I currently have an RTX 4060, Ryzen 5 5500, Gigabyte A520M S2H motherboard, 16GB (2x8GB) Kingston Fury Beast DDR4 memory, and a 600W CWT GPM Series 80 Plus Bronze power supply. I'm considering upgrading to an RTX 5070 Ti and want to know what else I should replace first. Would I need a stronger PSU, a better CPU, a different motherboard, or more RAM? My PSU budget is around £100 if possible.
3 Answers
The Ryzen 5 5500 will work, but it could hold back a 5070 Ti in CPU-heavy games, especially at 1080p or when targeting high refresh rates. Your A520 motherboard and DDR4 memory can remain in the system, although you should update the BIOS before installing a newer AM4 processor. A Ryzen 7 5700X3D would be a strong gaming upgrade if it’s available at a reasonable price; otherwise, a Ryzen 7 5700X is a less expensive option.
The 600W CWT unit is the first thing I’d replace. A quality 750W power supply is the sensible minimum for a 5070 Ti, and an 850W model is also worth considering if the price difference is small. Focus on a reputable, modern unit with good reviews rather than just the wattage or 80 Plus Bronze label. Your current PSU may also lack the appropriate newer GPU power connector, depending on the exact model.
Thanks! I’ll look for a reliable 750W or 850W unit and stay around my £100 budget if I can.
It may also be worth comparing the RTX 5070 Ti with current Radeon options before buying. Cards such as the RX 9070 or RX 9070 XT can offer excellent 1440p performance and value, depending on local pricing. If you prefer Nvidia features such as CUDA, specific ray-tracing performance, or DLSS, the 5070 Ti still makes sense, but don’t forget to compare real prices rather than assuming one lineup is automatically better.
At 1440p the graphics card will usually matter more, so the 5500 may be acceptable initially. You can upgrade the CPU later if you notice poor minimum frame rates or high CPU usage.