I've been using the same PC for almost five and a half years and want to start upgrading it. My current system has an Intel Core i5-10400F, an RTX 2060 6GB, an MSI MAG B560 TORPEDO motherboard, 16GB of DDR4-3200 memory, and a be quiet! System Power 10 650W PSU.
I'm planning to buy a used RTX 4070 at a good price, but I'm unsure what to do about the CPU. Staying on socket LGA1200 would be convenient because I'd rather avoid reinstalling Windows 10, but used i7-11700K processors are still around $300 where I live, which doesn't seem reasonable.
Would it make sense to wait for an affordable 11700K, or should I replace the motherboard and move to a newer platform? My current CPU works fine, so I'm mainly prioritizing the graphics card because the RTX 2060 has been running hot and its fan bearings have started rattling.
3 Answers
A $300 11700K is hard to justify. Your i5-10400F is still usable, especially if you’re upgrading the graphics card first, so I’d keep the current platform for now rather than paying a premium for a used end-of-life CPU. Buy the RTX 4070, check that the power supply and case airflow are suitable, and upgrade the rest later when there’s a genuinely good deal.
If you decide to change platforms, AM4 can be a relatively inexpensive route. A Ryzen 5 5600 or 5600X with a reasonably priced B550 board would be a sensible budget upgrade, while a newer AM5 setup gives you much more room for future CPU upgrades. Just remember that changing the motherboard may require Windows activation or driver cleanup, and a fresh installation is recommended even if it isn’t always strictly necessary.
Don’t choose a new motherboard just to avoid reinstalling Windows. A platform change can usually be made without immediately reinstalling, but you should remove old chipset drivers, install the new platform drivers, and be prepared to reactivate Windows. If you want better performance and upgrade flexibility, compare the total cost of a Ryzen 7000 or another current-generation bundle, including the motherboard and DDR5 memory, rather than spending $300 on an 11700K.
An AM4 system would cost less if you already have DDR4, but AM5 is the better long-term option if the motherboard, processor, and memory bundle is affordable where you live.
That makes sense. Since my current processor isn’t causing problems, I’ll probably focus on replacing the overheating graphics card first and wait for a better CPU deal.