Is upgrading to a GPU really necessary?
Is upgrading to a GPU really necessary?
I have a Lenovo T7-34IMZ5 (Core i9-10900K @ 3.70GHz, 32GB RAM). It's running Win10 on the PCIe 1TB SSD with my photos on a separate SATA 2TB SSD. The GPU is an RTX 2080 Super. As this is a PCIe3 mobo, I'd expect any GPU upgrade to not provide any substantial improvement in performance (running various photo apps like Lightroom Classic and Luminar). In fact, my feeling is that a 2TB PCIe SSD (in the open available slot) as my data drive in place of the SATA SSD would provide the most bang for the buck.
I do no gaming at all. The only other GPU-centric app I use is Handbrake (set to the Nvidia encoding choice and I have no complaints). So what do you think I should do?
A) Leave it be until I'm ready to drop a couple of grand on a new system?
B) Upgrade the GPU (which I'd expect to cost $500 or so)?
C) Just upgrade the storage with a new PCIe SSD? I'd probably get a PCIe4 SSD so I can transfer it to my next system as the cost of PCIe3 and PCIe4 SSDs seem to be the same.
Thank you in advance for your generous advice.
Upgrade your OS to Windows 11 before October since Windows 10 reaches end-of-life then. I'm not very familiar with non-gaming GPU uses but if your current setup meets your requirements you're fine. PCIe 3 shouldn't be as restrictive as you think unless you're planning a 3k 5090. Option C appears to be a solid option.
For those projects RTX 2080 Super is more than sufficient.
Don't anticipate a GPU upgrade will enhance performance for these programs, especially if you already possess RTX 2080 Super.
PCIe 3.0 doesn't impose major restrictions in this case.
Consider increasing storage if you're running low on space.
Or simply refrain from making changes.
Perhaps upgrading to Windows 11 would be beneficial.
Thank you both for your ideas. Since my applications aren’t gaming-focused, upgrading the GPU alone shouldn’t make much difference. I added 16GB of RAM (to the existing 16GB) and it improved performance in both LR and Luminar. During a photo editing test, using SATA SSD instead of PCIe NVMe SSD showed better results, even though my operating system and apps were on the NVMe drive.
As nature prefers balance, a 2TB NVMe SSD will occupy the available space and I’ll move my photo collection there. The SATA SSD will act as a fast secondary storage device. (My Calibre ePub library is already there, and it runs smoothly.)
Yes, Win11 will replace Win10 on the Lenovo. I’ll perform a clean installation to confirm everything works well. It might be a good moment to reassess whether all my installed programs are still necessary.
Previously, I replaced machines every three years or so, but the Lenovo seems reliable. Besides the storage upgrade, perhaps a larger display would be enjoyable.
Thanks again for your help.
😀