I'm currently using an Intel i5-8400 with an RX 580 and want to reach roughly 220–240 FPS in Fortnite. My total upgrade budget is around $200–$500. Should I focus only on replacing the GPU, or would upgrading the CPU and motherboard be necessary too?
3 Answers
For a GPU-only purchase, a newer midrange card such as an RX 9060 XT could be considered if it fits your market and pricing. However, the i5-8400 is likely to bottleneck the card when targeting 220–240 FPS. You may still see a noticeable improvement, but consistently reaching that frame rate will probably require a CPU and motherboard upgrade too.
At 220–240 FPS, the CPU is likely to become the limiting part even on low settings. A GPU upgrade helps, but for consistently high frame rates you should plan on upgrading the platform eventually.
With that budget, a used GPU is probably the best value. Depending on local prices, look at something around an RTX 3060 or RTX 3070, but keep in mind that your i5-8400 may limit performance at very high FPS, especially in busy areas or competitive settings.
If you’re willing to upgrade the platform as well, a Ryzen 5 5500 with a compatible B550 motherboard could be a good starting point. Put whatever remains toward the strongest GPU you can find, possibly a used RTX 3060 or RTX 3070. That gives you a better upgrade path than spending the entire budget on a GPU while keeping the older CPU.
Would the i5-8400 bottleneck it badly? I’m mainly playing competitive settings rather than trying to max out graphics.