Bringing my PC to the modern era

myLord95

I'm currently running an i5-3570k at 3.9ghz, and I've been considering an upgrade for about a year now. I don't play a lot of newly released games, but the ones that I do (namely Star Citizen) are simply demanding an upgrade at this point - if not from my CPU, then from my RAM, which on my P8Z77-Pro is currently running at a blazing 1333mhz.

Either way, it's finally time to bring this box of mine into this decade - mostly. I'll be keeping my 1060 6GB for obvious reasons, although I wouldn't be opposed to picking up something like a 1660 or even a 2060 on the cheap in the next year or so. I'm also keeping my current storage devices, and adding on an NVMe drive for games.

Here are the parts I had picked out, having no real knowledge of the practicality of it, just based off of whether or not they were compatible: https://www.microcenter.com/site/content/custom-pc-builder.aspx?load=3e505b99-4c36-45e5-bfaf-517e9179068f

So to be clear, my new planned system will be this list plus a 1060 6gb and my Silencer MkIII 600w power supply.

So here are my questions -

• Do I need to upgrade my power supply?
• After this upgrade, will I instead be crying about my GPU instead of my CPU?
• I'm not looking for a PC that can sprint, I'm looking for a marathon runner. Does this motherboard/CPU combo have the best chance of going the distance and taking me straight into 2030 without looking back? I understand this might be a strange or impossible question to answer confidently, but an informed opinion on my upgrade strategy would still be appreciated.
• I plan on assembling this all by myself. Now, I've plugged in a few sticks of RAM in my day, and I've upgraded from a 660ti to a 1060 without professional help, but I'm wondering if there is different hardware I should consider that might make assembly easier? Beginner-friendly features or layouts, if those are even a thing? Any build tips specific for me and my setup?

Thank you 😀

myLord95

Also, I should mention that $1.2k is pretty much the ceiling I'm aiming for. I may cut out the NVMe drive to cut cost, I haven't decided on that yet.

TSTDavey

Hello @myLord95 and thanks for posting on the Microcenter Community Forum. First thing we see is you have a AM4 CPU cooler and a Intel CPU. That Noctua won't fit on the I5-11600K processor.

Try going with a Cooler Master Hyper 212 Universal cooler sku# 864199.

We're assuming you are wanting to use your old HDD to boot to windows with the new build pc. You may have some issues with that.

There are ways to get your new build pc to boot from the HDD (ex., Legacy/UEFI mode), but those steps do not work all the time and PC builders have to re-install Windows sometimes.

We recommend to purchase a copy of Windows, just in-case your new build won't allow windows to boot from the Hard Drive. If it boots, then you can always return Windows 10 if you like.

Now lets answer your questions.

Question #1: 600w PSU should be enough.

Question #2: Looking at the requirements for Star Citizen, the integrated graphic isn't enough for this game. Go with a entry level GPU like the Radeon RX 580 or a GTX 1080 GPU. The  i5-3570k has 4 cores for processing. The I5-11600K has 6 cores, so you're only going up 2 cores. Star Citizen and normal usage of the game doesn't look to require a 6 core processor. But the I5-3570 is out of date. It would be hard to find a new motherboard to go with the old 3570. So if you are wanting to upgrade, you're going to need both the CPU and GPU, especially for Star Citizen.

Question #3: As far as the Intel CPU and Gigabyte Z590 motherboard combo, we have no answers on how long your PC components will last. We have no way of determining that.

PC parts last as long as how the PC user uses them. So if a PC user is abusing the PC by overclocking, downloading and installing unfamiliar software or doing windows configuration that they may not be fully understanding, things like this over time can deteriorate a pc and its parts.

How long did your current pc last? Just curious.

Question #4: PC building tips. Hmmm, definitely watch some "How To Build a PC" videos on You tube. Below I've including a link on your wiring. Your motherboard should come with instructions with a layout, but that may be a little confusing if you have never built a pc from scratch.

No worries you can always google what certain ports are labeled as, what they are for, and what should go into its port.

And of course you can always post a question here, or send us a chat or text on help with your build.

Good luck

Link:

https://forums.tomshardware.com/faq/no-post-system-wont-boot-and-no-video-output-troubleshooting-checklist.1575220/

myLord95

First of all, thank you so much for the response, I value your knowledge.

Right now, I've got Windows 10 installed on a Crucial M4 128gb SSD. Do you think that has a better chance of working than a HDD?

You suggest a different cooler, roger that. I hated the way the one I picked looked anyway. 😀

I am planning on using my 1060 6GB with this new build. I know it can handle VR and newer titles on at least medium settings, and I'm totally cool with that for now.

This box has lasted me since 2012. I upgraded from a 660 ti to a 1060, a 1tb HDD to a 1tb Hybrid Drive (Firecuda), and I threw in two more sticks of 4GB DDR3. I overclocked my CPU from 3.4 to 3.9ghz in 2013 or 2014 and it's been going strong ever since. I also think I've turned my PC off less than 100 times since I've owned it. I know.

So from what I've gathered from your post, as long as I get the cooler you're suggesting (Cooler Master Hyper 212), and ensure that I can get an OS on my new machine, I'm off to the races.

Anything to say about the specific parts I've picked? Is there something cheaper that could accomplish the same things as these parts?

Edit: here's the new link to my parts list

https://www.microcenter.com/site/content/custom-pc-builder.aspx?load=6aaf6c79-e940-48a2-be62-81aede601bb6

TSTDavey

@myLord95 Sorry for the confusion. Yes your SSD will work, but you may still have an issue of booting to windows on the new pc with the 128gb SSD. Again steps can be taken to try a different boot modes such as Legacy or UEFI to see if the motherboard will boot the 128 SSD to windows. It may work, it may not.

You're good with the GTX 1060 as your GPU.

For the PSU extension kit, not sure what is driving for this to be part of your selection.

Is your current PSU missing some cables? What PSU do you currently have (manufacturer and model)? I can google it and see if you'll need the extension kit.

An area to look at to cut back on costs is your case fans. Looks like the NZXT H510 case should come with 2 case fans (intake & outtake). That should be efficient enough for what you have described as how you'll be using the pc build. Now if you plan to overclock, then I'd say stick with the case fans you've chosen.

Everything else you've chosen looks good. Only thing really was the cooler; overall a good selection of parts.

myLord95

Oh, I was really only putting the PSU extension kit there in case I needed extra cables. I really didn't know if I did or not, and I just wanted to be safe. I currently have a Silencer MKIII 600w power supply from PC Power & Cooling.

I definitely plan to overclock, so I suppose I will stick with the fan selection.

Thank you so much again for your replies.

TSTDavey

@myLord95 no problem, glad we could give some insight to you off the Microcenter Forum.

Good luck on the build.

Post again if need our assistance.