I'm currently using an AM4 gaming build, but newer games are making it difficult to maintain 120 FPS at 2560×1440. My system has a Ryzen 5 5600X, RTX 3060 Ti, 32GB of DDR4-3200/3600 memory, a Gigabyte B550M motherboard, a Cooler Master 360mm liquid cooler, a Lian Li O11 Dynamic EVO case, a 2TB Kingston SSD, a 1TB hard drive, and an older Cooler Master 650W power supply. I'm considering an RX 9070 XT and possibly a stronger AM4 processor. What should I upgrade first, and would my motherboard, cooler, and power supply be suitable?
3 Answers
A Ryzen 5 5600X can still handle 1440p reasonably well, especially when the graphics card is the bottleneck. I’d upgrade the GPU first and test performance before replacing the CPU. If you later want a stronger AM4 chip, the Ryzen 7 5700X3D is usually a more sensible upgrade than moving straight to a 5800X3D, depending on pricing and availability.
The RTX 3060 Ti is probably the main limitation at 1440p, so upgrading the graphics card should make the biggest difference. An RX 9070 XT would be a substantial step up. Your B550 motherboard should generally support it without an issue, since the graphics card uses a standard PCIe slot.
Would I also need a stronger CPU and power supply for the RX 9070 XT?
I wouldn’t automatically jump to a 1000W power supply. For an RX 9070 XT, a high-quality 750W or 850W unit from a reputable manufacturer should generally be enough, but check the exact graphics card model and its recommended wattage. Since your current 650W unit is old and you’re unsure of its specifications, replacing it with a modern, reliable unit is a good idea. Your existing case and 360mm cooler should be perfectly adequate.
The case and cooler are only a few months old, so I’d prefer to keep both. I’ll look for a good 850W replacement rather than overspending on 1000W.
I’m also considering an X3D processor, but I’m unsure whether the extra cost is worthwhile after upgrading the graphics card.