I'm trying to keep my current PC useful for a few more years without replacing the entire system. It has an Intel Core i5-9600K, MSI Z390-A PRO motherboard, RTX 2070 SUPER, and 16 GB (2×8 GB) Corsair Vengeance LPX DDR4-2133 CL13 memory. I'm running Windows 11.
The main issue is stuttering in Gothic 1 Remake. It can run smoothly at times, but combat occasionally causes noticeable hitching, and the problem becomes worse when Google Chrome is open. I'm not a particularly serious gamer anymore and don't have as much free time since becoming a parent, so I'm mainly looking for good value rather than the highest possible performance.
I was considering upgrading to 32 GB of RAM, replacing the graphics card with something like an RX 7800 XT 16 GB, and eventually moving from the 9600K to a used i9-9900K. I would spread the upgrades out over time. Would that be a sensible plan, or would the money be better spent on a newer platform or on troubleshooting the current stuttering first?
4 Answers
If you want a meaningful CPU upgrade without buying an entirely new high-end system, compare the cost of a budget B550 board with a Ryzen 5700X, 5800X, or 5800X3D. Depending on local prices, a used AM4 CPU and motherboard could cost less than an i9-9900K while giving you a newer platform and better multitasking performance. Your current DDR4 memory may work, although a faster 3200 MT/s kit would be preferable if the price difference is reasonable.
I wouldn’t spend around €300 on an i9-9900K. It’s faster than the 9600K because of the extra cores and threads, but the improvement usually isn’t large enough to justify that price on this old platform. Since your CPU is unlocked, checking temperatures, overclocking, and making sure the game is installed on a fast SSD may help first. If you need a major CPU improvement, it makes more sense to change the motherboard and CPU together rather than paying a premium for the fastest processor your Z390 board can use.
Going to 32 GB of RAM is probably the most straightforward upgrade, especially since Chrome makes the stuttering worse. Try to buy a matched 2×16 GB kit if possible, or at least match the existing modules closely and verify stability. DDR4-2133 is slow by modern standards, but capacity is likely more important here than spending a lot to replace it with slightly faster DDR4.
A graphics card upgrade could make sense if you play at 1440p or want higher settings, but the RTX 2070 SUPER is still usable. An RX 7800 XT would be a substantial GPU upgrade, though €600 is a lot to spend on a system that may become CPU-limited in some games. I’d upgrade the RAM first, monitor GPU and CPU usage during the stutters, and only then decide whether the graphics card is actually the limiting part.
That makes sense. I’ll check whether the stuttering happens while the GPU is fully loaded or whether the CPU, memory, or storage is the real bottleneck before buying a graphics card.