Question Need help with my next upgrade

[jaychoppaa]

Hello, first time poster. I have a prebuilt pc where i upgraded my gpu, motherboard and psu when the rtx 30XX series launched. I was wondering what my next upgrade is where i can notice gameplay bumps and frames and/or quality.
I was thinking i need better cpu and/or ram. I want something somewhat affordable but understand some components might jump in price for a noticeable difference.
Looking to ask for a Christmas present and getting bugged asking for gift ideas for myself.

Thanks for any and all help!

CPU- intel i5 9400f
Ram - tforce vulcanz ud4 3000 ddr4
Motherboard - asustek prime z390-p
Graphics card - geforce rtx 3070
Power supply - evga 750 g6 supernova 80 plus gold
Storage - intel ssdpeknw010t8
wd elements 2621 usb plugin
Case - nzxt h5 (not sure the model but looks like this one)

 

[MCH170]

CPU and RAM could definitely use an upgrade. If you are ok with buying a used CPU, you can look for an i9 9900(K)(F) and probably get a good deal.

For ram try to find a 3600MHz kit.

 

[Lutfij]

Welcome to the forums, newcomer!

I was wondering what my next upgrade is where i can notice gameplay bumps and frames and/or quality
What sort of titles are you taxing your current build with? Please stylize your thread with info asked of in this thread;

*How to Ask for New Build or Upgrade Advice*

How to Ask for New Build or Upgrade Advice First off, respect where respect is due - this is an adaptation of the Animal's *How To Ask For New Build Advice* Sticky. I created this because there's a lot of posts nowadays asking for upgrade advice both on here and on the CPU forums, and I feel...

forums.tomshardware.com

and the community can move forward with worthwhile suggestions.

I would keep the upgrade to an i7 for the processor since that VRM looks mediocre. As for your ram, look at a tight latency DDR4-3200MHz/DDR4-3600Mhz ram kit if you're not able to overclock the ram you have to manually get to said frequency with laxed timings.

Moved thread from Components section to Systems section

 

[Eximo]

i7-8700k if you can track one down. The i7-9700k is basically what you have with two more cores (8t). 8700k is a 6c/12t chip which is more similar to the i5s from the more recent generations.

That said, it depends on the total budget. Motherboard/CPU/RAM, and a CPU cooler is what I would do.
You can easily jump up to another Intel 12th-14th gen CPU. Arrow Lake (200 series (15th Gen)) is an option, but still quite expensive. And AMD 7000 series CPUs are quite affordable right now.

I would also look into moving your OS to a faster TLC NAND drive. QLC is fine for bulk storage, but not the best at acting as the heart of a system. Upgrading to a newer motherboard will gain you access to PCIe 4.0/5.0 as well, though 4.0 is plenty for SSDs and graphics at the moment (including the PCIe 4.0 capable 3070)

 

[jaychoppaa]

CPU and RAM could definitely use an upgrade. If you are ok with buying a used CPU, you can look for an i9 9900(K)(F) and probably get a good deal.

For ram try to find a 3600MHz kit.

Welcome to the forums, newcomer!

I was wondering what my next upgrade is where i can notice gameplay bumps and frames and/or quality
What sort of titles are you taxing your current build with? Please stylize your thread with info asked of in this thread;

*How to Ask for New Build or Upgrade Advice*

How to Ask for New Build or Upgrade Advice First off, respect where respect is due - this is an adaptation of the Animal's *How To Ask For New Build Advice* Sticky. I created this because there's a lot of posts nowadays asking for upgrade advice both on here and on the CPU forums, and I feel...

forums.tomshardware.com

and the community can move forward with worthwhile suggestions.

I would keep the upgrade to an i7 for the processor since that VRM looks mediocre. As for your ram, look at a tight latency DDR4-3200MHz/DDR4-3600Mhz ram kit if you're not able to overclock the ram you have to manually get to said frequency with laxed timings.

Moved thread from Components section to Systems section

Thanks, i will be looking for a 3600/3900 ram kit. cpu i'll probably look into a new i7 so its easier for gift purchase over scouting for used i9.

 

[jaychoppaa]

Welcome to the forums, newcomer!

I was wondering what my next upgrade is where i can notice gameplay bumps and frames and/or quality
What sort of titles are you taxing your current build with? Please stylize your thread with info asked of in this thread;

*How to Ask for New Build or Upgrade Advice*

How to Ask for New Build or Upgrade Advice First off, respect where respect is due - this is an adaptation of the Animal's *How To Ask For New Build Advice* Sticky. I created this because there's a lot of posts nowadays asking for upgrade advice both on here and on the CPU forums, and I feel...

forums.tomshardware.com

and the community can move forward with worthwhile suggestions.

I would keep the upgrade to an i7 for the processor since that VRM looks mediocre. As for your ram, look at a tight latency DDR4-3200MHz/DDR4-3600Mhz ram kit if you're not able to overclock the ram you have to manually get to said frequency with laxed timings.

Moved thread from Components section to Systems section

it would not allow me to edit the post with any extra info, stating that it seems to be spam

 

[Lutfij]

Why not make a follow-up post instead of editing a prior one?

 

[jaychoppaa]

Why not make a follow-up post instead of editing a prior one?

I'm new to forums in general not just here, i usually just look at forums never create or interact.

 

[jaychoppaa]

I would also look into moving your OS to a faster TLC NAND drive. QLC is fine for bulk storage, but not the best at acting as the heart of a system. Upgrading to a newer motherboard will gain you access to PCIe 4.0/5.0 as well, though 4.0 is plenty for SSDs and graphics at the moment (including the PCIe 4.0 capable 3070)

do you have any recommendations for any drives that i can use with my current motherboard? I struggle looking for parts because i dont know about parts and also know compatibility issues arise at certain points.

 

[Eximo]

You already have an M.2 NVMe drive. Motherboard has room for at least one more full size drive.

On the cheaper side:

https://pcpartpicker.com/product/64...2-2280-nvme-solid-state-drive-tm8fp6001t0c101

And you can go after higher end models like WD Black, Samsung 980 and 970 Evo and the like.