Hey there! I'm looking to upgrade my PC, which has been running for about eight years now. Here's what I currently have: an AMD Ryzen 7 5700X CPU, an MSI GTX 1060 Gaming X 6GB GPU, a Gigabyte B450M DS3H V2 motherboard, and 24GB of DDR4 3200 RAM in a somewhat odd configuration. My power supply is a cheap Kolink 500W, which has surprisingly lasted this long.
I mainly play esports titles but I'm planning to upgrade from a 75Hz monitor to a 1440p one with at least 240Hz. To achieve high frame rates, I believe my build needs a significant boost, especially since I want to play more demanding single-player games like Cyberpunk and potentially GTA 6 and Black Myth: Wukong at high settings.
I think it's time to move away from the AM4 platform because my motherboard is getting pretty old. I'm looking at upgrading to AM5 and considering a Ryzen 7 9700X along with an NVIDIA RTX 5070 Ti. The RX 9070 XT is cheaper here in Europe, but I'm leaning toward NVIDIA because of their impressive DLSS 4.5 and ray tracing capabilities. I'm also thinking about streaming in the future, so I need enough power to handle both gaming and streaming simultaneously.
I'm unsure about which motherboard to choose or what new RAM I should buy—any recommendations? I know RAM prices are high right now, but I'm willing to spend a little more for the right components. I also plan on selling my current parts to help fund the upgrades, but I want to keep the total cost around 1600€ to 1800€ at most. Thanks for any advice!
4 Answers
Honestly, upgrading the GPU might be the way to go, as your GTX 1060 is likely holding you back more than anything else. NVIDIA has made some solid improvements with DLSS recently, but if budget is a concern, the RX 9070 XT could be a better option. For a motherboard, think about what's vital for you—USB ports, Wi-Fi, etc. I usually choose boards that offer solid VRMs for higher-end CPUs based on what I might need later.
At the moment, I think your current CPU, memory, and motherboard are fine for now, especially considering how expensive RAM is right now. The 5700X is acceptable for the time being. But seriously, swapping out that 1060 for something beefier is the way to go, as it’ll make a huge difference in your gameplay experience. Maybe wait until prices for new parts settle down a bit.
You might be better off considering an x3d CPU instead of worrying about finding the optimal RAM for AM5, especially with current prices being what they are. It's worth looking into!
I did think about getting a Ryzen 7 7800X3D instead of the 9700X, but I’m trying to avoid staying on AM4 since I feel it's just too old for me. I don't want to be bottlenecked by the PCIE 3.0 connection from my current setup.
I feel you on wanting to upgrade, but you might want to consider that upgrading the GPU alone could lead to a noticeable improvement in gameplay. If you're set on a whole overhaul, just keep in mind that component prices fluctuate quite a bit! So take your time finding the right deals for everything.
I get what you're saying about the GPU. However, since I play competitive esports titles and want a smooth 240Hz experience, I may need the overall upgrade. The bottlenecks with my current motherboard could really hinder performance, especially with the heavy workloads from streaming and gaming.
I totally feel the limitations of the 1060. For the motherboard, I’m looking for something with decent overclocking capability and good audio, but no need for Wi-Fi since I have Ethernet. I'm also in Germany, so I’m considering brands like Corsair for the PSU. Any thoughts on that?