Upgrading my 10 year old i7-6700K / GTX 1080 build. Should I go next gen or stick to a cheaper mid-range upgrade?
Posted by Amnz98@reddit | buildapc | View on Reddit | 10 comments
Hi! I'm looking to upgrade my PC which I use mainly for gaming, browsing Chrome (Twitter, Reddit, YouTube, etc.) and photo editing in Adobe Lightroom. Right now, I am starting to feel that my computer is getting really slow and it just doesn't run well anymore. My current specs are these:
- CPU: Intel Core i7-6700K
- Motherboard: ASUS ROG Maximus VIII Hero
- GPU: NVIDIA GTX 1080 (8GB)
- RAM: 32GB DDR4 @ 2133MHz (4x8GB sticks)
- Storage: 1TB SSD (recently had a second drive die, so I need to replace that too)
When it comes to gaming, I mainly play games like Squad, Rainbow Six Siege, and Hell Let Loose, as well as League of Legends. Very rarely, I might play something more demanding like Red Dead Redemption 2, but that's very uncommon for me. I notice that my FPS drops a lot sometimes and depending on the game, I just can't max out the graphics settings anymore.
However, where I am suffering the most is in Lightroom. The software runs slow and it even freezes sometimes, which makes my workflow a nightmare. I am pretty sure this painful lag is mainly due to my old CPU.
Seeing how expensive parts are right now, I am completely torn on how to approach the upgrade. One possibility I am considering is upgrading the CPU, motherboard, and RAM first, while keeping my GTX 1080 for a little longer until I can afford a new graphics card.
If I do this, I would probably buy an AMD CPU, since I've read they are the best option right now. However, going this route means I will have to completely change both my motherboard and RAM due to a total lack of compatibility. Buying a new 32GB DDR5 kit is just way too expensive for me right now, so I would have to settle for a cheaper 16GB kit instead. Will I notice a massive downgrade in performance going from 32GB of older DDR4 to 16GB of newer, faster DDR5?
Alternatively, is it actually worth it to just buy everything together? I guess that would be pretty expensive upfront, but would it pay off to buy top tier, pricey components now so I don't have to worry about upgrading for the next few years? Or should I be looking into a more "mid range" or previous-gen setup instead of aiming for the newest platform and components? I would be paying significantly less and still getting a performance jump over my 6700K. However, that would mean giving up on any future upgrade path.
Honestly, I'm lost. What do you guys recommend?
Thanks! :)
Aggressive_Deer_7072@reddit
Honestly the 6700K lasted insanely long but yeah Lightroom freezing is basically the sign that platform is cooked now lol.
I’d upgrade CPU/mobo/RAM first and keep the GTX 1080 a little longer. For your games it’s still usable. But I definitely would not go down to 16GB RAM, especially with Lightroom + Chrome tabs open. That gets annoying way faster than people expect.
Midrange AM5 honestly makes more sense than chasing top tier stuff rn.
JoshLineberry@reddit
In your situation I would go with either a 12600k, 14600k or a 270k plus build. You don't upgrade often obviously, and neither do I. You can do a 12600k or a 14600k build with ddr4 for the best price to performance out there, or you can do a 270k plus with a combo deal for a couple hundred more and have a super performance ddr5 build. Either one of these setups will last you another 8-10 years.
Codys_friend@reddit
I'll start by saying that I think AMD, specifically the AM5 platform is the smart platform to build on from a performance and longevity perspective. The next gen of AMD cpu's will be on the current AM5 platform, and likely the following gen, Zen7.
With the above being said, the i7-6700k was launched over 10 years ago, perhaps you don't upgrade very often. If this is the case and you're really looking for good performance at a low cost, I recommend you look at 270k bundle deals from Microcenter or Newegg. The 270k performs OK in gaming and in productivity, with Lightroom, you'll get great performance.
If it were me, I'd build a rig based on the AM5 platform so as to be ready for Zen6 when it launches next year. 24 cores running around 7ghz is very enticing! If you want the best bang for the buck today, without thinking about the future, the 270k is a solid choice.
If you aren't going to upgrade for another 10 years, consider a 270k build.
JoshLineberry@reddit
Exactly. The 270k plus is unbeatable price to performance for these guys that are like me and don't upgrade for 10 years 😂😂.
ConversationFirm2112@reddit
The top-mid range from like 3-4 years ago will always be the best price to performance. This is true for phones laptops pcs. Am4 with an rtx 3080 can be had for very little and will perform ~20% less than a setup that costs twice as much.
JoshLineberry@reddit
And an lga 1700 build will have better price to performance than an am4 build.
X3m9X@reddit
When you do your work, have you ever monitor how much ram is used in your ddr4 rig? If its more 16gb then the switch to ddr5 (which is the 16gb capacity) will hurt ALOT.
Ozi-reddit@reddit
am4 or 12 series with ddr4 is still good box
HankHippoppopalous@reddit
Can you confirm the RAM you have? 2133 is pretty slow, but maybe its 3000mhz ram running at stock speeds for a 6700?
The reason I ask, is that a lot of people save money by getting a 14th Gen i7 on the DDR4 Platform, saving literal hundreds of dollars on DDR5
If you have DDR4 3000/3200, its worth considering for sure.
9okm@reddit
How long has it been since you've done a fresh install of windows?