I bought my PC from NZXT back in 2019, and instead of shelling out for a brand-new system, I want to upgrade some parts to keep it current. I'm looking for suggestions on which components—like RAM, GPU, etc.—I should replace to bring it up to speed, especially with the upcoming release of EU5. I know my setup will handle that game, but I'd like it to be a bit more contemporary for other uses as well.
I'm not aiming for the latest and greatest like the new 50 series graphics cards, but I've been out of the loop for a while and can't quite decipher all the benchmark stats online. Is FPS the only metric I should be watching?
Here's my current setup:
- NZXT H710i Case
- NZXT Kraken X72 Cooler
- MSI MPG Z390 Gaming Pro Carbon AC Motherboard
- EVGA RTX 2080 Super GPU
- Intel Core i9-9900K CPU
- Seasonic Focus Plus 750W Gold PSU
- Team T-FORCE XCALIBUR RGB 32GB RAM
- Samsung 970 EVO Plus 1TB SSD
- Seagate Barracuda 1TB HDD
- Microsoft Windows 10 Pro
2 Answers
If you're after the most cost-effective upgrade, consider moving to Intel's 12th gen, like the 12600K or 12700K, which will let you keep your memory and cooler. Pair that with a B760 motherboard and then look at upgrading your GPU to an RTX 5070. If you're thinking longer-term, people are leaning towards AM5 setups with the 9600X and B650/B850 boards along with DDR5 memory and something like the RX 9070.
You've got a solid build, but upgrading may not be cheap if you're looking for a big performance boost. Do you have a budget in mind for these upgrades?
So it sounds like my rig isn't as outdated as I thought? That’s good to hear! I can set aside about $500 for upgrades, I definitely need a new SSD or hard drive though.
Jeez, these names are a mouthful! So, I need to upgrade the motherboard as well to accommodate future upgrades?