Hey everyone! I recently got my first gaming PC as a gift from my friend, but he mentioned that it needs some work. I've mostly been gaming on a PS5, so I'm a bit new to this whole PC scene. I've done some research and watched a bunch of YouTube videos, but I'm still unsure about the best upgrade path. I looked into switching out the motherboard for DDR5 compatibility, but the prices for RAM are pretty crazy right now. Here are my specs:
- GTX 1070
- Intel i5 9400F
- Z390 motherboard
- 32GB Corsair DDR4 3200MHz RAM
- 650W Gold Corsair PSU (though I found out it's actually a 550W TX550M)
- 1TB NVMe SSD
I have a 1440p monitor from my PS5, so any guidance on what to upgrade would be really helpful! I'm looking to keep costs low to achieve 1440p at medium settings.
4 Answers
It really depends on your budget. How much are you looking to spend?
Your 650W PSU can handle a 6700XT or even a 5070 Ti, which are good choices. The i5 9400F is getting a bit old, but it can still manage 60fps in most games. If you want to push for more performance, consider a 14600K with a B760 DDR4 board when you're ready to upgrade. What’s your budget and where are you located?
I'm in the UK. I don’t have a fixed budget but need to keep it sensible since I have kids. I mentioned that a friend can sell me a 6750XT for £190, and there's also a local offer for a 5700X + B550 for £170. I could sell off my old parts to help with costs.
You can't just swap the motherboard for DDR5, especially since the i5 9400F isn't compatible with those boards. Honestly, upgrading just for DDR5 RAM isn’t worthwhile unless you plan to upgrade the CPU too. I'd suggest prioritizing a GPU upgrade instead to ensure better performance at 1440p.
Oh, I see! I actually meant doing a full CPU and motherboard swap if I needed to, but yeah, DDR5 looks extremely pricey.
If you want a decent performance boost, you might consider getting a 6700XT. It should handle 1080p and even 1440p with some settings adjusted. If you decide to upgrade the CPU later, you could go for a 9900K without needing to change much else right now. Focus on the GPU first, and upgrade the PSU if you aim for higher performance later.
That sounds like a plan! I was thinking of getting a 6750XT that a friend is selling for around £190.
I’d like to keep it minimal. Just aiming for a minimum setup that can run 1440p at medium settings. Coming from a PS5, I'm fine with 60fps!