I've had my PC since 2019, and while it generally runs well for 8-10 hours daily, I'm facing some FPS drops and screen freezes. Since I use it mainly for gaming, I aim for a smooth 360 fps in Fortnite on low settings for competitive play.
My current specs are:
- CPU: Intel Core i5-9400f @ 2.90GHz
- Memory: 16.0 GB 2133 MHz DIMM
- Disk: 224 GB SSD
- GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER
- Chipset: Intel B360
I have a flexible budget but want to ensure I get good value without overspending. Should I look into upgrades, and if so, where should I start? Or is it better to buy a completely new setup? Let me know if you need more details!
5 Answers
Upgrading your CPU would require a new motherboard as well, so that's a significant choice. Your 16GB of RAM is still okay, but you should be cautious; games are increasingly benefiting from having 32GB. A complete upgrade to an AM5 system would be a solid long-term investment, though it might not be the cheapest up-front.
I recommend considering a new build entirely. Your RAM is definitely underwhelming—2133 MHz is quite slow for today's standards. You might find that upgrading the GPU is necessary, too, along with moving to a more modern i5 CPU to maintain those ultra-high frame rates during gameplay.
Totally support going for 32GB of DDR4 RAM. As for your GPU, either the 9070XT or the 5070ti would serve you well. If you haven’t upgraded your CPU yet, consider going with a 12400, depending on the quality of the motherboard you choose.
Focus on upgrading the RAM and GPU—both have a marked impact on gaming performance. 32GB of DDR4-3600 RAM is a good target, and for the GPU, look at options like the 9070XT or 5070ti, as they'll carry over to your future upgrades.
You could save some costs by keeping parts like your case and storage when upgrading. Check out these builds:
- For a budget Intel option: [Intel Build](https://pcpartpicker.com/list/X7vQ2x)
- For a performance-oriented AMD option: [AMD Build](https://pcpartpicker.com/list/R22GzP).
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