I'm trying to prioritize several future upgrades while staying within a limited budget. My current setup is an RTX 5060 8GB, Ryzen 7 8700F, 24-inch 1080p 144Hz monitor, and 650W power supply. Eventually, I'd like to move to an RX 9070 XT, Ryzen 7 9800X3D, and a 27-inch 1440p monitor.
My GPU is the main priority, but the RX 9070 XT would likely mean replacing my 650W PSU with something around 850W. I'm unsure whether I should buy the monitor alongside the GPU and PSU, or put that money toward the 9800X3D and keep using my current display for a while.
I've already been using NVIDIA DLDSR to render at 1440p on my 1080p monitor and have been happy with the results. With an AMD card, I could use VSR instead, so I wouldn't necessarily need the monitor immediately.
For the best overall improvement per dollar, would you recommend GPU and PSU first, then the monitor, then the CPU—or GPU and PSU first, followed by the CPU and monitor later? I mostly play single-player games, with occasional multiplayer FPS titles. I'm also wondering whether the 9800X3D is worth choosing over a less expensive gaming CPU such as the 7600X3D for long-term value.
4 Answers
I’d prioritize the GPU first. The Ryzen 7 8700F should be capable enough that it won’t seriously hold back an RX 9070 XT in most situations, especially as you move toward higher-resolution gaming. After that, use VSR on your existing monitor if you’re happy with the image, then buy the 1440p display when the budget allows. The CPU upgrade can come later.
You could keep the current 1080p monitor for quite a while. Rendering at 1440p through VSR should work well with a 9070 XT, and the performance loss is often modest compared with native rendering. That lets you put more money into the GPU now and upgrade the display later when you can afford a good 1440p model.
A sensible order is GPU plus PSU, then the 1440p monitor, and the CPU last. The graphics card will produce the biggest immediate improvement, while the 8700F is still perfectly usable. A 9800X3D makes more sense if you’re targeting very high frame rates in CPU-heavy games; for mostly single-player gaming, a cheaper X3D chip may offer better value.
It may be worth comparing the standard RX 9070 as well. Depending on local pricing, the lower-cost card might be enough for your games and could leave room for the monitor without immediately replacing the PSU. For mostly single-player games, the difference between a 7600X3D and 9800X3D may not be especially noticeable outside of CPU-limited situations.
I mostly play single-player games, with some multiplayer FPS games such as Battlefield. The price gap between the RX 9070 and 9070 XT is fairly small where I live, so the XT seems like the better performance choice. I’m still unsure whether the 9800X3D is the better long-term option or if a cheaper X3D processor would make more sense.