Question What should I upgrade for 3440×1440 WQHD gaming ?

[skuee]

Hello everyone!
I'm was mostly happy with my computer until earlier this year once I started playing Diablo 4 and Path of Exile. I'm playing on a 3440 x 1440 144hz monitor WQHD (AOC CU34G2X 34) and got quite used to it, especially when I'm not playing games. I also have another AOC 24G2U 144hz plugged into my system as my 2nd monitor. When I switch to the 24" AOC, I see huge fps improvements and everything feels quite smoother compared to WQHD. So here is my question, what kind of an upgrade would I need for playing online multiplayer games smoothly on my WQHD monitor? Would it solve my fps issues completely if I were to upgrade to a better gpu? I would also request you to keep in mind that I'm from Turkey with a pretty bad economy, so my budget is kind of limited. I would like to keep it under 1500usd if possible.

My Current Spec ;

CPU i5 8600K (running at 4300Mhz - 43x100Mhz)
Mainboard TUF Z370-Plus Gaming
RAM 32GB ( 2 sets of Corsair Vengeance LPX 16 GB (2x8) 3000MHz DDR4 CL16 so it is 4x8 )
It is 2 sets of 2x16 because I had to upgrade from 16 to 32 at some point but couldn't afford a 2x16 set
GPU Asus ROG Strix RTX 2060 6GB OC
PSU Corsair 750W
DISPLAY 1 (Main) AOC CU34G2X 3440x1440
DISPLAY 2 (Secondary) AOC 24G2U 1920x1080

As you might have noticed, my spec is kind of old and would mind a complete overhaul but if possible to fix it by simply upgrading my GPU alone, that would help me a lot. I'll have a better budget at the end of this year to upgrade the rest of my system (cpu/mobo/ram etc).

Thanks in advance for reading my problem and I hope you are having a great day.

 

[Colif]

Its the gpu, its not really a 4k card. It makes sense it can run 1080p easy but 4k is 4x the size. I had a 2070 Super, it couldn't run my 144hz 1440p monitor at max in games, let alone a 4k 144hz monitor.

Is that budget just for a GPU or entire system?

Depends if you want RT or not. Its possible you would need a new PSU to run the GPU.

 

[skuee]

Its the gpu, its not really a 4k card. It makes sense it can run 1080p easy but 4k is 4x the size. I had a 2070 Super, it couldn't run my 144hz 1440p monitor at max in games, let alone a 4k 144hz monitor.

Is that budget just for a GPU or entire system?

Depends if you want RT or not. Its possible you would need a new PSU to run the GPU.

The budget is only for the GPU + PSU if needed. What would be a good gpu to invest into and what kind of a psu do I need ? I honestly don't know if I want RT or not but since I'm mostly looking for performance, I believe I don't need it.

There is this card on a discount in my region currently
1030$ - SAPPHIRE AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT Gaming AMD RDNA 3 20GB GDDR6

RTX3080 cards are between 1160$ and 1350$
RTX4070 is around the same price as 7900xt 950-1100$

 

[AdmiralDonut]

Any GPU upgrade you get, is going to be bottlenecked at 3440x1440, by that CPU.

 

[Colif]

RTX4070 is around the same price as 7900xt 950-1100$

7900xt is the better of the 2 cards, might be able to get away with using a 750watt PSU. Its what card suggests - https://www.sapphiretech.com/en/consumer/21323-01-20g-radeon-rx-7900-xt-20g-gddr6#Specification

CPU will bottleneck GPU but then my CPU does and its a 3600xt. There aren't many CPU now that don't bottleneck a 7900xt (though it depends on resolutions used).

7900xt can run 4k but perhaps not at 144hz - Does this have Freesync as if so, refresh rate doesn't matter as much - https://au.aoc.com/product/CU34G2X

it depends on what games you play as to if RT is something you worry about. If you play older games or indie then RT isn't really an issue. That isn't to say 7900xt can't do it, just not as well in some titles as 40 series cards.

How much is an XTX as its better at 4k? (though you would need a new PSU to run it - so its price is suddenly way highr)

 

[skuee]

7900xt can run 4k but perhaps not at 144hz - Does this have Freesync as if so, refresh rate doesn't matter as much - https://au.aoc.com/product/CU34G2X

Yes it has Freesync. Just a question about 144hz, does it effect the performans if the monitor is on 144hz or 100hz? I'm only interested in playing Path of Exile (which is an old game that doesnt use any new technologies) and Diablo 4 (which will use some new tech). But as long as I can play those games at around 90-100fps stable, I'm more than happy.

How much is an XTX as its better at 4k? (though you would need a new PSU to run it - so its price is suddenly way highr)

Sapphire RX 7900 XTX Puls - 1450$
Sapphire RX 7900 XTX Puls Nitro+ Vapor X - 1570$
XFX RX 7900 XTX Speedster Merc 310 Black - 1400$
Asus RX 7900 XTX Tuf Gaming OC Edition - 1650$
MSI RX 7900 XTX Gaming Trio Classic 24G - 1540$

The price difference is pretty high and considering I'll 100% need a new PSU for XTX, I would like to stick to Sapphire 7900XT. And in a few months, or maybe more, I can just upgrade my CPU and solve the bottleneck issue. Would it affect my performance a lot to use this card with my current CPU (i5 8600K) ?
Also another question if you dont mind, if I were to downgrade my monitor, what would be a good 1440p monitor to play with my current cpu + 7900xt ? Maybe the play is to downgrade it since I bought it pretty cheap (around 280$). I can easily sell it for around 375-400$ currently

 

[Colif]

Yes it has Freesync. Just a question about 144hz, does it effect the performans if the monitor is on 144hz or 100hz?

i think with an AMD GPU and a Freesync monitor you may not notice a peformance problem

With AMD FreeSync technology, the refresh rate of a display is synchronized with the framerate of FreeSync compatible graphics cards, reducing or eliminating visual artifacts that many users are especially sensitive to: input latency, screen tearing, and stuttering during gaming and video playback.

https://www.amd.com/en/technologies/free-sync-faq

Yes, I thought XTX might be too steep

Would it affect my performance a lot to use this card with my current CPU (i5 8600K) ?

Probably but it will be an upgrade on what you have now so you won't know how much of a problem it is until you upgrade PC. It means GPU will get better as PC does.

I don't know what are good models now, I bought one 3 years ago and the model no longer exists.
You can get 144 on a 7900xt at 1440p, I have limited my screen so its lowest is 143 & highest is 144

DIablo 4 & POE are hardly going to be hard games to run

Diablo 4
They don't list 1440p specs for Diablo 4 but for 1080p HIgh they saying a I7 8700K which is close to what you have. Gpu they recommend is your Current one or a rx 5700xt so you will blow that out of water. CPU doesn't change for 4k but GPU is RTX 3080 or a RX 6800xt

Diablo 4 was not likely to be a graphically intensive game.

Path of Exile
Recommended:
OS: Windows 10
Processor: Quad core 3.2GHz x64-compatible
Memory: 16 GB RAM
Graphics: NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 1050 Ti or ATI Radeon™ RX560
DirectX: Version 11
Network: Broadband Internet connection
Storage: 40 GB available space
Additional Notes: Solid state storage is recommended

No idea about POE 2.
I played that in the beta version, the requirements don't appear to have changed since then

should play Titans quest or Grim Dawn.

 

[Cestral]

I don't understand all this talk about 4k since the OP isn't using a 4k monitor. He's using a 3440x1440 monitor.

3840x2160 = 8 294 400 pixels
3440x1440 = 4 953 600 pixels

That's a drop of roughly 40% fewer pixels.

My answer to the OP is to stick with your plan. I was in basically the exact same situation as you as I have been using an Intel i7 7700k and a GTX 1070 for the past 5-6 years or so. I'm also using a 3440x1440 monitor just like you. I felt like I needed an upgrade since games were finally starting to feel a bit too demanding for my system.

Also, just like you, I decided to buy a video card now and plan to upgrade the CPU/RAM/Motherboard later (probably sometime next year when new generations of CPUs are out).

I decided to buy an MSI Radeon 7900 XTX Gaming Trio Classic and I'm very happy with my purchase. The card is silent and a bit smaller than many of the massive video cards being released today (make sure that the video card you intend to buy actually fits in your case). I have a 1000W PSU so I might have a bit more leeway than you when it comes to power demands.

I played the first Diablo 4 beta on my GTX 1070 and had some performance issues, but I upgraded to the 7900 XTX before the second beta and now everything ran super smooth.

Regarding the talks about the CPU bottlenecking the video card; is that the case? Absolutely! But that doesn't mean you're not going to see a significant increase in performance. Right now, I can run any game I want maxed out without any issue. Smooth as butter. Because of this I don't really see a huge point in upgrading my CPU right now anyway, and I might as well wait a little until the next generation is out before I unlock the full potential of the video card.

My point being: Don't worry about any potential bottlenecks for now. You're still going to see a massive increase in performance so stick to your plan and upgrade the GPU now and the CPU later.

As for which card to get, the 7900 XT is a very good purchase. It has more memory than Nvidias solutions, is cheaper relative to the performance, and also comes with a 2.1 DisplayPort instead of the 1.4a that Nvidia delivers. I would say only buy Nvidia if you feel the need for RT or DLSS3.

The only disadvantage I have found with the Radeon so far is that it can have issues with multi-monitor setups. Just like you, I run two monitors, and running something that is hardware accelerated on my second monitor while I play a game on my primary monitor may sometimes cause a driver crash, which is annoying, but hopefully they'll get around to fixing that soon. Other than that I'm very happy with the card.

But if you're into games like Path of Exile and Diablo 4 then you don't really need a top end video card at your screen resolution. A 7900 XT would handle it with ease by far. Even a 6950 XT or 6900 XT might be a good purchase if you find a nice deal on them, but the extra cash for a 7900 XT might be worth it for longevity. But do make sure your PSU can handle whatever card you choose. Having some margin is always a good thing for stability.

Cheers from Sweden and good luck with your purchase!

 

[Colif]

I don't understand all this talk about 4k since the OP isn't using a 4k monitor. He's using a 3440x1440 monitor.

3840x2160 = 8 294 400 pixels
3440x1440 = 4 953 600 pixels

That's a drop of roughly 40% fewer pixels.

i got it wrong, if he had said ultra wide I may not have misunderstood

I plan on playing D4 on my 7900xt (Unless they change it into Diablo immmoral part 2 after all the official reviews are out)

 

[skuee]

But if you're into games like Path of Exile and Diablo 4 then you don't really need a top end video card at your screen resolution. A 7900 XT would handle it with ease by far. Even a 6950 XT or 6900 XT might be a good purchase if you find a nice deal on them, but the extra cash for a 7900 XT might be worth it for longevity. But do make sure your PSU can handle whatever card you choose. Having some margin is always a good thing for stability.

Cheers from Sweden and good luck with your purchase!

Thanks a lot!