Upgrading After 11 Years: What Should I Change?

Upgrading your GPU first is the way to go! Even an RTX 3080ti would work nicely on your setup. Just keep in mind you'll still be CPU bottlenecked, but you can play while you plan your next steps. If you're set on the 1440p 144hz target, you’ll eventually need a new CPU and motherboard too. Given your RAM, you might want to check if it’s making the most out of your potential GPU upgrade.

Keep in mind, most modern GPUs utilize PCIe 5.0, while your CPU is PCIe 3.0. That could limit the full capabilities of a new GPU, and you won’t get the most performance out of it. You might want to consider that when planning your upgrades.

I remember when the GTX 980 was the king of cards! It’s wild how much things have changed since then. Anyway, upgrading your graphics card is a solid first move, but given your CPU, you might hit a bottleneck with a new GPU. So, if you're thinking of high-end gaming, you’ll likely need to swap out your CPU and motherboard too. Don't forget about RAM as well, you might need to upgrade that to make the most out of your new setup. What’s your budget looking like?

Don’t worry too much about GPU compatibility; as long as it’s PCIe, you’re good since they’re all backward compatible. But yeah, for achieving that 1440p at 144hz, you're gonna need a new CPU and motherboard. Also be ready for possibly needing a new cooler, since your old one might not fit the new setups. Check if your PSU can handle the new hardware, and while your case should work, think about future-proofing with cases that support better USB standards.