A friend is gifting me his old RTX 2080, and I'm considering whether to upgrade my entire setup or just slip it into my current rig, which is pretty outdated (Z97 motherboard, i7-4790K, and an R9 390). I was thinking of going all out with a new build, especially since I found some nice deals on components right now. Is it worth it to invest in a new setup specifically for this GPU, or would my current CPU be good enough at 1440p gaming? I don't game seriously, mostly play some League and CS2, so I'm not aiming for ultra settings and want to keep my budget around $800 if possible. I would love some feedback on my current build choices and whether there's anything I should change, particularly about the CPU cooler, as I'm unsure if I picked a good one or not.
2 Answers
Have you thought about just trying the 2080 with your current i7-4790K first? At 1440p, it might actually handle things pretty well! You could always upgrade later if it's not cutting it.
Honestly, this build is a bit overkill for the 2080. You could really save some cash with a cheaper power supply like the APEVIA Prestige for half the price or go for a decent case like the Okinos Cypress for around $50. If you're aiming for a high-end chip, the AMD Ryzen 5 5800X3D would be a much better fit, especially if you're focusing on gaming performance.
I thought about the 5800 but the 7600 is part of a bundle at Microcenter that I can’t pass up. I might upgrade the GPU later, and I want to keep the 2080 without selling it. I’ll definitely check out those cheaper options for the PSU and case!
Honestly, you should consider selling the 2080 for at least $200 and use that money to buy a better GPU instead. The CPU is important, but the GPU will affect your gaming experience way more!
Not yet! My friend is out of town but is dropping it off in a week or two. It makes sense to test it first, but I’m concerned about the age of the tech. I'll give it a shot and see how it goes!