Enhancing the 4690K for versatile multitasking, a significant upgrade.
Enhancing the 4690K for versatile multitasking, a significant upgrade.
Hello, I recently acquired an ASUS GEFORCE ROG-STRIX-GTX1660TI-A6G-GAMING graphics card with 6GB GDDR6 192bit, 1800Mhz OC, 2xHDMI and 2xDP, AURA RGB. It was on sale, so I purchased it after my GTX970 was down to just one fan. My current setup includes an MSI Z97 PC Mate, 4x4 1600Mhz G-SKILL DDR3 memory, and an i5 4690K CPU with a stock cooler. I haven’t made any changes to the CPU or RAM, as my motherboard isn’t particularly suitable for them. After switching to the 1660TI, I feel my CPU might be limiting GPU performance. I frequently multitask—Firefox with Twitch streaming at 1080p60fps, IDE processes running alongside games, and games like WoW, HS, Dota. My second monitor handles other tasks well, but CoD: Warzone feels unresponsive even with borderless windows. It seems my CPU could be the bottleneck, though I see high usage in Task Manager. My monitors are LG 1080p/75Hz and an AOC 1080p/60Hz. The power supply is solid, a Seasonic G Series 550SSR-550RM 550W unit.
I’m torn between upgrading my CPU/RAM or investing in a Ryzen 5 3600 or newer models with DDR4 and higher speeds (like 3300x/3100). I’m considering a Ryzen 5 3600 or similar, possibly a B450 board. I earn around $2000 a month as a part-time developer, so extra performance would help with multitasking and running tools. I’m thinking about spending about $3500 (or roughly 500$ each) to get a system close to the 1660TI.
My question is: should I upgrade my cooler and CPU, or wait for a better model? Would it be worth spending more on a new motherboard and a Ryzen 5 3600, or should I stick with the 4690K? I’m also curious about whether a Ryzen 3 series CPU would suit me better, especially since mobile and Ryzen 3x seem ideal for my needs.
If you were me, what would you do? I’ve weighed so many factors—especially since price comparisons aren’t straightforward here. I’m open to suggestions, but I thought I’d share my thoughts. Thanks for your time!
I suggest holding off a while longer—not just for Zen 3, but for the new Intel CPUs. I almost forgot the exact names, but they’re probably just a few more names. Most likely, Zen 3 will be an upgraded version of Zen plus some improvements in IPC, cache, or chip architecture. Intel and AMD are still solid, and Haswell remains decent so far. I’d recommend waiting and if you’re not happy with what both teams have to offer, consider going back to the previous Zen 2 models—it’ll be more affordable and you’ll still get good value. Either way, you’ll end up winning.
This seems sensible. Although Intel doesn’t usually lower prices, AMD tends to offer more competitive pricing when new models arrive. Even if the 4xxx Ryzen (perhaps Zen 3) don’t provide strong budget CPU choices, I might still manage a better performance option like 3600/3600x or maybe 3700x instead of the cheaper 3300x/3100. At the same time, I don’t think there’s much chance Intel will ever be more affordable relative to performance. Haswell might have been an outlier, and after each generation the socket changes too. Off-topic for now, but I’ll check what others think—your advice sounds solid. Honestly, I’m fine with skipping CoD: Warzone and keeping a stream running on my second browser; it really affects my focus.
I chose to upgrade and asked for advice on 3100, 3300x, 3600 or 3600x options. I'm also unsure about the best motherboard choices and want to avoid cheap ones. For the cooler, what suggestions do you have? I plan to buy an air cooler if I get one. Regarding RAM, I want 2x8 GB with 3000mhz speeds, but I'm not sure about the rest. Thanks ahead!
I have 3500TL which seems odd when compared to dollars because of the messed-up currency conversion. I want to upgrade now for a few reasons: even if prices drop with new releases, the economy is struggling. Here are some examples: 3600x equals 1650-1700 TL (250~$); 3600 is 1350-1400 TL (200~$); 3300x is 1100 TL (150~$); 3100 is 950 TL (120~$); 2x8GB costs around 800 TL (110~$). For motherboards there are too many choices, but I’m sure they’re similar to CPU prices. @TofuHaroto Around 1700x or 2700x I know they’re still good upgrades, but I’m a bit doubtful about Zen 1 versus Zen 2. @ShrimpBrime
Focusing on the productivity aspect of the Zen 1700x, which maintains higher performance per core compared to your current chip. Examples from friends.
I can choose, but I need to check mobo prices. I agree with @ShrimpBrime that Zen+ is still pretty good today and Intel’s i3 isn’t much worse—it could reach around 3000, maybe even 3200. If you’re curious about comparisons, a 2700x is roughly equivalent to a 3600 in raw performance since they have similar IPC, though the 3600 has a better i3 and the 2700x offers two more hyper threads. Prices will depend on what they’re offering.