I've had my PC for around two or three years, with an RTX 4060, Ryzen 5 7600, 32GB of DDR5 memory, a 1TB Samsung SSD, and an MSI G255F 1080p monitor. It handles games like Dead by Daylight reasonably well, but I'm starting to notice weaker performance in more demanding games such as Hogwarts Legacy, Red Dead Redemption 2, Marvel Rivals, Overwatch, and other AAA shooters when using medium-to-high settings.
I'm in Australia, where hardware prices can be fairly high. I'm considering an RX 9070 XT priced around $1,199 AUD, but I'd probably want to move to 1440p as well. A suitable 1440p OLED monitor seems to cost roughly $500–600 AUD, and I may also need a new power supply. Altogether, the upgrade could cost around $2,000 AUD, which is a significant amount compared with what I originally paid for the computer.
Would this upgrade be worthwhile, or would a regular RX 9070 or another graphics card offer better value? Would my Ryzen 5 7600, motherboard, RAM, and SSD be suitable for the new GPU? I've never upgraded or built a PC myself, so I'd also appreciate advice about choosing a power supply and monitor. Finally, is it realistic to expect high-performance 1440p gaming with fairly high settings for the next five or six years?
4 Answers
The RX 9070 XT would be a very substantial upgrade from an RTX 4060, but the regular RX 9070 may offer better value if the price difference is large. Paying around $300 AUD more for the XT may only give you roughly 10–15% extra performance, so it is not necessarily worth it just for longevity. Your Ryzen 5 7600, DDR5 RAM, motherboard, and SSD should work well with either card, especially at 1440p. Check the exact power supply model before buying; a quality 650W unit may be enough for a regular 9070, while the XT could justify a higher-capacity unit depending on the manufacturer’s requirements.
Also keep an eye on monitor sales. QD-OLED and other OLED models regularly receive sizeable discounts, so you may not need to pay the full typical price.
Whether it is worth $2,000 AUD depends more on how often you play the games that currently bother you and whether the cost is comfortable. The upgrade is definitely large, but you do not have to make every change at once. You could buy the GPU first and continue using the current monitor, or wait for a good 1440p monitor deal. Five or six years of high settings is difficult to guarantee because new games keep getting more demanding, but a 9070-class card should provide a strong 1440p experience for several years, especially if you are comfortable lowering a few settings later.
The existing system is still a capable midrange setup, so there is no urgent need to upgrade just because it is a few years old. If the current games are mostly enjoyable, waiting for better pricing may be sensible. If you do want a clear performance jump, though, the 9070 series is a genuine upgrade rather than a minor sidegrade.
Moving from 1080p to 1440p makes sense if you are buying a GPU this powerful. The 9070 XT is much faster than the 4060 and should deliver a major improvement, while the higher resolution will make better use of the graphics card and reduce the chance of the CPU limiting performance. The rest of your system should remain nicely balanced. Just make sure the PSU is a reputable model with enough wattage and the correct power connectors.
A 1440p upgrade is probably the best way to justify a card in this performance class. At 1080p, the 9070 XT would be more than you really need for many games.
That price gap is what has been making me hesitate. I’ll check the exact PSU model before deciding, since I’m not sure what was installed in the original build.