Is your current configuration still useful or should you consider an upgrade?
Is your current configuration still useful or should you consider an upgrade?
Hi everyone,
My 9-year-old gaming PC (the specs listed below) suddenly hit its ceiling a few days back, especially when I tried to play Forza Motorsport (20 fps at "low" settings / 1080p – pretty disappointing).
Over the past two years, I noticed it was increasingly struggling, particularly during racing titles. Below are some FPS numbers I've encountered across various games:
- Forza Horizon 5: 40–50 fps, but often drops to 30, causing the screen to stutter (1080p, medium settings)
- Forza Horizon 4: a bit better than Horizon 5
- Assetto Corsa Competition: 60 fps (1080p, all settings at high)
- Assetto Corsa: consistently over 120 fps (maximized, 1080p)
- Automobilista 2: 70+ fps (1080p, high)
- Control: 50–60 fps (medium/high, 1080p)
- Doom Eternal: 60+ fps (high, 1080p)
My current build (blue, with recent upgrades):
- Motherboard: Asus M5A99FX PRO
- CPU: AMD 8350 FX Socket AM3+ 4 GHz AMD FX 125 W
- GPU: MSI GTX 1060 6GB "Armor"
- Power Supply: still not sure, but I went for a reliable brand offering over 800W
- RAM: 16GB Ballistix Sport VLP DDR3 1600 MT/s (PC3-12800, 240-pin DIMM)
- Storage: 3TB HDD (only two recognized) plus a 1TB Crucial SSD
I need the capacity to run games in 4K, maintain a solid 60 fps (since my TV is limited to 60Hz), and deliver good graphics at least with high settings.
My initial idea was to sell the PC and upgrade to a PS5 or XSX, but maybe there’s another way to match those consoles’ performance without buying new hardware. I’m not even sure if my motherboard supports the latest CPUs and GPUs anymore.
What do you think? Should I focus on swapping the GPU, or should I also consider the CPU?
One thing’s clear: I won’t be building a gaming PC from scratch. Looking at how a basic PS4 from ten years ago handled GT7 (about as strong as ACC on my rig, which costs three times more but has better processing power), it seems like a waste of money.
I’m leaning toward the console route, but maybe I’m mistaken.
could maintain the GPU and check if it achieves sufficient FPS, plus evaluate the SSD performance, but yes, consider a new CPU/motherboard/ram.
Hey there,
For an upgrade, what would the cost be? Honestly, swapping out the GPU, CPU, power supply, case, and keeping the old GPU until you can afford a better one would be the best approach. This would really boost your system significantly.
PCPartPicker Part List
CPU:
AMD Ryzen 5 5600G 3.9 GHz 6-Core Processor
($126.35 @ Amazon)
Motherboard:
Asus PRIME B550-PLUS ATX AM4 Motherboard
($129.38 @ Amazon)
Memory:
Corsair Vengeance LPX 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3600 CL18 Memory
($71.98 @ Amazon)
Power Supply:
Corsair RM750e (2023) 750 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply
($99.99 @ Best Buy)
Total:
$427.70
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by
PCPartPicker
2023-10-13 08:54 EDT-0400
This upgrade would make your current setup a lot stronger. Plan to get a mid-range GPU later, and you'll be getting the most performance possible at 1080p with high FPS.
For 60fps at 4k Ultra you'd need around $500 for a graphics card. It might be wiser to choose a PS5 instead.
Thanks guys for your replies. I'm glad I asked because I realize I was going completely the opposite way about that (was considering upgrading the GPU and keeping the mobo/CPU and maybe upgrading to GDDR5 or 6, because when I run benchmarks the bottleneck is the GPU, not those components). But there might be compatibility issues I'm not aware of.
The PSU does not worry me at all because it's at least 800W, from a renowned brand.
Please keep in mind that I'm not in North America and that, were I live, I could sell my rig for around $350 and buy an XSX for twice as much (so net expenditure: $350).
Then there is the issue of how old my current components are. Even if I keep them, I don't know how much life they still have left in them.
I think it's a no brainer, really...
P.S.: the budget would have been the same as a PS5/XSX pricetag.
Your FX CPU is noticeably lacking compared to modern requirements.
Indeed, 4K gaming demands a powerful graphics card.
However, you also require a CPU capable of achieving solid frame rates.
Especially for titles like Sims, MMOs, and strategy games, a processor with strong single-thread performance is essential.
Execute the cpu-Z benchmark on your FX-8350.
You should receive a rating around 224.
A basic $120 I3-12100 model will achieve approximately 659:
CPU-Z Benchmark for AMD FX -8350 (1T) - CPU-Z VALIDATOR
Optimal CPU performance - 64-bit - January 2026
valid.x86.fr
A basic lga1700 motherboard will cost under $100, here’s an example:
https://www.newegg.com/p/N82E16813162110...6813162110
Performance differences between DDR4 and DDR5 are minimal, though DDR4 components are more affordable.
A 2 x 8GB DDR4 RAM package could cost around $40.
The 5600G processor referenced earlier is also acceptable, scoring 596
Your current PSU appears adequate for the GTX1060; maintain it until you need a more robust graphics card.
After that, invest in a reliable PSU with at least a 7-year warranty.
I understand you want to begin exploring newer, faster components and you're aware we can discuss it, but it doesn't mean you should rush into a solution.
While you're going through this change, I have a question: Is your Forza motorsport running on an SSD?
From Steam
Additional Notes: SSD Required
My PSU is a LEPA G850 MAS80+ Gold and it's connected to a Crucial 1Tb SSD.
I'm thinking about upgrading this instead of replacing it, but only if the cost isn't too high compared to something like an XSX or PS5.