I'm thinking about a partial upgrade to my gaming rig and need some advice. Right now, I'm using a Ryzen 7 3700X CPU paired with an RTX 2080 Super GPU, along with 32GB of Corsair Vengeance RAM on an ASRock Fatality 350AB motherboard. It's already supported an upgrade from a Ryzen 5 1600 before, but I've missed the chance to get a budget AM4 upgrade since the prices for the 5700X3D have shot past $280.
My dilemma is whether I should drop around $300 for the Ryzen 3700X3D and stick with this motherboard for a few more years, or invest about $650 to switch to an AM5 setup and plan to upgrade my GPU in the next couple of years.
$300 feels steep for just upgrading to the 3700X3D, but I'm curious if my 2080 Super will be a significant bottleneck in a year or two.
I mostly play RPGs and simulation games like Cities Skylines 2, Avowed, Final Fantasy, and Civilization, aiming for 1440p at 60fps. My monitor can manage up to 166Hz, but I haven't really had the chance to experience that yet.
1 Answer
Honestly, you might want to think about upgrading both your CPU and GPU soon. If your budget is limited to under $300, I'd suggest holding onto your current setup for now and save for a proper overhaul later on. This way, you could eventually get a better CPU and GPU combo in one go, which is likely to yield better performance overall.
Are you saying the 2080 Super might struggle at 1440p, then? I've been playing at that resolution, and while I don't always hit 60fps, it's been good enough for me. I'm not super picky, as long as the gameplay isn't too laggy.