I recently started playing PC games again and want to upgrade my system. My current parts are a GeForce GTX 1660 Ti, Intel Core i3-8100, 16GB of RAM, an ASUS TUF H310M-PLUS GAMING motherboard, and a 64-bit operating system. I use an LG UltraGear 144Hz monitor. Valorant is currently limited to around 60 FPS, and running Discord at the same time causes problems. I suspect the i3-8100 is the bottleneck. I have a budget of roughly $600–$700 and found a used RTX 3070 for about $265. Would that be worthwhile, or should I prioritize a CPU, RAM, or platform upgrade instead?
3 Answers
Check your RAM speed before buying anything. If the system is using slow DDR4-2133, a faster kit could help a little, although the H310 chipset limits memory speed and may not let you use the full 3000–3600 MHz rating. Your 16GB capacity is already enough for Valorant and Discord. A CPU upgrade is still the main priority, while a full motherboard, CPU, and RAM upgrade may give you better long-term value within a $600–$700 budget.
For Valorant, upgrading the CPU should help much more than replacing the GTX 1660 Ti. A used i7-8700 or i7-9700 would be a major improvement on this motherboard, assuming your BIOS supports it. You may need to check the exact CPU support list first, and make sure your power supply and cooling are adequate. The RTX 3070 is powerful, but it probably will not solve your current CPU bottleneck in Valorant.
Before buying the used 3070, verify the power supply wattage, available PCIe power connectors, card condition, and whether it has been heavily used for mining. The 1660 Ti should already run Valorant well above 60 FPS, so also check whether V-Sync, a frame-rate cap, or a display setting is limiting you. A CPU upgrade and checking those settings should come before spending money on a new GPU.
So you think I should focus on replacing the CPU first rather than upgrading the graphics card?