My current PC is starting to show its age, and I'd like to play newer games such as Battlefield 6 and Space Marine 2 at 1440p with around 60 FPS or better. I'd also appreciate improved performance in productivity tasks like video editing. My build currently has an AMD Ryzen 7 3700X, an X570 motherboard, a Radeon 5700-series graphics card, 16GB of DDR4-3600 memory, and a 750W Gold-rated Corsair power supply. I don't have a strict budget, but I'd prefer cost-effective upgrades. I'm also interested in knowing which parts I can upgrade first without creating a major bottleneck.
4 Answers
For value, the Radeon 9070 looks like a sensible 1440p choice, with the XT version worth considering if pricing is favorable. A GeForce 5070 can also make sense if you find it at a similar price, particularly because it may perform better in some productivity workloads. The more expensive 5070 Ti and 5080 offer additional performance, but they may not be worthwhile for a value-focused upgrade. On the CPU side, anything from a Ryzen 5 5600X-class chip up through the 5800X3D would be a noticeable improvement. Also, try to move to 32GB of memory when possible.
Before buying anything, monitor CPU and GPU usage with a tool such as MSI Afterburner and RivaTuner while playing the games you care about. That will show whether the graphics card, processor, memory, or something else is currently limiting performance.
The biggest improvement would probably come from upgrading both the processor and graphics card. Since you already have an X570 board, a Ryzen 7 5700X3D or 5800X3D is a strong drop-in gaming upgrade. Pair it with a Radeon 9070, or the 9070 XT if the price difference is reasonable. Moving to 32GB of RAM would also help, especially for video editing.
Your X570 motherboard gives you a convenient upgrade path, so a 5700X3D or 5800X3D is a good way to extend the system’s life without replacing the board. Add a matching 2x8GB DDR4 kit, or replace the existing memory with a 2x16GB kit if possible. Sixteen gigabytes can be restrictive for modern games and especially video editing.
Would keeping the same DDR4-3600 speed cause a problem with the upgrade?