I'm planning a budget-friendly gaming PC for my kids to play at 1080p, mainly games like Deep Rock Galactic and Cities: Skylines. My current PC is about four years old and has an Intel Core i7 running at 3.6GHz, an MSI PRO Z690-A motherboard, 32GB of DDR5-4800 memory, an 8GB RTX 3070 Ti, and a Corsair RM850x Gold power supply.
I'm considering upgrading my current system to a newer graphics card with 16GB of VRAM, then passing the RTX 3070 Ti down to the kids' machine. Would that be a sensible way to save money, or could I end up needing to upgrade both computers again in a few years?
If I build around the 3070 Ti now, what CPU and motherboard platform would give me a good upgrade path for a newer processor and graphics card later? Would it make sense to replace the power supply and GPU in my existing system and eventually reuse those parts in the kids' PC, or is that unnecessarily complicated?
4 Answers
There’s no reliable way to future-proof a PC. The practical approach is to buy what fits your current budget and performance needs, then upgrade when the games or applications actually demand it. Trying to predict hardware requirements several years ahead often just means paying extra today for parts that may not age the way you expect.
Instead of planning around a fixed upgrade schedule, decide what performance you’re willing to accept. If the current games run well at the settings you want, the system is doing its job. Games released several years from now may require more CPU, GPU memory, or graphics power than you can predict today, so it’s better to leave room for upgrades without overspending on parts your kids don’t currently need.
For the games listed, the 3070 Ti is already plenty at 1080p. You probably don’t need a high-end kids’ build, and 16GB of memory should work for a basic gaming system, although 32GB is a reasonable choice if the price difference is small or Cities: Skylines will involve large cities and lots of mods. Put the money toward a reliable power supply, sensible cooling, and an upgradeable motherboard rather than chasing maximum specifications.
Your proposed hand-me-down plan is reasonable. The RTX 3070 Ti should be more than capable for 1080p gaming, so you could build the kids’ system around it and replace your own GPU when you need more performance. Just make sure the new system uses a current upgradeable platform, such as AM5, with a suitable power supply and a decent motherboard. That gives you a realistic path to replace the CPU or GPU later without rebuilding everything.
That’s what I’d do too: spend on the platform and power supply only where it makes sense, but don’t pay a premium for an imaginary five- or seven-year guarantee. A solid CPU now and a later GPU upgrade is a much more dependable plan.