My dad gave me an older gaming PC with an Intel Core i5-8400, a GTX 1050 Ti EXOC, 32GB of DDR4 RAM, and a Smart SE 630W active-PFC power supply. The system handles the games I currently play, including Overwatch, The Sims 4, and League of Legends, but I'd like to upgrade the graphics card so I can also play demanding games such as ARK: Survival Ascended. What GPU would be a sensible match for this setup without wasting performance because of the older CPU? I'd also prefer a card I can keep when I eventually upgrade the motherboard and processor. Is there an affordable CPU and motherboard combination I should consider later?
1 Answer
Cards in the RTX 3060, RTX 3060 Ti, RTX 3070, RX 6600, and RX 6700 XT range are reasonable possibilities. An RTX 2080 or GTX 1080 Ti would also be a major improvement over the 1050 Ti, especially if you find one used at a good price. Be careful with older cards, though, since their warranty, power draw, and remaining lifespan can vary a lot.

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