Question Upgrade CPU or GPU

[flynn9967]

I currently have an I5 7400 and a GTX 1060 3gb , i am Thinking in upgrading so should i upgrade the CPU or the GPU? Im thinking of either getting the R7 2700 or the GTX 1660 TI

 

[PC Tailor]

What is your PSU make and model?

At first glance - GPU. But you are limited. An RTX 2070 for example would definitely have benefits but you would potentially be bottle-necking in more CPU intensive games.

 

[Barty1884]

An i5-7400 should still pair well with a 1660TI. That's the route I would go - assuming you're shooting for one of the (near) MSRP offerings ~$250?


Replacing the CPU (to anything other than an i7-7700/K) would necessitate a motherboard upgrade too and, if opting for Ryzen, should also aim for 3000-3200MHz Ram.
Not a cheap upgrade - minimum of about $230 for a Ryzen5 2600 + B450 motherboard (excluding RAM).... add more cost if you're looking at a Ryzen7, and probably shouldn't scrape the bottom of the barrel on the motherboard - more like a $350 upgrade if you went that route (again, excluding RAM).

At that point, you're in 2060 territory.
https://pcpartpicker.com/product/QP...-6-gb-mini-itx-oc-video-card-gv-n2060ixoc-6gd

 

[sizzling]

What resolution and Hz is your monitor?

A lot will depend on your monitor and the games you play. Have you monitored cpu & gpu usage in the games you play?

 

[flynn9967]

What resolution and Hz is your monitor?

A lot will depend on your monitor and the games you play. Have you monitored cpu & gpu usage in the games you play?

I have a 1080p 144hz monitor

 

[flynn9967]

What is your PSU make and model?

At first glance - GPU. But you are limited. An RTX 2070 for example would definitely have benefits but you would potentially be bottle-necking in more CPU intensive games.

i have a 500W PSU

 

[PC Tailor]

i have a 500W PSU

Make and model though? It is important because a bad quality 500W will not be able to safely run what a good quality 500W can.

As sizzling says, it depends on what applications you run - thus why I mentioned bottle-necking in CPU intensive games - if you play games where your GPU is your limit, then a GPU upgrade is warranted, but it might not be the case in your situation. If you're mostly using CPU intensive applications, then a GPU upgrade won't really get any benefit.

It just seems at first glance that the GPU initially seems like the logical first choice. But again, it depends.

 

[flynn9967]

Make and model though? It is important because a bad quality 500W will not be able to safely run what a good quality 500W can.

As sizzling says, it depends on what applications you run - thus why I mentioned bottle-necking in CPU intensive games - if you play games where your GPU is your limit, then a GPU upgrade is warranted, but it might not be the case in your situation. If you're mostly using CPU intensive applications, then a GPU upgrade won't really get any benefit.

It just seems at first glance that the GPU initially seems like the logical first choice. But again, it depends.

Here is the link to the one i have

https://www.amazon.com/EVGA-WHITE-W...evga+500W+psu&qid=1556730374&s=gateway&sr=8-2

 

[sizzling]

I have a 1080p 144hz monitor

OK so neither the 7400 or 1060 are what you would recommend for modern AAA games if aiming for high fps to match a high Hz 1080p monitor. Which one is limiting performance is going to depend on the game and the settings you choose. You need to monitor your cpu & gpu usage in game to identify which is limiting you the most.