I built this PC in 2018 and currently use it with an older Samsung TV. I recently bought a Samsung S90H 65-inch TV and want to connect the PC at 4K and 120Hz. The GTX 1050 appears unable to provide that output. I am not focused on demanding modern games—the main uses are media playback, Roblox, and older Steam games—but I would like to avoid being limited to lower-quality display modes.
Could I replace the GTX 1050 with an Asus Dual OC GeForce RTX 5060 8GB, or might the older ASRock Z370 motherboard and its PCIe 3.0 x16 slot cause compatibility problems? The parts list does not flag an issue, although I have heard that older BIOS versions sometimes fail to recognize newer graphics cards. If the motherboard would need to be replaced, I would probably build a completely new system rather than replace the CPU and memory as well. I am in the USA, and my budget is flexible, but I would prefer to upgrade only what is necessary.
3 Answers
Make sure the power supply is suitable before choosing the graphics card. A newer unit with enough wattage and the correct power connectors is preferable to relying on an aging 600W supply. An unused Corsair RM1000x 1000W unit would provide more than enough capacity, although it is worth checking the card manufacturer's actual recommendation rather than buying an oversized PSU solely for this upgrade.
An RTX 5060 should be capable of driving a 4K 120Hz display. The PCIe 3.0 x16 slot should generally work with a newer graphics card, since PCIe is backward compatible. The main things to verify are the card's display outputs, current motherboard BIOS support, case clearance, and power connectors.
The price is definitely high for one of the least expensive current graphics cards, especially if the main goal is video playback rather than gaming.
For ordinary media playback, 120Hz may not be essential; 30Hz or 60Hz is enough for most movies and streaming content. Still, 60Hz or higher makes sense if you also want smooth desktop use, Roblox, older games, or support for high-frame-rate video.
I definitely want at least 60Hz, and there may be some 120fps videos available. Since this PC will also be used for Roblox and light gaming, I would rather not limit the system unnecessarily.
I already have an unopened Corsair RM1000x 2024 1000W modular power supply that I planned to install, partly to clean up the cabling. That should handle the upgrade comfortably.