Should I Upgrade My Motherboard for a New GPU?
Asked by
GamerGalactic42
I'm currently using an Asus ROG STRIX Z390-E GAMING motherboard with an i7-8700K processor. I'm planning to upgrade my GPU from a GTX 1660 to an RX 9060 XT, but I'm wondering if my current motherboard can handle this upgrade. If I decide to upgrade the motherboard, I'd likely need a new CPU and possibly DDR5 RAM too. I'm looking for some opinions from experienced users before I commit to this change.
Answers
If you decide to upgrade your motherboard, an LGA1700 could be a good option if you want to reuse your DDR4 RAM. Any modern CPU will outperform the i7-8700K significantly, especially in single-thread performance which is crucial for gaming. Upgrading to an i5 would be ideal. Keep in mind AM5 is pricier and you might face bottlenecking with the new GPU.
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You’re fine with the RX 9060 XT. It’s not super fast and is actually beaten by a 3080 by around 20%. The 3080 is nearly six years old, so don’t stress it too much.
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I recommend looking into the RTX 3060 12GB instead. It shares the same drivers and would be less demanding on your older platform. Plus, overclocking your i7-8700K can give you a nice performance boost.
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Honestly, go for it. Lots of people are successfully running 3080s on 8th and 9th gen i7 processors—I'm one of them! The RX 9060 should work just fine with your setup.
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The i7-8700K is still a good processor, especially if you overclock it and have it paired with tuned DDR4 RAM. I’d suggest going for the 9060 XT and see how it performs with the games you play. If your FPS are low and you notice that GPU usage isn’t hitting close to 100%, then consider upgrading the CPU afterwards.
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