Hey folks! I'm looking to upgrade my PC, which I built with an RTX 2080 and a Ryzen 9 3900x back in 2019. Lately, I'm feeling like my system is starting to fall behind, especially when it comes to VRAM. While it's still decent for 3D work and audio tasks, gaming at good frame rates is becoming a struggle. I'm eager to play newer titles like Silent Hill F and Borderlands 4 at higher settings. Additionally, I'm really interested in the Nolvus Skyrim modpack, which recommends having a 3080 Ti or 4080 for the best experience at 1440p, my resolution of choice. I've noticed that I haven't kept up with hardware trends in the past few years, and prices have surged! Should I just upgrade my CPU and GPU while keeping my current AM4 motherboard, or would it be better to invest in a whole new system? I'd ideally like to keep the upgrade under $2000, but that seems challenging.
4 Answers
If you're sticking to $2000, you could rebuild for around $1700 if you pick your parts wisely. Upgrading to a better GPU first could be a smart move. Just be aware that your current CPU might bottleneck performance until you upgrade it too.
With a budget of $2000, you can definitely get a new setup. Plus, if you sell your old parts individually, you could add some cash to your budget!
Here's a good build example: a 9800x3d with a compatible motherboard, 32GB of DDR5, and a 5070 ti for 3D work. It’s a solid upgrade and you can reuse your existing cooler, storage, or case.
A couple of tips: when choosing Gen5 RAM, use two sticks in slots 2 and 4 to avoid instability. When selecting a motherboard, check if certain SSD slots limit your GPU speed, which is typically not a big deal but still good to know. If you're going for AMD, the x3d series can really boost performance, especially at 1080p.
Instead of a full build right away, consider swapping out just the GPU first. It may hit your performance goals and give you a clearer view on whether your CPU needs upgrading too.
That's true, but just remember that some components can be expensive! Like, good RAM alone can run close to $600.