Hey everyone! I built my PC a few years back with what was top-notch hardware at the time. Recently, I splurged on a new 77" LG OLED TV and decided to get back into gaming, but I can definitely see my PC showing its age. Here are my current specs:
- Motherboard: ASUS Rog Maximus Code X
- Processor: Intel i7 8700k
- Graphics: EVGA 1080ti
- Memory: Corsair Dominator Platinum DDR4 (8GB x 2)
I'm thinking about upgrading my graphics card to something like an RTX 5070 and I'd love to game at 1440p and even 4K at 40-60fps, with titles like Mortal Kombat and Elden Ring. I'm a bit lost—will the 5070 be enough or do I need to consider upgrading other parts too? Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
3 Answers
Keep in mind that the 5070 requires at least a 650 watt PSU. Your CPU is quite outdated; even a modern i3 would outperform it. While you can technically plug a 5070 into your current setup, you'd benefit immensely from upgrading your CPU too. I'd recommend listing your old components separately on sites like eBay—they can still sell for decent prices! You could use that money to offset the cost of new parts.
You can definitely use the 5070 with your setup, but just a heads up—the i7 8700K could bottleneck its performance. To get the most out of the new GPU, you should ideally upgrade your CPU as well, which would involve getting a new motherboard and RAM too. You can keep your PSU, storage, and case for the new build though!
I was in a similar situation not long ago. I upgraded from an Intel i5-11400 and RTX 3060, and at first, I thought just changing the GPU would be enough. But I quickly realized my CPU was the bottleneck. The 5070 would be a solid choice, especially if you're coming from an older setup like yours. Just be prepared to also replace your motherboard and get a new CPU, like the i5-14600K. Depending on your new parts, you might need a stronger PSU and a new cooler too. After my upgrade, I started getting around 100fps at 1440p and 60-80fps at 4K using DLSS!
Just to clarify, the i5-11400 actually has better performance than the 8700K, so upgrading your CPU really could make a huge difference.
You might be able to reuse your RAM if it's fast enough (like 3200MHz), but generally, it's best to upgrade those too if you can.