I'm considering upgrading or replacing my current gaming PC and would appreciate some advice. Its main components are an Intel Core i7-6700K, 16GB of RAM, a GeForce GTX 1070 with 8GB of VRAM, a 500GB Samsung 850 EVO SSD, and a 1TB hard drive. It runs Windows 10 Home 22H2. I mainly play The Sims 4, Fortnite, and Fallout 4, but lately the system has felt slower and performance isn't as good as it used to be. Would it make more sense to replace a few parts, build a completely new PC, or buy a prebuilt system? I've never built a computer before, although I have taken this one apart to clean the fans and I'm willing to learn. I'm also happy to provide more details if needed.
3 Answers
Before replacing anything, check the health and remaining space of both drives, clean out dust, and monitor CPU and GPU temperatures while gaming. A nearly full or failing drive, overheating, or unnecessary startup programs can make an older computer feel much slower. If temperatures and drive health look normal, the age of the CPU and overall platform is probably the main limitation.
That platform is getting old, so I’d lean toward a new build rather than spending much on upgrades. You may be able to reuse the SSD, but I’d avoid installing current games on the hard drive if possible because loading times will be much worse. A new system could also reuse the GTX 1070 temporarily if your budget is limited, then you could upgrade the graphics card later.
For the games you listed, the GTX 1070 is still usable at 1080p, so you don’t necessarily need to replace every part immediately. The bigger issue is that the i7-6700K platform has limited upgrade options and only 16GB of memory. If you build new, prioritize a modern CPU, motherboard, 16–32GB of RAM, and a reasonably sized SSD; keep the 1070 until you need more graphics performance.
That sounds like a good way to spread out the cost. I’ll check the temperatures and drive health first, then compare the price of a new platform while keeping the graphics card for now.