I'm looking for some advice on upgrading my PC since my friends recently built new systems with AM5 CPUs and 12GB or 16GB GPUs, and I'm starting to feel like my early 2020 build is lagging behind. My current setup has been getting outdated, and while I doubt I can make my AM4 rig compete, I want to see how I can improve it without breaking the bank. Here's what I have:
- **CPU**: Ryzen 7 3700x
- **Cooler**: Corsair 240mm AIO
- **Motherboard**: Gigabyte Aorus Elite Wifi x570
- **RAM**: 4x8GB G.Skill TridentZ DDR4 3600 (but it's currently slowed to 2133 MHz, likely due to having four dims)
- **Storage**: 1TB SN850x NVMe as the main drive, a 500GB SATA SSD, and two HDDs (1TB and 2TB)
- **GPU**: EVGA 2070 Super
- **PSU**: Corsair RM650x 650W
- **Display**: 1x 1440p at 144hz, and 1x 1080p at 75hz
While I can usually hit 144fps in most titles, I'm running into serious issues with games like Monster Hunter: Wilds, which doesn't go above 30fps, and Minecraft with shaders, which is also struggling. Even in modded Elden Ring, I drop to 0fps when my friends are casting heavy spells.
I'm not planning to hunt for the elusive AM4 X3D CPUs, but I'm considering swapping in a Ryzen 5800XT and possibly grabbing a 5060TI 16GB or a 5070 before prices skyrocket. I think my BIOS is outdated and I need to tweak some settings too. Any suggestions on how to improve performance while keeping costs manageable?
5 Answers
Honestly, your build might be a bit of a relic at this point, and upgrading could be tricky. You might want to either stick with it and wait for better options or prepare to shift to a new build in the near future. It could save you a lot of trouble later on.
The 5060TI 16GB is a decent pickup. Just remember, while it may not be a terrible choice, remember Nvidia generally costs about 50% more for the same performance. If you want better price-to-performance, AMD might be the way to go. And no, you don’t have to mess with Adrenalin; you can download drivers directly from AMD without it.
Sounds like your system has some underlying issues if you're struggling with performance in games. I have a 2021 build with a 3060ti and a 5600, and I run Elden Ring smoothly at 60fps—even when things get crazy on screen. There might be something else bottlenecking your performance.
It's worth noting that desktop platforms don't really have quad-channel RAM like you might think. You’re actually working with two DIMMs per channel, which may cause some speed issues. Just manually set your RAM to DDR4-3200 in the BIOS—should help it run better. For your GPU upgrade, I'd recommend going for the 5800XT or the RX 9070; they’d be solid choices for your build. If you're looking at the 5070, just make sure it’s cheaper than the RX 9070, otherwise it might not be worth it.
Why not try manually adjusting your RAM settings instead of letting it run at a slower speed? Upgrading just the GPU might give you a decent boost, and then later you could consider getting a new CPU and motherboard when the market stabilizes. This isn't really the case where you want to sink too much into upgrades right now.
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