almost three years now. It still works perfectly fine, but I want to upgrade to an NVIDIA RTX 3060 Ti. Does anyone know what I could realistically get for it? Maybe $100 to help offset the cost of the new card?

I'd list it for around $130 first, then see if they'll budge....

If I can put this on a business expense account through the company, what’s a better move than grabbing an NVIDIA RTX 3060 Ti for around $400?