One of the best things about being a PC user is how easy it is to upgrade modern machines, especially if you build one from scratch. There are dozens of options for just about every part that goes into making a PC work smoothly, and the most dedicated of hobbyists have a list of parts they dream of installing someday.
If you are looking to upgrade your PC, you might have your sights set on a NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 for those blazing-fast graphics or one of the new Ryzen 9 processors to power everything. While those items are pretty straightforward in terms of performance-to-dollar, not every part you can pick up will provide a noticeable benefit. Some component upgrades might seem like a good idea on the surface but simply aren’t worth the money. The last thing anyone wants is to spend a lot of money for a minimal boost in performance, especially when you can save some cash to spend elsewhere on a more noticeable and impactful upgrade.
PCIe Gen 5 SSDs
With Microsoft’s glass data storage Project Silica still in the works, PCIe 5.0 SSDs are the current top of the line when it comes to data storage. You might then expect it would be a good idea to purchase a Gen 5 SSD for an easy PC upgrade, and at present Gen 5 SSDs promise big benefits at an even bigger cost. And because this is bleeding-edge technology, your current motherboard may not even support the newer standard.
While Gen 5 is faster on paper over Gen 4 SSDs, most users are going to have a hard time noticing the boost in speeds. If you’re going to be doing a lot of copying and transferring of folders packed with gigs of video or game files, then you might notice the improvements in a Gen 5 SSD. If you won’t be doing a lot of this, a Gen 5 SSD upgrade won’t feel like it’s worth the money. Plus, some users report that they get extremely hot, requiring optimized airflow.
Considering that a 2TB Gen 5 SSD will cost you as much as $250, where a more common 2TB Gen 4 SSD runs roughly around $120 at any given time, the cost savings are immense. Paying hundreds for a speed increase most won’t notice doesn’t make sense, especially when you can put the money you’ll save toward a larger Gen 4 SSD instead.
Powerful power supplies
We are living in an age of ever more power-hungry components, and since there are few general rules for choosing a power supply (aside from never buying one used), it can be a little confusing what to look for in a PSU. The only thing that has stood the test of time is making sure you choose a PSU from a reputable manufacturer, lest you risk failure or even fire.
You might then think that choosing a fancy 1800W PSU in order to provide the most possible power to your system might be a good idea, but this isn’t generally the case. Most high-end gaming systems do require a fair bit of power to get the most out of that multicore CPU and massive graphics card, but not as much as you might expect.
The sweet spot for a PSU in the modern era is 750W, generally pushing higher if you plan on doing any sort of GPU overclocking. The RTX 5090 is the current king of power-hungry graphics cards, with NVIDIA recommending a 1000W PSU for most systems it’s installed in. That 1600W PSU is simply overkill at over $700, especially when a good 1200W PSU can be picked up starting at around $200. If you’re not sure how strong a power supply you actually need, go to PCPartPicker and be sure to give yourself a little headroom. If it tells you that you need 750W, consider buying between 850 and 1000W.
Super fast DDR 5 RAM
People generally believe that high-end products are the best possible products. While this can be the case in many instances, it’s not so when it comes to RAM. While high-end DDR 5 RAM kits offer incredible speeds, this won’t always transfer clearly to something like gaming.
Another thing to be aware of is the limitations of your motherboard. The pairing of your CPU and motherboard will be the deciding factor for the speed your RAM will be able to run at. You might find yourself in a situation where your combo will only support a speed of 6,000 MT/s, so buying anything faster will simply be throwing power away.
At present, 6,000 MT/s RAM is the most solid choice for a DDR 5 upgrade path, with any premium RAM beyond that providing only minor benefits. Unless you have a specific need for faster RAM, there isn’t much to gain from choosing 8,000 MT/s-rated RAM. Most tests only show a 3.5% performance boost in gaming with 8,000 MT/s over 6,000 MT/s, so just stick to 6,000 MT/s and save money for elsewhere in your upgrade.
A lateral CPU upgrade
There will be times when your upgrade path may be limited by your motherboard. This means that while you can purchase a new CPU, such an upgrade may leave a lot to be desired if that CPU is only a minor step up. This can be clearly seen when looking at the AMD Ryzen 5 7600X and the Ryzen 5 9600X.
On paper, the Ryzen 5 9600X looks like a better choice. It’s built on Zen 5 architecture, providing for a higher memory bandwidth. But in real-world testing, the benefits of the CPU’s more modern architecture fall short compared to the older Zen 4 Ryzen 7600X, offering only a roughly 3 or 4% improvement in 1080p gaming. On major games like “Elden Ring” or “The Last of Us,” that only translates to a few frames’ difference between the two CPUs. This slight advantage decreases if you plan on gaming in higher resolution, like 1440p.
The price advantage of a Ryzen 5 7600X upgrade makes it a better choice, especially when the savings can be shifted to upgrading to a higher-capacity SSD or a more powerful graphics card. Many users will see no noticeable benefit to upgrading to a Ryzen 5 9600X over a Ryzen 5 7600X, especially if they already own a Ryzen 5 7600X and are looking for a big step up in CPU power.
