I’m not very tech savvy so please bear with me.

I bought a premade in 2018 and I’ve only updated the graphics card and ram since then. I’m using a 55" Samsung TV as a monitor. It’s really starting to get sluggish/finicky. Gaming example: it can run BGate3 on medium but starts having issues any higher.

  • Processor: Intel Core i3-8100 Coffee Lake CPU, 4 Cores, 3.6GHz
  • Graphics Card NIVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 8gb
  • CPU Cooler: Intel Stock CPU Cooler
  • Motherboard: ASUS Z370-P Motherboard
  • Memory: 8GB DDR4 2400MHz Memory (2 x 4GB Sticks) + Crucial Ballistix BL2K8G36C16U4B 3600 MHz, DDR4, DRAM, Desktop Gaming Memory Kit, 16GB (8GB x2), CL16, Black
  • Hard Drive: Seagate 2TB Firecuda Hybrid Hard Disk

EDIT for more info

It’s hooked up to my TV because I use it for everything from simple browsing, YouTube, streaming TV/movies, to gaming. For games the most taxing is something like BG3, but I can’t think of anything else in terms of taxing programmes.

I don’t think I’d have a use for it if I kept it. Even if I kept the hard drive I’d have to research How and What To Save To Which Drive On Your PC, but if that’s what y’all recommend then I can.

I’m not against investing a few grand if it’s the right money spent at the right time, if that makes sense? My worry about changing individual parts is the standard worries about installation and compatibility, but if it’s too soon to be changing the whole rig then I can get over that

  • AwkwardLookMonkeyPuppetEnglish
    10•3 months ago

    Edit: didn’t think to mention it because it’s so obvious to me, but you said you’re new, so I’ll mention it. Before you do anything below, make sure your heatsinks on your CPU and GPU aren’t clogged with dust. Blow the case and fans out with compressed air if needed. Once that’s done then proceed with my original reply below.

    First off, pull the 8GB DDR4 2400MHz Memory because it’s slowing your faster RAM down. All of the RAM in a system will run at the rate of the slowest stick. You’ll be better off with 16GB 3600 than 24GB 2400.

    A better GFX card will make a huge difference. Your CPU will be a bottleneck, but still, upgrading the GFX card will make a difference. For that matter, see if you can get an i5 or i7 for your generation socket on the cheap. Don’t spend a lot of money on a CPU though, because you won’t be able to move it to a new computer because of the socket.

    Some people have recommended an SSD. That’s a good idea, but if you have an extra PCIe port then I’d recommend an NVMe drive with the PCIe adaptor. It still won’t be as fast as a native NVMe, but it’s around 3-4x faster than a SATA SSD.

    If your TV has gaming mode, make sure you use it. It turns off a lot of the upscaling and processing that TVs do, and optimizes it for refresh rate and response time. That alone will make your computer feel more responsive.

    Order of priorities:

    1. Pull RAM

    2. TV gaming mode

    3. NVMe drive

    4. Better GPU with the idea that you’ll move it into your next computer when you rebuild.

    5. Cheap i5 or better

    4 and 5 are interchangeable. It’s hard to say which you should do first. I’d lean towards a GFX card if you’re rebuilding in the next year, or the CPU if you’re not.

    Edit 2: if you threw that 1070 into a cheap pre-built, I’ll bet you $5 the PSU isn’t outputting enough power. If the 1070 came with the computer then it’s probably fine, but I can’t imagine a company was selling a 1070 with an i3, and if they were, avoid their computers from now on. Use a PC power requirement calculator online, and figure out if you have enough power for the parts you currently have. A system without enough power will run like shit, regardless of how good the components are.

    • KnitwearOPEnglish
      6•3 months ago

      Thanks for checking on the basics. I do have and use compressed air but I literally had no idea that my TV had a gaming mode, which I’ve just discovered it does

      The RAM I bought was recommended by a friend but perhaps they didn’t know they had to match idk.

      I appreciate the order of priorities, that helps a lot

      • AwkwardLookMonkeyPuppetEnglish
        3•3 months ago

        It doesn’t have to match, but it’ll all run at the rate of the slowest stick. I just added a note about your PSU too, so check the bottom of my comment if you didn’t see it already.