I built this PC several years ago for general use, but now I would like to play lighter games such as Firewatch, Infra, Northern Journey, Fears to Fathom, and The Beginner's Guide. I already use an Xbox Series X for demanding AAA games, so this system does not need to handle modern high-end titles. Ideally, I would like 1080p at above 30 FPS, preferably around 60 FPS.
My current hardware is:
- Intel Core i5-7500
- ASRock B250M Pro4 Micro ATX motherboard
- Cryorig M9i CPU cooler
- 16GB DDR4-3200 RAM
- Phanteks 550W Gold power supply
Can I simply install a graphics card, or will the older four-core CPU hold it back significantly? My GPU budget is around $300–$400, though I am willing to buy used. What cards would make sense for this system, and would 1080p at 60 FPS be realistic?
5 Answers
The i5-7500 is only a four-core processor with no Hyper-Threading, so it can bottleneck faster GPUs in newer or CPU-heavy games. A 3070 or similar high-end card would generally be excessive for this system, especially with a 550W PSU. You may see good average frame rates but still experience stuttering or poor minimum FPS. A midrange card is the better-balanced choice.
A used GTX 1080 Ti or RTX 3070 can perform well, but I would not make either the first choice here. They use more power, may require a power-supply upgrade, and are likely to spend much of their potential waiting on the i5-7500. Staying around the RX 6600, RTX 2060 Super, or similar performance level is safer with your existing 550W unit.
Yes, you can add a graphics card and get a much better experience. For the games you listed, a used GTX 1660 Super, RTX 2060, RTX 2060 Super, or Radeon RX 6600 would be a sensible match. These cards should handle 1080p well without overwhelming the older CPU, and the RX 6600 is especially efficient. Check the card's physical dimensions and make sure your power supply has the required PCIe connector.
The motherboard can officially support a Core i7-6700 or i7-7700, but used prices vary and the upgrade is not always worth paying for. I would first install a midrange GPU and see how the games run. For your target resolution and library, 1080p around 60 FPS is realistic, although some titles may need reduced settings or may be limited by the CPU.
You could also look for a cheap platform upgrade if you find a good deal. A Ryzen 5 5600 with an inexpensive B550 motherboard would be a major CPU improvement and would provide newer features such as PCIe 4.0 and Resizable BAR. It is not necessary just to play the games listed, though, so buying a reasonably priced GPU first is a sensible way to test the setup.
The CPU may still limit performance in some games, but that does not make a GPU upgrade pointless. For lighter indie titles, the system should be perfectly usable with a modest modern card.