Not super knowledgeable on PC parts but I love PC gaming. Need assistance with my GPU upgrade and which parts I need to compliment it to ensure I don't bottleneck.
Posted by SnootBoopist@reddit | buildapc | View on Reddit | 18 comments
First off I need advice on which GPU to get. I've narrowed it down to 2 options. RX 9060 XT or RX 9070. I want to max out settings on 1080p gaming with great FPS and also be able to upgrade my monitor to 1440p for 2k gaming with good FPS in the next year or 2.
What I currently have: AMD Ryzen 5 3600 6-Core Processor
ASRock B550M-ITX/ac Mini ITX AM4 Motherboard
Radeon RX 6650 XT
Corsair Vengeance LPX 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3200 CL16 Memory
Apevia Prestige 600 W 80+ Gold Certified ATX Power Supply
Phanteks Enthoo EVOLV ITX TG Mini ITX Desktop Case
Crucial P3 Plus 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive
I don't have the exact CPU water cooler model but it's from Cyperpower and it looks similar to Cooler Master MasterLiquid Lite 120 66.7 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler
If I go with the 9070, I am assuming I need a new CPU but don't know what I need. I am not doing a ton of multi tasking - mainly having a web browser on one screen and gaming on the other.
I will need a new water cooler because my current one is 6 years old and probably best to swap it out.
Do i need a new motherboard and power supply as well?
squidbrand@reddit
2K is 2048 x 1080 and it’s a digital cinema resolution, not a PC monitor resolution. 1440p has 2560 horizontal pixels so if you were going to fudge a cinema style term for it, it would be “2.5K”.
Anyway, it’s hard for us to give you advice with two different potential monitors. If you’re trying to max out FPS at 1080p in a esports type situation, like where you’re knocking down graphics settings to prioritize FPS, then your current CPU is not going to cut it with modern games. You’d want to upgrade that to something like the 5800X3D when that becomes available again, supposedly later this year.
However, the moment you move to 1440p, your CPU stops being as critical unless you’re using a $1000+ GPU. I think you’d still be GPU-bound in many/most games with an R5 3600 and a 9070, with some exceptions such as RTS games. There is nothing requiring you to upgrade your CPU just to enable the use of the 9070. It completely depends on the use case.
The 9070 is a 220W card. It will work fine with your current PSU.
SnootBoopist@reddit (OP)
Thanks for explaining the resolution info.
1440p is not super import to me, just thinking I'm thinking of possibly benefiting from in the next few years. As long as I can max out graphics on 1080p on current/upcoming games with high frames (100+) then i am happy.
What suggestions would you make for me based on that?
squidbrand@reddit
I suggest you upgrade your GPU first, play games, and judge based on that. Whether you need to upgrade more parts from there really depends on the types of games you play. Visually intensive single player games on ultra graphics settings will probably run just fine. But but if you end up getting a lot of stutters or brief framerate drops, that will be a clue that a CPU upgrade would help.
You definitely don’t want to move away from your AM4 motherboard right now. Many current PC builders who had previously planned on AM5 systems are now going back to AM4 because of RAM pricing. This is a terrible time to build a new system that needs DDR5 memory.
SnootBoopist@reddit (OP)
Thank you! I did not know what the AM4 and AM5 meant so this makes sense with RAM being a nightmare.
squidbrand@reddit
AM4 is the slot that Ryzen 1000 through 5000 series CPUs fit in, and boards with that slot use DDR4 memory. AM5 is the slot that Ryzen 7000 and 9000 series CPUs fit in, and boards with that slot use DDR5 memory.
SnootBoopist@reddit (OP)
Thank you, Squid.
Desperate-Big3982@reddit
The 3600 is a very old CPU, and the 5600X will be a big improvement over that. Getting a 5600X will also allow you to keep your motherboard and RAM.
If you want to get a RX 9060XT, and plan to go to 1440 resolution, then please look for a 16GB model.
The only issue you may have is that you will need to do a BIOS upgrade before you upgrade the CPU.
SnootBoopist@reddit (OP)
Thank you! I plan on buying all of this at microcenter and have them install for me because I am a coward.
TheMagarity@reddit
You should check the CPU stock at your local MC first. Mine has only 5500 and 5800XT CPUs for AM4. Your choices may be equally limited.
SnootBoopist@reddit (OP)
Yep same in Phoenix - 5500 and 5800xt available right now. Looks like the 5800xt is on sale for $200.
TheMagarity@reddit
With a 550 chipset and this late in AM4's life you need to go big or stay home. Get the 5800XT.
ninjabell@reddit
To add, if shopping for a 5600X also look for 5600XT. It is a newer run and can sometimes be found at a slightly lower price. Right now it is 5 USD more, but a few weeks ago it was maybe $25 or $30 less.
DefoNot-a-Troll@reddit
You don’t need a new motherboard. A new power supply would help but it’s not necessary with either GPU.
It’s not the best power supply according to the psu tier list it’s around a tier C. It should be fine for the 9060xt and even a 9070 depending on the model. Some of the higher end ones draw more power.
In terms of upgrade priority after the GPU upgrade, I’d recommend a new aio water cooler, a new power supply and then a new CPU. Good news for you the 5800X3D the best cpu for your socket will be available soon so it would be a worthwhile upgrade and will work great for 1080p and 1440p.
SnootBoopist@reddit (OP)
5800X3D looks expensive. Is there a more budget friendly CPU upgrade or is this a jump I need to make to help future proof the next few years?
Prize-Basil-8438@reddit
You don't need it. The relaunch is announced at $350, but it should be cheaper to get an original one on the secondary market once this relaunched version comes out. If that's still too much, it just being an option might bring down the prices of other AM4 CPUs as people upgrade and sell their old ones. So I would still recommend waiting until it comes out, even if you don't end up going for it. Its existence is good news for you, even if you don't need that level of performance.
DefoNot-a-Troll@reddit
There are many options such as the 5600/5600x
All the way upto the 5800x and 5800xt but they’re not the best from a price to performance perspective.
The 5600x like an another commenter suggested is a good middle ground. It has good performance and is much better than the 3600. However I saw your other comment and you said you’ll go to a microcenter, when the 5800x3d releases again the prices might drop and they have good deals.
Again the cpu isn’t an important upgrade. The most important is the GPU and watercooler. After that you can upgrade your cpu or psu if you want
SnootBoopist@reddit (OP)
Thx bb
Prize-Basil-8438@reddit
AMD is relaunching the 5800x3d, which is, like, the best possible CPU you could put on that motherboard. Kind of expensive, but I would wait and see how the street pricing shakes out. Even if you don't go for it, I could see it bringing the price of AM4 CPUs down in general, as people upgrade and sell their old ones.