Choose between upgrading the budget or pausing.
Choose between upgrading the budget or pausing.
First of all, I don’t intend to spark a heated debate between red and blue here. My goal is simply to share some genuine thoughts. Right now, my setup includes: an Intel Core i7-6700k with 32GB Corsair DDR4-2400 RAM (four 8GB modules), an Asus Maximus VIII Ranger Mobo, an nVidia RTX 2070, a WD Black nVME M.2 2x 500GB SSD, two 4TB WD Black 7200 SATA drives, and a Cooler Master Nepton 140XL AIO cooler with Corsair RM 1000i power supply. Mostly I use it for gaming and video editing. I also handle everyday tasks like office work, emails, music, and browsing the web. (I’m pretty much always on Discord and use OBS to stream everything.) The machine is roughly three and a half years old and is running smoothly. Still, I feel the need to upgrade. With only about $500 available, I’m leaning toward going with Ryzen now. I’ve been searching online and have a plan: keep what I have—CPU, motherboard, RAM—but swap everything except the CPU, motherboard, and RAM. I might scour eBay for parts to recoup some of the costs. My main worry is whether the performance boost will be noticeable beyond what faster memory and extra cores would offer in rendering. If I somehow get a top-tier processor and overclock it, maybe that would pay off. Until then, I’m weighing whether to upgrade now or save for something better later. If upgrading makes sense, does this setup suit your needs? If not, what alternatives do you suggest? Edited April 15, 2020 by p4ck3tl055
there will be variations compared to the 3600 model, but the decision depends on your priorities. I’d prefer a 3700x on a B450 board instead. prices should match, but upgrading to an 8C/16T version would offer more value, particularly for video editing. In general gaming, if you’re at 1080p aiming for 144fps with full CPU load, it makes sense to upgrade. However, at 1440p 60fps with 50% CPU and GPU usage, the benefits won’t be noticeable.
I’d save up. Your specs look solid, and new models will launch this year, making it smarter to wait for a good upgrade. Just a reminder—avoid the X570 Gaming Plus if you decide to upgrade; it’s a poor choice. There are better options available based on your budget.
The device appears to handle all your requests effectively. By nature, you don’t have to upgrade. You’re free to upgrade whenever you wish. The decision hinges on whether the $500 justifies satisfying your desire.