I built my PC about 3-4 years ago, and now that I have a new job and a bit of cash to spend, I'm considering an upgrade. I'm running an i7-11700k and a 3060 Ti, and while most applications perform decently, I've noticed the CPU and GPU occasionally maxing out at 100%. It's not super stuttery, but my system does get pretty warm, especially when I check the fans. I initially thought I'd upgrade my CPU, but I found out that means I'd have to replace the motherboard too, which I'm not totally against if it's necessary. Just looking for advice on whether it's really needed and which component could use the upgrade more—my CPU or GPU? Also, I have a strong power supply, so I'm set on that front. Thanks for any insights!
2 Answers
If you're not unhappy with the overall performance, then there's no rush to upgrade. But if you find games like Satisfactory lagging or pushing your CPU to the limit, it might be time to consider an upgrade. Just remember, if you're going to upgrade, look at which component is really bottlenecking your experience—usually it’s best to upgrade the CPU if you’re seeing high usage there.
It really depends on what you want. If you're okay with the performance in most games and only a few are feeling sluggish, then you might not need to upgrade just yet. Assess if the games you want to play require more power. If you decide to upgrade, consider how often you use the system at full capacity. If you're gaming at high settings and experiencing any shortfalls, that's when an upgrade could be worth it.
Yeah, I do want to make sure it's future-proof for some upcoming titles I’m excited for.
That makes sense, I've been seeing high CPU usage sometimes. Thanks for the suggestion!