I've built my gaming PC back in 2018, and I'm considering an upgrade to enjoy the new DOOM game. My current setup includes a GTX 1080 Ti GPU and an Intel i7-8700 CPU, which (I'm starting to realize) might not cut it for modern titles. I'm looking to upgrade to an Asus RTX 5070 Prime OC GPU and an AMD Ryzen 5 9600X CPU, along with a new motherboard and RAM. My budget is around £1000 ($1330), and I've found the new parts for about £950 ($1260), but I could stretch to £1200 ($1600) if necessary.
One thing I'm worried about: my PSU is from 2011, and while the upgrade parts should draw around 416W, I'm unsure if it's safe to keep using it. Plus, I've read that mixing AMD CPUs with Nvidia GPUs is fine, but I wanted to double-check that with you all. Would it be better to just buy a new GPU with ray tracing capabilities now and hold off on complete upgrades for later? Any advice or alternatives would be much appreciated!
5 Answers
You might want to consider upgrading to the Ryzen 7 7800X3D instead of the 9600X for better performance. Also, I suggest getting an Asus PRIME B650-PLUS motherboard. If your PSU is rated 80+ bronze or gold, you should be fine, but if it’s older or not certified, it might be worth getting a new one for reliability.
Considering your PSU is 7 years old, it might be safer to get a new one. It would give you peace of mind and help ensure that your upgrades run smoothly.
Definitely upgrade your RAM to at least 32GB DDR5. You mentioned 16GB, but more RAM can really help with modern games, especially at higher settings.
I had a similar dilemma and ended up just swapping my 1080 Ti for the 5070. I got it for about 650€. For my needs, it made sense to wait for a full upgrade since I don’t play graphically intensive games. I'm just focusing on making my rig decent for 1440p without breaking the bank right now.
With your budget, I think the Ryzen 5 is a solid choice. However, I've heard some issues with ASRock motherboards lately. I'd recommend Gigabyte instead. For RAM, check out Patriot Viper; they give great price/performance. Plus, consider a new PSU, especially since yours is getting older. I found a build that fits for around £1185 if you want a reference!
Good to know that mixing AMD and Nvidia works fine! But about the PSU, I feel like it's a safe move to replace it if it's 7 years old, just to avoid any surprises.
That's a great point, but the 7800X3D is quite pricey at around £380 while the 9600X is about £190. The prices can get pretty varied.