Should I Upgrade My 2017 Gaming PC or Build a New One?
Asked by
MellowCedar42
I built my PC around 2017 and only upgraded the graphics card later. I'm thinking about getting back into competitive FPS and battle royale games such as Counter-Strike, Valorant, Fortnite, Apex Legends, and similar titles. I usually play at low settings for higher performance, so I'm not concerned about running everything on ultra.
My current system is:
- Intel Core i7-7700K
- MSI Z270 Gaming Pro Carbon
- 16GB Corsair DDR4-2400
- RTX 2070 Super Gaming X Trio 8GB
- Samsung 850 EVO 500GB SSD
- 1TB Seagate hard drive
I'm unsure whether it makes sense to upgrade this system or save for a new one. My rough budget for a complete new PC would be around £1,000, although I'd prefer a cheaper upgrade if it would provide worthwhile performance.
I've also found this used system locally for £180:
- ASUS Prime Z370-P
- Intel Core i7-8700K
- 16GB T-Force memory
- NZXT Kraken liquid cooler
- Corsair RM650 modular power supply
- Antec ATX case
- No graphics card or storage
Could I reuse my RTX 2070 Super and Samsung SSD in that system, and would moving from the i7-7700K to the i7-8700K be a worthwhile temporary upgrade while I save for a newer platform?
Answers
Before buying anything, reinstall the games and see how the current PC performs. If you’re targeting high refresh rates, the 7700K could cause low or inconsistent frame rates in some newer titles, but the graphics card should still be capable. With roughly £1,000 available, a new CPU, motherboard, DDR5 memory, and a larger SSD would make more sense than moving from seventh- to eighth-generation Intel.
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Your RTX 2070 Super still has plenty of life for those games, especially at low or competitive settings. The i7-7700K may still be adequate if you’re happy with the current frame rates, so there’s no need to replace the whole PC before testing it again.
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The £180 system should accept both your RTX 2070 Super and 850 EVO SSD, assuming the parts are in good working order. The i7-8700K is faster than the 7700K because it has six cores and twelve threads instead of four cores and eight threads, but it is still an old platform. I wouldn’t spend £180 on it unless you specifically need better performance immediately and can verify the cooler, motherboard, and power supply are healthy.
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The best value option is probably to keep using the current machine for now, then upgrade the CPU, motherboard, and RAM when you have the budget for a meaningful jump. Reusing the 2070 Super can reduce the cost considerably, and you can replace the graphics card later if your games or resolution require more performance.
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For a proper upgrade, save for a modern CPU, motherboard, and memory together. Your current DDR4 may be reusable with some older platforms, but buying into another aging platform just to keep the RAM usually limits your options. A sensible approach would be to keep the 2070 Super, SSD, and possibly the PSU if its model and condition are suitable, then spend the main budget on the new platform.
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Answers are reviewed before publication.
BrightOwl63: It would be an improvement in some newer or CPU-heavy games, but it’s more of an interim step than a long-term upgrade. You’d probably want to replace that platform again fairly soon.