I was recently given a gaming PC and would appreciate some advice on whether any components are noticeably outdated or worth upgrading. It has an Intel Core i5-10400F, a GeForce GTX 1660, 16 GB of RAM, and a 500 GB SSD. Everything I've played so far runs well, mostly at 1080p, so I'm mainly wondering whether there are any obvious weaknesses or sensible upgrades for the future—or if I should simply keep using it until performance becomes a problem.
4 Answers
The 500 GB SSD is fine for now, but extra storage may be the most practical upgrade if your game library starts filling it up. A second SSD would improve convenience without requiring you to replace the main components.
Don’t worry about the PC being outdated just because newer parts exist. If it plays everything you want at your preferred settings, then it’s doing its job. Prices for components can also fluctuate a lot, so waiting for a worthwhile deal is better than making a needless upgrade.
The system is a little older, but it’s definitely not completely outdated. The GTX 1660 is the weakest part, especially in newer demanding games, while the i5-10400F and 16 GB of RAM are still usable. If you eventually want higher frame rates or 1440p gaming, a graphics card upgrade would probably make the biggest difference. Cards in the RTX 3060 or RX 6600 class could be reasonable starting points, depending on pricing and your power supply.
If it already runs the games you want smoothly, there’s no urgent reason to upgrade. Hardware upgrades are expensive, so it makes more sense to wait until you actually need better performance rather than trying to future-proof unnecessarily.
That was my thinking too—I just wanted to make sure I wasn’t overlooking something obvious.