I'm looking to spend around $500 on an upgrade, but only if it provides a noticeable improvement in gaming performance. My system has a Pro Z690 DDR4 motherboard, an Intel CPU listed as an i5-2600K, an AMD RX 6750 XT, and 32GB of DDR4 memory. The RAM is a 2x16GB kit running at 2133 MT/s in slots 2 and 4. I'm mainly trying to get smoother frame rates, since I've experienced stuttering at every resolution. What should I upgrade or check first?
3 Answers
The CPU model is probably a typo—there isn’t an i5-2600K. With a Z690 board, you may mean an i5-12600K or a similar 12th-generation chip. Confirm the exact model first, because that changes the upgrade advice completely. Also, 2133-speed DDR4 is fairly slow, so enabling XMP could help if the kit supports a higher rated speed.
If the processor really is an i5-12600K, upgrading the CPU immediately may not be worthwhile. First enable XMP and verify the memory runs at its advertised speed. If you still want a platform change, a newer CPU such as an i5-14600KF with a compatible DDR4 motherboard and cooler can fit close to the budget, but replacing the motherboard is unnecessary if your current Z690 board supports a newer processor after a BIOS update. Also only replace the power supply if the current unit is low quality, too old, or insufficient for the system.
The graphics card is still a reasonable match for that CPU, so I’d troubleshoot the stutter before spending the whole budget. A clean driver installation and checking frame-time consistency may reveal the real cause.
A system with a 12600K-class CPU and an RX 6750 XT should already deliver good gaming performance, so constant stuttering at every resolution suggests a configuration or software problem rather than a missing $500 upgrade. Check GPU and chipset drivers, temperatures, background applications, shader-compilation stutter, storage health, and whether the CPU or GPU is hitting a thermal or power limit. Monitor frame times with an overlay instead of looking only at average FPS.
You’re right, I meant an i5-12600K. The memory is installed as two 16GB sticks in slots 2 and 4, but it’s currently running at 2133.