I've got a CyberPowerPC GMA3000BST that I bought about 6 years ago, and I've only upgraded the RAM and added an SSD since then. Lately, I've been noticing my PC is struggling with newer games like Baldur's Gate 3. My CPU usage hits 100% even when I'm playing something as light as Overwatch, even though I'm still getting around 60 FPS. Here's my current setup: an AMD Ryzen 5 2600 CPU, Radeon RX 580 GPU, an MSI B450M BAZOOKA motherboard, 24GB of RAM (split into three sticks), a 4TB Crucial SSD, a 240GB WD Green SSD, a Toshiba 2TB HDD, and a Cooler Master Hyper 212 Black CPU cooler. My power supply is a 450W Corsair CX450M, and I know I need to upgrade that, among possibly other parts. I'm looking for suggestions on what to upgrade first, ideally keeping the total cost under $1,000. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
1 Answer
First off, it sounds like upgrading your CPU would be a great starting point since your Ryzen 5 2600 is struggling under load. You might want to consider the Ryzen 7 5700X or even the Ryzen 5 7600X for a solid performance boost. Also, check your RAM speed and timings; if they're low, that can impact performance too. And definitely update your BIOS before any upgrades! That alone can help with stability. There's a link to a suggested build here which might help you: [PCPartPicker Build](https://pcpartpicker.com/list/N9P9db). Good luck!
Thanks for the insight! I wasn't sure whether to go for a higher Ryzen 5 or the 7, so this helps clarify things for me. Also, I didn't realize I should update my BIOS, so I'll check that out. Appreciate it!