I'm looking to upgrade my gaming rig and I need some advice. I can only choose to upgrade either my CPU, motherboard, and RAM or just my GPU. I mainly play games like Arma, Escape from Tarkov, Rainbow Six, Call of Duty, and Battlefield at 1440p resolution. I've been considering upgrading my CPU to a 9800X3D now and possibly getting a 5080 GPU in the future. Based on my current setup, what do you think would be the best option for an upgrade?
5 Answers
Your setup is mostly balanced, but at 1440p, the GPU could be the bottleneck. An upgrade to the GPU would double your frame rates, especially compared to CPU upgrades which only yield about a 10% increase in some cases. Consider a class card between 4080 and 5080 for better performance.
Check your GPU utilization while you’re gaming using tools like MSI Afterburner. If you notice it’s maxing out, it might be time to upgrade your GPU first. If it’s not fully utilized, then you could benefit more from a CPU upgrade instead.
For games that rely heavily on CPU power, like the ones you mentioned, I’d lean towards a CPU upgrade first. An i5 12600K, which is about 10% faster than your i9, could bottleneck a GPU like a 4070 Super, especially in CPU-bound games. While your GPU can benefit from DLSS, CPU limitations will hold that performance back.
Before deciding, think about what exactly you're missing in your current setup. If your goal is simply to boost frame rates and you're happy with performance otherwise, then a GPU upgrade could be the way to go. However, if your current performance isn't cutting it, then a CPU upgrade might be the answer.
I recommend upgrading your CPU because you'll likely need a new motherboard and more RAM for the 9800X3D. The total cost is around $1,000: about $440 for the CPU, $380 for memory, and around $150 for a decent motherboard. Don't forget about a good cooler for around $30-50!
Agreed! I had a 10900 system that struggled with a new 5080 due to the old PCIe 3.0 chipset. It’s important to ensure compatibility.