PC build recommendations?

So, I have this:
I suppose there’s some interest in the MSI H81M-E3 motherboard. It seems like a decent enough option if you're just looking to get a basic system up and running.
ovo:
Intel is making some moves with their latest processor lineup, though I guess it's hard to say exactly how much this will shake up the market. It looks like they're leaning heavily into efficiency, which might be just what people need if they're tired of overheating rigs. Maybe it'll actually hold its own against the competition this time around.
ovo:
I suppose if you're looking to pick up some DDR3 memory modules, this might be worth a look. It seems like a decent enough option for older setups, I guess.

And this too. 😢:
I suppose you can find all the technical specs for that card right here on the official NVIDIA site. It’s probably worth a look if you're planning an upgrade.

So, here's the situation. When Windows 10 first rolled out, it actually ran pretty smoothly on my current setup. I couldn't really tackle the heavy modern titles, but I spent most of my time playing older classics, which worked just fine. Now, though, the whole system feels incredibly sluggish. I make a real point about not cluttering things up with a million different apps because that slowdown drives me crazy. I’m not entirely sure if I’ve picked up any malware, and even after trying to scrub everything with some anti-malware tools, I haven't noticed much of an improvement. Maybe they just didn't find what they were looking for, or maybe it's just Windows 10 being weighed down by all those constant updates. I guess it's hard to say. 🤷

I'm curious to hear your thoughts on this. What would you all say? I guess I've just moved past that whole gaming era. 😢 I don't really need a $1,000 graphics card, but I suppose I’d like to be able to fire up a game every now and then. For instance, I have Battlefield 4 sitting right here in its box—never even opened, let alone played. 😢 I don't really want to struggle through it on this current setup. I'd rather have a build that actually runs the game smoothly without me having to constantly mess with the settings. It’s a game from 2013, after all—so it's definitely getting on the older side.
I hope I managed to explain that clearly enough. 🙈

Given what you're working with, your best bet is just grabbing a used i5 or maybe an i3 that fits your motherboard, adding another 4GB of RAM, and picking up a GTX 1050 (or a GTX 1050 Ti if you've got the extra cash to throw at the upgrade).

https://www.ebay.com/itm/pc-desktop-listing-example

I'd probably grab this; it seems like a solid deal. You get a Z97 motherboard, too, so you could always swap in an unlocked i7 later on if you wanted.

You could likely offload your current setup for around $400$150 and maybe get $33 for the graphics card.

My first move will probably be swapping in a new graphics card just to see how things hold up; plus, I'll finally be able to run some of those heavier titles.
By the way, nobody mentioned the OS—is anyone else finding Windows to be a bit sluggish compared to when it first launched?

It’s probably those Meltdown and Spectre vulnerabilities... they were saying Intel chips might take a 30% performance hit because Microsoft basically has to disable certain parts of the processor through Windows updates just to patch the security holes.

Then again, maybe Microsoft just messed up Windows 10 so much that they lost the plot entirely. I know for a fact Bluetooth drivers are a nightmare on Windows 10—people keep saying updates can just wreck your drivers and settings, forcing you to reinstall everything from scratch. You didn't really deal with that kind of mess back on Windows 7 or 8...

Sent from my ASUS_Z00AD via Tapatalk

Or maybe you've just let so much absolute junk pile up on your PC over the last two or three years that the whole thing has finally slowed to a crawl

Look, if I were you, I’d start by nuking Windows and doing a fresh install. It’s the best way to rule out any software glitches. Try to grab a version that’s already mostly updated so you aren't stuck waiting a lifetime for updates to download and hogging your CPU cycles.

As far as just swapping out your graphics card goes, honestly, that dual-core setup is going to bottleneck you in pretty much any demanding title released over the last year or two. Regarding Battlefield 4, the single-player campaign should run just fine— click—but multiplayer is a whole different beast that demands much more from your processor. Long-term, you're definitely going to need to upgrade that CPU. That said, in the short term, if you pick up a decent used GPU for maybe $400-$233, you could actually have a blast with plenty of great titles, especially single-player games or anything that isn't overly intensive.

fadedsailor17 said:Basically, I'm running this:


https://www.msi.com/Motherboard/H81M-E34/Specification

this:


https://ark.intel.com/content/www/us...-2-80-ghz.html
this:

+
https://memory.net/product/m378b5273...ank-x8-module/
and this
https://www.amd.com/en/products/grap...#product-specs

Just bumping my thread to show some updates. 😬 I've swapped out the GPU and added another stick of RAM since my first post.
Now, I’m thinking about upgrading again. My current setup is what I listed above, and I’d likely swap out the motherboard, CPU, and obviously the RAM. I suppose I'm looking for some solid "best buy" advice. I don't really want to break the bank here; I just want to play Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, Battlefield V, and Red Dead Redemption 2. I'm not expecting maxed-out settings—medium or even low should be fine, as long as it doesn't stutter too much.
Thanks. 🙂

It looks like an AMD Ryzen CPU with 6 cores and 12 threads—specifically the 1600 model running at 3.2 to 3.6GHz. It comes with that standard Wraith Stealth cooler in the box, I guess.
Crucial 16GB Kit (2 x 8GB) DDR4 3000MHz NON-ECC UDIMM Ballistix Sport LT Gray
Maybe an ASRock B450M-PRO4-F on an AM4 socket? I guess.

All in all: $691 I guess I'm just going to stick with Centro.

crimsonstag84 said:AMD Ryzen CPU 5 6C/12T 1600 (3.2/3.6GHz Boost,19MB,65W,AM4) box, with Wraith Stealth cooler
CRUCIAL 16GB Kit (2 x 8GB) DDR4 3000MHz NON-ECC UDIMM Ballistix Sport LT Gray
ASRock B450M-PRO4-F, AM4

Total: $691 - Best Buy

Got it, thanks. I'll take a closer look once I'm back home. I was actually eyeing that Ryzen 5 3600; I think I might prefer 🕺
instead.

fadedsailor17 said:Alright, thanks. I'll dig into this more once I get home. I was actually looking at that Ryzen 5 3600; I think I'd much rather go with that 🕺

If you've got an extra 500-$200 lying around, I’d absolutely swing for the Ryzen 5 3600: https://www.amazon.com/processors/amd...price-89984031

Think of it as an investment in your future setup 👍👍

lonepilot50 said:If you have an extra $50-$$200 to spare, I’d definitely lean toward the Ryzen 5 3600: https://www.amazon.com/processors/amd...price-89984031

Think of it as an investment in your future 👍👍

Fair enough... though I guess I don't quite follow the whole "extra cash" logic here. 😕
😬

The 1600AF is a much better value at $267, whereas the 3600 is sitting around $500. You're looking at about a 20% speed boost with the latter, so it's really up to you...

If you ask me, you’re much better off putting that money toward a better GPU.

Timothy Kim60 said:I'd say you should probably put as much as you can into the GPU.

But I actually have an RX 580 8GB. I mentioned that in my previous post where I quoted myself.

Sell that thing for, say, $267 and take that extra $500 you were planning to sink into an R5 3600 to pick up a used GTX 1070 instead.

That’s where you’ll actually see the performance jump. Besides, for an R5 3600 to offer even a 20% boost over what you have now, you'd pretty much need an RTX 2080Ti to even notice the difference.

Timothy Kim60 said:Maybe sell her for something like $267 and take that $500 you were planning to drop on an R5 3600 to pick up a used GTX 1070 instead.

That's where you'll actually feel the difference. I guess you'd need an RTX 2080Ti before that R5 3600 shows even a 20% boost.

Wait, are you seriously telling me that because of my current GPU, I won't see any real difference between a 1600 and a 3600?

fadedsailor17 said:Everything seems fine on paper... I just don't quite follow what you mean by "extra cash."😕
😬

That’s exactly my point. 🙂
What kind of budget are we actually looking at here?
If things are tight, just grab something in the $300 range like what crimsonstag84 linked.
But if you've got some wiggle room, go for a $500 build with a GTX 1070 or even better.
By the way, what kind of power supply are you running?

fadedsailor17 said:Wait, are you actually telling me that with my current GPU, I won't see any real difference between 1600 and 3600?

Of course you won't see a difference...

When reading reviews, you really have to pay attention to which graphics card they are using for their benchmarks. Those massive 20+% performance jumps usually happen when they're testing with an RTX 2080Ti—or at worst, a GTX 1080Ti if the reviewer wasn't geared up at the time—and those cards are easily three times more powerful than what you're running.

William Barrett9 said:exactly that 🙂
what kind of budget are we talking about?
if it's tight, just grab what Smartik linked for maybe $300
but if you've got the cash, go for the 3600 and a 1070 or something better
what power supply are you running?

Well, I have some money to work with right now; I haven't been spending much lately 🤣
but according to Data, I won't see any real difference between the 1600 and the 3600 because of the GPU...
As for the power supply, I was looking at my receipts a few days ago... I think it was a 500W Corsair, but don't quote me on that, and it's probably too late to go hunting for the bill now.

Timothy Kim60 said:Of course you wouldn't see a difference...

When reading reviews, you really have to pay attention to which graphics card they're using. Those benchmarks showing a 20+% difference usually involve an RTX 2080Ti—or at worst, an RTX 3080 if the reviewer didn't have anything better on hand—and those cards are three times more powerful...

Got it. Thanks a lot.