Is it worth upgrading?

Alright, here’s what I’m running right now:
Intel Core i5 2500k @ 3.30Ghz
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 750
4GB RAM

So, my big question is, what components should I look at upgrading, and honestly, is it even worth putting any money into this thing if I want to keep using it for gaming?
Thanks!

Inside that Ford Transit van, there's actually some hardware running in the ballpark of an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 750 4, plus an extra 4 GB of RAM. 😉 Honestly, if you're looking to save money, that's your absolute cheapest way to go.

I was thinking about throwing in an 8GB DDR3 1333 stick, and since I'm stuck with only two slots on this board, that would bring my total memory up to 10GB.

So, now for the big question: which specific graphics card should I actually go with?

How are you feeling about your current CPU? And more importantly, what’s your budget looking like right now?

If you’re happy with your processor and want to spend as little as possible, here’s my take.
Honestly, grabbing an extra 4 GB of RAM would be a start—though if you can find 8 GB for a great price, go for it. Either way, it helps...

Then you’ll need something in the ballpark of a GTX 970 for performance—so we're talking things like an RX 480, 580, 570, a GTX 970, or maybe a GTX 1060. Just look for whatever you can find that comes with a warranty and a really reasonable price tag.

That’s basically the bare minimum to make it worthwhile.

In my opinion, pairing an i7 2600 with 8 GB of RAM and a card similar to a GTX 970 actually makes for a pretty decent gaming rig.

Now, if you aren't satisfied with your processor—which, to be fair, is still a solid mid-range chip—then you're looking at a much bigger hit to your wallet. You'd have to invest in a new CPU, plus a new motherboard, new RAM, and a new graphics card.

It all really boils down to how much you like that I5 2500 and how much cash you have to play with.

Personally, if I were in your shoes and working with a tight budget, I’d just pick up another 4 GB of RAM and hunt for a GTX 1060 with a warranty on eBay. I'm assuming money is a bit tight for you right now.

Let's wait for someone a bit more experienced to chime in and confirm this.

But assuming you're perfectly fine with the i7 2600 and you're trying to keep costs low...

Just grab another 4 or 8 GB of RAM and a GTX 1060 with a warranty from eBay.

First off, you really need at least another 4GB of RAM. If you can swing 8GB instead, go for it—hitting that 12GB total mark is plenty for basically anything you'll want to play.

Next up is the GPU. You should look for a used GTX 1060 with some kind of warranty on sites like eBay or Craigslist. You could also check out an RX 570 or 580, but just keep one thing in mind: those cards are power-hungry, so you'll definitely need a decent power supply, ideally at least 500-550W.

Third, if you can find an i7 2600k for a fair price, grab it. That I5 2500k is still a decent enough processor, but don't expect miracles in CPU-heavy titles. You’re going to run into some stuttering, especially in games like Call of Duty, Assassin's Creed Origins, or similar stuff. Moving to the i7 would make things run a lot smoother because you're getting that jump to 4 cores and 8 threads, whereas the 2500k is stuck at 4 cores and 4 threads.

Regarding the CPU upgrade, I think I’m actually going to pass on that for now because if I’m going to pull the trigger on a swap, I really want to go all out and invest in something high-end, and honestly, I just don't have the budget for that right this second.

As far as my gaming rotation goes, I'm mostly playing Fortnite, Minecraft, GTA online, Counter-Strike, Plants vs Zombies, and a bit of PUBG for obvious reasons.
So, looking at those specific titles, an i7 2600 should be more than enough to get the job done.

Yeah, just stick with that I5.
The i7s on Newegg are totally overpriced compared to what you can get with modern chips nowadays. Just run it until it dies, then swap out the whole platform in a year or so.

Honestly, I don't see any issue here. If you toss in an extra 4GB of RAM, you'll be fine. Sure, you won't be cranking everything up to Ultra or High settings, but if you aren't a total elitist about graphics, you can definitely run everything just fine.

Look, that PC belongs to a kid, which explains why he's playing those kinds of games in the first place; the real headache started because he’s trying to run PUBG and is pushing himself to play ARK, but neither of those titles are going to run smoothly on his current setup.

Anyway, my first move is to toss in another 8GB stick of RAM, and if that doesn't do the trick, I'm just going to grab a GTX 1060—I noticed they have them available starting from $300 onwards.

Dennis Patel7 said:Look, that PC belongs to a kid, which explains why he's playing those kinds of games in the first place; the real headache started because he’s trying to run PUBG and is pushing himself to play ARK, but neither of those titles are going to run smoothly on his current setup.

Anyway, my first move is to toss in another 8GB stick of RAM, and if that doesn't do the trick, I'm just going to grab a GTX 1060—I noticed they have them available starting from $300 onwards.

You can find them starting from $200 and up. Honestly, you could even grab an RX 570 or 580 for a bargain—just make sure you check exactly which power supply you have under the hood first.

As far as the CPU goes, I should mention that PUBG and PUBG iARC are real processor hogs. Having 4 cores and 8 threads would make things run a lot smoother. For instance, take this guy's build click. Dropping the price by another $30 would definitely make it a solid buy for $133, and that CPU still holds its own with mid-range graphics cards. I actually just saw a video of an i7 2600 paired with an RX 580 click.

I’m really hoping this isn't some kind of total meltdown caused by the power supply...

https://www.anandtech.com/bench/product/2355?vs=2413
The performance gap between an i5 2500 and an i7 2600 in gaming is honestly negligible. Upgrading $133 would just be throwing money away. You're better off sticking with what you have and pairing a used GTX 1060 with 4GB of RAM, provided you have a solid power supply

Benchmarks and comparison charts don't mean squat when you look at how things actually play out in the real world. Just take a look at what an i5 2500 paired with a GTX 1060 does in CPU-heavy titles.



In Assassin's Creed Origins, the second you step into a city, the GPU usage drops to around 50-60% while the CPU just sits there pegged at 100%. It’s the exact same story with Hitman or GTA V—the CPU hits a wall and the graphics card just idles. Even in Battlefield 1, single player is okay, but once you jump into multiplayer, the performance takes a massive dive—we're talking more than twice as bad. I'm telling you from experience here; the video is just proof. Plus, even a Skylake i5 will outperform that old 2500k any day.
If you were running an i7 2600, things would be a totally different story because of the 8 threads. You'd see much lower CPU usage and the GPU would actually be pushed to its limit.

https://www.craigslist.org/flea-market/pc-computers/example-listing

https://www.craigslist.org/flea-market/pc-computers/example-listing-2

Everyone's out to get me, I swear!
Is either one of these actually worth the asking price?

Honestly, there’s no need to go out and buy an entirely new rig. You can get most of what you need for about $83. Just grab a new 8GB stick of DDR3 1600MHz RAM and pick up either a GTX 1060 3GB or an RX 570 4GB. Just a heads-up on the RX—you’re going to need a decent power supply, at least 500W. We’ve talked about this before, but you didn't specify which exact PSU model you're running. That should run you roughly 600-$233, so for about 900-$333, you’ve tackled the heavy lifting. If you find that your games are running smoothly enough on the i5 2500, just leave it be. If they aren't, then look into swapping in an i7 for $133.
If you're feeling ambitious, you could always toss in a new 120GB SSD for around 140-$50, or maybe a 240GB one for about $67
.

Compared to the Ryzen 1600/1600x, which costs $293, the price for an i7 2600k is just ridiculous—especially since finding a motherboard for it is nearly impossible nowadays because they're so old. If the total for everything used is around $667, then I'd say it's a yes.

So, I just threw in another 8GB of RAM, which brings my total up to 10GB now.
The thing that’s really weighing on my mind, though, is whether I actually need to swap out my motherboard if I decide to upgrade the processor.

My power supply is an MSindustrial MS 400 ATX P4, so I'm assuming that'll definitely need an upgrade if I move up to a better graphics card.

Given everything, would you guys still be recommending the GTX 1060 over the RX 570?

I’d swap out that power supply first if I were you; it looks pretty cheap.

Alexander Moore67 said:Compared to the Ryzen 1600/1600x, which costs $293, the price for an i7 2600k is just ridiculous—especially since finding a motherboard for it is nearly impossible nowadays because they're so old. If the total for everything used is around $667, then I'd say it's a yes.

Why even compare them? It’s not like you’d drop $133 on a CPU or $293 on a GPU, plus you're looking at $500 for a board and maybe $350-400 for RAM.
As for why it's "ridiculous"—the i7 2600 actually holds its own in gaming, sitting right around where the Ryzen 1600/1600x performs.

Dennis Patel7 said:So, I just threw in another 8GB of RAM, which brings my total up to 10GB now.
The thing that’s really weighing on my mind, though, is whether I actually need to swap out my motherboard if I decide to upgrade the processor.

My power supply is an MSindustrial MS 400 ATX P4, so I'm assuming that'll definitely need an upgrade if I move up to a better graphics card.

Given everything, would you guys still be recommending the GTX 1060 over the RX 570?

You definitely need to swap that power supply before you try any other upgrades.

I honestly had no clue that the power supply could actually impact performance levels.
Is a 700W unit going to cut it, or are there other specific specs I should be looking at when picking out a PSU?