Upgrading from 2070 Super to 9070 XT. Should I also get new CPU and more RAM?

Posted by TheRedMandrake@reddit | buildapc | View on Reddit | 18 comments

Hi all,

I’m planning an upgrade to my current build and would appreciate some advice before pulling the trigger.

Current build:

Ryzen 7 3700X
MSI B450 Tomahawk MAX
RTX 2070 Super
16 GB DDR4-3600 (2×8)
600W PSU

Planned upgrades

RX 9070 XT
750W PSU

My targets are:

4K @ \~60 FPS (future-proofing a bit)
1440p @ \~144 FPS

Questions

CPU: Will my 3700X bottleneck a 9070 XT enough that I should upgrade now?

RAM: I know 16 GB is rather low for my targets, but I rather not upgrade given the current shortage. Does it make sense to stay on 16 GB or should I really upgrade?

I am using the machine exclusively for gaming. I am on Windows, though I may go Linux later.

Thanks!

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KazefQAQ@reddit

R5 5600 would be an easy upgrade, 16 gigs should be fine providing the CL are good

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shanne1020@reddit

Second this. The 5600 would be an easy affordable upgrade. I upgraded to the 5600 from a 3600 and it’s been worth it.

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KazefQAQ@reddit

Absolutely, the goat of CPU for budget gamers

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TheRedMandrake@reddit (OP)

Thanks for the advice! The R5 5600 seems to be perfect in my case

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No problem, just you may need to update the bios on your mobo, in most cases for AM4 the bios chip does not have enough storage for both 3000 and 5000 series CPU so you may lose backwards compatibility, and if you wish to push the performance even further, AM4 also have a couples of X3D chips, just FYI those are pretty pricey

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Wistful_Aurora@reddit

I'm not expert, but yes I think your cpu and ram are a bottleneck. I would recommend an am5 x3d cpu if you can afford it.

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Wistful_Aurora@reddit

For $349.99 you can get a Ryzen 5 7600x, Asus B650E Max Gaming wifi motherboard, and 16 gb GDkill ddr5 6000 from Microcenter. Fantastic deals there.

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TheRedMandrake@reddit (OP)

Thanks for the advice. I'm in Switzerland, so no Microcenter here. But I can probably find similar deals somewhere.

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Ill_Difference_4039@reddit

that's a good start but try to squeez a cpu upgrade like the 5600 minimum, if that's not possible maybe get the non XT 9070 ( it's only 5-10% worse but a lot more efficient ) and use the difference on a cpu upgrade, like a 5700x

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Funny-Carob-4572@reddit

I moved from the same but with 64 gig ddr4

I went 9800x3D and 9070xt with 32gig ram

CPU so far hasn't stressed on any game , card likewise has pretty much thrown everything I have at it in 4k.

Night and day difference

Went with the 9800 for more future proofing, will be a while before much stresses it!

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weedandmagic@reddit

A cpu AMD from x3d series AM4 (5500/700/800) and 32 gb ram 3600 would be fine. If you have money for a full upgrade then go AM5 and ddr5

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NotSlimShadyy@reddit

Honestly, yeah. I'd be patient and look at micro center or newegg bundles and get one when the price seems reasonable. You could also sell your motherboard, CPU and ram and use that money towards the upgrade

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MagicPistol@reddit

Yeah, get a Ryzen 5600x, 5700x, or 5800 XT.

I have a Ryzen 5700x with 9070 XT and it runs great at 1440p. Sure, I'm probably not getting the max performance out of my 9070 XT, but I'm happy.

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