I'm considering upgrading my older PC setup, which currently has an i5 10600kf processor, a Gigabyte Z590 UD AC motherboard, 16 GB of G Skill 3200 MHz RAM, and an RTX 5050 GPU. I recently got the GPU at a good price during Black Friday, but I'm realizing that my current CPU only supports PCIe 3.0, while many new budget GPUs, including the 5050, support PCIe 5.0 x8. Would switching to the i5 11400, which offers PCIe 4.0 support, be a beneficial move? I think I can sell my current i5 for a decent price since K-series processors have good resale value. I'm hoping to extend the life of my PC build a little longer, especially considering the current RAM situation. I've heard that the 5050 isn't the best option, but I'm trying to keep any future GPU upgrades around $200. Performance tests show some frame drops with the 5050 on PCIe 3.0, but I am unsure how these issues will affect my setup. What do you all think?
1 Answer
Intel has done a solid job optimizing drivers for the ARC series. Instead of upgrading your CPU, I'd suggest considering a different CPU or a used 6700XT for around $200. The performance boost might be more viable than just a CPU swap to the i5 11400, since that would be more of a side grade. Check out some recent benchmarks for better comparisons!
I watched that video too, but it mostly focused on Zen CPUs. It talked about improvements but not complete fixes. It's tricky to find a modern GPU that fits well with your build since options might not seem appealing.