I bought a €350 gaming PC with a GTX 1070, 16GB of DDR4, and an Intel Core i7-6700K. I originally assumed an i7 would have eight cores, but this sixth-generation chip only has four cores and eight threads. I'm concerned that it may struggle when I'm gaming while running Discord, YouTube Music, and other applications at the same time. My current LGA1151 motherboard apparently cannot support newer, higher-core-count processors, so I may need to replace both the CPU and motherboard. Since my budget is below €50 for each, what used CPU and motherboard would work with my existing DDR4 memory, GTX 1070, and other components?
4 Answers
Before spending money, check what is actually limiting performance. If the CPU is near 100% usage while the GTX 1070 is not close to full utilization, then an upgrade could help. Otherwise, the graphics card will usually be the bottleneck. The 6700K is old, but it can still handle gaming reasonably well, especially at 1080p with sensible settings.
For multitasking, a six-core Ryzen system could be worth considering. A used Ryzen 5 2600 or 2600X with a compatible B350 or B450 motherboard might fit close to your budget, although prices vary a lot by location. Make sure the board supports your DDR4 kit and has the required BIOS version before buying.
Be careful when looking at Intel upgrades. A 9600K is not compatible with every LGA1151 motherboard; it needs a 300-series board, while many sixth-generation systems use a 100- or 200-series chipset. Replacing both parts for under €100 may be difficult, so verify the exact motherboard model and compare complete used CPU-and-board bundles.
I’d use the system for a while before replacing anything. A 6700K is not automatically unusable just because it has four cores, and the GTX 1070 is also an older card. For newer demanding games, medium or low settings and upscaling such as FSR may help more than a small CPU upgrade. Avoiding unnecessary background software can also reduce stuttering.
My main concern is running several apps alongside games rather than gaming performance alone. I’ll check used Ryzen parts, but I’ll also monitor CPU and GPU usage first.