You want to upgrade your gaming PC or build a PC? We introduce you to 7 upgrades that you shouldn’t buy.
If you are thinking about upgrading your PC or building a new gaming PC, you have different considerations:
Especially when it comes to money, many people think about where they can save the most money. MeinMMO introduces you to a handful of upgrades that you should not buy or that are not suitable for saving. It is often worth investing a few euros more.
Dual-core processors (CPUs with 2 cores)
For dual-core processors such as the AMD Athlon 3000G, you often only pay a fraction of the price of a new CPU, but you should still keep your hands off such offers. The performance is well below modern 4-cores and many modern games no longer support the outdated 2-cores because instruction set extensions may be missing. In the most annoying case, the game doesn’t start and you can’t install such things with a patch.
You can officially install Windows 11 on a 2-core system, but the weak performance should hardly be worth it. Even modern entry-level processors such as the i3 CPUs from Intel or the Ryzen 3 CPUs from AMD offer you better performance than such dual-core processors and you can also get them for around 100 euros. Also check the Windows 11 system requirements if you want to buy a new processor.
Which processor should you buy? With a modern mid-range processor such as the Intel i5-12400F or the AMD Ryzen 5 3600 (both around 160 euros), you can do absolutely nothing wrong in contrast to the 2 cores, since you get modern 6 cores here, which are also brand new support features.
Upgrade older hardware with old hardware
It is rarely worth replacing outdated processors with similarly outdated models. You can no longer use the old DDR3 RAM on modern mainboards. It’s never worth buying a top-of-the-line CPU that’s ten years old, as modern processors simply offer better performance and greater efficiency, or come with features like instruction set extensions.
With the AMD FX 8350 you currently get an 8-core processor for less than 80 euros. But it only works on old mainboards with an AM3+ chipset and DDR3 memory. If you want to switch to a Ryzen 5000 later, you have to buy a new motherboard (AM4) and DDR4 memory. It is therefore better to buy a modern CPU with the latest chipset directly.
Older mainboards also lack many modern features that you cannot retrofit, such as PCIe-4.0. Technically you are moving into a dead end here, from which you cannot get out – unless you rely on modern hardware.
So if you want to upgrade an old system, it’s always worth investing in new hardware instead of buying outdated hardware again. Or you buy a new system and install the old system hard drive in the new PC.
Current mainboards and processors (as of June 2022); * Ryzen 7000 and AM5 will officially be released in late 2022.
Single channel memory
When building or upgrading your PC, you always have the option to choose between one memory stick or a combination of two sticks.
Since almost every modern processor now has a dual-channel memory controller, we would always recommend you to use two bars. Otherwise the storage speed will be halved. This does not always have to limit your system, but it can definitely be a factor.
In contrast to single-channel mode, in which the data bus is 64 bits wide (64 data lines), in dual-channel mode two modules are operated simultaneously, each with a 64-bit data bus. This means a significantly better performance, which can also be proven in benchmarks.
The current recommendation or minimum for a gaming system is 2 RAM bars in dual-channel mode with a total of 16 GB. If you want to plan for the future, you should rather buy 32 GB if you find a good offer.
Poorly equipped motherboards
Basically, it sounds tempting to buy a motherboard for little money. But you should think twice about investing more, because a very cheap mainboard can quickly limit you:
It is therefore better to buy a good mainboard with a decent range of functions and enough space for future upgrades. Otherwise it looks rather bad with possible investments or you have to exchange the mainboard with the next upgrade. And if you want to swap the mainboard, you have to disassemble all the components from the computer, which can be time-consuming.
Housing that I get on your nerves
If you want to save money, you often save on the housing. An idea that can quickly backfire. The supposedly cheap housing offers several disadvantages that you should not underestimate:
Hence the recommendation: take your time when choosing the case and spend a few more euros. Pay attention to good cable management, plenty of space and options for additional fans or dust filters. Otherwise you will be annoyed at the latest when you install the device because there is not enough space, the poor workmanship or bloody fingers.
That’s why you shouldn’t overlook the case when building a PC
Inexpensive power supplies that promise a lot of performance
Spending less than 30 euros for a power supply unit sounds like a bargain at first. But you should be careful here. Because some cheap manufacturers like to cheat here and give top values here that the power supply unit would normally never achieve. The manufacturer then promises you 450 watts, but a maximum of 300 watts is then reached under load
The promised maximum performance is not a permanent performance, but a possible maximum performance, which is only rarely achieved. If you buy a cheap power supply with a maximum output of 650 watts, you have to reckon with the fact that it might achieve a continuous output of 450 watts.
With a cheap, no-name power supply, there is also a risk that the protective mechanisms are implemented only laxly. In most cases, savings are made on protective circuits in the cheap range and only an internal fuse, for example a fuse, is installed.
In addition, there is poor efficiency and power that is distributed very unevenly over the cables.
You should also note: If the power supply blows up in your ears because you bought the cheapest model, then there is a possibility that other components such as the graphics card or processor will also break.
Tips you should know before assembling a PC
Buy the wrong graphics card
You can spend hundreds of dollars on a graphics card. It is often the most expensive component in the computer. But there are also some cheaper alternatives. But the cheapest graphics card is not necessarily the best option for a cheap system.
As an example: For AMD’s Radeon RX 6500 XT you currently pay less than 200 euros. However, the graphics card only offers you four PCIe lanes instead of eight. This means that your maximum performance is limited. In particular, the 4 GB of video memory is no longer up-to-date.
For example, Computerbase writes in the conclusion on the RX 6500 XT that the limited memory and the tight lanes cause a severe loss of performance (via computerbase.de). In addition, the graphics card lacks functions such as H.264 and H.265 encoding or AV1 decoding. Tasks that your CPU then has to take over.
However, if you invest 100 euros more, you will already get a GeForce RTX 3050 or even a Radeon RX 6600. In contrast to the RX 6500 XT, these offer all the important features and have no limited memory bandwidth.
In addition, always think about what you really want to do with your computer. If you only play games with a retro look anyway or every now and then strategy games that are several years old, then you don’t need an RTX 3090 Ti, for which you have to spend 2000 euros.
This is what you should definitely know about the next generation of graphics cards before you buy a new one now