Hi everyone! I recently got my hands on a 4K monitor and I'm considering an upgrade for my GPU. Right now, I'm using a GTX 1070 8GB (the MSI version), and I haven't done any repasting yet, so I plan to start there to boost its performance a bit for now. My setup includes an i7-6950X (10 cores/20 threads), 32GB of quad-channel DDR4 RAM, and an ASRock Extreme4 X99 motherboard. I usually play games like BeamNG.drive and want to improve my system's performance. There's still plenty of CPU capacity available with my current GPU, but I'd rather focus on upgrading the GPU for now since transitioning to a newer platform would mean investing in a DDR5 memory kit. I'm looking for a GPU that I can use in my current system and possibly carry over to a future build when prices go down. I'm considering an Arc A770 16GB — do you think it's a good fit for my X99 rig? I've used Arc on newer builds, but I'm not sure how it will perform with my older setup.
4 Answers
What's your budget looking like for the upgrade?
I wouldn't recommend the Arc A770 for your setup. It really benefits from resizeable bar support to function well, which your current board may not have. Keep in mind that using a 4K monitor will allow you to delay upgrading your 6950X since the GPU will likely be the bottleneck.
Have you checked your power supply unit (PSU)? That's something to consider before upgrading your GPU.
The A770 is a decent card but might be above your budget based on what you mentioned. The 6600XT available on the used market is within your range and performs similarly to the A770. However, neither card excels at 4K gaming; they're better suited for 1080p or moderate 1440p gaming. If you can stretch your budget, you might consider selling your monitor for a lower resolution.
I'd like to keep it under $200-250 USD. I'm not looking to invest a lot in this rig since I might hold onto it for a while, depending on how prices are. I'm open to buying used.