Question What are the best options to upgrade?

[Scott Baban]

I have a i5-9400 and a GTX 1060 and be seeking to upgrade my CPU/Motherboard/RAM/GPU. I have an option in mind to buy first a used i7-9700f available in my location for 125-135 USD (7000-7500pesos in my country) and upgrade next the motherboard (H310M) to a used Z370 which is roughly 70 USD (4000pesos). Would that still be good for 2023? Or is it better to upgrade to like maybe i5-11400f?

I'm also planning to upgrade my GPU to a 1080Ti which is 175 USD or RTX 2080 (non-LHR) which is 230 USD or RTX 3060 which is 250 USD. What is the best bang for buck within these 3?

Budget range for upgrade: 350-445 USD (20000-25000pesos)

System Unit:
i5-9400
ASUS PRIME H310M-E
2x8GB DDR4 2666mhz
GTX 1060 6GB

 

[Lutfij]

You might want to stylize your thead like this;

*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 we could move forward with suggestions.

You should list the specs to your current build like so:
CPU:
CPU cooler:
Motherboard:
Ram:
SSD/HDD:
GPU:
PSU:
Chassis:
OS:
Monitor:
include the age of the PSU apart from it's make and model.

 

[Lucky_SLS]

I would suggest looking at a ryzen 5600 in a B450/B550 board. or even the ryzen 3600.

You can later on upgrade that to 5800X3D which will last you a long while.

Between the 3060 and the 2080, i would choose the 2080.

 

[Eximo]

No need to swap out the motherboard if you are just dropping in a new chip. Still a locked processor you are looking at getting.

If moving to a 400 or 500 series board is an option, that would be my choice. 6c/12t 11400F should get you farther than the 8c/8t 9700F.

Ideally you should try and get onto LGA1700 with an i5-12400F. That way you can upgrade to a 14th gen chip some time later. Can't really suggest moving to AM5, since you would need DDR5 for that.

2080 is the faster GPU, but the RTX3060 is newer, uses less power, has more VRAM. I guess it depends how long you want to keep it. Short term, 2080, long term 3060.

 

[Lucky_SLS]

8gb is more than enough for 1080p. Electricity is cheaper in south america. not like in europe, so i guess power draw wont be a big deciding factor...

 

[Eximo]

I'm regretting getting a power hungry GPU. Even with air conditioning it is difficult to regulate room temperature while gaming.

I think my next GPU is going to be a mid-range 'downgrade'

 

[Lucky_SLS]

^ i have no luck there, planning on a new build by the year end and already got a samsung G7 43", so 4k it is. looking at the 7900XT!

 

[Scott Baban]

No need to swap out the motherboard if you are just dropping in a new chip. Still a locked processor you are looking at getting.

If moving to a 400 or 500 series board is an option, that would be my choice. 6c/12t 11400F should get you farther than the 8c/8t 9700F.

Ideally you should try and get onto LGA1700 with an i5-12400F. That way you can upgrade to a 14th gen chip some time later. Can't really suggest moving to AM5, since you would need DDR5 for that.

2080 is the faster GPU, but the RTX3060 is newer, uses less power, has more VRAM. I guess it depends how long you want to keep it. Short term, 2080, long term 3060.

Late reply, I've got a Ryzen 5 5600x now and a 2080 Super. Thanks a lot to this community. More power! 🙏