Hey everyone! It's been a while since my first PC build, and over the last 14 years, I've swapped in and out a ton of parts. The only pieces left from that original build are my Blu-Ray drive, a couple of HDDs, and my mouse. I'm starting to question if I should continue upgrading my current system or just build a new one entirely. Lately, I've been noticing that I have to run video games on low settings just to keep up my FPS, and even then I suffer from stuttering and frame drops. My friend suggested that my nearly 8-year-old CPU might be holding me back. My task manager often shows it hitting 100% during gaming, which has me wondering if upgrading my GPU or CPU would make a bigger difference. Here's my current setup: Asus ROG Strix Z370-F Gaming mobo, Intel Core i7-8700k @ 3.7GHz with a Noctua NH-D15 cooler, 32GB Corsair Vengeance RAM at 2666MHz, a Gigabyte GeForce RTX 2070 Super, and a Corsair RM750W PSU. If I end up needing a new motherboard, CPU, and RAM, I'd like to keep my current PSU and drives, but I might swap my 500GB SSD for a 2TB M.2 drive. I'm also considering overclocking with a water cooler to manage heat. Any thoughts on whether I should upgrade specific parts, consider overclocking, or just start from square one?
5 Answers
You definitely need a whole new system. Skip overclocking; my upgrade from a 6700K to a 13700K made a huge difference for me alongside DDR5 RAM and a Z790 motherboard. Something like this would really set you up for future games!
I removed my lengthy comment because I think the best route for you is to sell your current setup as is and begin anew. You’ll likely benefit more from a fresh start!
I appreciate the input! Sounds like a solid plan.
I would tackle the CPU and motherboard first and do a clean install. Once you get a new GPU, you should see better performance immediately. Don’t stress about overclocking right now; it won’t yield significant gains. Focus on building your new rig first since removing parts and reinstalling can be a hassle.
Honestly, I think upgrading to a newer CPU like the 9900K could help, but you should mainly invest in parts you can carry over, like an NVMe drive or a new GPU. If you’re going to replace your motherboard, it might be best to just sell everything and start fresh since it could save you time in the long run.
That makes sense! It sounds like going for a full upgrade is the winning option.
Your current performance issues are likely due to the CPU. An upgrade there is definitely needed.
Thanks, I’m starting to see that's the best direction to go.