Hey everyone! I'm considering whether it's worth it to replace my pre-built Lenovo PC with a custom-built rig. Here are the specs of my current setup: an AMD Ryzen 7 5800 CPU, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 GPU, 32 GB of DDR4 RAM at 3600 MHz, and a mediocre Lenovo motherboard. I've been using this setup for almost 4 years now, and I've started running into issues with newer, hardware-demanding games, especially since my motherboard can't take advantage of my RAM's full speed and isn't compatible with newer CPUs. So, I'm thinking about building a high-end custom PC. Given the current market conditions and my situation, do you think it's a smart move to sell my current setup and build something new? Let me know if you need more details!
5 Answers
I'd recommend keeping the RTX 3070 and RAM for your new build while selling off the rest of the pre-built system. The RTX 3070 is still pretty solid for modern games when paired with a quality AM4 CPU.
If you're looking to save some cash, getting a quality AM4 board and possibly a new case could do the trick. Your CPU, GPU, and RAM still have decent specs to run most games fine. Perhaps just swap out the motherboard.
Honestly, the slight performance gain from upgrading might not justify the expenses. To unlock more potential, you'd need to replace the case, power supply, and motherboard, but even then, the gains would likely be minimal. I suggest waiting a bit longer to build a fresh setup on AM5. I managed to upgrade for a reasonable price without seeing much improvement, so it could be worth it to hold out.
I upgraded before prices soared. I jumped from a 3060 to a 5080 and maxed my RAM from 16GB to 64GB, plus I got the Ryzen 7 7800X3D. If you're thinking about upgrading, it might be a good time.
Have you hit a wall with your current setup? There are faster GPUs than the 3070, but staying in the same price range for something like a 5070 might not give you a significant boost. New CPUs can offer better performance for certain tasks, but if gaming is your main focus, you might not see much change unless the GPU is slowing you down. You could consider looking for a second-hand AM4 motherboard that can handle your RAM, but it might also mean buying a new case and power supply.

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