You want to upgrade your gaming PC or build a PC? We present to you 7 upgrades you should not buy.
If you are considering upgrading your PC or building a new gaming PC, you have several considerations:
- What do I want to do with it?
- How fast should my gaming PC be?
- How much money do I want to spend on upgrades or the PC?
Especially when it comes to money, many think about where they can save the most. MeinMMO introduces a handful of upgrades that you should not buy or that are not suitable for saving. Often, it is worth investing a few more euros.
Dual-Core Processors (CPUs with 2 cores)
For dual-core processors like the AMD Athlon 3000G, you may often pay only a fraction of the price of a new CPU, but you should still steer clear of such offers. The performance is significantly below modern 4-cores and many modern games no longer support the outdated 2-cores because command set extensions may be missing. In the worst-case scenario, the game won’t start, and you won’t be able to install such things via patch.
You can officially install Windows 11 on a 2-core processor, but the weak performance is hardly worth it. Already modern entry-level processors like Intel’s i3 CPUs or AMD’s Ryzen 3 CPUs offer you better performance than these dual-cores and are available for around 100 euros. Also, check the system requirements of Windows 11 if you want to buy a new processor.
Which processor should one buy? With a modern mid-range processor like the Intel i5-12400F or the AMD Ryzen 5 3600 (both around 160 euros), you can do absolutely nothing wrong compared to the 2-cores, as you get modern 6-cores here that also support the latest features.
Upgrading old hardware with old hardware
It is rarely worthwhile to replace old processors with similarly outdated models. You cannot use the old DDR3 RAM on modern motherboards today. It is never worth buying a ten-year-old top CPU, as modern processors simply offer better performance and higher efficiency or come with features like command set extensions.
With the AMD FX 8350, you currently get about an 8-core for less than 80 euros. However, it only works on old motherboards with AM3+ chipset along with DDR3 memory. If you later want to switch to a Ryzen 5000, you will again need to buy a new motherboard (AM4) and DDR4 memory. Therefore, it’s better to invest directly in a modern CPU with a current chipset.
Older motherboards also lack many modern features that you cannot upgrade, such as PCIe 4.0. Technically, you are moving into a dead end, from which there is no exit – unless you rely on modern hardware.
If you want to upgrade an ancient system, it’s always worth investing in new hardware rather than buying outdated hardware again. Alternatively, you can buy a new system and install the old system drive into the new PC.
| CPU Socket | Compatible Motherboards (Chipset) |
|---|---|
| Intel LGA 1700 Socket | 600 Series: Z690 |
| Intel LGA 1200 Socket | 400 (Comet Lake) and 500 Series (Rocket Lake): H410 (H510), B460 (B560), H470 (H570), Q470 (Q570), Z490 (Z590), W480 (W580) |
| AM5 (AMD Ryzen 7000 series)* | X670 Extreme, X670, B650 |
| AM4 (AMD Ryzen 1000-5000 series) | A320 (A420), B450 (B550), X470(X570) |
Single-Channel Memory
When building a PC or upgrading, you always have the option of choosing between a single memory stick or a combination of two sticks.
Since pretty much every modern processor now has a dual-channel memory controller, we always recommend going for two sticks. Otherwise, the memory speed is effectively halved. This may not always limit your system, but it can certainly be a factor.
In contrast to single-channel mode, where the data bus is 64 bits wide (64 data lines), in dual-channel mode, two modules are operated simultaneously with a 64-bit data bus each. This means significantly better performance, which can also be demonstrated in benchmarks.
The current recommendation or minimum for a gaming system is 2 memory sticks 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
In principle, it sounds tempting to buy a motherboard for little money. However, you should think twice about whether you really want to invest more because a very cheap motherboard can quickly limit you:
- Cheap motherboards often only offer two RAM slots. If you want to install more, you need a new motherboard.
- If the motherboard lacks heatsinks on important components (such as voltage regulators), the heat load is significantly greater. This limits you in your choice of CPU.
- Cheap motherboards almost never have PCIe 4.0, and an M.2 slot may also be missing in rare cases.
Therefore, it’s better to buy a good motherboard with a decent feature set and enough space for future upgrades right away. Otherwise, investment possibilities look rather bleak, or you will have to change the motherboard during your next upgrade. And if you want to change the motherboard, you have to disassemble all components from the PC, which can be time-consuming.
Cases that will drive you insane
If you want to save money, you often skimp on the case. An idea that can quickly backfire. The seemingly cheap cases have several disadvantages that you should not underestimate:
- Cheap cases have very thin metal. You can noticeably hear all the sounds from the case from the processor, hard drives, and more.
- Dust filters are rare or nonexistent, which protect your hardware from dirt.
- The manufacturing is often so cheap that things can quickly bend during installation, which can be very frustrating.
- A lack of cable management steals you the last fun during installation.
- The covers of the expansion slots often have to be broken out rather than unscrewed. Therefore, you cannot reinstall the covers.
- Some very cheap models also lack front USB-3 ports.
Therefore, the recommendation: Take your time when choosing a case and spend a few more euros. Look for good cable management, plenty of space, and options for additional fans or dust filters. Otherwise, you will regret it at the latest during installation over too little space, the poor construction, or bloody fingers.
Cheap power supplies that promise a lot of power
Spending less than 30 euros on a power supply may sound like a bargain at first. But you should be careful. Some cheap manufacturers like to cheat here and advertise peak values that the power supply would never normally reach. The manufacturer promises you 450 watts, but under load, it only achieves a maximum of 300 watts.
The promised peak performance is not continuous power, but a possible maximum performance that is rarely achieved. If you buy a cheap power supply with a maximum output of 650 watts, you should expect that it may only achieve a continuous power of 450 watts.
With a cheap no-name power supply, there is also the risk that the protective mechanisms are implemented poorly. In most cases, savings are made on protective circuits, and only an internal fuse, for example, a melting fuse, is installed.
Moreover, poor efficiency and an uneven distribution of power over the cables should be considered.
Additionally, you should note: If the power supply explodes because you bought the cheapest model, there is a possibility that other components like the graphics card or processor may also be damaged.
Tips you should know before assembling a PC
Buying the wrong graphics card
You can spend hundreds of euros on a graphics card. It is often the most expensive component in the computer. However, there are also some cheaper alternatives. However, the cheapest graphics card is not necessarily the best option for a budget system.
For example: You currently pay less than 200 euros for AMD’s Radeon RX 6500 XT. However, the graphics card only offers four PCIe lanes instead of eight. This means that your maximum performance is limited. Especially the 4 GB of video memory is no longer up-to-date.
For instance, Computerbase writes in its conclusion about the RX 6500 XT that the limited memory and scarce lanes cause strong performance loss (via computerbase.de). Additionally, 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 can already get a GeForce RTX 3050 or even a Radeon RX 6600. These offer all the important features compared to the RX 6500 XT and don’t have a restricted memory bandwidth.
Additionally, always consider what you really want to do with your computer. If you only play retro-style games or occasionally play strategy games that are already several years old, then you don’t need an RTX 3090 Ti that costs you 2000 euros.
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