Hey everyone! I'm looking to upgrade my prebuilt gaming PC, which has been lagging a lot lately. It's from 2017 and currently sports an Intel i7-8700 and a GeForce GTX 1060. I've done a bit of research on PC components but I'm not too savvy when it comes to compatibility between brands and parts. I'd like to stick with Intel and NVIDIA since I'm familiar with them, but I'm open to other options too. Just one thing to note, I definitely want to go with air cooling, not liquid cooling.
My main focus is gaming, and my current budget is around $1300, ideally a bit less, although I can stretch it if needed. I've been getting frustrated as my PC can barely keep up with newer games. For instance, I struggled with Hogwarts Legacy due to frame drops, and CS2 isn't running smoothly either. I really want to be able to play Borderlands 4 without the massive lag. So, to sum it up, I'm looking for suggestions on how to optimize my build. Let me know what changes you recommend, considering my budget and preference for air cooling!
4 Answers
You could also look at this quick adjustment: switch from a G.Skill Flare (AMD EXPO) RAM to G.Skill Ripjaws (Intel XMP). Also, replacing your 3060 Ti with the 5060 Ti would be beneficial. Just a heads up, it's worth considering if an AMD build would work better for you now that they’re competitive with Intel!
Here’s a build that might blow your current one out of the water while being cheaper too. Plus, it has room for upgrades down the line! Check it out: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/sK3LZc
Check this build I recommend: AMD Ryzen 7 7700X with a GeForce RTX 5070. It comes in around $1.15k. Here's a link to the combo I found for the CPU, motherboard, and CPU cooler, but keep in mind it's a liquid cooler which you mentioned you don't want. If you're okay with that, it's a solid option!
I appreciate the suggestion but I really want to stick with air cooling.
You might want to swap out the 3060 Ti for a 5060 Ti 16GB. The 3060 Ti is getting a bit outdated and the newer model should give you better performance without breaking the bank. Just a heads up, I think that price is a bit steep for the 3060 Ti.
Thanks for the tip! I've changed it to the 5060 Ti 16GB.
Is there a big difference between the 5060 Ti you're suggesting and the one linked here? It's about $70 cheaper.