Hey Bartender — Your Quick PC Upgrade Guide

Goal: keep your existing DDR4 RAM, pick a solid mid-range motherboard + CPU, and install it yourself (it’s latch-and-lock, no soldering).

DDR4 Memory — Best Practice

If the board has 4 DDR4 slots, you can physically run 16 GB + 8 GB + 16 GB + 8 GB and it will work. But for best performance, match each channel’s total capacity so the system runs full dual-channel.

Ideal: 16 GB + 16 GB on Channel A, and 16 GB + 16 GB on Channel B (total 64 GB), or simply 2×16 GB (32 GB) in the recommended A2/B2 slots.
Okay: 16 GB + 8 GB on Channel A, and 16 GB + 8 GB on Channel B (total 48 GB). Works fine if that’s what you own now.
Tip: Mixed speeds will downclock to the slowest stick. Try to keep the same DDR4 speed (e.g., 3200 MT/s).

Slot labeling example: A1, A2, B1, B2. For two sticks, most boards prefer A2 + B2 (check the manual silkscreen near the slots).

CPU Installation — No Soldering

Open the socket lever/latch.
Align the CPU’s tiny gold triangle with the triangle on the socket.
Gently set the CPU into place (no force), then lock the latch.
Apply pea-sized thermal paste (skip if pre-applied on the cooler).
Mount the cooler and plug in its fan header (usually “CPU_FAN”).
Install DDR4 sticks, connect power, storage, GPU, and front-panel leads.

That’s it. It’s plug-and-play mechanics, not soldering.

Mid-Range Pick #1 — AMD Value Combo (DDR4)

Motherboard: MSI B550-A PRO (AM4, DDR4)

Stable, full-size ATX board with 4× DDR4, PCIe 4.0 (with Ryzen 5000), dual M.2, and plenty of USB.

MSI product page | Retailers: Newegg

Sources: MSI product page; Newegg listing. :contentReference[oaicite:0]{index=0}

MSI B550-A PRO motherboard image — MSI B550-A PRO (image via Newegg)

CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 5600X (6-Core)

Great bang-for-buck. Works with AM4 + DDR4, excellent for gaming and everyday use. Box cooler often included.

AMD product page | Retailer: Amazon

Sources: AMD product page; Amazon listing. :contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1}

AMD Ryzen 5 5600X retail box — Ryzen 5 5600X (image via Amazon)

Mid-Range Pick #2 — Intel Modern Combo (DDR4)

Motherboard: Gigabyte B760M DS3H AX (DDR4, LGA1700, Wi-Fi)

Micro-ATX with 4× DDR4, Wi-Fi, 2× M.2 (PCIe 4.0), USB-C, and support for Intel 12th–14th Gen CPUs.

Gigabyte product page | Retailers: Newegg

Sources: Gigabyte key features page; Newegg listing. :contentReference[oaicite:2]{index=2}

Gigabyte B760M DS3H AX DDR4 motherboard — Gigabyte B760M DS3H AX DDR4 (image via Newegg)

CPU Options (LGA1700, DDR4 compatible)

Intel Core i5-12400 — includes integrated graphics (no GPU required to boot). Intel page · Amazon
Intel Core i5-12400F — same CPU but no integrated graphics (needs a GPU). Intel page · Amazon

Sources: Intel product pages; Amazon listings. :contentReference[oaicite:3]{index=3}

Intel Core i5-12400 retail box — Intel Core i5-12400 (image via Amazon)

Which One Should You Choose?

Already have a graphics card? Either combo is great. AMD 5600X + B550-A PRO is the high-value classic.
No graphics card yet? Choose the Intel i5-12400 (non-F) so you can boot with the built-in graphics, paired with the Gigabyte B760M DS3H AX DDR4.
RAM plan: If you own 2×16 GB + 2×8 GB now, run 16+8 on each channel (48 GB). When budget allows, swap the 8s for 16s.

Image note: Some vendors block hotlinking. If any image fails to load, right-click the product photo on the retailer page, save it to your site’s /images/ folder, then update the src to your local path (e.g., /images/b550a-pro.jpg).

Quick Slot Reminder

Most boards label the preferred 2-stick install as A2 + B2. If using four sticks (e.g., 16/8/16/8), split them evenly so each channel totals the same capacity.

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