[SOLVED] Is it worth changing the graphic card on my build?

[Triwis]

Hello people,

I am currently playing Cyberpunk and the game was running smooth at Ultra Preset (~35-45 fps)... until I noticed I was running at 720p! I changed the resolution to 1080p, set the game to High Preset and now, I'm down to ~20 fps, sometime dropping to 10.

Now, my computer is a bit old, so I was not expecting any miracle. I was wondering if there is anything I could do to improve performance, like changing the graphic card. Here is my specs:

• Motherboard Asus P8P67 B3
• Intel Core i7-2600 @3.4 Ghz (O.C to 4.1 Ghz using Asus AI Suite Auto Tuning)
• CoolerMaster Hyper 212 EVO
• 4x4GB Kingston DDR3 RAM @1333 Mhz
• Nvidia GTX 970
• 2 Noctua fans, one at the front and one at the rear. (Don't remember the size, but the biggest to fit the case)
• Case is a CoolerMaster mid tower (nothing fancy about it)
• Cyberpunk is installed on same drive as OS, a 250GB Samsung 850 EVO
• EDIT: PSU is Cooler Master M2 Silent Pro 1000W 80+ Silver

My RAM speed is also a bit low, but in another post, I was told that upgrading it to 2133 Mhz would not make a big difference. (From what I read, the motherboard has a RAM speed capped at 2133 Mhz. Specs here)

When I play Cyberpunk,

• CPU usage is usually around 70% while playing Cyberpunk, with some down at 50% in when action is low and can go up to 80% in high action (high speed traveling in car, lots of shooting)
• CPU Temp is between 59 and 67 Celsius
• Memory usage is usually around 70% (a bit under 6GB, with the same down and peak as CPU)
• GPU 3D is at 100%
• GPU Dedicated Memory is at ~3.7GB / 4
• GPU Shared Memory is at ~1.8GB / 8
• GPU Temp is between 65 and 70 Celsius

Basically, is changing the GPU will give me that big of a boost? Do I have a bottleneck on my system? If I get an RTX 3070, will I be able to use all the power the card as to offer? Or should I be better spending that money on changing more crucial part of my build?

My budget is around 1k CAD (which would be sufficient to get an RTX 3070, if I can find some stocks...).

EDIT: Here is the UserBenchmark result

Thanks!

 

[Why_Me]

Unless I missed it I don't see any mention of your psu as in make and model.

 

[Triwis]

Unless I missed it I don't see any mention of your psu as in make and model.

You are correct. Give me a minute, I'll shutdown and check. I think it's a 1000w, but not 100%.

EDIT: I edited the original post. PSU is is Cooler Master M2 Silent Pro 1000W 80+ Silver

 

[Burnsy69]

A 3070 is great and all but with your cpu and ram you're certainly leaving performance on the table so to speak- Zen2 loves high frequency memory so I'd suggest something like Ryzen 3600/5600 with at least 3000Mhz, but this all comes down to what you can and cant afford.

 

[Triwis]

A 3070 is great and all but with your cpu and ram you're certainly leaving performance on the table so to speak- Zen2 loves high frequency memory so I'd suggest something like Ryzen 3600/5600 with at least 3000Mhz, but this all comes down to what you can and cant afford.

That's the thing, if I change the CPU, I have to change the motherboard... if I change the motherboard, I have to change the RAM (unless it supports DDR3...but at that point, better go with DDR4). I also have to get a new Windows key since mine is stored on the motherboard and I can't transfer it (I think, I upgraded from Win 7 to Win 10 and according to the license thing, I can't transfer it). Adding all that, I bust the 1k budget I had in mind. So I guess... I better save up and do a full upgrade later?

 

[Burnsy69]

That's the thing, if I change the CPU, I have to change the motherboard... if I change the motherboard, I have to change the RAM (unless it supports DDR3...but at that point, better go with DDR4). I also have to get a new Windows key since mine is stored on the motherboard and I can't transfer it (I think, I upgraded from Win 7 to Win 10 and according to the license thing, I can't transfer it). Adding all that, I bust the 1k budget I had in mind. So I guess... I better save up and do a full upgrade later?

If I was in your situation I would either sell everything and start from fresh, or upgrade the CPU, Mobo and ram first since everything else looks good! My first card was a Windforce 970 funny enough- Its good enough to keep your PC functioning for some time but it would definitely need upgrading later on- If your PSU is more than 2 years old I would suggest getting a new Gold+ also, I have a TX650 myself its very reliable and quiet.