I bought my PC as a prebuilt in 2020, and it currently has a Radeon RX 580 and a six-core Ryzen 5 3600. I've delayed upgrading, but I recently bought Black Myth: Wukong and Crimson Desert and found that my system can't run them properly. What GPU would be a worthwhile upgrade? My budget and power supply may affect the choice, and I'm also open to upgrading the CPU if that would help reduce stuttering.
4 Answers
The RX 9060 XT with 16GB of VRAM looks like the best fit for these newer, demanding games. I’d avoid the 8GB model because Unreal Engine 5 titles can use more memory and may stutter or require lower settings. Check that your power supply has enough wattage and the right connectors before buying.
If you need the cheapest possible upgrade, a used RTX 2070 can sometimes be found for around $170. It won’t be as strong or as future-proof as a newer 16GB card, but it should be a noticeable improvement over the RX 580.
That makes sense for a tight budget, but I’d be more hesitant with only 8GB of VRAM if the goal is specifically to play newer Unreal Engine 5 games.
The Ryzen 5 3600 may also hold back a new GPU in some games. Since your system uses AM4, a Ryzen 7 5700X or 5900X could be a convenient later upgrade, especially if you’re seeing CPU-related stutter. Before choosing parts, confirm your motherboard BIOS support, current PSU model and wattage, case clearance, and total budget.
You could also look at Intel’s current midrange GPUs if pricing is better in your area. They can offer good value, but make sure the games you play and your system’s support for features like resizable BAR are a good match.
Agreed on skipping the 8GB version. For these games, the extra VRAM is more important than saving a little money upfront.