[SOLVED] Best Upgrade for Gaming?

ironwolf1

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Dec 26, 2011
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Hi everyone - I did a new build back in gulp 2015 and would appreciate advice on what the best bang for your buck would be to improve gaming performance. My current thought is a new video card (RTX 2070 or higher), but don't want to pull the trigger if it will be limited by motherboard/CPU.... Ideally want to be able to play new game in 4K with graphics on High (if not higher). Here's the current build:

CPU: i7-4790k
Motherboard: Gigabyte GZ-Z97X-Gaming ATX
RAM: Corsair 16GB2x8D3 2400
HD: SSD (forget type)
GPU: EVGA GTX 970 4GB FTW Gaming ACX 2.0
PSU: can handle a thirstier GPU

thank you so much in advance.
 
Solution
Sounds like you could get a decent GPU upgrade now for some increased performance. 970 was decent for its time, but it's definitely getting long in the tooth for modern gaming.

Lutfij

Titan
Moderator
PSU: can handle a thirstier GPU
^ We've seen countless times where people claim it's capable and then a followup thread comes along saying that the GPU is failing/faulty or the entire rig blew up(due to the PSU). Now, for all intents and purposes, you should list your specs like so:
CPU:
Motherboard:
Ram:
SSD/HDD:
GPU:
PSU:
Chassis:
OS:

How old is the PSU? With that platform, thus far, I'd be skeptical about 4K gaming but at 1080p, you should be able to max out game details.
 

ironwolf1

Distinguished
Dec 26, 2011
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18,515
Sorry for the delay, than you!

CPU: i7-4790k
Motherboard: Gigabyte GZ-Z97X-Gaming ATX
Ram: Corsair 16GB2x8D3 2400
SSD/HDD: 256 gig Crucial MX 100 SATA SSD Boot disk; 1 TB Western Digital Performance Black Storage disk
GPU: EVGA GTX 970 4GB FTW Gaming ACX 2.0
PSU: Corsair 650M
Chassis: Corsair Carbide 200R ATX
Cooling: Corsair H55 Liquid Cooling
OS: Windows 10
 

ironwolf1

Distinguished
Dec 26, 2011
7
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18,515
Gaming today at 1440p, but unsure of Hz... budget's $6-800 all-in. Glad to hear the GPU might be the best bang for the buck but didn't want to do it if the system would be hamstrung by the CPU/RAM.