Question Should I wait for Navi?

[dougtherug]

Hi,

Hope y'all can help me, please. I'm looking to purchase a new GPU at some stage in the next few months. I'm really just wanting to ensure 1080/60 gaming for the coming years, with a possibility of 1440p. My main limitation is probably my Antec 520w HCG PSU. My board is an Asrock Extreme 4 990FX with a FX8320 cpu. If I were to buy something now, I'd probably go for a RX 580. Is Navi expected to offer a considerable peformance jump at that power consumption level that waiting would be worth it? Also, are there any nVidia cards that could be recommended?

I appreciate your time if you're looking at this.

 

[WildCard999]

At this point I don't think I'd get the RX 580 as you can get the 1660 for a little bit more and is a better 1080P GPU. As for Navi everything is just rumors but if they hold any truth the RX 3080 apparently has 2070 performance which would be good for 1080P/1440P.

What GPU do you have now?

If your ok with your current GPU's performance then it probably wouldn't hurt to wait for Navi but if the performance is bad then upgrade now. If your looking possibly at 1440P then I'd look at the 1660 ti as a minimum.

 

[dougtherug]

Currently have a RX 470 which is ok for now, does freeze or crash every now and then, though.

 

[WildCard999]

Currently have a RX 470 which is ok for now, does freeze or crash every now and then, though.

Do you think it's due to your RX 470 or another issue?

How long have you had that PSU? Maybe it's time for a upgrade? (A good 550W would be a solid choice such as the Seasonic Focus Gold).

Your going to want to upgrade your FX 8320 if you want to increase your FPS, Ryzen 3rd gen would be a excellent option when released in a couple of months.

 

[dougtherug]

Not sure, doesn't really happen that frequently that I've been bothered to investigate. Had the PSU for about 5 years. I'd prefer to only upgrade the GPU if possible, do you think the potential performance increase on a new GPU would be restrained by my CPU?

 

[WildCard999]

Not sure, doesn't really happen that frequently that I've been bothered to investigate. Had the PSU for about 5 years. I'd prefer to only upgrade the GPU if possible, do you think the potential performance increase on a new GPU would be restrained by my CPU?

Depending on the game it might be but if you have good cooling you might be able to get a decent overclock on that CPU which would definitely help give it a bit more life until upgrading.

What is the absolute most you can spend on upgrades right now?

Are you gaming at 1080P?

 

[dougtherug]

Wouldn't want to spend more than 350. I'll probably do a new build in the next 3 or 4 years, looking to ride this one out until then.

Yeh, 1080 in mostly high, not ultra settings.

 

[WildCard999]

To be honest I'd lower the settings slightly, get this aftermarket cooler which will work on your current CPU and the AM4 Ryzen platform and replace the PSU (you'll need it for Navi/Platform upgrade) with a better quality unit. The Seasonic Focus Gold is one of the best PSU's out there and has a 10 year warranty.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU Cooler: Cooler Master - Hyper 212 Black Edition 42 CFM CPU Cooler ($34.99 @ B&H)
Power Supply: SeaSonic - FOCUS Gold 550 W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($59.99 @ B&H)
Total: $94.98
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-03-21 10:39 EDT-0400

Using the aftermarket cooling I'd get the FX 8320 to around 4ghz, make sure it stays under 60C or that will cause thermal throttling which will cause stuttering and low performance as to keep the CPU from overheating. Then upgrade to Ryzen 3 (even the 3300 would be a massive upgrade) & when Navi comes out wait for professional reviews but more then likely it would be a good upgrade over your 470.

 

[dougtherug]

Thanks for the advice. I'll hold out for now and try the OC.