I'm really confused about whether I should upgrade my graphics card or CPU right now because of the high RAM prices. I'm in the UK, currently using a 3070 GPU and a 3700X CPU, mainly playing multiplayer and grand strategy games like HOI4, which are more CPU intensive. My original plan was to upgrade my CPU first and then get a new GPU next year. However, the RAM prices have skyrocketed, especially since I'd need to switch to AM5 to use the new 9800X3D CPU I wanted. I'm considering a few scenarios:
1. Buy the CPU and just bite the bullet on the expensive RAM.
2. Get the CPU and wait it out for RAM prices to drop, which seems unlikely.
3. Buy a new GPU instead, but I'm worried my current CPU will bottleneck the performance.
4. Upgrade to the X3D on AM4, but I don't want to spend money on a CPU I'll need to replace again soon.
5. Just wait and do nothing for now, but that's frustrating because Christmas is coming up and I need to decide soon.
I'd love to hear what you would do in this situation and if anyone has other suggestions or knows where to find reasonably priced RAM in the UK. Thanks!
1 Answer
It's tough to predict how prices will shift, but if you're procrastinating, remember that prices on other parts might rise too. Earlier this year, people were paying hundreds more for 50 series GPUs than they should have. It’s a rollercoaster!
True, but RAM feels worse when it skyrockets to triple the price, while GPUs may seem more consistent in pounds even if their percentage markup isn't as significant.