Should I buy a new PC or upgrade my current PC?

Posted by Worried_Sentence_607@reddit | buildapc | View on Reddit | 28 comments

Hello, I built a PC like 8 years ago and it's gotten quite dated. I was wondering if it's worth it to upgrade my PC or if I should just start fresh with a new PC. I mainly use it for gaming.
My current PC specs:

Intel Core i7 7700K
16GB Ram DDR4
Prime Z270-AR
NCIDIA GeForce GTX 1080

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Rykardonyx@reddit

Definitely time for a new one my friend 🙂

I recently helped my old man with his upgrade all for about AUD $2,500...

Parts:

RTX 4060 Ti (he does very light gaming, more videography and photography)

ASUS PRIME Z890-P WiFi

Intel Core Ultra 7 265 Arrow Lake 20 Core 20 Thread

Samsung 990 Pro PCIe Gen4 2TB

Corsair Vengeance 64GB DDR5-6000

be quiet! STRAIGHT POWER 12 850W Platinum PCIe 5.0 ATX Modular PSU

be quiet! PURE BASE 600 TG

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SAHD292929@reddit

You need an overhaul if you can't run games the way you want it anymore.

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dask1@reddit

u can probably reuse the case.
maybe the PSU.
and maybe if u had ssd as a secondary drive....

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CompetitiveYoghurt30@reddit

Never use a psu that old on new equipment. It will not be able to handle the stress of new parts. The case and maybe the fans are reusable but fans is a most likely no.

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Nervous_Pop8879@reddit

Okay, explain the difference between an 8 year old 700 watt PSU versus a 1 day old 700 watt PSU.

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Over_Ring_3525@reddit

Depends on the quality of the PSU. Cheap and nasty, yeah probably worth changing, high end you can probably keep using it. My corsair for example is expected to last a decade and might actually be already past that.

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CompetitiveYoghurt30@reddit

8 years

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Nervous_Pop8879@reddit

Most manufacturers have 10 year warranties on PSUs. He’s fine.

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CompetitiveYoghurt30@reddit

If he has an rm750x then yeh he should be fine but most I’ve seem usually only have a 6 year warranty

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WATAMURA@reddit

With Windows 10 losing support in October 2025, and I believe the Intel Core i7 7700K is not compatible with Windows 11 and the Asus Prime Z270-AR does not support any CPU after the 7700, it looks like you would have to replace the MOBO and CPU anyhow.

Technically the GTX 1080 is still good but will probably not pair well with newer generation hardware.

You could stay in the LGA 1700 Socket or AM4 Socket MOBO and CPU and keep the rest of the rig.

The CPU and GPU technology has advanced a lot in 8 years, so getting a new generation rig would be a huge leap... if you got the money.

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Over_Ring_3525@reddit

Alternately he could buy a new GPU (9070 XT or 5070TI) and see how it performs with the current setup. It will work, the question is how much it'll be gimped a lot by the slower CPU. And that will depend a lot on what games they have in mind. Only thing to check first is whether the PSU has enough grunt to go from a 180W card to a 300W card. Well that and will the new card fit in your case.

If the performance boost is underwhelming, then yep time to upgrade mobo, ram and CPU as well.

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independent_strudel@reddit

Other than the GPU, I don't know what else you could upgrade because that platform is dead. Depends on your budget, but if you can afford it, you could buy a new AM5 system. However, if budget is limited, I would try to find the best AM4 processor you can afford, then get a used (decent) motherboard, and then you're set. This allows you to use the existing RAM. The GPU you would anyway upgrade, so it doesn't really matter.

As for the CPU, I would look for an x3d CPU (5700x3d or 5800x3d). I have the 5800x3d with the Radeon 7900xtx and it's awesome. I expect this system to be good for at least 4-5 years from now when the AM6 platform comes.

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Intranetusa@reddit

AM4 X3D cpus are overpriced - the 5700X3D and 5800X3D goes for around $260-$350+. For around that price, you can get an AMD cpu, motherboard, and RAM. Microcenter has AM5 bundles for under $300 and even Amazon/Newegg is selling 8500G AM5 cpus for about $140-$150 and mATX motherboards for $100.

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independent_strudel@reddit

I was thinking buying used AM4 PCs with that combo.

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Nervous_Pop8879@reddit

Start fresh. Keep the old one though cause it would make a killer HTPC or you could use the CPU ram and motherboard for a NAS build.

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CMJ917@reddit

Dead platform, full upgrade.

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Anoran@reddit

If you will never use the old computer after buying a new one, just upgrade with the necessary parts and toss the dated equipment.

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Admiral_peck@reddit

I'm right there with ya but with a 1070. The old i7 is the sticking point anymore.

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peteybombay@reddit

The GPU is ok, you could use the RAM but you might as well get DDR5 since you need a new motherboard anyway.

Only 8th Gen Intel CPUs can run Win 11, so if you want security updates after October, you will need new hardware.

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