I'm currently away from home and trying to upgrade my Lian Li Q58 gaming PC without making a mistake. The system has an AMD Ryzen 5 six-core processor running at 3.6 GHz, 16 GB of T-Force VulcanZ memory, a 2 TB Samsung SSD, a GeForce GTX 1660 Super 6 GB, and an EVGA SuperNOVA 550 GM power supply. I'd like to play most modern games at 1080p on medium to high settings. I'm guessing the graphics card is the main part that needs replacing, but I'm not sure whether the CPU, RAM, or power supply should be upgraded too. I'm also unsure which exact Ryzen generation and memory specifications I have.
2 Answers
For a straightforward 1080p improvement, upgrade the GPU first. A used Radeon RX 6700 XT would be a strong value option and its extra VRAM should help it age better than the 1660 Super. If you want a newer card, something in the current midrange, such as an RX 9060 XT, would also make sense. After that, see whether the CPU limits performance in the games you play. If the system uses an older AM4 Ryzen chip, a 3D-cache model such as a Ryzen 5 5600X3D or 5500X3D can be a very good CPU upgrade, where compatible and available.
The graphics card is probably the best place to start, but the exact Ryzen model matters before choosing the rest of the upgrade. You can find it in Task Manager under Performance > CPU, or in Windows System Information. It would also help to check your RAM speed and whether the two sticks are running in dual-channel mode. Depending on the new GPU, the 550W power supply may be fine, but some higher-end cards could require a replacement.
I wasn’t sure where to find the exact CPU information. Windows only showed AMD Ryzen 5 six-core processor at 3.60 GHz, and the memory appears to be two sticks of T-Force VulcanZ. I’ll check the detailed system information before buying anything.
That sounds like the kind of upgrade I’m after. I don’t need the highest-end parts—just a noticeable improvement for normal 1080p gaming—so I’ll compare the GPU options and confirm my CPU model first.