My 2013 build with 2020 bottleneck challenge: I need your help!

[KraFT]

Hello everyone.

Over the years I've relied on this forum for great information from the vast pool of knowledge here.


My 2013 >Micro-ATX< build at Micro-ATX Aerocool DS Cube (265x411x381mm) case:

0. 750W PSU ENERMAX REVOLUTION 87+
https://www.enermax.com/en/products/revolution-d.f.-750w

1. Intel® Core™ i7-4770K Processor (8M Cache, up to 3.90 GHz)
https://intel.ly/3A22dS1

2. ASUS Maximus VI Gene Gaming MB
https://bit.ly/3tpYrkb


3. 16GB (2x8GB) Corsair Vengeance Pro DDR3 DRAM 1866MHz C9 Memory Kit CMY16GX3M2A1866C9R
https://bit.ly/3KaATpA

4. ASUS GeForce GTX770-DC2OC-2GD5
https://bit.ly/3quXRjw


5. Samsung SSD 840 Pro Series 256GB+512GB
Seq Read Speed Up to 540MB/s Sequential Write Speed Up to 520MB/s


6. Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo
7. Pioneer BDR-208EBK


I originally built this >Micro< ATX "cat" back in 2013 and for almost 10 years she handled everything (gaming) with ease.

2021tipping point and first bottleneck challenge: "Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020".

The GTX 770 is a pretty decent graphics card, but sadly its Achilles Heel is the 2GB of VRAM. That just will not cut it with FS2020. The problem with FS2020 (and what makes it so awesome) is that all terrain data is unique. All the buildings you see in the game actually exist in real life. So no two are exactly the same. Trees, water and grass are generic and rendered to approximate the real thing, but the uniqueness means that fewer texture files can be re-used over and over again as is the case in video games.


I don't know if I've reached the limits so before I start thinking about new rig, will you please be so kind to suggest the best directions to upgrade my build?
I would gladly take your suggestions for GPU and maybe add something at M2 (M-Key 2242, PCI-E 2.0 x1, SATA3) slot.

So, my questions:
1. How would you upgrade to maximize the performance, having in mind FS2020?
2. How would you upgrade to maximize the performance, overall?


Upgradable parts:
a. GPU (clearance for 320mm or 350mm if I remove the front fan.)
https://aerocool.io/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/DS-CUBE-EOL-min.pdf

b. Monitor DEll U2412M 1920 x 1200 at 60 Hz
https://www.dell.com/en-is/work/shop/cty/pdp/spd/dell-u2412m

c. M.2?
Budget is not an issue as long as there there is significant improvement.
Possible shopping site: https://www.computeruniverse.net/en
Thank You!





Thank You!

2013 vs 2022 🙂

[xeromist]

As I'm sure you're aware, the graphics card situation is a bit grim. It's not just about budget but also availability. If you don't care about the budget that gives you some options because you can always over-pay but certain models are just hard to find at all. But yes, I would upgrade the GPU first.

Regarding the GPU, maybe something mid-range and not more than a generation or two old? Basically anything would be an upgrade from what you have but I would plan on something you would be happy to keep for a few years, even if you replace other hardware. Ask yourself, if you buy a GPU to match your older system then decide to upgrade your motherboard and CPU next year will you still be happy with that GPU or will you feel like you need to upgrade it again? If it were me I'd get something at least RTX2070 level. Your CPU might bottleneck it in some games but you won't feel like you need to replace it if you get a newer CPU.

The other parts could probably use an upgrade as well, but it's not as dire. You could probably overclock the CPU a bit if you didn't want to replace it immediately. Any SSD should be sufficiently fast so I don't think you need to replace those unless you need more storage.

Something to keep in mind about your monitor is 1080p is easy to render. If you buy something new at 1440p or 4k then that will be more taxing on your hardware. You might want to do your PC upgrades first and see where that leaves your performance rather than getting a high res, high refresh display and then having to chase it with hardware upgrades.

[KraFT]

xeromist wrote:
Ask yourself, if you buy a GPU to match your older system then decide to upgrade your motherboard and CPU next year will you still be happy with that GPU or will you feel like you need to upgrade it again?

Thank you for your reply.

I don`t plan to upgrade my MB or CPU in the near future. Yes, I will create a new build, from scratch. For the time being I want to maximize the performance of my current build within reasonable (300-400eur) budget and my first problem is to identify the best GPU for my MB and CPU. GPU that will deliver best performance boost.

Your advice is highly appreciated.
Thank You!

[xeromist]

You mentioned budget wasn't an issue. I guess you meant only for the SSD? Unfortunately 400euro is not a lot to work with in the current GPU market. I think GTX1080/Ti/RTX2070 would be a nice upgrade but they are all pretty expensive right now. I would keep an eye on whatever local classifieds listings you have where you live. Ebay is super competitive right now but sometimes if you find a local seller they will not be as greedy and will accept less for a cash transaction.