I recently started playing PC games again and want to upgrade my system, but I'm not sure where to spend my budget of around $600–$700. My current setup has a GeForce GTX 1660 Ti, an Intel Core i3-8100, 16GB of RAM, an ASUS TUF H310M-PLUS GAMING motherboard, and a 64-bit operating system. I use an LG UltraGear 144Hz monitor. Valorant currently runs at about 60 FPS, and I can't comfortably run Discord at the same time. I'm considering a used RTX 3070 for about $265, but I'm wondering whether the CPU is actually the main limitation. Should I upgrade the processor, graphics card, RAM, or move to a newer DDR4 platform?
2 Answers
The CPU is probably the biggest limitation here. Valorant is generally more CPU-dependent than GPU-dependent, and the GTX 1660 Ti should be capable of much more than 60 FPS at sensible settings. A compatible Core i7-8700 or i7-9700 could be a worthwhile drop-in upgrade, although you may need a BIOS update first. The K versions are only worth considering if the price is similar, since that motherboard isn’t designed for CPU overclocking. Check your power supply and CPU cooler before buying anything.
Before replacing the graphics card, check your RAM speed and configuration. If it’s running around 2133 MHz, a faster DDR4 kit in the 3000–3600 MHz range could help a little, especially if you’re using a single stick. However, the i3-8100 is still the more obvious bottleneck for running Valorant and Discord together. A used RTX 3070 is a strong deal only if it’s tested and your power supply can handle it, but it would likely be overkill for this game while keeping the old CPU in place.
So you think I should upgrade only the CPU first instead of buying the RTX 3070?