I've had this prebuilt for quite a while: an Intel i7-8700 with the stock cooler, a B360 motherboard, 16GB of DDR4 memory, and a 550W power supply. I upgraded the GTX 1060 to an RTX 3060 and replaced the power supply with a 750W unit. It still runs my games around 60 FPS without major problems, although the older CPU and RTX 3060 limit me to mostly high settings at 1440p and make features such as ray tracing and DLSS impractical in some games. The fans are audible, but the system otherwise works reliably.
I'm considering either upgrading the existing system or building a completely new one with something like a Ryzen 7 9800X3D and an RTX 5070 Ti or RTX 5080 for 1440p or 4K gaming and heavily modded Skyrim. I'm also concerned that the CyberPowerPC case may not have enough room for a larger graphics card or CPU cooler, since I can't find reliable dimensions. Would it make more sense to upgrade gradually, replace the case and some components, or build a new PC from scratch? I'm also on a limited budget and may need to save for a while.
4 Answers
A lower-cost upgrade would be a newer CPU and motherboard while keeping the RTX 3060, 750W power supply, storage, and possibly the memory if you stay on a compatible DDR4 platform. That could improve CPU-heavy games and large Skyrim modlists, but it won’t provide the same graphics upgrade as a new GPU. Check the case’s motherboard format, CPU-cooler clearance, and maximum GPU length before buying anything.
There isn’t a guaranteed perfect time to buy. Hardware prices can fluctuate, but waiting only makes sense if you genuinely need more time to save. Since you mentioned having a limited budget, keep the current PC until you can afford the system you actually want rather than putting yourself under financial pressure for a partial upgrade.
For the parts you’re considering, building a new system is probably the cleaner route. A modern gaming CPU, high-end graphics card, faster memory, and a suitable case will give you better performance and upgrade flexibility. You could keep the current PC as a backup or streaming machine, or sell it to add a little money to the new build.
If the computer is still doing what you need, there’s no urgent reason to replace it. The i7-8700 is the part most likely holding back the RTX 3060, but the 3060 can still provide a decent 1080p or entry-level 1440p experience. The cheapest option is to keep using it and save until you can make a substantial upgrade instead of replacing one component at a time.
That’s probably the realistic plan. I can’t afford the full build yet, so I’ll save gradually and continue using the current PC in the meantime.