Hey everyone! I recently got myself a new PC and I'm passing my old one to my girlfriend so we can game together. It works fine, but the specs are quite dated and it's a bit sluggish. I'm considering upgrading the CPU and GPU to give her a better gaming experience. Currently, the PC has a GTX 1050 Ti, an Intel i5 9600K, and 32 GB of RAM. I'm not too sure about the motherboard specifics. I'd love to get some recommendations for upgrading the CPU and GPU. What do you think I should do?
4 Answers
For a solid upgrade, definitely look into getting a modern GPU. The 9600K is still decent, but if you plan to upgrade the CPU, you’ll also need a new motherboard. What’s your budget looking like?
Look into the second-hand market for a 9900K. They’re around $150 in the US and dropping fast. For GPU, if you’re looking for new, check out the 5060/9060XT. You might even find a used 4070 within your budget!
What games are you and your girlfriend planning to play? A used 3060 should work well for most titles, especially if you're into games like Minecraft or some shooters.
We’ll likely be playing Minecraft, DBD, and maybe some shooters like Apex or Valorant. I’m thinking of going for a 3060 or even a 2080 Ti.
Honestly, any new CPU would require a motherboard swap, so I’d suggest just sticking to a GPU upgrade for now. A used 2070 or something from the 20 series is a great choice—plus, it’ll give you ray tracing support, which is nice for modern games!
That makes sense! Do you think it’s better to just replace everything, including the motherboard?
I can spend around 500 Euros. I thought about upgrading the motherboard too, but then I’d be almost building a new PC, except for the SSD, RAM, and PSU.