At what point do you feel a PC upgrade is actually worth it?
Posted by Such_Tailor_4946@reddit | buildapc | View on Reddit | 70 comments
Hi everyone,
I’ve been thinking about upgrades recently and realized it’s not always clear when it’s actually “worth it.”
Sometimes performance is okay, but not perfect like occasional stutters or longer load times but not bad enough to force an upgrade.
So I’m curious:
- Do you wait until your system struggles a lot?
- Or do you upgrade when you start noticing small issues?
- What’s your personal “trigger point” for upgrading?
Just trying to understand how others decide this.
EatsOverTheSink@reddit
When I can’t get 60fps at a reasonable graphical fidelity. I don’t need everything path traced out the ass, but as soon as my new games start looking dated to the point I notice while playing, then we’re due for an upgrade.
Legitimate_Payment49@reddit
when my wallet allows me; my wallet is the BIGGEST bottleneck.
hamfinity@reddit
Just overclock your wallet with debt!
/s
AdeptRelative5106@reddit
When you're PC isn't giving you the performance you want AND you can afford an upgrade
CalligrapherNo95@reddit
Pretty much i already updated performance with cpu and graphics card right now im just upgrading storage planning 2 4tb ssd for space which is the only limiting force i modded my gams having to unistall them is a big pain in the ass
Seiq@reddit
This.
When I was making like 8 bucks an hour, going from a GTX680 to a 1070ti was night and day, and completely worth it on my old 3770K system.
I didn't upgrade my PC until I was able to buy a 5900X and 3080ti. That was a big ass jump.
These days I'm the idiot that upgrades to a 5090 from a 4090, but it's entirely tied to disposable income, which most people do not have.
hamfinity@reddit
For me, when I didn't have the money, I had time to game.
Now, when I have the money, I have no time to game.
cubinbk@reddit
Bro you sound like me. I was still using my GTX680 on my PC that I built in 2011/2 (I got the video card later) and just got a pre built with a RTX5080. I remember when RE Village came out, I could play the game just fine but when the movies came on, omfg the audio lagged, the video was broken, and colors were mixed up. I had to consistently pause and unpause to see the visuals move. This was on the lowest settings. Surprisingly it played Cyberpunk2077 just fine on lowest settings. Never had an issue.
PretendingImNotAnApe@reddit
40% performance uplift or you might not even notice the difference.
CartographerSweaty86@reddit
I only upgrade when there’s at least 3 games I want to play that I can’t play “comfortably”, that being medium settings and 50fps, yes 50 (I hate LFC), when there are reasonable options that meaning at least 40% increase in performance compared to what I already got AT reasonable price to performance, and my CWS (aka Current Wallet Situation).
PigSlam@reddit
A few CPU generations, a couple of GPU generations, and a RAM generation. When all of those happen, it's generally getting to be time to think about an upgrade.
In my most recent case, I was using a 2019 Razer Blade 15 Advanced with an eGPU as a desktop replacement. I had an RTX 3070 in the eGPU enclosure. Last January, I built a Ryzen 7 7800X3D/RX9070 system, which included an upgrade from DDR4 to DDR5, so it ticked all of my boxes.
Snow_Uk@reddit
When it stops doing the things you want it to do ,At the speed you need to do them at
for some this might just be putting on a new graphics card
never rule out a fresh windows build every few year I know we all dread the thought but it can bring new life into the old
tark561@reddit
Or consider Linux. Especially with Windows 11 creeping round the corner. I'm a heavy gamer and switched to Linux a few months ago and regret nothing
crough94@reddit
I thought about Linux for my most recent build, but I mod my games a lot to keep them fresh (Skyrim for example) and it’s just not there yet from what I remember researching. Do you know if it’s got any better?
dark_knight097@reddit
Steam tinker launch -> install vortex or mod organizer 2 into whatever game prefix needs it. Otherwise, manual modding is still an option.
I myself mod a lot of games. Like 7 days to die; which i actually have another PC i built, running kubuntu, that i use for dedicated servers. However the one game i can't get working the way I want was the VR verison of skyrim, for some reason it never detects the Higgs.esp. other mods work but that one is the foundation for a lot of mods so I just dual boot for it.
AlmoranasAngLubot69@reddit
I started playing at 1440p (1080p since 2017) and my 6700XT can't keep up on some modern titles, so a jump to 9070XT is a huge upgrade for me
streakermaximus@reddit
When I no longer meet the minimum specs for a game I want
lichtspieler@reddit
For me its a smooth gaming experience in the 1-3 games I play.
Its basicly frequent micro-stutter and I consider upgrading.
Unsolvable USB issues, stability issues that will 100% cause data corruption over time, are red flags, I wont even use the hardware at that point.
main system 9800x3D / 4090 / 64GB_6000_CL26 | backup system 7800x3D / 3090 / 64GB_6000_CL30
PCdealmaster@reddit
It’s time to upgrade once games you used to run at 120-144hz stable, is no longer stable.
Or when there is stutter during heavy load or fights. Absolutely won’t deal with that. I immediately figure out component that’s causing the problem, and try to snipe it used on Facebook marketplace for weeks.
I had 16gb ram and was getting 15.8/98% usage, was getting stutters once Ram was not enough. Stalked a few fb marketplace posts for weeks, lots of texting and negotiating, but eventually someone bites. I send them screenshots of the lowest eBay completed sold listings of their product in the past 30 days, I intentionally leave out the high priced completed ones, I also don’t like driving 30+ miles for it, so I say if u meet me in my town I pay them more, make sure to check their other listings, sometimes it’s a ex gf selling bfs stuff and discount or sometimes it’s clearly stolen, they don’t know what a GPU is, you meet up with them in person and you bring a friend, you tell the thief that we can call the cops or you can sell it to me at 50% off, works every time. Thieves are pussies, hence why they steal, you bring consequences to them, they fold immediately.
NiTRo_SvK@reddit
I still consider my R5 5600 and RTX 3060Ti pretty new. At least I like to think so. Of course I know there's way more capable hardware right now, but this one works just fine for what I need.
PaxV@reddit
I play midrange and very occasionally a high end RPGs,
I prefer I can play 60FPS and i'll consider my PC fine
Provided I can play 30+ FPS I consider my pc pretty well , struggling in need of cleaning and repaste or reinstall and see if it buffs FPS ... if not hnot yet struggling.
If I cannot achieve 30+FPS I consider my PC old. If nothing works and I struggle at 30FPS or lower I buy a new PC. Generally a new high end one. Not puissant expensive, Just a high end one. xx80(Ti) or decent AMD card, I'd consider 2Tb M.2 and a new storage SSD. last one had 64Gb RAM, one before 32Gb, One before 16Gb, One before 2Gb, One before 256Mb...One before 16Mb, etc... I still consider 2-4Gb/thread enough. So 8c 16t 32-64 Gb. Id consider 96 or 128Gb if I would buy another 12 or 16 core. Provided it is affordable.
My PCs average prime life time in my PCs run is 7-8 years. They last approx 15 years. I aleays bought my PCs with copious amounts of RAM and a decent GPU. My 2003 AMD Athlon64 used a 3D card, 1 Gb later 2Gb, on 1 core my follow up Opteron used 16Gb on 8 cores
tiimsliim@reddit
I went from 13600k/3080ti/64gb ddr4 -> 7800x3d/5080/64gb ddr5. Just because I could. My system did not struggle. I did not need to. Microcenter had a great deal on pretty much all the parts I was interested in at the same time, so I went for it.
BoussIRL2@reddit
For me, it was a time thing, although I guess you could call it a performance thing as well. My partner and I used my old gaming PC as our primary PC and I built it around 10 years ago, so when it came to wanting to do modern stuff like VRChat and other relatively demanding apps, the PC got us by but it was starting to get issues, even after upgrading from 8 to 16 GB of DDR3. It was slow to fully turn on and use and the performance was becoming lackluster. So, all that is to say, if you can make it last for more than five years, it's a good PC, but if nothing, time and a drop of performance over said time made us upgrade. Went from an i5 4690K/RX 480/DDR3 system to a Ryzen 5 7600x/RX 7700 XT/DDR5 system and besides some growing pains, it's had great performance 👍
Zestyclose_Paint3922@reddit
Until you can´t run 4k games at "decent" fps.
broken_soul696@reddit
For me it was when I felt limited by the performance I was getting. My first pc was a prebuilt with a 4790k and Rx580. That struggled with the sim racing games I wanted so I went to a 5700xt, then I was extremely CPU bound so up to a 7600x, then I was given a 1440p UW for a gift so bought a 9070xt. After that I started racing in VR and the 7600x worked but I had frame stutters and I wasn't able to push my graphics as much so to a 9800x3d.
I'll probably stick with what I have now because it's currently killing everything I play but if that starts to change then it's time for another upgrade
cubinbk@reddit
It took me 14 years to replace my computer. It was running well but couldn't do games on it which wasn't a huge deal. But it was struggling bad because I was lax and never changed the thermal paste. When I did so it was too late, I had already messed up the motherboard. It comes on, if you remove the ram beforehand and reseat it, but only 2 dimm slots work.
itsmyhotsauce@reddit
When your current machine cant do what you need it to do.
clone2197@reddit
my last big upgrade was going from ryzen 1500x / 1050ti to ryzen 5600/rx6600. It was when I couldn't run Elden Ring at 60fps. The most recent upgrade was actually a bit smaller, rx6600 to rtx 3070 and 16GB to 32GB of RAM because I needed cuda/nvenc and the rx6600 was struggling running POE2, Monster hunter wild.
HellDr1v3r888@reddit
The past few upgrades have come from panel upgrades. Every time I stepped up in resolution or increase Hz, it has prompted me to an upgrade CPU and GPU. So usually that's what would do it. Now I know that 4K in gaming is here to stay for a long time, so maybe this time is more the fact that some games just don't achieve the FPS I want on the 4K panel. Then I would upgrade by the time high settings are not able to achieve the FPS required for each game. But with all these new technology, maybe my 5080 lasts me more than I think it will.
felesmiki@reddit
You update when u consider its a good moment/can/games don't perform as u expecttgere isn't a correct moment, there is only your correct window
N00B_N00M@reddit
Mine 9 year old was working fine for BAU work but was not sufficient for newer games , so spent approx 2000 and got the best i could today, as the prices keep increasing atleast the GPUs are not scarce
Updog03@reddit
Whenever you want to as long as it’s financially responsible.
OttawaDog@reddit
Large struggles, and economics. I once went over a decade between upgrades. I now have a RTX 4070 based system, and I expect that will take me to 2030.
Pyreknight@reddit
I'm maxed out on AM4. So any upgrades are basically full platform at this point. My 6700xt was getting some nasty coil whine so I swapped in a new B580. Not an upgrade but sidegrade/curiosity. No complaints so far. But beyond fixing issues or trying new hardware for a fair price, I don't mess with what works.
_MikeyP@reddit
Honestly for me I just ride that thing till the wheels fall off. Once I got to the point where I thought to myself “man I need to upgrade this dinosaur” I just passively saved up for 3-4 months ensuring it’s didn’t hit me hard financially. Then when I had the amount saved I wanted, I got a new build.
I let it get to the point where there were games my pc just couldn’t handle
aloomis16@reddit
I built my PC in 2021 (not the best timing) and have been doing occasional upgrades. I just got a new graphics card which was obviously a significant upgrade cost.
My goal is to stretch it to 10 years before I do a full rebuild (I'll still recycle some parts), I actually feel the AM4 platform is advantageous right now due to RAM prices
YoSpiff@reddit
I build a new system every 5-8 years, when either it has problems I can't fix or there is newer software that won't run well on it. By that time an upgrade of the existing system isnt something I find cost effective.
Meny_619@reddit
After 6 years my pc isn't giving me the performance I want, I decided to upgrade.
CtrlAltDesolate@reddit
Once your system no longer does what you want it to do, at the level you want it to do it, and it makes financial sense to.
Any other answer is wasting money.
Cultural_Annual_5622@reddit
Now and always
Elegant_Relief_4999@reddit
When RAM costs less than a GPU.
BaneSilvermoon@reddit
My last couple have ended up just being because I wanted to. Because the old system was very much still getting the job done
Reality_Check_101@reddit
Every 3 or 4 generations
whomad1215@reddit
when it doesn't do what I want it/expect it to do
my cpu journey was this: 2500k -> 8700k -> 7950x3d. roughly six years between each
gpu journey: 560ti 2gb -> 970 -> 3080. roughly five years between each.
I probably would have upgraded to the 5000/9000 series but the value isn't there. I'd need to get a 5080 for like a 30% performance increase, and that isn't worth $1000+ to me
Afraid_Papaya1270@reddit
When GTA comes out.
Silver-End9570@reddit
I mostly use mine for gaming, so my sign was when games I was looking forward to were using my rig as minimum settings (3060 12GB, 11700K, 16GB). Jumped up to a 5070, 14700K, and doubled my RAM last year before the LLMpocalypse started.
Matt0706@reddit
For GPUs, if I can sell my current one and get +50% fps for $300 I’m pretty happy. Those numbers are very flexible and some of my upgrades have been more impulsive but I think it’s a solid guideline.
Sue_Generoux@reddit
I've been building for more than 25 years. The best rule of thumb I ever heard and the one I still follow is "When the PC no longer does what you want to do, it's time to upgrade."
With prices on GPU, RAM and SSD being what they are right now, I would add "But make sure you're getting the most bang for your buck."
Tuiika@reddit
Once I really want to play a videogame my PC is struggling to run I upgrade whatever is being the choking point
dsanen@reddit
When you are trying to do something and the specs won’t allow it. I updated my rx480 when I was doing shaders in blender, and putting in multiple trees locked down my computer.
And I upgraded my i7-9700k when I could not viewport load a sculpt in zbrush.
SavedMartha@reddit
Ideally, an upgrade should only be worth it when you can no longer enjoy games the way you want to enjoy them.
In reality people fomo upgrade to the newest and the shiniest that they can afford at all times. Not healthy financially.
I always have the latest in my system just because. 9070XT, Zen 5 CPU, etc, etc.
My friend who makes 3 times my wage has his R7 2700x, RTX 3080 system since 2020 and...we play the same damn games together. He even plays on a 4k TV and prefers DLSS off lol. And we yet to run into a game his system struggles.
To answer your question look at cards from 8 years ago. Worth to upgrade from those? Worth. Cards from 5 years ago. Worth? Maybe worth if it's a lower rx 6600 or a 3050. System from 3 years ago? Still plenty of power, not worth. Today's mid range (9060xt 16 gb/5060ti 16gb + 7600x/ i5 14xxx) will easily last until 2032. Easily. My bet is AAA titles will be targeting base PS5 as a 1080p 60 machine for another 5 years.
Equivalent_Age8406@reddit
Been running the same pc for 10 years (5820k and gtx 1080) and it still plays new stuff ok except the 3 games that require dx12 ultimate and multiplayer games that require tpm 2. I don't have a lot of money right now and I'm ok playing slightly older and indie stuff anyway. There's so much choice now.
gnartato@reddit
When it makes you feel good while simultaneously being able to afford everything else you need or want.
MildlyAmusedMars@reddit
My PC is the PC of Theseus. Probably went 5 years without upgrading anything and over the past few months I’ve slowly been upgrading everything. GPU is on the way, power supply is sitting beside my PC. Once those are in, only thing I won’t have swapped will be the storage and the case/fans . Going to build a 2nd PC out of all the old components. Or will it just be the first PC again?
NoKey4585@reddit
When I really wanted to play Oblivion remastered on higher than medium settings
Heroid12@reddit
i upgrade when i feel like doing so
Hungry_Reception_724@reddit
There is only one point anyone gets to... does it do the thing in a way that is acceptable to me. if "the thing" is gaming or productivity or whatever, when you deem the performance no longer acceptable then its time to upgrade.
Parking_Cress_5105@reddit
Since I use the PC a lot and there's never enough performance (VR). I just upgrade all the time. It's about selling your old stuff while it is still valuable and attractive and buying the new stuff just when it gets cheaper.
The prices of second hand current gen/last gen components are unreasonably high here so it helps a lot.
Using your PC until it struggles might seem like you're getting the most value out of your money but the PC is also pretty worthless at that point.
TheOneWithSkillz@reddit
I have an 8700k and 2070. Itll be worth the upgrade when the witcher 4 comes out.
xEvann@reddit
Usually when I can notice the performance is bad and it takes away from the game. Or when I have to lower the graphics settings so much to make the game run okay, then that also takes away from the experience. Basically when it makes gaming “unplayable” but that can differ from person to person.
bhwylie@reddit
I recently did this with Crimson Desert. It made me realize how out of date my old system was. I upgraded CPU, GPU and RAM. Still waiting on ram in the mail but its already made such a difference.
The_gaming_dino@reddit
Generally, i wait until games start requiring features that my current hardware simply doesn’t support. Or when i feel it could be beneficial.
The former reason is why i bit the bullet and replaced my old RX 5700 with a 9070.
onoapolarbear@reddit
My 9900k and 2080ti have been playing everything that I like playing and it handles new games when I decide to try those. Kinda crazy honestly.
PearlJamTenGoat@reddit
I upgrade the second I'm dying for a performance freeze or whatever ( obviously caused by outdated rig, not a freeze that still can happen on my 5080 9800x3d rig.)(
FahboyMan@reddit
I upgraded (basically put together a new one) since my last PC struggles to run games I regularly play (Genshin Impact, War Thunder, Helldivers 2) at 1600×900 medium 60 FPS.
tark561@reddit
I built my first PC in 2019. It was running on 16GB DDR4, Ryzen 3600X and a GTX1070.
It was still running fine. But it started to get to a point where I wasn't really able to comfortably run the newer games anymore. The newest games I could forget about. But I'm sensitive to gaming below 60fps.
So, starting to notice that I wasn't able to run 60fps on newer games comfortably anymore, I looked at the market. Everything got really expensive. Then I looked at the second hand market. Not so expensive.
I did the math. Figured I'd save 100-200€ at most if I would wait with upgrading for another ~2 years. And figured, to hell with it, gaming is a big hobby of mine and struggling to play new games with my friends isn't worth waiting it out for 100-200€ to me.
So I upgraded now, with used parts. And even saved money in the long run by not choosing to max out my AM4 platform and eventually having to upgrade to AM5 in future, but going midrange AM5 directly.
Cost me 1100€. That's about the same price my PC cost me in 2019. I could live with paying ~1100€ every 7 years for gaming hardware.
So, since you asked how do we decide when to upgrade, this is how I decided. The benefit outweighed the cost and it also seemed tactically smart to pull the trigger now, as I found cheap parts.
IWillAssFuckYou@reddit
Well I fantasized a lot about a 9800X3D. Truth be told, I'm having no issues with my 12900k. It does the job just fine and an upgrade for me is stupid especially now considering the substantial cost to upgrade to DDR5 (I have 64 GB DDR4. Only got that for $129. 64 GB DDR5 costs much more now because of the RAM shortage.
I do some productivity work so I plan and gaming so I plan on upgrading to the Intel Nova Lake series when it comes out and IF by then the prices for 64 GB DDR5 aren't stupid.
afraidofthe-dark@reddit
When it can’t play I game I really wanna play. Last time I upgraded was for red dead 2. Was rocking an fx8350 and 1050ti for at least 8 years before that
WoundedTwinge@reddit
when the games i play the most start struggling with the settings and resolution i want to play on. my bare minimum is 60fps medium graphics in most games, less than that and it starts to feel like im back to playing on a laptop.
but honestly, do it whenever you want to, want to lower some settings instead of upgrading? go ahead, no one is forcing you to upgrade, especially at these prices. you would rather upgrade than deal with stutters? sure, that is your choice and your money!
reckless150681@reddit
I tend to upgrade when I feel like I'm spending a lot of time in menus tweaking my settings to run well