I'm considering upgrading my PC but can't decide whether the graphics card or processor should come first. My current system has an RX 6800, Ryzen 7 7700X, 32GB of RAM, a 750W power supply, and an MSI B650 Pro motherboard. I'm leaning toward upgrading to an RX 9070 XT, but I'm worried the 7700X could bottleneck it. Is a GPU upgrade the better move for gaming, or should I wait and upgrade the CPU first? Also, what would be a reasonable price to ask for my used RX 6800 if I sell it?
3 Answers
Go with the GPU first. Since you’re already using AM5, the 7700X is still a strong gaming CPU and shouldn’t hold back an RX 9070 XT in most situations. The RX 6800 is much more likely to be the part limiting performance, especially at 1440p or higher.
Your system is already well balanced, so I’d only change one part if you actually need more performance. In this case, the GPU is the sensible upgrade. For the RX 6800, check recently sold listings in your area; a clean, working card with its original packaging might reasonably land around $180–$250 USD, depending on the model and local demand.
Unless you’re playing highly CPU-limited games, targeting extremely high frame rates, or doing CPU-heavy work, there’s no real need to replace the 7700X yet. Upgrade the GPU and monitor your CPU usage and frame times afterward.
The same general idea applies to a 3070-to-7900 XTX upgrade: assuming the CPU isn’t already limiting performance, that kind of graphics upgrade should be very noticeable.