I built this PC with my brother in 2016 and it has worked reliably until the GTX 1080 recently died. The rest of the system still seems functional, but I'm unsure whether replacing only the graphics card makes sense or whether the age of the platform justifies a larger rebuild.
I mainly want strong competitive performance in shooters such as Battlefield, Apex Legends, and Wardogs. I'm not interested in high-end rendering or paying extra for small gains, and the GTX 1080 had been sufficient for my needs. My budget is flexible, but I'd prefer to spend only what is necessary for a noticeably better everyday gaming experience.
My current hardware is an Intel Core i7-8700K, MSI Z370M Mortar motherboard, Seasonic M12II Bronze EVO power supply, 16GB of DDR4-2133 memory, a 500GB Samsung 860 EVO SATA SSD, and a Cooler Master MasterBox Lite 5 case. What graphics cards would pair well with this system, and should I replace anything else while I'm upgrading?
3 Answers
Before buying anything, I’d pay attention to the PSU’s age. Even if its wattage is technically sufficient, a power supply from that era has had a long service life, so replacing it with a modern quality unit would improve reliability. The 16GB of slow DDR4 is usable, but moving to 32GB of faster compatible memory and adding a larger SSD would be worthwhile quality-of-life upgrades. Those changes are optional for gaming, though; the graphics card is the main priority, and a full platform rebuild can wait until the 8700K no longer delivers the frame rates you want.
The Arc A750 could also be considered if it is substantially cheaper, but it needs a little more setup. Update the motherboard BIOS, use UEFI instead of legacy CSM, enable Above 4G Decoding and Resizable BAR, and confirm that the power supply can handle it. Driver support has improved, but an Nvidia card is generally the simpler choice for an uncomplicated upgrade.
A used RTX 3060 Ti would be a sensible replacement if you find one at a good price. Your 8700K is still capable of driving competitive frame rates, especially at 1080p, so you don’t necessarily need a complete rebuild just because the platform is older. Check the card’s condition and make sure your power supply has the required PCIe connectors.
My budget is flexible, but I’m trying to spend the minimum needed for a good competitive gaming PC. I’m considering a reasonably priced 3060 Ti, although I use this computer for work and gaming for around 14 hours a day. If the older CPU, memory, or power supply would noticeably hold me back, I’d rather upgrade properly than miss benefits I don’t know about.