Looking for assistance in matching your CPU to your 2070?
Looking for assistance in matching your CPU to your 2070?
Recently acquired an RTX 2070 and have an older machine with an Intel i5 (4560, 4th gen DDR3, 8GB RAM). I understand this isn’t a performance issue but feels like a major limitation. I’m on a tight budget and want a practical upgrade. I’m considering DDR4 16GB RAM (no idea about the motherboard) and an Intel i7 (6th gen). Could you help clarify what impact these changes would have on the 2070? Also, give some guidance without recommending overly expensive options.
Welcome to the forums. You mention not having much budget, but don't say what your budget actually is. Please give us a number and a currency, and tell us what country you're shopping in and what retailers you have access to.
PCPartPicker list includes a CPU model Intel Core i5-12600KF at 3.7 GHz with 10 cores ($159.98 on Newegg). A Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE cooler is available for $33.90 on Amazon. The ASRock Z690 PG Riptide ATX motherboard costs $124.99 on Newegg. Memory from TEAMGROUP T-Force Vulcan Z 32 GB DDR4-3600 CL18 is priced at $59.99 on Newegg. Combined total comes to $378.86, covering shipping, taxes, and any available discounts. Data generated by PCPartPicker on November 30, 2023 at 15:11 EST.
I come from Pakistan where the currency is PKR. The value can range between 50k to 60k PKR, depending on what I’m considering. I’m not planning to ship because my country has high import costs and it usually takes months for delivery, which isn’t ideal for me. I’m purchasing it from a local shop instead. For reference, an i7 6th gen processor is around 20k or 22k PKR.
It’s around $77 USD after conversion, which isn’t an extreme cost for an i7 6700(K). This chip should outperform your existing i5. The combination works reasonably well since the RTX 2070 matches the GTX 1080 in performance, and this processor pair was widely regarded as solid. There will always be a speed limit in any setup. The main concern is whether you’re satisfied with the final results. If you mainly play single-player games at higher settings, it should be fine. Although today’s AAA games push more CPU power than this processor can handle, competitive titles at 1080p still leave you CPU-bound, which is normal. But if that fits your situation, it’s a solid choice and definitely superior to your old i5 4560.
That was the situation when it first came out, but nowadays the 6700K is typically around 18% quicker than the 4770K. This information comes from a Hardware Unboxed video in 2021. I understand that if a 4770 or 4790 model is available for roughly 10-15k pkr (about $35–53 USD), it’s a reasonable choice. Still, the creator should consider adding more RAM—ideally up to 16GB—to truly maximize performance, since 8GB is quite restrictive in current games.