Hello there! I understand you're just starting with upgrading your PC and are looking for some guidance.
Hello there! I understand you're just starting with upgrading your PC and are looking for some guidance.
Here are the details you provided.
The system includes an MSI B450m Gaming Plus motherboard, a Nvidia GEFORCE GTX 1660Ti 6GB GPU, an AMD Ryzen 5 3600x 6-core CPU, two 8GB DDR4 RAM sticks (Aegis 288pin), a 3x Corsair 120mm fans, a 750w Thermaltake PSU, and a WD 2TB HDD.
Pretty light computer for running 4K to be frank. Have you checked any standardized benchmarks to see how you compare to other people running a 3600X and 1660Ti?
I would expect 100% GPU usage at all times at 4K High. CPU usage should be lighter than typical since the GPU would be doing the heavy lifting. RAM is only used when necessary, and there are few games that can consume 16GB at the moment.
How full is your SSD?
Playing more recent games off a hard drive isn't exactly recommended either.
You didn't list the exact model of PSU, so that could be part of the problem. Thermaltake does have some pretty low end units. Though I have no problem recommending some of their recent high end units.
Upgrades you could contemplate would be upgrading the CPU, memory, GPU, storage and PSU. Which is mostly a new computer, only keeping the motherboard and chassis. So depends on how much you have to spend really.
Ryzen 7 5800X3D, the fastest gaming CPU possible for your motherboard.
2x16GB DDR4 3600 (or 2x8), just to add a little memory speed to the system.
GPU / PSU is a matter of budget. For 4K I would start looking at RTX 4070Ti and up or the 7900XT and 7900XTX from AMD. The bigger cards need a 1000W PSU, but 850W would cover all but the biggest.
2TB NVMe SSDs are pretty affordable now. One or two of those to replace your hard drive and boot drive. (You can use the hard drive as a back up device)
I usually rely on my SSD for all my games, moving them back and forth whenever I want to play.
It’s mainly the main drive that gets used.
Sorry, pinpointing the PSU model is tricky because it was about five years ago and there are no labels left.
I might need to upgrade my PSU among other things besides the motherboard and chassis, just like you said.
I’ll follow your advice and keep the recommended specs in mind!
Thank you very much.
GPU Benchmarks and Hierarchy 2023: Graphics Cards Ranked We conducted numerous GPU tests on Nvidia, AMD, and Intel cards, organizing them in our detailed ranking system. It’s also worth considering the condition of your SSD; if it reaches 75% capacity or higher, performance may degrade... Kingston® SSD Manager - SSD health and firmware application - Kingston Technology KSM offers an app that lets users track and control their Kingston® Solid State Drives. It also includes a free one-year Acronis True Image subscription for Kingston. www.kingston.com
Yeah, I've heard SSDs can slow down when used heavily, mostly because they get full storage space. Thanks for sharing the links—I didn't realize Kingston has a manager for their products! Also, checking my PSU capacity with all the parts I have, Newegg.ca said my system only needs 400-499 watts. But if I need to upgrade, that might be the first thing I consider buying. Appreciate your response!
Would the Thermaltake smart 700W meet your expectations for an unknown unit? It's the power supply I currently use, so I want to confirm its quality.
Quality matters a lot, which PSU would you choose for the top gaming performance?