I put together my PC about 8 years ago and haven't kept up with the latest tech since then. Right now, I have an Intel i7 8700K processor, a 600W power supply, and an ASRock Z370M-ITX/AC motherboard with 16GB of RAM. My current graphics card is a GTX 1060, and I'm looking to upgrade. What graphics card can I get without bottlenecking, and are there other upgrades I should consider? I'm ready to spend around $500 to $600 total on this upgrade.
5 Answers
You should definitely go for the best GPU within your budget, and don’t be scared about your older CPU holding you back. With $600, you might look at a RX 6800 XT and consider a PSU upgrade—great balance without worrying too much about bottlenecking right now.
Bottlenecking isn't a straight yes or no; it really depends on what games you play and your settings. For example, games can have various performance demands. What resolution and refresh rate are you playing at?
It’s hard to pinpoint what the bottleneck is because it changes with different games and settings. Just stick to your budget and buy the best GPU you can find that fits it. Every setup has some form of bottleneck eventually, so don’t stress too much about it!
What’s the size of your case? Since you’re on a mini-ITX board, it might be tricky to upgrade CPUs since good options are limited. If you're thinking of a new CPU, you might want a bigger case to open up more choices.
It’s mini-ITX. If I change the CPU, I’ll probably just go for a larger case.
Bottlenecks depend on several factors beyond just hardware, like the games you play and how your system handles them. For a solid upgrade, look into the RX 6800 XT or RTX 3060 Ti. The 3060 Ti is a bit pricier but generally offers better performance for ray tracing. Also, your 8700K is still decent, so I’d recommend just upgrading as needed instead of overhauling your platform now.
I mainly play Helldivers and Cyberpunk at 1080p, usually getting 60fps on lower settings.