Upgrade 8+ year old gaming desktop

John1660
John1660 ✭✭
First Anniversary Name Dropper First Comment
in Help Choosing Parts

Hello all,

My budget is around $500-750 to upgrade the gaming desktop that I had built 8+ years ago; currently playing Insurgency Sandstorm, Star wars battlefront II, Hitman 4 and looking to play Six Days in Fallujah. Able to run these games with some minor issues such as slow performance and lag on most maps while gaming online but graphic demanding maps are mostly unplayable. I was going to start with a new WiFi Network adapter then upgrading/adding RAM but decided to take a look at everything before I make a move.

I've listed my current build/components below; unfortunately I'm unable to find most of my components for the "Custom PC Builder".

Recommendations and advice is much appreciated. Thank you all in advance!


CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz

Motherboard: ASRock Z97 Pro4

RAM: Crucial Ballistix Sport 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3 1600

GPU: NVIDIA GeFORCE GTX 960

Case: Don't have details on the case at the moment.

Storage: Samsung SSD 850 EVO 250GB

PSU: EVGA SuperNOVA NEX750B 750W

Monitors: ACER 32" ED320QR S 1920 x 1080

Cooling: Cooler Master - don't have cooling specs at the moment.

Operating System: Windows 10 64-Bit

Wireless Network Adapter: ASUS Dual-Band USB Adapter (Model: USB-N53)

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Comments

  • Aodhan_Gorman
    Aodhan_Gorman ✭✭✭
    Second Anniversary 10 Comments 5 Insightfuls Name Dropper

    I believe a full rebuild would make the most sense at this point. A GPU upgrade will be bottlenecked by your CPU, and you will not be able to upgrade that without a new motherboard and RAM considering the age of your hardware.

    Your SSD, case, power supply, and monitor can probably be carried over, but I know some people will argue to start fresh and keep this system around as a backup.

    If you are going to upgrade the 4 biggest components in your system, we have a whole host of bundles from both AMD and Intel right now for motherboards, processors, and RAM. You shouldn't need over a RTX 3060 or similarly performing video card for your games at the resolution and framerate of your monitor.

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  • John1660
    John1660 ✭✭
    First Anniversary Name Dropper First Comment

    Thank you @Aodhan_Gorman! Keeping my budget of $500-$750 in mind, I would like to re-use my current SSD, case, power supply and monitor if possible with one of the AMD or Intel bundles you had mentioned; can I find these bundles online or instore?

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  • Aodhan_Gorman
    Aodhan_Gorman ✭✭✭
    Second Anniversary 10 Comments 5 Insightfuls Name Dropper
    https://community.microcenter.com/discussion/comment/50766#Comment_50766

    I would suggest heading into the store to talk about that directly with one of the Build Your Own associates because they will know of the most up to date deals, specials, and availability when it comes to products in stock at your closest store. But a great place to start some list is our PC builder and I've also attached a quick list of some components below.

    https://www.microcenter.com/site/content/custom-pc-builder-amd.aspx?load=3b45943e-d77b-445f-917d-c25ddb8042bb (Be aware that the special bundles do not show up on the PC builder, so there is about $150 is savings from the processor, ram, and motherboard currently)


    The AMD and Intel bundles are available to see at both the website and instore as well!

    Intel: Amazing Bundle Deals | Micro Center

    AMD: Amazing Bundle Deals | Micro Center

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  • magarity
    magarity ✭✭✭✭
    500 Comments Third Anniversary 25 Answers 25 Up Votes

    It would be reasonable to ask for around $175-$200 for your existing computer which you could add to your budget. However, the old system stripped of ssd. case, power supply would be almost worthless as parts.

    The combo deal with a R5 5600X plus motherboard for 199 leaves a lot of budget for other parts. A Samsung 980 1TB m.2 type SSD is on special for only 59.99, which makes keeping the old SATA SSD look like a bad idea. m.2 is so much faster.

    750W power supplies are around $100. A case is anywhere from $60 up.

    A 6650XT graphics card is as low as 229 right now, which is the best value/performance level.

    So the above is within your limit, whether you take parts from the old or sell the old completely. Stop by the BYOPC counter at your local store and narrow down the exact models. I really think you should look at craigslist in your area for PC prices to see what you can get for your existing system.

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  • John1660
    John1660 ✭✭
    First Anniversary Name Dropper First Comment
    edited July 2023

    Thank you @Aodhan_Gorman! I will take a look at the list you had created in the PC Builder and bundles online and head in store to work with a Build Your Own associate!

    Thank you @magarity for the advice! I will see if I can add to my budget and start building!

    I appreciate all the help!

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