The components on that bike really aren't worth much even new in the box. Why not just ride the bike as is for a while, get a feel for what you like about it and what you'd want to change, save a bit of money, and then go into your upgrade or next bike purchase with some more knowledge under your belt?

As long as it's set up well, those components will shift fine and shouldn't be terribly noisy. I had a seven-speed Altus setup that worked fine for 5 years of commuting, and the friend I sold the bike to still uses it problem-free.

Oh, and, welcome to the forum, and if your main interest is in commuting you'll get more relevant answers posting in the commuting sub-forum. Cheers.