I'm relatively new to PC building and I've noticed that my gaming performance has taken a hit lately, with low FPS in several games. I put my PC together about four years ago and I'm looking to make some upgrades. My budget is around $300 to $400. Here are my current specs:
- **CPU:** AMD Ryzen 5 3500x (6 Cores, 6 Threads)
- **Motherboard:** ASRock B450M Steel Legend
- **Memory:** T-FORCE Vulcan Z 16 GB (2 x 8 GB)
- **Storage:** KINGSTON SA400S37240G SSD (240GB) & WD Blue 1TB HDD
- **Video Card:** RTX 3060 TI Dual Fan PNY NVIDIA Geforce (8 GB GDDR6)
- **Case:** Pichau Gadit X RTB
- **Power Supply:** Uncertain, but likely around 500W
I'm wondering what part(s) I should prioritize upgrading to enhance my gaming experience.
3 Answers
Don’t forget to check if your OS is installed on your SSD, not your HDD. Also, it might help to list the specific games causing issues since some games are more demanding than others!
Upgrading your CPU would be a great first step. A Ryzen 7, like the 5700X3D, would give you a noticeable boost. Also, consider getting an NVMe SSD for faster load times if you don’t already have one!
Good advice! Just make sure to check your PSU, as a low-quality one could cause issues.
If you want to maximize FPS, ideally, you'd want a better GPU. The 3060 Ti is decent, but consider options like the RX 7700XT or a 5060 Ti 16GB. Just know these can be on the higher end of your budget. Also, keep an eye on GPU utilization; knowing whether it’s bottlenecking can help you decide where to upgrade first.
Thanks for the tip! I’ll check the Nvidia overlay to monitor utilization and appreciate the GPU suggestions!
It's on the SSD! The games I'm struggling with include Kingdom Come Deliverance 2, COD, and Escape from Tarkov. My GPU tends to run hot at around 80°C.