Hey everyone! I need some advice about my gaming PC. It's getting pretty old with a GTX 980 and an Intel i5-8400, plus I've got an SSD, 16GB of RAM, and a 550-watt PSU with a basic B chipset motherboard. My income is limited due to a disability, but I get a little extra to spend each year. I'm wondering if I should use that money to grab a new GPU like the RTX 4060 Ti, or if it's better to save up for a year to build a completely new setup. Will upgrading the GPU give me a noticeable performance boost for newer games, or is my old CPU going to hold it back too much? I can still play most games, but I'm just concerned about the CPU's ability to keep up. Any thoughts would be appreciated!
3 Answers
Honestly, it might be smarter to wait for a full new build. If you can, grab a new GPU first, then plan for a CPU, motherboard, and RAM upgrade down the line. Just make sure your current setup can last a bit longer!
Upgrading to any modern GPU will give you a massive performance gain over the GTX 980. The 4060 Ti might be overkill for your i5-8400; something like a 3060 Ti could pair better. Consider upgrading to a 9th-gen i7 or i9 down the line for a more balanced setup.
How about looking for a used RX 6800 XT for around $300? It could offer a solid performance bump without breaking the bank! Just be sure to check benchmarks to see if it’ll actually help with your CPU utilization issues.
That RX 6800 XT sounds like a good plan, but definitely keep an eye on how much your CPU is being taxed while gaming.
Yeah, I just want to make sure my PC can hang in there until I can save more for a full upgrade.