[SOLVED] Upgrading GPU and other parts.

May 8, 2022
4
0
10
Good evening, I hope this is the right way to ask this, but I’m looking at upgrading my graphics card, and other bits if needed. I want to be able to play the latest games (cyberpunk, Elden ring etc) on average graphics and ensure it’s smooth. My PC is around 7 years old and it wasn’t top of the range when I bought it so well overdue an upgrade. Any suggestions are welcome, I’m fine with PCs but not super techy so I thought I’d ask! I don’t need something mega, just something solid that will last for a few more years. I’ve dealt with a 970 for 7 years so I’m not particularly fussy :)

APPROXIMATE PURCHASE DATE: This year sometime
BUDGET RANGE: ideally under £800 for everything but open to suggestions above as the market is crazy

USAGE FROM MOST TO LEAST IMPORTANT: Gaming, as mentioned above

CURRENT GPU AND POWER SUPPLY:
ASUS STRIX GTX970-DC2OC-4GD5 NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 Graphics Card
Antec NEO Exo 620W 80+ bronze power supply


OTHER RELEVANT SYSTEM SPECS:
HyperX FURY HX316C10FB/4, Computer Memory, DDR3, 4 GB, 1600M Hz, CL10

Asus Z97-P ATX Motherboard for Intel 1150 Socket Processors

Intel Core i5 4690K Processor (3.5 GHz, 6 MB Cache, LGA1150 Socket)

PREFERRED WEBSITE(S) FOR PARTS: any

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: UK based

PARTS PREFERENCES: Any

OVERCLOCKING: No

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: please let me know some options I could pursue currently, and if I need to upgrade other PC parts for a new graphics card! I appreciate all the help in advance! (At work so may not monitor this thread actively)
 
Solution
You would need a new powersupply as your old one is not that good and I would not trust a new gpu with it.
But I think you can keep the cpu for a bit longer, and just get a new gpu, RTX 3060 or 3060Ti.
Your cpu will be a bottleneck in some titles, but it wouldn't be that bad, and will still be a big upgrade from your 970.

The reason I'm no suggesting a cpu swap right now, is because that would not give you a huge uplift in fps, and you can't upgrade just the cpu since you'd have to also upgrade:
The ram, the motherboard and also the psu, and all this for 5-10% more fps.
An rtx 3060 on the other hand would give you depending on the game dozens of % more performance.
You would need a new powersupply as your old one is not that good and I would not trust a new gpu with it.
But I think you can keep the cpu for a bit longer, and just get a new gpu, RTX 3060 or 3060Ti.
Your cpu will be a bottleneck in some titles, but it wouldn't be that bad, and will still be a big upgrade from your 970.

The reason I'm no suggesting a cpu swap right now, is because that would not give you a huge uplift in fps, and you can't upgrade just the cpu since you'd have to also upgrade:
The ram, the motherboard and also the psu, and all this for 5-10% more fps.
An rtx 3060 on the other hand would give you depending on the game dozens of % more performance.
 
  • Like
Reactions: BalthazarKnight
Solution

jacob249358

Commendable
Sep 8, 2021
636
215
1,290
. if you upgrade the GPU you will be limited heavily by the cpu. My suggestion is a full new build except the GPU and carry over the 970 and wait until you have more of a budget for something like a 3060 ti or 6700xt. Something like this, but you could switch out the cpu and motherboard for however much you want to spend. Even the 10 or 11400 would be fine.
 
May 8, 2022
4
0
10
Thanks for the responses. So far I’ve got someone saying I can upgrade the GPU and it’ll be okay and someone saying I need to do a full rebuild haha! I’d rather just upgrade the GPU if possible, purely for monetary reasons. @siaan312 mentioned the 3060, are there any other suggestions for a graphics card that could plug into the current system I have that would boost performance but not hamper the CPU?
 

jacob249358

Commendable
Sep 8, 2021
636
215
1,290
Thanks for the responses. So far I’ve got someone saying I can upgrade the GPU and it’ll be okay and someone saying I need to do a full rebuild haha! I’d rather just upgrade the GPU if possible, purely for monetary reasons. @siaan312 mentioned the 3060, are there any other suggestions for a graphics card that could plug into the current system I have that would boost performance but not hamper the CPU?
I guess you could squeeze the budget and get both. Get an SSD if you don't have one yet. And someone else can recommend a psu cause I don't know much other than watts and ratings.
https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/list/R3hz6r
 
  • Like
Reactions: BalthazarKnight
I guess you could squeeze the budget and get both. Get an SSD if you don't have one yet. And someone else can recommend a psu cause I don't know much other than watts and ratings.
https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/list/R3hz6r
Agreed heavily on the SSD, but he would also need a psu.
Sadly the prices shown there are extrmely unrealistic for most of the world besides the US.
An i5 11400 would cost about 200$ here and motherboards start at the minimum at 120$ (For a gigabyte DS line which is the bare minimum)

But, I personally disagree. The i5 4690k is a pretty good cpu even by today's standards and can hold it's own.
An rtx 3060/rx 6700 would not be majorly bottleneck by it.
I recommend exactly as @jacob249358 said, but backwards since it will give you more fps in the short term and the same fps in the long term.
Gpu and psu first, (also ssd if you don't have one I really recommend it) then upgrade the rest of the system to be up to snuff down the road.
 
  • Like
Reactions: BalthazarKnight

jacob249358

Commendable
Sep 8, 2021
636
215
1,290
Agreed heavily on the SSD, but he would also need a psu.
Sadly the prices shown there are extrmely unrealistic for most of the world besides the US.
An i5 11400 would cost about 200$ here and motherboards start at the minimum at 120$ (For a gigabyte DS line which is the bare minimum)

But, I personally disagree. The i5 4690k is a pretty good cpu even by today's standards and can hold it's own.
An rtx 3060/rx 6700 would not be majorly bottleneck by it.
I recommend exactly as @jacob249358 said, but backwards since it will give you more fps in the short term and the same fps in the long term.
Gpu and psu first, (also ssd if you don't have one I really recommend it) then upgrade the rest of the system to be up to snuff down the road.
I used UK PC part picker because OP is Uk based. I mentioned someone else recommending a psu. The 4690k is a pretty good cpu but elden ring and cyberpunk use a lot of threads and the i5 only has 4. The 11400 and 3060 would run both titles really well at 1080p.
 
  • Like
Reactions: BalthazarKnight
May 8, 2022
4
0
10
Again, thanks for the replies.
I am SSD’d up, apologies I should’ve mentioned that in the question.
I would say I’m leaning towards just upgrading my graphics card at the moment. As I mentioned I’m not too fussed by playing everything on the ultra settings, just to run things smoothly. If was to go for the suggested rtx 3060/rx 6700, what minimum should I look for in a PSU? (I realise this isn’t the PSU thread, sorry!)
 
Good evening, I hope this is the right way to ask this, but I’m looking at upgrading my graphics card, and other bits if needed. I want to be able to play the latest games (cyberpunk, Elden ring etc) on average graphics and ensure it’s smooth. My PC is around 7 years old and it wasn’t top of the range when I bought it so well overdue an upgrade. Any suggestions are welcome, I’m fine with PCs but not super techy so I thought I’d ask! I don’t need something mega, just something solid that will last for a few more years. I’ve dealt with a 970 for 7 years so I’m not particularly fussy :)

APPROXIMATE PURCHASE DATE: This year sometime
BUDGET RANGE: ideally under £800 for everything but open to suggestions above as the market is crazy

USAGE FROM MOST TO LEAST IMPORTANT: Gaming, as mentioned above

CURRENT GPU AND POWER SUPPLY:
ASUS STRIX GTX970-DC2OC-4GD5 NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 Graphics Card
Antec NEO Exo 620W 80+ bronze power supply


OTHER RELEVANT SYSTEM SPECS:
HyperX FURY HX316C10FB/4, Computer Memory, DDR3, 4 GB, 1600M Hz, CL10

Asus Z97-P ATX Motherboard for Intel 1150 Socket Processors

Intel Core i5 4690K Processor (3.5 GHz, 6 MB Cache, LGA1150 Socket)

PREFERRED WEBSITE(S) FOR PARTS: any

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: UK based

PARTS PREFERENCES: Any

OVERCLOCKING: No

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: please let me know some options I could pursue currently, and if I need to upgrade other PC parts for a new graphics card! I appreciate all the help in advance! (At work so may not monitor this thread actively)
I don't think you are going to game very well on 4GB of ram.
Consider bumping that to a 2x8GB kit.
 
  • Like
Reactions: BalthazarKnight