I built my PC several years ago, and lately it has started feeling sluggish. The current setup includes a Ryzen 3 1200, 16GB of DDR4 RAM, a Gigabyte A320M-S2H-CF motherboard, a Radeon RX 570, an SSD, and a hard drive. I mainly use it for everyday tasks and games such as League of Legends, Warframe, and occasionally Path of Exile 2. Even League has begun stuttering and losing frames, despite using a relatively fresh Windows installation. I'm not sure whether the issue is the CPU, graphics card, power supply, storage, or something else. Should I upgrade the CPU, GPU, or both, and what parts would make sense for this motherboard?
3 Answers
The RX 570 is old but can still handle lighter games, so it may not be the first part to replace. If the CPU is reaching full usage while the GPU is underutilized, a Ryzen 5 5600 should help immediately. If the GPU is running at 100% and you want higher settings or frame rates, then a graphics card upgrade would make more sense afterward. Make sure the motherboard BIOS supports the chosen CPU before installing it, and update the BIOS while the current processor is still installed.
The CPU is probably the best place to start. The Ryzen 3 1200 was an entry-level chip even when it launched, and newer Ryzen 5 processors should provide a noticeable improvement. With the appropriate BIOS update, this motherboard may support a Ryzen 5 5600 or 5600X. A used Ryzen 5 5600 is usually the best value. Upgrade the CPU first, then test your games again before deciding whether the RX 570 also needs replacing.
Before choosing a graphics card or processor, check the exact model, wattage, age, and condition of your power supply. A weak or failing PSU can cause crashes and stuttering, and the required power will change if you install a faster GPU. Also monitor CPU and GPU usage, temperatures, clocks, and frame times while gaming so you can identify what is actually limiting performance.
I completely overlooked the power supply while checking my parts. I’ll identify the model and check it before buying anything. I’m also not certain the graphics card is failing, since I only know that games have started stuttering.
The Ryzen 5 5600 seems like the most affordable option, so I’ll probably upgrade the CPU first and see how performance changes.