I'm trying to decide whether to upgrade my CPU or GPU first for my gaming setup. Right now, I have an NVIDIA 3060 Ti and a Ryzen 5600X, and I'm gaming at 1440p with a refresh rate of 165Hz. I'm considering moving to a new setup with a Radeon 9070 XT and a Ryzen 9700X. The 9070 XT costs around $949 CAD and the 9700X with an AM5 motherboard and DDR5 RAM is about $914 CAD. Which combination would be better for a temporary upgrade? Should I use the 3060 Ti with the 9700X or the 9070 XT with the 5600X?
4 Answers
It really depends on your playstyle and what resolutions you're gaming at. If you want to keep costs in check, maybe look into a Ryzen 5700 or 5800X3D, as they could serve you well without a complete overhaul. I recommend checking out a video from Hardware Unboxed for a comparison!
I’d go with the 5600X paired with the 9070 XT. You'll definitely get more performance out of the newer GPU, and the 5600X is still a solid processor for gaming, especially at 1440p.
Definitely upgrade the GPU first! The 5600X is still a decent CPU, and for most games, you wouldn't see a huge performance boost moving to a new CPU unless you're at low settings for high frame rates. If you're playing at 1440p, the 9070 XT will give you the best experience right now.
Good point, but benchmarks for games like The Finals show the 9070 XT with a 5600X averaging great FPS even at 1440p, so it could balance out for your needs!
For sure, go for the GPU upgrade to the 9070 XT! It's a beast and will make a noticeable difference in your gaming.
What about CPU-bound titles though? Don’t they benefit more from a better CPU?