[SOLVED] I need help to decide what to buy first

Micha_2

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So I'm planning on buying a new pc and these are the parts that I currently think of buying --->

Case: Meshify C
Cpu: i7 9700k
Cpu cooler: h115i pro
Mobo: Msi z390 Tomahawk
Psu: Evga 650w g3
Ram : Corsair Vengeance Pro RGB 16gb 3200mhz
Storage: WD 1TB SSD

Now the problem is the gpu. I was thinking about getting the MSI RTX 2060 Gaming Z (or the super version) but I currently don't have enough money to spend around 500-600$ (CAD) on a gpu so I was just going to put my gtx 960 in it. But while browsing on Kijiji I saw that someone was selling a gtx 1080ti Zotac Amp for 615$ (CAD) and was wondering if it was a steal and if I should get it first and than save up to buy the whole pc or I should just buy the pc without the gpu (my gtx 960 is going to be in it) and then save up for a better gpu. Thank you!
 
Solution
I'd probably not buy an expensive used GPU to use in that expensive new system.
I agree, the biggest issue I see being that you're probably not going to have much of a warranty with a used card, so if the thing fails after a short while, you may be out hundreds of dollars with nothing to show for it but an expensive paper weight. A new 2070 Super is probably worth paying that extra 10% for to get new hardware and a few years of warranty coverage if shopping for a card in that price range. Or, as another option, paying around 10% less for around 10-15% less performance with a new 2060 Super. Even that card should offer around 3 times the performance of a GTX 960 in graphics-limited scenarios. Or a regular 2060, or 5700/5700XT...

Micha_2

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I'd probably not buy an expensive used GPU to use in that expensive new system.

An RTX 2060 Super is okay. Not as good as an RX 5700XT.

I'd probably do what you have to and get a 2070 Super. It's a little faster than a 1080 Ti. Use the GTX 960 for a few weeks if you have to.

Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER 8 GB WINDFORCE OC 3X Video Card ($669.00 @ Canada Computers)
I heard that the RX 5700XT is a really good card but doesn't it get super hot when under load?
 
I'd probably not buy an expensive used GPU to use in that expensive new system.
I agree, the biggest issue I see being that you're probably not going to have much of a warranty with a used card, so if the thing fails after a short while, you may be out hundreds of dollars with nothing to show for it but an expensive paper weight. A new 2070 Super is probably worth paying that extra 10% for to get new hardware and a few years of warranty coverage if shopping for a card in that price range. Or, as another option, paying around 10% less for around 10-15% less performance with a new 2060 Super. Even that card should offer around 3 times the performance of a GTX 960 in graphics-limited scenarios. Or a regular 2060, or 5700/5700XT would also probably all be decent options at lower prices still.

And if you won't be able to afford both that system and a new graphics card together for a while, it might be worth cutting back on some of the system's other components to make that happen. What resolution and refresh rate do you intend to be gaming at, and what hardware do you have now?

In general, most games benefit more from a faster graphics card more than a faster CPU, especially at resolutions higher than 1080p, where graphics hardware will typically be limiting performance more than anything. Even when running games on a 1080p 144Hz screen with a graphics card around this price range, you would typically not be looking at much more than a 5-10% difference in average frame rates in games that are already mostly running the 100+ FPS range, between a 9700K and something like the $200 Ryzen 3600. And that processor doesn't require a $100+ all-in-one cooler to run well either.

Pairing a 9700K with a GTX 960 for the time being doesn't seem like a particularly good option, since that card is rather low-end at this point, so unless the existing CPU you are coming from happens to be very low-end, you probably won't see any significant gaming performance gains from moving to the 9700K with that card. It's probably better to upgrade both at the same time. Or, if your existing system isn't so bad, it might even be worth upgrading the graphics card first.
 
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Micha_2

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I agree, the biggest issue I see being that you're probably not going to have much of a warranty with a used card, so if the thing fails after a short while, you may be out hundreds of dollars with nothing to show for it but an expensive paper weight. A new 2070 Super is probably worth paying that extra 10% for to get new hardware and a few years of warranty coverage if shopping for a card in that price range. Or, as another option, paying around 10% less for around 10-15% less performance with a new 2060 Super. Even that card should offer around 3 times the performance of a GTX 960 in graphics-limited scenarios. Or a regular 2060, or 5700/5700XT would also probably all be decent options at lower prices still.

And if you won't be able to afford both that system and a new graphics card together for a while, it might be worth cutting back on some of the system's other components to make that happen. What resolution and refresh rate do you intend to be gaming at, and what hardware do you have now?

In general, most games benefit more from a faster graphics card more than a faster CPU, especially at resolutions higher than 1080p, where graphics hardware will typically be limiting performance more than anything. Even when running games on a 1080p 144Hz screen with a graphics card around this price range, you would typically not be looking at much more than a 5-10% difference in average frame rates in games that are already mostly running the 100+ FPS range, between a 9700K and something like the $200 Ryzen 3600. And that processor doesn't require a $100+ all-in-one cooler to run well either.

Pairing a 9700K with a GTX 960 for the time being doesn't seem like a particularly good option, since that card is rather low-end at this point, so unless the existing CPU you are coming from happens to be very low-end, you probably won't see any significant gaming performance gains from moving to the 9700K with that card. It's probably better to upgrade both at the same time. Or, if your existing system isn't so bad, it might even be worth upgrading the graphics card first.
To answer your question about my hardware, I have a 144hz 1ms 1080p monitor and don't plan to upgrade to a 1440p or 4k monitor any time soon. My pc build right now is my first pc that I built around 3 - 4 years ago. It has an i3 6100, 8gb ram and a gtx 960 which is pretty low end. I really don't mind not having a good graphics card right now, I would prefer to have a good all around pc that would last me quite a while without any major upgrades. If I buy the system that I listed, it would take me 1 - 2 months to buy a rtx 2070 super. I know that my gaming performance will not be A LOT better than my current performance but I really don't mind waiting 2 months until I get a good gpu. Thank you for the detailed reply :)