Can you tell me how to upgrade PC parts?

[grommet]

yep

Oh. Thank you. I looked online and saw that prices have gone up at least 20% since February.

 

[Varzar]

I hope you realize what you're talking about doing constitutes jumping in the deep end of the pool as far as computer hardware goes.

Going from zero experience changing out parts to wanting to swap out a CPU is a lot to learn all at once, and carries with it the risk of causing damage or buying incorrect parts. Instead of making it better, you might just make it worse.

My intent is not to discourage you from doing it. Learning new things is always good. But I want you to have a realistic idea of the learning curve you're running towards.

I would suggest you start with a RAM replacement before CPU though, replacing RAM is a relatively simple and limited risk operation.

 

[Judge]

Another major caveat to be aware of is how finicky Microsoft Windows 10 can be when it comes to making hardware changes. That the OS may literally deactivate itself, where you must conduct a tedious sequence of events with Microsoft to get your computer working again.

Hard to say exactly what or how many hardware peripherals are changed before Windows 10 turns on you.

How to reactivate Windows 10 after a hardware change | Windows Central

Yeah, as @Varzar mentioned above, your best bet is to get into this incrementally with one component at a time. Above all, make sure you are properly grounded when touching much of anything inside your computer. Otherwise even a little static charge or short circuit can destroy things. Whenever removing screws, nuts or bolts make sure you can account for them. You don't want any stray metal objects rolling around after any changes or repairs.

 

[grommet]

I hope you realize what you're talking about doing constitutes jumping in the deep end of the pool as far as computer hardware goes.

Going from zero experience changing out parts to wanting to swap out a CPU is a lot to learn all at once, and carries with it the risk of causing damage or buying incorrect parts. Instead of making it better, you might just make it worse.

My intent is not to discourage you from doing it. Learning new things is always good. But I want you to have a realistic idea of the learning curve you're running towards.

I would suggest you start with a RAM replacement before CPU though, replacing RAM is a relatively simple and limited risk operation.

Thank you so much for this advice. I do not realize what I am doing because I do not know how this kind of thing is done so you explaining to me is very helpful.

I only want things to be better, I do not want to break a working PC. I ordered 16GB of RAM. It is exactly the same as what is installed now, same brand and speed, 3000Mhz. I have been advised to install only the two new sticks instead of using the three I will then have. I am told this allows dual-channel memory which is better. Also, people on the internet are saying that they never use more than 16gb RAM when running programs.

The RAM should arrive next week and I watched a video. I think I can do it.

The other thing is getting another SATA SSD. A friend has recommended a brand. The model is 1TB and $79. I found a SATA cable on New Egg so I can install it. I want to back up my PC on that drive and have room for more games.

 

[grommet]

Another major caveat to be aware of is how finicky Microsoft Windows 10 can be when it comes to making hardware changes. That the OS may literally deactivate itself, where you must conduct a tedious sequence of events with Microsoft to get your computer working again.

Hard to say exactly what or how many hardware peripherals are changed before Windows 10 turns on you.

How to reactivate Windows 10 after a hardware change | Windows Central

Yeah, as @Varzar mentioned above, your best bet is to get into this incrementally with one component at a time. Above all, make sure you are properly grounded when touching much of anything inside your computer. Otherwise even a little static charge or short circuit can destroy things. Whenever removing screws, nuts or bolts make sure you can account for them. You don't want any stray metal objects rolling around after any changes or repairs.

Thank you. I did not know that about discharge. I have a static wrist strap I used to use when building electronics. I think I can find it.

I am feeling discouraged to try changing the CPU but maybe after a while it may be something I can do. Buying a whole new faster PC is very expensive, more than $2000. I do not see how I can do that. Everything works pretty well right now.

 

[Varzar]

Thank you so much for this advice. I do not realize what I am doing because I do not know how this kind of thing is done so you explaining to me is very helpful.

I only want things to be better, I do not want to break a working PC. I ordered 16GB of RAM. It is exactly the same as what is installed now, same brand and speed, 3000Mhz. I have been advised to install only the two new sticks instead of using the three I will then have. I am told this allows dual-channel memory which is better. Also, people on the internet are saying that they never use more than 16gb RAM when running programs.

The RAM should arrive next week and I watched a video. I think I can do it.

The other thing is getting another SATA SSD. A friend has recommended a brand. The model is 1TB and $79. I found a SATA cable on New Egg so I can install it. I want to back up my PC on that drive and have room for more games.

Replacing/adding a hard drive is probably going to be easier than even a RAM swap. Just screws to mount it in a free bay, and plugging in the data and power cables. Should be doable if you watch a couple youtube vids on that.
And ya, you normally install RAM in pairs, not single sticks.
You sound like you've got the motivation to learn, so I'm sure it'll go well!

 

[Judge]

Thank you. I did not know that about discharge. I have a static wrist strap I used to use when building electronics. I think I can find it.

I am feeling discouraged to try changing the CPU but maybe after a while it may be something I can do. Buying a whole new faster PC is very expensive, more than $2000. I do not see how I can do that. Everything works pretty well right now.

From my own perspective, the most critical piece of hardware to improve gaming performance usually lies in the video card rather than an Intel i5 six-core CPU. You might also consider going into the bios of your motherboard and overclock the CPU speed (Maximum Turbo Frequency) as long as it remains stable up to 4.3 Ghz.

Then I'd move onto increasing RAM to 16 GB, but not due to any one game per se, but rather the demands of Windows 10 and being able to have multiple web tabs open given how much of a memory hog Windows and browsers can be online. Just makes sure to have identical memory sticks relative to speed and latency. And make sure your motherboard accepts them accordingly, right down to the manufacturer.

If your motherboard in fact already has a 500GB M2 storage card, then that's as fast as it gets, so forget replacing your hard drive. Unless you want more storage space. M2 is state-of-the-art. Much faster than a SATA SSD.

At the moment I'm guessing you know that with the chip shortage, the best performing video cards are being offered at absurd prices. More intense gaming still remains more a matter of GPU than CPU with a system like yours.

 

[grommet]

From my own perspective, the most critical piece of hardware to improve gaming performance usually lies in the video card rather than an Intel i5 six-core CPU. You might also consider going into the bios of your motherboard and overclock the CPU speed (Maximum Turbo Frequency) as long as it remains stable up to 4.3 Ghz.

Then I'd move onto increasing RAM to 16 GB, but not due to any one game per se, but rather the demands of Windows 10 and being able to have multiple web tabs open given how much of a memory hog Windows and browsers can be online. Just makes sure to have identical memory sticks relative to speed and latency. And make sure your motherboard accepts them accordingly, right down to the manufacturer.

If your motherboard in fact already has a 500GB M2 storage card, then that's as fast as it gets, so forget replacing your hard drive. Unless you want more storage space. M2 is state-of-the-art. Much faster than a SATA SSD.

At the moment I'm guessing you know that with the chip shortage, the best performing video cards are being offered at absurd prices. More intense gaming still remains more a matter of GPU than CPU with a system like yours.

I do not understand this. I think from what you are saying, that I already have a good computer for gaming and if I want it to run better I should change something other than the CPU. I think I will not try to change the clock speed. I don't know anything about that and right now my computer is very stable, never had a crash. I did not know that about the 500GB M2 storage card. It sounds like they built me something very nice. I wanted more storage because the VR games I have are taking up a lot of room and also I thought I should create a back up of everything in case the SSD I have fails.

It is a dedicated VR computer. I do not go online with it. I suppose I could. I have a MacBook Pro I do everything else on. I am used to it and know what it does. Apple had to replace it a couple of months ago so it is a 2020 model with the M1 chip. That is supposed to be something good. I think they may have a newer one now but it does everything I need.

The fraud people online always seem to target Windows computers so I am nervous about going on the Internet with it. A friend here at Aspie Central gave me some great rules for being online and I think I am better protected with the Apple because it doesn't seem to get viruses if I make a mistake and I have never gotten one of the those scam phone calls saying my Apple computer needed their help. They are always lying anyway. They don't even know the people they call.

Thank you for the information. If you want to repeat it in a more broken down way, that would help me understand it. I do not know what a GPU is. I am used to hearing about CPU's. I think G is for graphics.

 

[grommet]

I just saw this at Newegg. I don't know if my PC has a slot for another M2 storage card but I did notice the price per gigabyte. I remember when it was $50 per megabyte. Wow things have changed.

 

[Varzar]

I do not understand this. I think from what you are saying, that I already have a good computer for gaming and if I want it to run better I should change something other than the CPU. I think I will not try to change the clock speed. I don't know anything about that and right now my computer is very stable, never had a crash. I did not know that about the 500GB M2 storage card. It sounds like they built me something very nice. I wanted more storage because the VR games I have are taking up a lot of room and also I thought I should create a back up of everything in case the SSD I have fails.

It is a dedicated VR computer. I do not go online with it. I suppose I could. I have a MacBook Pro I do everything else on. I am used to it and know what it does. Apple had to replace it a couple of months ago so it is a 2020 model with the M1 chip. That is supposed to be something good. I think they may have a newer one now but it does everything I need.

The fraud people online always seem to target Windows computers so I am nervous about going on the Internet with it. A friend here at Aspie Central gave me some great rules for being online and I think I am better protected with the Apple because it doesn't seem to get viruses if I make a mistake and I have never gotten one of the those scam phone calls saying my Apple computer needed their help. They are always lying anyway. They don't even know the people they call.

Thank you for the information. If you want to repeat it in a more broken down way, that would help me understand it. I do not know what a GPU is. I am used to hearing about CPU's. I think G is for graphics.

Yes, GPU is your graphics processor. Long ago computer games became to demanding for the standard CPUs to handle the load all by themselves. So, there is a card in your computer that just handles the graphics processing. @Judge is totally on point that the GPU is going to be far more important to gaming performance than the CPU.

On the SSD at newegg.. That's interesting. I actually hadn't seen one before. Those look like they just stick into a slot on the motherboard as well. So, ignore what I said about screws and cables.

I'm not sure what the best way is to do this, but also try to make sure that whatever you are buying is actually compatible with your motherboard. You'll at least need to know what the model of your motherboard is for that. It would suck to buy something that isn't going to work for you. Hopefully someone can help you better than I can with compatibility.

 

[grommet]

Yes, GPU is your graphics processor. Long ago computer games became to demanding for the standard CPUs to handle the load all by themselves. So, there is a card in your computer that just handles the graphics processing. @Judge is totally on point that the GPU is going to be far more important to gaming performance than the CPU.

On the SSD at newegg.. That's interesting. I actually hadn't seen one before. Those look like they just stick into a slot on the motherboard as well. So, ignore what I said about screws and cables.

I'm not sure what the best way is to do this, but also try to make sure that whatever you are buying is actually compatible with your motherboard. You'll at least need to know what the model of your motherboard is for that. It would suck to buy something that isn't going to work for you. Hopefully someone can help you better than I can with compatibility.

Thank you, I can understand your explanation about the GPU. I still don't know what the numbers mean on them. I mean I do not know what is higher performing or where mine is on that scale. It says I have the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660. Can you tell me what that means?

Regarding what will work on my motherboard or what kind I have, I do not know. I did not know there were different types. I have lifetime technical support for my PC though they are hard to get on the phone, but I can ask them.

The SSD from Newegg has been recommended to me so I think it would plug in and work with my system.

 

[Varzar]

The only way to really know what you're getting for a video card is to research online.. Benchmarks and performance tests are carried out by lots of places on the internet for a whole pile of GPUs.
Here for example: Best Graphics Cards - July 2021

For motherboard. You've got that on page 1 here. In the second image you posted of your system information it lists Baseboard Manufacturer, Baseboard Model, Baseboard Version.
As for finding out what parts will be compatible with that, Google is going to probably be your best bet. Perhaps the manual for the motherboard too if you have it or can find it online.

 

[grommet]

I installed new new RAM sticks. I have 16GB now. I was careful. I used an anti-static discharge wristband and I installed CPU-Z to see if they are running in dual-channel and they are.

They are running at 3792 MHz. I wonder if I will notice a difference with VR gaming.

 

[Varzar]

I've never actually used any anti-static discharge things when doing any of my own computer stuff. I just try to touch something that's electrically grounded before I start and call it good enough. I've never done any damage doing that. But, I suppose there is always the risk. One of those things where you have to decide yourself the level of risk you're comfortable with.

Also, congrats on your first successful hardware upgrade!

 

[grommet]

I've never actually used any anti-static discharge things when doing any of my own computer stuff. I just try to touch something that's electrically grounded before I start and call it good enough. I've never done any damage doing that. But, I suppose there is always the risk. One of those things where you have to decide yourself the level of risk you're comfortable with.

Also, congrats on your first successful hardware upgrade!

Thank you. I was very proud.

I had gotten the wrist band years ago for breadboarding but I never used it. I was glad to finally use it for something. In the videos I watched no one seemed worried about static discharge but some people online did mention it could cause damage. Because this it totally new to me I wanted to be cautious.

My new SSD arrives next week. I will need to learn how to create a System Restore Point and how to back up my PC on the new drive. Pretty nervous about that but I will learn as much as I can before I do it, like I did with the RAM sticks. There are games that keep saying they recommend and i7 so that is still on my mind too.

 

[Judge]

There are games that keep saying they recommend and i7 so that is still on my mind too.

Just an educated guess here:

The one thing that may be of significance as far as upgrading your CPU to an i7 may be that VR Gaming might involve an element of multi-threading. One particular feature that lacks with the i5 CPU as opposed to an i7 CPU. Something to my knowledge that isn't an issue when it comes to more conventional games.

Came across one comment online that may validate this question:

https://www.reddit.com/r/oculus/comments/8xul4f/more_cpu_threads_worth_it_for_vr/

 

[Varzar]

Just an educated guess here:

The one thing that may be of significance as far as upgrading your CPU to an i7 may be that VR Gaming might involve an element of multi-threading. One particular feature that lacks with the i5 CPU as opposed to an i7 CPU. Something to my knowledge that isn't an issue when it comes to more conventional games.

Came across one comment online that may validate this question:

https://www.reddit.com/r/oculus/comments/8xul4f/more_cpu_threads_worth_it_for_vr/

Just to add to that,
Physics in games also uses a lot of CPU. So the more intense the physics (e.g. Kerbal Space Program), the more it depends on a fast CPU. But if it's mostly flashy graphics, GPU is more important.

 

[Judge]

Just to add to that,
Physics in games also uses a lot of CPU. So the more intense the physics (e.g. Kerbal Space Program), the more it depends on a fast CPU. But if it's mostly flashy graphics, GPU is more important.

I've just heard countless comments over the years citing an i5 CPU (Overclocked) and 8 GB of RAM as generally being "sufficient" for decent game play. That it's the GPU that can make or break the equation in most cases. Of course it all remains subjective given how close or how far apart one is from being able to optimally utilize the greatest speed and detail.

Though when it comes to VR games, I don't have a clue. Seems to involve a greater need for optimal hardware than more conventional gaming. Though in the case of the OP, he might consider overclocking his CPU. It won't increase his multi-threading capabilities but it still may enhance game performance somewhat.

 

[Varzar]

I've just heard countless comments over the years citing an i5 CPU (Overclocked) and 8 GB of RAM as generally being "sufficient" for decent game play. That it's the GPU that can make or break the equation in most cases. Of course it all remains subjective given how close or how far apart one is from being able to optimally utilize the greatest speed and detail.

Though when it comes to VR games, I don't have a clue. Seems to involve a greater need for optimal hardware than more conventional gaming. Though in the case of the OP, he might consider overclocking his CPU. It won't increase his multi-threading capabilities but it still may enhance game performance somewhat.

Yeah, VR does seem to require pretty good hardware. Even so, a lot of it feels a bit like "early access" to me.
My wife loves Beatsaber though. lol.
I have yet to find a game in VR that I think really makes VR hugely worthwhile over just playing on a PC... Maybe that'll be Alyx: Half Life, but I have yet to try that one.

 

[Judge]

I just have a certain prejudice about upgrading hardware just to play a game. Something I acquired while actually working for one of the software entertainment firms in Silicon Valley back around the turn of the century. Where I learned firsthand that all the effort (and pandering) is for the shareholders- not the customers. With game developers pushing the edge of the envelope in terms of hardware requirements in a manner that at times reflected outright collusion with manufacturers.

Soured me on computer games, leaving me in a timewarp. I have my games, but all confined to an earlier era (circa 2004) with a Windows XP legacy system completely offline. All with no-cd patches. Something also acquired in an earlier era when you could download patches without the fear of malware.