Hi everyone! I'm new here and looking for some advice. I've built a few gaming PCs over the years—I'd say about 2-3 in the last 15 years—but I'm definitely not an expert. Right now, I'm using a gaming setup from late 2019 or early 2020, and I'm thinking about making some upgrades instead of building a whole new PC. I mainly play games like WOW and Civ 6, currently on medium settings, but I sometimes experience slowdowns or freezes in WOW (just the game screen, not the second monitor). Given my current specs, what upgrades do you think would help optimize performance without requiring a complete overhaul?
**Current Build Specs:**
**OS:** Windows Home 11
**CPU:** Core i5-10600k LGA1200
**Motherboard:** MSI Z490-A PRO
**RAM:** 16GB (2 x 8GB OLOy OWL Memory Series PC4 3000mhz)
**GPU:** NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Super
**Hard Drives:** Solid State Drive
**PSU:** EVGA 650 GQ
**Monitor:** LG UltraGear QHD 27-Inch Gaming Monitor 27GL850 (144hz, G-Sync)
1 Answer
Since you're using a 1440p monitor, your games will lean more on the GPU, but WOW and Civ 6 still have substantial CPU demands. Your current motherboard only supports 10th and 11th gen Intel CPUs, which limits your upgrade options without getting a new motherboard, CPU, and potentially RAM, too. For a budget-friendly option, you could consider bumping your RAM up to 32GB, but that might not have a huge impact. Alternatively, you could downgrade your monitor to 1080p; that would deliver better performance but less visual fidelity.
If you're looking at big upgrades, consider a new CPU, motherboard, and RAM combo, or focusing on a more powerful GPU. Keep an eye on sales; sometimes you can find great deals on bundles like the 7600X. Just remember to check your power supply capacity before upgrading anything!
I appreciate the suggestions! I was confused by benchmarks, but moving to an i9 looks like a good step if I can find a decent price.