Do you need guidance on upgrading your GPU?
Do you need guidance on upgrading your GPU?
Hey everyone,
I’m seeking some guidance on upgrading my GPU. I feel like my present card is restricting my system, especially after recently upgrading my CPU. Since that change, my GPU usage remains consistently high—often at 90–100%—even in games that aren’t demanding much. It’s possible I’m experiencing a reverse bottleneck: my CPU is now too strong for my current GPU, which is clearly the limiting factor.
Here’s what I have:
- Case: Cooler Master MasterBox NR400 (micro-ATX)
- Motherboard: MSI PRO B850-P mATX
- CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D
- CPU cooler: DeepCool AG620
- GPU: EVGA GeForce RTX 2070 BLACK EDITION (8 GB GDDR6)
- RAM: Corsair Vengeance DDR5 32 GB (2×16 GB), 6000 MHz CL30
- Storage: Samsung 860 QVO 1 TB SATA SSD
- PSU: EVGA SuperNOVA 650 G3 (650W, 80+ Gold)
- Monitor: ASUS TUF Gaming VG27AQ – 1440p, 155 Hz, G-SYNC compatible
I’m aiming for a GPU that can match the performance of my 7800X3D and allows me to enjoy 1440p gaming at 140+ FPS in titles like World of Warcraft and League of Legends. Ray tracing isn’t essential, but I want something reliable for several years with good thermal management and efficiency.
My budget is roughly €600–750, though I’m open to going a bit higher if the performance improvement justifies it.
Appreciate any advice!
Thanks! Yeah, I figured the RX 9070 or 9070 XT would be solid matches for my need.
Just to confirm: my current PSU is an EVGA SuperNOVA 650 G3 (650W, 80+ Gold), do you think that would be enough for the RX 9070 XT, or is an upgrade really necessary?
Also, what is the difference between XT ou regular ? just one being more powerful ?
I’m confident G3 650w can manage the RX 9070 for a while longer. (But a PSU upgrade should be considered soon.)
The 9070xt requires more power, so a new PSU would be advisable.
9070xt is a fully unlocked version, whereas the 9070 is a reduced GPU version.
It features 3,584 stream processors instead of the full 4,096, enables 56 CU units versus 64, and has 112 AI accelerators compared to 128, plus 56 RT accelerators instead of 64.
Got it! I appreciate the clear explanation now. I'll compare prices in my area (usually around €650–800) and decide if the XT is worth the extra cost for me. If the price difference is large, I might choose the regular 9070 instead. Also, if I decide to go with the XT, I'll make sure to buy a new PSU at the same time as you suggested. Thanks a lot!
I noticed the currency symbol was incorrect; thank you for the correction. That would have placed you at a 9070, fitting your budget.
PCPartPicker Part List
Video Card:
XFX Swift OC Radeon RX 9070 16 GB Video Card
(€685.99 @ Computeruniverse)
Case:
Cooler Master MasterBox NR400 (w/o ODD) MicroATX Mid Tower Case
(Purchased For £0.00)
Total:
€685.99
Prices cover shipping, taxes, and available discounts
Created by
PCPartPicker
2025-04-23 18:07 CEST+0200
According to Guru3d's advice, this should work well, provided the PSU is not outdated.
https://www.guru3d.com/review/radeon-rx-...onsumption
Did you purchase that item, and is your PSU managing it well? I also have a Supernova G3 650W and recently upgraded to a 9070.
I just finished upgrading my motherboard and CPU cooler, and it fixed everything.
New CPU cooler: Thermalright Phantom Spirit 120SE
New motherboard: GIGABYTE B650M Gaming Plus WiFi
I haven't upgraded my GPU yet since the prices are really steep.
With this improvement, you should be able to play smoothly at 2k in WoW and other games for a long time. If you plan to upgrade your GPU later, I suggest the 9070, which will let you enjoy 4k without problems, as RT, DLSS, etc., aren't important to you. It also uses significantly less power than the 9070 XT.
Honestly, wow and laughing at 140fps isn't that impressive, and upgrading might not be worth it.