Question Upgrading my GPU

[Snickeldümper]

Now that the RTX super series aswell as AMDs new radeon 5700XTs (5700 is not in consideration) benchmarks are live, I was wondering what I should upgrade to (my upgrade is not limited to these, but I dont know what else there is). My current GPU is the GTX 1060 3GB and it is well due for an upgrade. If you would like to recommend something that would be great. I'm also looking for a new monitor so if you have one that pairs well with the GPU you recommend, please give me the name! My budget is roughly 750 USD, but I can go higher if the difference is significant enough. Im looking for something that can let me run the newest AAA games with max settings while maintaining a good FPS (obviously this isnt all up to the GPU, but I dont want it to hold anything else back). These are my current specs:

CPU- i5 6600k
GPU- Geforce GTX 1060 3gb
RAM- 16gb ram
BOARD- asus Z170-A
500w powersupply (if I need to upgrade this aswell, so be it.)

Thanks in advance!

 

[jay32267]

If you keep your CPU.....the highest I would go in the GTX series would be the 1080 and that might be pushing it a little.

....in the GTX series.....the 2060.....and that might also be pushing it a little.

....but they will run well.

You need an available 8 pin plug from the PSU....but 500 watts should be enough if it's a quality supply.

OR....you could upgrade your CPU to an i7-7700K and then you could run more powerful GPUs.

 

[Snickeldümper]

If you keep your CPU.....the highest I would go in the GTX series would be the 1080 and that might be pushing it a little.

....in the GTX series.....the 2060.....and that might also be pushing it a little.

....but they will run well.

You need an available 8 pin plug from the PSU....but 500 watts should be enough if it's a quality supply.

OR....you could upgrade your CPU to an i7-7700K and then you could run more powerful GPUs.

Ok, so say that I upgrade to a i7-7700k (which I was planning on doing, but was told that my GPU was a higher priority.) , what GPU would you recommend, also would my MB be compatible? My budget for the GPU is not lowered for also buying a new CPU. I'm pretty sure my PSU is 8-pin so that shouldnt be a problem. Also, would the i7-7700k be good longterm? Thank you for the quick response

 

[jay32267]

Ok, so say that I upgrade to a i7-7700k (which I was planning on doing, but was told that my GPU was a higher priority.) , what GPU would you recommend, also would my MB be compatible? My budget for the GPU is not lowered for also buying a new CPU. I'm pretty sure my PSU is 8-pin so that shouldnt be a problem. Also, would the i7-7700k be good longterm? Thank you for the quick response

I'd say an RTX 2070 would definitely work with well a 7700K.
Maybe an RTX 2080 or a 2080 Ti....but I'm not sure....I'd have to research that.
Your MB is compatible.
A 7700K increases your performance significantly and saves you from changing the MB.

https://www.cpubenchmark.net/cpu.php?cpu=Intel+Core+i5-6600K+@+3.50GHz&id=2570

https://www.cpubenchmark.net/cpu.php?cpu=Intel+Core+i7-7700K+@+4.20GHz&id=2874

 

[Snickeldümper]

I'd say an RTX 2070 would definitely work with well a 7700K.
Maybe an RTX 2080 or a 2080 Ti....but I'm not sure....I'd have to research that.
Your MB is compatible.
A 7700K increases your performance significantly and saves you from changing the MB.

https://www.cpubenchmark.net/cpu.php?cpu=Intel+Core+i5-6600K+@+3.50GHz&id=2570

https://www.cpubenchmark.net/cpu.php?cpu=Intel+Core+i7-7700K+@+4.20GHz&id=2874

So I'm planning to get the ASUS ROG Strix Geforce RTX 2070, what do you think?

 

[EndEffeKt_24]

Radeon 5700XT with an improved cooler design would be my choice. It will game in 1440p like a charm. Powerdraw is roughly equal to RTX and it is significantly cheaper than the 2070 super while beeing not very much slower. No RT-Cores though, but the next years will tell if there is really a need for hardware based raytracing or if there will be other implementations.

If I can pay 100 dollar less for nearly equal performance I would strongly consider that.

 

[cc83]

It all depends on your resolution and framerates. For 1440p@60Hz go for 5700 xt and thats it. For a 1080p@60Hz regular 5700 is more than enough

 

[jay32267]

So I'm planning to get the ASUS ROG Strix Geforce RTX 2070, what do you think?

I think it's too much for the i5 but it will work OK. You just won't get the max use out of it.

 

[Snickeldümper]

I think it's too much for the i5 but it will work OK. You just won't get the max use out of it.

Well i'm planning on buying the i7-7700k(or something else?? help?) together with my new cpu. People are telling me to buy the new amd cards but i'm intrigued by ray tracing but don't know if its worth 100 dollars. I also just watched a video by jaystwocents or whatever where he said that the rtx 2070 super is just as good as the rtx 2080, all while costing 300 bucks less (which sounds too good to be true but I have no idea). I'm in no rush to buy anything though. I'm so confused and really don't know anything about computer parts. The radeon 5700xt sounds amazing for its price too. The monitor I have now is garbage but I'm also planning on upgrading it to a 1440p, dont know about the hertz). The bottom line is that I want a system that can run demanding games with good graphics while maintaining a steady and good FPS (60+). I really appreciate all the responds but I have to say that I'm very confused atm. Thank you

 

[jay32267]

If you put a GTX 1060 or GTX 1070 in your machine with your current CPU....you will be able to play most anything at 1080p.....60 fps....on ultra settings.

 

[Snickeldümper]

If you put a GTX 1060 or GTX 1070 in your machine with your current CPU....you will be able to play most anything at 1080p.....60 fps....on ultra settings.

what about 1440p? and are the other gpus, like the rtx series or amds new ones just for 4k? I dont understand why they exist at all if I can get the best with a card thats a whole lot cheaper.

 

[jay32267]

what about 1440p? and are the other gpus, like the rtx series or amds new ones just for 4k? I dont understand why they exist at all if I can get the best with a card thats a whole lot cheaper.

You can get the best AT 1080P with the GTX 1060 and 1070.

Things change as you go up in resolution.

For instance.....I am running an RTX 2080 Ti......and on 4K.....on many games......I don't even hit 60 fps.....and that card is $1200.

 

[Phaaze88]

Gpu ray tracing is just a gimmick right now. It's just something to screw around with in your spare time, as it comes with a huge performance hit when RTX is turned on.
And if you're someone who all about 'Muh F-pee-es', you won't care for it too much.

One thing to watch out for with the 7700k is that you'll probably need to look for it in the used market. Elsewhere, that thing is still going for retail, and then some, and for that price you can get a new cpu/mobo/ram combo.

@jay32267 : Is that with ultra settings turned on? That card should be capable of more...

 

[Snickeldümper]

Gpu ray tracing is just a gimmick right now. It's just something to screw around with in your spare time, as it comes with a huge performance hit when RTX is turned on.
And if you're someone who all about 'Muh F-pee-es', you won't care for it too much.

One thing to watch out for with the 7700k is that you'll probably need to look for it in the used market. Elsewhere, that thing is still going for retail, and then some, and for that price you can get a new cpu/mobo/ram combo.

Do you recommend another CPU instead? It feels a bit risky to buy used

 

[Snickeldümper]

Did everyone just assume that I was going to play in 4k? Is that all the new cards are good for?

 

[Snickeldümper]

Did everyone just assume that I was going to play in 4k? Is that all the new cards are good for?

wow im so fucking stupid. i just assumed "oh the rtx 2080 is 1000 more than the 1080, so the 1080 must be a pos right?". I just checked the specs for the 1080....

 

[jay32267]

Gpu ray tracing is just a gimmick right now. It's just something to screw around with in your spare time, as it comes with a huge performance hit when RTX is turned on.
And if you're someone who all about 'Muh F-pee-es', you won't care for it too much.

One thing to watch out for with the 7700k is that you'll probably need to look for it in the used market. Elsewhere, that thing is still going for retail, and then some, and for that price you can get a new cpu/mobo/ram combo.

@jay32267 : Is that with ultra settings turned on? That card should be capable of more...

Yes Ultra settings.
I am basically getting what I should get according to the benchmarks with my RTX 2080 Ti.

the games I don't hit 60 on are all real GPU intensive games.

 

[Phaaze88]

For the retail price of a 7700k(~$350), you could get a cpu/mobo/ram combo like this:
PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD - Ryzen 5 2600 3.4 GHz 6-Core Processor ($139.89 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: MSI - B450 Gaming Plus ATX AM4 Motherboard ($84.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill - Ripjaws V Series 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 Memory ($70.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $295.87
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-07-11 15:29 EDT-0400
That's why I mentioned the used market for the 7700k. It's totally fine if you're not comfortable with going that route.
You should still have some leeway for a 5700XT - please wait for the aftermarket versions, as the blower model has heat issues - can't speak for the monitor though, as that will definitely take you over your $750 budget.

 

[Snickeldümper]

For the retail price of a 7700k(~$350), you could get a cpu/mobo/ram combo like this:
PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD - Ryzen 5 2600 3.4 GHz 6-Core Processor ($139.89 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: MSI - B450 Gaming Plus ATX AM4 Motherboard ($84.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill - Ripjaws V Series 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 Memory ($70.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $295.87
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-07-11 15:29 EDT-0400
That's why I mentioned the used market for the 7700k. It's totally fine if you're not comfortable with going that route.
You should still have some leeway for a 5700XT - please wait for the aftermarket versions, as the blower model has heat issues - can't speak for the monitor though, as that will definitely take you over your $750 budget.

So I should wait for the aftermarket versions of the 5700XT, buy that with a AMD - Ryzen 5 2600 3.4 GHz 6-Core Processor and a MSI - B450 Gaming Plus ATX AM4 Motherboard. Do I need another 16GB of RAM as you recommend G.Skill - Ripjaws V Series 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 Memory. And what about the gtx 1070/1060?

 

[Phaaze88]

So I should wait for the aftermarket versions of the 5700XT, buy that with a AMD - Ryzen 5 2600 3.4 GHz 6-Core Processor and a MSI - B450 Gaming Plus ATX AM4 Motherboard. Do I need another 16GB of RAM as you recommend G.Skill - Ripjaws V Series 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 Memory. And what about the gtx 1070/1060?

Whoops! You can exclude the ram. I was thinking you had ddr3. My mistake.
Your current ram is fine. Well that's about $70 extra to put towards something else!

Did you mean 2070/2060?
I'd still recommend 5700XT. And if not that one, then the regular 5700 - I know you said you weren't interested in that one, but those 2 cards are pretty much the best options in that price range.
2060(Super)/2070(Super) can't compete, and IMO, the value of the RTX cards is made even worse when the user doesn't make/plan to use the primary feature that has been advertised all this time, which again, it sounded like you wouldn't care too much about.

EDIT:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rz47WqRDDK4

 

[DSzymborski]

What exactly is the PSU? Quality power supplies will have an eight-pin connector, but not all power supplies with an eight-pin connector are quality power supplies. It's hard to answer this question at all with such a crucial detail missing (and it is a crucial detail).

 

[Snickeldümper]

Whoops! You can exclude the ram. I was thinking you had ddr3. My mistake.
Your current ram is fine. Well that's about $70 extra to put towards something else!

Did you mean 2070/2060?
I'd still recommend 5700XT. And if not that one, then the regular 5700 - I know you said you weren't interested in that one, but those 2 cards are pretty much the best options in that price range.
2060(Super)/2070(Super) can't compete, and IMO, the value of the RTX cards is made even worse when the user doesn't make/plan to use the primary feature that has been advertised all this time, which again, it sounded like you wouldn't care too much about.

EDIT:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rz47WqRDDK4

I actually meant the gtx 1060/1070. I didn’t realize that rtx series was so expensive only because of their rt-cores. However, the 5700XT seems to be the way to go. The cpu you recommend seems to be worse than my current one? Is the issue that my current one is a intel.
I’m afraid that I can’t remember what’s exact psu I have and I can’t check as I’m not home (and won’t be for another month, so either way I won’t be buying anything until then). I do however know for sure that has 8-pins. I also think it’s by the brand evega? There are two funny Es, I can’t quite remember though

 

[Phaaze88]

The Ryzen 2600 worse than the 6600k? Not really. Take this for reference: https://cpu.userbenchmark.com/Compare/Intel-Core-i5-6600K-vs-AMD-Ryzen-5-2600/3503vs3955
It at least gives you the option of upgrading to Ryzen 3000 later on without having to change the motherboard, unlike Intel.
IMO, this is a better option than then 7700k(by itself, it's no slouch), which is on an EoL platform. Go with a 7700k if that's not convincing enough.

Aside from the 7700k and R5 2600, there's also R5 3600 and the I7 9700k. But I believe both of those cpus are over budget. The 2600 seemed reasonable to me as it was on a newer platform and was within your budget.

When you do get back home, do find out what your psu is, because you may end up having to replace it.