I'm looking to upgrade my PC, and I want some advice on the best way to start. Here's what I currently have: an AMD Ryzen 5 1600 AF processor, 16GB of DDR4 RAM at 1330MHz, an ASUSTeK PRIME A320M-K motherboard, a 4095MB NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti graphics card, and a decent amount of storage with a 931GB HDD and a 447GB SSD. Should I be looking to upgrade the motherboard or get a new video card first? I'm open to suggestions on what to change and in what order. Thanks!
2 Answers
You can likely keep your current motherboard, but ideally, you should upgrade both the CPU and the graphics card. The Ryzen 5600X or 5700X would be solid upgrades along with getting a good air cooler. For a new GPU, check prices on the 7600XT or even a 2070 Super if used parts are available. And definitely consider upgrading your RAM to 32GB at 3200 MHz—it's a good move! Also, if you can, think about upgrading your monitor to at least 1080p for better visuals.
I recommend starting with the CPU upgrade. The Ryzen 5 5500 is a great choice and super affordable, usually around $70. Just make sure to update your BIOS before swapping it out. You'll notice a huge performance boost. After that, consider saving up for a new GPU like the RX 6600 or 3060. Those will really enhance your gaming experience! Also, if you can, bump your RAM up to 32GB; it'll help too.
Thanks! So you definitely think swapping out the 1600 AF for the 5500 is worth it? And should I still stick with my current DDR4 setup or think about moving to DDR5?
That's helpful, thanks! So just to confirm, if I go for one of those newer GPUs, I will need to upgrade my motherboard since they’re DDR6, right?