I've been using my current setup with a DDR4 16GB RAM, a 3060 Ti graphics card, and an i5-12400F processor for over four years. I've recently become interested in upgrading my build and have my eye on the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D and the 9700XT GPU. However, I know the prices can be inflated here in Canada, and I'm trying to figure out if I truly need to upgrade. I mainly want to game at 1440p. Any advice on whether I should make this upgrade or not would be greatly appreciated!
5 Answers
I made a similar upgrade and trust me, you'll notice the difference! If you do it, let me know if you kept the same RAM or moved to DDR5.
Before you decide to upgrade, it might be worth running some resource monitoring while you're gaming. That way, you can see if anything is maxing out, which would help you identify possible bottlenecks in your current setup.
Wow, I never thought about that! Great point, thanks!
If you really want to enjoy solid 1440p gaming, I’d say an upgrade is necessary. Look into getting an RTX 5070 or RX 9070; they should fit well with your current setup. If that's not in your budget, maybe just get a good 1440p monitor to start!
With my existing CPU and AM4 motherboard, would just upgrading the GPU and PSU be a good move?
Your current setup can definitely handle 1440p at medium to high settings, targeting around 60fps. It might be a bit pricey to switch to the AM5 platform now because DDR5 is expensive. I’d recommend you consider just upgrading your GPU for now since AMD cards are reasonably priced. This could be a good stop-gap until better options are available.
Will my i5-12400F bottleneck if I just switch to the RX 9070XT?
Honestly, it's tough to say without trying it out first. If you're not happy with your current performance, then upgrading could be worth it. If you have the budget, that's usually justification enough!
True, but still getting some suggestions would help!
Did you end up going with the same components in your upgrade?